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Magnets

21 Dec

There may be times in our lives when something we absolutely did not want to happen becomes a reality. If we fought hard to prevent it and worked with all we had to turn things another way and still it happened, it’s a stunning defeat. We may be in disbelief and feel lost and disconnected, and not sure what to do next or how to move forward. Now what? How can we possibly figure out how to navigate something we can’t even believe has occurred? Life is unpredictable and even if we do everything we can to make something happen, sometimes we will fail. The certainty of defeat is bitter but we decide our path forward. We can hold a grudge and refuse to comply with the changes that have come or refuse to accept the new reality. But there are better responses when things go wrong and we can find them and use them to confidently direct us forward.

Who we are is more important that what happens to us. We can’t control others or their decisions and sometimes the tide will turn against us. When it does we can fight, and scream and kick against it dreaming that if we make enough noise or push hard enough it will go away. We could demean those on the other side and ridicule them because of their choices, or sequester ourselves and hide out until things change. But none of those options will allow us to move forward and be our very best. Fighting against what has already been decided is a waste of energy and time, and holds us in place. What has happened is done and we must find a way forward. We have great value and our opinions matter, and although our path has been modified, with grace and patience we may influence the way ahead.

Magnets are interesting things. They pull on every metal that comes near them and draw it close without any trouble at all. They don’t push and they don’t force but with gentle, consistent, and unending pull they attract it to them. Metal cannot hold itself back from a magnet. The force is subtle and quiet, but unwavering and unyielding. When we want things to go our way and the road has taken a turn away from us we can turn it back. Like magnets, we can be quiet, gentle and consistent in our message. It’s impossible to resist someone who is kind and friendly, even when their message is different from ours. We’re all attracted to people who are loving and patient, and we will listen to them. There is an old saying, “You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar,” and it’s true. Nobody wants to spend time listening to a sore loser rant and rave about their point of view. If we continually put forth our message with patience and moderation, we will attract others to our side. And then we can win.

Today if you’re stunned and angry because something went against you, remember who you are and the value of your message. Be kind and patient and others will be drawn to you. You have everything you need to succeed. Share yourself with love and consideration and others will join you going forward.

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Batter’s Box

2 Dec

There are a lot of things we all want to do as our lives progress. We can’t possibly do them all at once but while we’re involved with other things we can prepare for what we want to do next. Getting ready to move forward will enable us to begin as soon as possible. Simply waiting for things to change will not bring success. If we don’t prepare for what’s coming, we may miss our opportunities when they appear. It’s like being in our own personal batter’s box ready to start when our time comes. In baseball, the batters warm up before the game and then sit waiting in the box to be called. When it’s their time, they step up confident and ready. We can be prepared for the next step in our lives as well, by planning ahead and being aware of where we are. Life belongs to those who take it. Sitting around and simply waiting for success will never work. We must be ready to move forward. We can plan for our futures today by doing what is needed to prepare for success and being ready when our opportunities arrive.

As we go through our busy lives it’s easy to get caught up in what we’re doing and set our future goals aside thinking we’ll get to them later. We’re busy and it’s hard to think about the things we want to do when we’re so wrapped up in what we’re doing now. The problem with setting goals aside when we’re busy is we’re always busy. Expecting the perfect moment to appear when we’ll have nothing to do but plan for our future is futile. There are few times in our lives when everything will be done. If we want to accomplish a goal, we must plan for it even when we’re actively engaged in other things. We can look at it, determine what we need to complete it, and with each passing day choose to do something to prepare for it. It takes conscious planning and thought to prepare for success but even when we’re busy we can find the time if we’re motivated enough. We can’t get more time into our days but we can manage our time to allow for what’s most important to us. Planning for success will help us achieve it. Achieving the goals we most want will bring happiness.

Coasting through our lives and simply managing what comes every day will keep us busy and involved. There will be countless complications, endless tasks to finish, and a continual list of things to do. Being busy allows us to get a lot of things done but if we aren’t directing our lives toward completing the goals we most want we won’t feel fulfilled and satisfied. If we want real happiness, it’s important to focus on what we most want to achieve. We can prepare and be ready for when we are able to move forward. Our lives belong to us. Planning for what we really want and then accomplishing it will bring us happiness and success.

Today if you’ve been busy and putting off something you really want to do, think about how you can prepare to accomplish it. Plan for success going forward and lay the groundwork for your future. You’ll be ready when the time is right. You have everything you need to do anything you want. Get ready, get set, and when it’s time, go forward.

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Good Things and Bad People

1 Dec

Most of us have a sense of what is fair and how life should be balanced. We believe the unjust and mean should be punished and the righteous and kind should be rewarded. It seems reasonable that good works should bring blessings and evil should result in pain. But it doesn’t always work out that way. We’ve all seen bad people become successful and wickedness rewarded. It doesn’t make sense when it happens and can be hard to accept. Some people believe in Karma – that whatever we do will return to us someday. Along that same line is the law of the harvest which states we will reap what we sow. While it’s true that eventually we will answer for everything we do, whether good or bad, it may not happen right away. When we see hateful, mean, dishonest people move ahead and find success it’s hard to accept, but sometimes good things happen to bad people. However, there is a balance in life and eventually we will all answer for our actions no matter what they are. We might get away with being a snake for a while but eventually the mongoose will show up. There really is no such thing as a free lunch. Eventually we all pay the price for our actions.

As we live our lives we may pretend to be any kind of person we like. We can say anything and it’s often not too difficult to deceive others. We can look the part of a patient and honest individual, appearing to do what’s right when we’re really cheating everyone we come in contact with and breaking every rule that suits us to get ahead. We may fool everyone for a while and get away with the lies but eventually who we really are will shine through. There is no way to fool everyone indefinitely and it’s impossible to keep up a perfect charade over time. Truth always rises and cannot be hidden forever. The smoke will clear and we’ll be exposed. In the end, dishonesty cannot prevail.

When we were children our teachers and parents told us to play fair. They taught us to share and give so we could get along with others. As we mature we learn that although it’s good to be fair, the world isn’t really fair all of the time. Bad people win, the wicked prevail, and sometimes lies get rewarded. Not everyone will treat us honestly and with respect, and sometimes there will be nothing we can do about it. It’s hard to accept that good things sometimes happen to bad people but we can still choose to be valiant. No harm can come from being kind, decent, loving and caring. Honesty and integrity will bring us respect and confidence knowing we are doing what is right. We may not always prevail at first, but if we choose wisely and ethically we will always be right. We can impact the world positively by doing our best and setting the example for good.

Today if you see someone getting ahead through dishonesty and deceit remember there is nothing more valuable than truth and integrity. Your choices determine who you are and you can choose well. Decide to be the best you can and be an example to those around you. You have the power to change the world. Be the light of truth and show the way.

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Helping Out

15 Nov

Sometimes those near us, those we care about or love, or friends in our circle ask for our help. Most of us want to be helpful and do what we can when asked. If we consistently offer our help we can learn a lot and build our relationships. But sometimes our helpful nature can backfire when someone abuses our kindness. If someone we know makes a habit of asking for our assistance, not only in areas where real help is needed, but when they want us to cover their personal responsibilities, it can become difficult. We may find ourselves in a situation where instead of helping them we end up enabling them to sidestep their responsibilities and push them off on us. When that happens, we may be helping now but in the end if we do things they need to do for themselves, they lose the opportunity to grow and may become dependent on us. If we let others do our work for us, even when we’re capable of doing it ourselves, we miss out on the chance to grow and learn.

Habits are funny things. They form sometimes without us being aware. We do something once, then we do it again, and again, and before we realize it we may do it on a regular basis without noticing. For instance, if we have a neighbor close by and we stop to chat, we may offer to help with a project they are working on. Another day if we see them we may offer to help again. Soon every time we talk to them they may have tasks prepared for us ready to hand off. And if that continues, our helpful nature may become a burden for us and a crutch for them. It’s good to help others but when our help turns into expectation we may feel encumbered and obligated to do more than we should. We can recognize when our offer to help becomes a hindrance and we can change things so we aren’t just doing tasks but instead helping others figure out what they can do themselves. We can politely offer to help them accomplish any task they want to assign to us. We can do it together and enable them to be confident enough to accomplish it.

There is an old saying that many hands make light work. If we all work together whatever we are trying to accomplish generally goes more easily. It’s easier to lift something heavy as a group than it is alone. Helping one another allows us to serve and learn how to give. It’s noble to offer our assistance and we gain as much in the process as those we’re aiding. We can help in ways that allow everyone to learn and don’t undermine personal growth. We can find the limits between truly helping and enabling. The world needs those willing to serve and serve well. We have so much to give and with careful consideration can make sure out gift of service does as much good as possible.

Today if you’ve been helping someone and see that things have changed and you are doing too much, take a step back. Continue to offer your assistance but allow them to work alongside you and support them as they find their confidence. Show the way to success and let them take the lead. Help them find the road on their own. You are noble and kind to help and others will learn so much from your guidance.

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Time Out

3 Nov

When we’re children and get a little out of control, maybe get too rambunctious or have trouble getting along in a situation, sometimes we may be placed in time out. We may go somewhere away from others that is quiet where we can sit and think for a while until we feel more in control again. Time out can be a useful tool when things start to get too emotional or hectic and it’s helpful not only when we’re children but also when we’re adults. Many of us have very busy lives with lots to do. We have a lot of responsibility and taking time out may not occur to us even when we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes all we focus on is pushing forward and getting to the next task. We learn to deal with stress and juggle complications as they arrive. Although we may accomplish much the quality of our lives may not be as good as we would like. But we can be successful in getting our tasks completed and still take time for ourselves. We can set a few minutes aside, step away from our pressing concerns, and reset.

In this day and age of technology where we can constantly stream news from around the world it’s easy to get caught up in situations we can’t control. Information overload is an ongoing issue when so much information is so readily available. Although it’s possible to continually be exposed to what’s going on everywhere, there is often little we can do to change or assist in many situations. Everything we see, read, or hear stays with us as we move forward. If it causes sorrow, stress, or anger or impacts us negatively we must determine its value. If there is nothing we can do about what is happening, the information, while perhaps interesting and informative, serves little purpose. We may decide how much influence we want things that negatively impact us into our lives. We can take a time out from all the information available and instead choose to focus on what we can do here and now to make our lives better and impact the world for good.

Just because we can do something doesn’t necessarily mean we should do it. We have countless opportunities available to us every single day. There are things we want to do, things we must do, things we put off doing and limitless versions of each. Our lives are ours to direct and we may make any decisions we like. If we agree to do everything we are asked and strive to do everything we want, we may get overloaded. But we can take a time out. If we’re overextended, we can adjust our plans. If we’re exhausted, we can take a break. If we’re overwhelmed, we can re-evaluate and change going forward. We can step away from all the activity for a while, review objectively what’s happening, and make a workable and comfortable plan for the future. We deserve to be happy and in control of our lives. Taking a time out regularly to refocus will help us achieve that.

Today if you’re busy and pressed and feel things have gotten out of control, take a time out. Step away from the situation for a moment. You know how to make things work more easily for you. You have everything you need to succeed. Think about what you most want to accomplish and arrange things so you are comfortable and in control. You’ll be happier as you go forward and you’ll succeed

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