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The Ladder

6 Jun

Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky.  American Proverb
 
When we want something we don’t have or want to achieve something higher than where we are we have ambition.  We believe we can do what is needed to succeed and set our sights on the goal.  Ambition is greater than hope because we put effort into gaining the achievement.  Having ambition is like climbing a ladder.  When we need to reach something higher than where we are we can use a ladder.  We lean it against something sturdy and safely climb higher to reach the goal.  Ambition is like setting a ladder against the sky.  The sky has no end and there is no limit to what we can achieve.  Having ambition allows us to dream of something more, something higher or greater.  It enables us to stretch further and see how far we can go.  We can try to reach anything we want.  We can push ourselves to become more, and when we do we learn more about who we are and discover what we’re capable of.  We can do anything.  We can set the ladder against the sky and scale it as high as we like.

Anything worth having is worth working for.  Nothing of value comes to us without effort.  If we stand still and coast through our lives, we will never achieve our full potential.  We are capable of doing more than we believe we can but we won’t find our real limits unless we push forward.  If we want to we can simply coast through our lives.  Coasting is effortless movement.  It might take us in the direction we want to go but it’s susceptible to the winds of change and the decisions of others.  If we do nothing to direct our course and simply allow life to carry us, we will go places but they may not be the places we want to be.  And because there is no effort we won’t become stronger.  When we have no rudder we can’t steer our ship or choose a destination.  If we allow ourselves to simply be driven by all the forces around us, we have no idea where we’ll end up.

Our lives belong to us.  They are ours and ours alone.  It doesn’t matter what other people think we should be doing.  What matters is what we choose to do.  Choosing to do nothing is a choice we can make if we want to.  But we only get one shot at this life and wasting even one day is a loss we can never recover.  We know what we want our lives to be like.  We know what we want.  We have the power to aim high and achieve anything we like.  We can direct our course to the destinations we choose and we can turn our ship at any time.  If we anchor our progression with effort and planning we can succeed.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  Every dream can become a reality if we do what it takes to achieve it.

Today if there is something you want to gain, someplace you want to go, or something you want to achieve, set your sights on the goal and begin moving toward it.  You have all the ambition and drive you need to make it yours.  Start moving toward the destination and soon you’ll see it just ahead.  There isn’t anything you can’t do.  Set your ladder and start climbing.

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Dodgeball

2 Jun

Playing dodgeball is fun and can be exciting and challenging. The game involves several balls being thrown by opposing teams. The idea is not to get hit by a ball thrown by an opponent. If we do get hit, we’re out. But if we’re quick and pay attention we can catch the balls that are being thrown at us and preserve our spot in the game. It’s a challenge to dodge the balls and be fast enough to catch them before they strike us out. Life can be like playing dodgeball. There are always things being thrown at us that can catch us off guard. Maybe someone wants us to do something we don’t really have time for, or we accumulate too much work as we move along and things need attention. If we get distracted by everything that’s happening, or become overworked, we can get hit with something that knocks us off our feet. But if we’re quick and paying attention, we can turn and face whatever is coming, catch it, and address it successfully. The constant needs of others or things we have to do can derail us if we get caught up in them. But we can manage and control our time and efforts. We can avoid getting hit and losing our place. It all depends on how we play the game.

Our lives are busy and there is always something that needs to be done. We have our personal needs, maintenance issues that crop up, work tasks, and relationship needs among a thousand other things. There’s a lot going on all the time. In addition to our regular responsibilities, others may ask us for more even when we’re overloaded. We can try to dodge the additional tasks but most of us want to be helpful and try to do all we can. If we get overwhelmed, we can get hit by a ball and knocked out of the game altogether. If we allow ourselves to commit to too much, we may become overwhelmed and overworked. When that happens we have to stop and take ourselves out of the game until we can regroup and start again.

Most of us want to be helpful and do as much as we can for others. The problem is there are always more “others” than there are “us.” We have limits on our time and energy and if we fail to control how much time we’re promising away or how much energy we’ve committed to giving, we will lose in the end. It’s up to us to manage our time and if we can’t take on more, we need to dodge the ball by saying no. We can’t catch all the balls all the time. Understanding our limitations and working within them makes us successful and confident. Nobody can do everything. Only we know where our limits are. Recognizing them and doing our best to navigate them will make us successful and confident.

Today try to recognize where your limits are and work within them. You do a lot but you don’t have to do everything. Catch the balls you can and do your best. Let the rest go. You know what’s best for you. Do that and you’ll be confident and successful. You have so much to give. Be wise and manage your time. You’ll be happier and more successful when you do.

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Tiny Pebbles

28 May

Sometimes when we we’re walking along we may get a small stone in our shoe. We feel it under our foot and it’s aggravating as we walk. While not cripplingly painful, it’s an annoyance that’s uncomfortable. We can stop and remove our shoe and shake it out. After we remove it we can continue on without discomfort. Because the stone is so small if we had to walk with it in our shoe we probably could continue but we would always be aware of its presence. Stopping and removing it is the only way to find relief. Our lives can be like that at times. There may be something bothering us on the periphery that isn’t crippling but is annoying and constant. Perhaps it’s a discussion we need to have with someone else that we’ve put off. Or maybe someone did something that hurt us and we haven’t been able to let it go. There are a million things that could be drifting around in the background that don’t stop us from moving forward, but are bothersome and keep our attention. The only way to remove them is the same as removing the annoying pebble in our shoe. We must stop, address the issue, do what it takes to resolve it, and then move on.

We all have boundaries in our lives and when we clearly define them and understand them we can work around them. But if we let others broach those boundaries in ways that make us uncomfortable and don’t tell them where our lines are, we may be hurt as they stomp all over them. Nobody knows us like we know ourselves. If we don’t communicate what doesn’t work for us, others may make choices that are difficult for us to manage. When that happens if we speak up we have the chance to remove the pebble and move forward. If we are silent, things will remain the same. We are responsible for our own lives. If we don’t like what’s happening, we can speak up.

There may be times when those close to us do things that make us uncomfortable. We can talk to them, explain our discomfort, and ask them to change. But we can only control ourselves and the decisions made by others belong to them. Sometimes even after explaining our feelings people will continue on the same way despite our discomfort. If they are important to us we might just accept that and find a way around the situation because we care about them. Relationships are complicated and sometimes we may choose to go along even when we aren’t happy about the direction. The annoyance will still be there but if we’ve explained our position and asked for what we need, even if things don’t change, we can feel confident that we did all we could. We are responsible for our own happiness and asking for what we want is the best we can do. We won’t always get it but speaking up empowers us to move forward.

Today if you have a situation that’s been bothering you that you haven’t addressed, do what is needed to resolve it. You have all the courage necessary to take care of it. Face whatever is keeping you from being happy and move forward. You deserve to be completely happy. Remove whatever pebble is in your shoe and you’ll find comfort.

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Making it Better

23 May

Everywhere we go and with everything we do, we leave an impression that we were there.  People remember us and the things we do, we impact our surroundings in different ways, and there is no way to prevent leaving evidence of our presence behind.  We change our environment every time we are part of it.  Sometimes the marks we leave are clearly evident and sometimes they are small but they will always be there.  We have a choice therefore, to either leave behind something negative or something positive.  If we don’t care or don’t pay attention as we go through our lives, our impact may not always be the positive influence we may want it to be.  But if we tune in and remember that everything we do changes something, we can leave each situation a little better.  Even if all we do is have a positive attitude as we attend to our responsibilities we may lift those around us.  There is no way to be invisible and no matter what we do, it will make some kind of difference.  Making that difference better helps everyone around us and makes our days a little easier.

Everybody has a bad day from time to time.  Maybe we don’t feel well, or we have pressures on us that are complicating our lives, or the weather is making our day difficult, or a thousand other things.  If we let our discomfort define how we act it can make things worse.  If we’re grumpy and pass that on to others, our interactions with them may be more difficult.  If we don’t feel well and ignore those who come into our circle, we may make a negative impact on them.  Things go wrong and we all have times when we don’t feel happy or at our best.  But we don’t have to share our bad fortune with those around us.  If we need time alone to get through our situation, we should take it.  If we need rest we should make sure we get it.  And if we must interact when we aren’t at our best, we can remember the issue is ours and doesn’t need to become everyone else’s.

We can’t control what comes to us but we can control our response to it.  If something uncomfortable is going on we can display that discomfort to everyone around us, or we can choose to be positive despite it.  That doesn’t mean being dishonest with our feelings or pretending things are great when they aren’t.  It just means managing our response in ways that don’t accentuate the negative situation we’re dealing with and remembering that no matter what we’re facing we’ll get through it.  Even if what we’re going through feels like the end of the world, in time we’ll move on to something better.  If we focus on the big picture and trust ourselves we will face our challenges more confidently and positively.  If we choose to be an example of grace, patience, endurance, and peace even when we’re working out a problem, our influence on those around us will be positive and uplifting.  Everything we do will make a difference.  We can make that difference a benefit and be a blessing.

Today if you’re feeling down or angry or upset or frustrated or whatever, and not at your best, remember you can manage anything that comes to you.  You have a lot of influence over those around you.  You’re going to touch a lot of people every day.  Let that touch be kind, loving, and patient.  Your consideration will return to you over and over and everyone, including you, will be happier because of it.

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No Return

17 May

Sometimes things happen to us that are unfixable. Sometimes relationships end suddenly, sometimes we face a detour so extreme our lives are altered going forward, and sometimes everything we thought was real goes up in smoke. Some problems may alter our destination forever and break our momentum for a time. We can’t prevent all the bad things that may happen to us but we can get through whatever comes. But getting through a difficult development and trying to fix what’s been broken are two different things. There will be times in everyone’s life when something changes everything and there is no going back. We can never return to where we were. It can be hard to navigate times like those, and we have to take it step by step. Accepting what we thought we had or what we hoped we’d find will never come is very difficult. However, no matter how hard the situation is we can face it. No matter how complicated it becomes we can manage it. And no matter how devastated we feel, we will move through it. There isn’t anything strong enough to stop us forever. We may get stalled for a time but we will find our way again and figure out how to go forward.

Some people love surprises. The unexpected is delightful to them and they love the thrill of not knowing. For others, surprises are unpleasant and they prefer to know what’s happening and where they’re headed at all times. No matter what we like, unexpected bad news is never welcome. We all try our best to plan for happiness and peace as we move along, and when those plans work for us we feel content and settled. Things move along as we want them to and nobody is rocking the boat. But when the water gets high and suddenly the boat is leaking, it can fill quickly and leave us panicked trying to figure out what to do. There is no guarantee in anyone’s life that things will go well. We can plan, we can try, and we can do everything in our power to ensure a safe journey. When unexpected complications come we must find a way through them if we want to succeed.

When things go wrong and everything changes we can feel overwhelmed and lost, especially if the problem is serious and threatening. We can lose our footing and feel like we’re going under. We may need time to find our way again, and we may need to change things in our lives in order to move forward. There is nothing wrong with modifying our plans but that can be painful and the pain can paralyze us. If we remember this is just a passage and not a destination, we will find more confidence to move forward. Nothing is permanent in our lives. Everything changes and no matter what problems we’re facing, no matter how invasive and frightening they are, they will not last forever. We will move through them and they will pass. We have all the courage we need to face anything and all the inspiration we need to find our way. We can keep moving forward even if our destination has changed. We can slog through the deep mud and find our way back to solid ground.

Today if you’re facing a serious setback or a complication that has changed where you’re headed, have faith. You will find your way. The road is still there beneath your feet. You can keep walking forward. Turn a little and adjust your course. You have everything you need to conquer whatever you’re facing. There is nothing too big for you to handle. Keep moving forward. The answers are there and you’ll find them.

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