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Getting the Cheese

8 Sep

There is a saying that the second mouse always gets the cheese. The idea being the first mouse goes to the trap and is destroyed allowing the second mouse to swoop in and grab the spoils once the danger has passed. Although we fortunately don’t have to deal with mousetraps in our lives there may be times when we let someone else go in front of us if there is a complicated or unsettling matter that needs attention. Sometimes it’s because we aren’t sure about the situation and letting someone else go first gives us more information. And sometimes we may be concerned there is trouble ahead and we’d rather let the first guy face it. Letting someone else pave the way can seem like a good idea when we’re unsure or intimidated by a situation. But that doesn’t always work out for us in the end. Yes, we might get the “cheese” if there are problems ahead, but we may lose important opportunities by stepping aside and letting someone else get there ahead of us. There really isn’t any situation or complication we can’t manage. We are brave enough to step up and go first even when things are difficult. We have leadership skills we can call on and all the courage we need. We can choose to be the one to mark the path and forge the way ahead.

Personal confidence is something we can always work on. Being confident in our abilities gives us an edge and helps us achieve and find answers even under difficult circumstances. There will be times of uncertainty and sometimes fear of what lies ahead. We can’t read the future and there is no way to know for certain if we will prevail. But if we study the situation out carefully before we move forward, and confidently proceed, no matter what happens we will find our way. Sometimes things will go well and other times there may be problems. But if we face the situation calmly and confidently we will find whatever answers are needed to move forward.

Getting the cheese isn’t always the most important part of the scenario. We can learn a lot about problems and how to solve them as we face complicated situations. The growth we gain from facing adversity and hardship teaches us how to understand the world and live successfully. Nobody wants to lose at anything but we never lose in any situation if we gain knowledge and understanding – even if we don’t prevail. If we do win and get the cheese it’s an added bonus. If we miss out this time we can take all the information we’ve gained going forward and use it to make our mark the next time around. There really isn’t any problem so complex or difficult we can’t figure out. We have all the tools we need to succeed. Taking advantage of everything we learn in the process helps us every time.

Today if you’re worried about a situation and aren’t sure about it take the time you need to see it objectively. Think about what you want to gain and move forward with confidence. You have all the tools you need to succeed. Everything you want is within reach. You are brave enough and smart enough to do anything. Step up and take charge.

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Dealing

9 Aug

There are times in everyone’s life when things go wrong. There will be situations we can’t prevent and events we don’t want to endure. We have little control over what comes to us and no control over the decisions of others. Sometimes things will not be where we want them and there will be nothing we can do to change them. When that happens we have to cope with where we are and what’s going on. We have to deal with the situation as it is. It’s not easy to navigate times like these and we may feel frustrated, angry or sad. But if we really can’t change things we must accept them and walk through them as they are. Disappointments come and when they do we can keep moving forward. We are successful when we cope with difficult times and patiently work through them until they change. We can learn all we can as we go, and effectively navigate our course to the other side.

Learning to deal with disappointment and sorrow takes time. If we are stunned by something that’s happened unexpectedly we may lose our way for a moment. We may need some time to catch our breath and process what’s happened. If our foundation has been rocked, it may be hard to find our footing at first. But no matter what happens if we take our time to think about the situation and look at it objectively we will find our way through it and back to solid ground. We can deal and cope until things change.

Sometimes we think we could never go through certain experiences in life. We don’t feel we could survive extreme disappointments or sorrow, and can’t even think about them. But life continues on and even when we think we can’t go another minute, we do. Even when we think we’ve been overcome, we thrive. We wake up another day and find our way. We are resilient and steady in our ability to cope. If the wind is knocked out of us, we can catch our breath. If we are pushed down, we can get back up. If we are stunned, we can refocus. We can bounce back from anything that shakes us, and we can endure far more than we believe. There is no sorrow or disappointment strong enough or invasive enough to destroy us. We are capable of handling anything that comes and overcome it. We can take whatever time we need to find our way. No matter what happens, we will survive. And we will take the lessons learned and the strength we gained forward with us.

Today if you’re dealing with a difficult situation you cannot change, and you feel angry or upset, keep walking forward. You can handle anything that comes to you. You are strong and resilient and perfectly capable of managing this. You are getting braver and learning more each moment. Keep your eyes on the future. This will pass. Happiness is just around the corner.

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Darkest Hour

4 Aug

Life is filled with all kinds of experiences. Some of them are wonderful but dark times come to us all. We have disappointments, sorrow, pain and suffering. If the trial is severe enough we may be devastated and feel overcome. We may face very dark times as we try to navigate our way through. They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. Dawn comes every single day. We can count on the light returning no matter what the night has brought. But just before it arrives, we will have endured the darkness for the longest period of time possible. When we are struggling and hurt, and when we feel lost and hopeless it’s like being in that last hour of darkness. We can’t feel the light of hope or the anticipation of happiness. We may feel oppressed and weak, but the light always returns. Always. There will never be a day when the light will not arrive and bring with it the chance for healing. Just before that happens we may feel at our worst but we can hang on and wait for the sun. Even in our darkest hour we can remember the sun will rise.

Sometimes when we are facing very difficult situations we feel they will break us. We may think we can’t endure them or we won’t survive. Although we know intellectually they probably won’t actually kill us, we might feel their impact will be so great that we’ll never be the same again. It’s true that every experience changes us in some way, but we can always take the lessons learned and apply them to our lives in ways that will help us and not hurt us going forward. In reality, there is no situation we can’t face. We have everything we need to navigate even the most challenging trials. We can be confident that no matter what we’re facing we will find the answers and survive.

Some believe that every time we struggle a small bit of us is chipped away never to return. Like blocks of ice being carved they believe we can never be the same after something has been broken away. But we are resilient and able to heal from whatever life brings us. We can restore ourselves in time and no matter what has been lost, be whole again. Life teaches us with each challenge and if we lose something we held before, we can replace it with a richer, more thoughtful understanding. What we gain from overcoming hardship deepens us and makes us stronger. The superficial is scratched away and deeper perception replaces it. Every experience brings information and as we go, even in the darkest hour, we become stronger and richer.

Today if you’re struggling with a trial and feel overwhelmed or uncertain, there is an answer and you will find it. You are capable of managing whatever comes to you and you will prevail. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Remember the light is just around the corner. The darkness will lift and you will find joy. Be strong. You have everything you need to conquer and find happiness.

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Failing With Glory

3 Aug

Sometimes our plans don’t work out and what we want to do fails.  Even if we do everything right and follow through effectively, there will be times when things go wrong and we don’t succeed.  There are thousands of reasons why it happens.  Maybe the influence of others involved stopped our progress.  Maybe the timing was wrong.  Maybe the idea was great but not a good fit.  We might see clearly at the end why things didn’t work out or we might never understand how we failed.  Failure is something we all experience from time to time.  We never plan on it and hope we don’t face it but we probably won’t succeed every time we try something.  Even if our plans fail, there is glory in doing our best.  If we did all we could, even if we fail we are magnified.  We can fail with glory if we were honorable and diligent in the struggle.  Failure doesn’t mean we can’t succeed, but an indication we need to change direction.  Despite the disappointment, we can learn from the experience, feel good about what we did accomplish, and move forward confidently.

Sometimes after we’ve failed at something we may see the new road we’re on is better than if we had succeeded.  We can’t see the future and when we’re striving to accomplish something we really don’t know exactly how it will look in the end.  We try to plan and prepare but there will always be unexpected developments and things we can’t see.  If we fail and it turns out the failure created a better situation than we would have had otherwise we feel happy.  It’s nice when things work out despite our plans falling through.  But we can feel happy even if the road we end up on isn’t better.  The glory is in the doing.  If we’ve done our best, we’ve learned new things and are wiser for the experience.  The end result isn’t where we grow.  Growth comes as we work toward the goal.  Not reaching it is disappointing but we can still be happy with what we learn and accomplish on the way.

They say, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  There is no limit to the number of times we can try to accomplish something.  We can get more information or find another way to get to the goal and try again.  If that doesn’t work we can try another way.  We can pursue anything for as long as we like and we may find success or we may be continually daunted.  If we try several times and can’t reach a goal we may set it aside and work on other things.  Sometimes timing is an issue and we need to wait for our lives or the situation to change before we can find success.  And there may be times when success isn’t possible and we have to change our plans.  We can let it go and move forward in another direction.  We can fail with glory, be happy with what we accomplished, and move forward.

Today if you’re facing failure for something you’ve worked hard on be happy with what you’ve done.  You’ve learned a lot and although the goal was not achieved, you know more now than you did before.  Go forward with confidence.  You will accomplish many great things.  Be brave.  Success will come again.

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Always There

2 Aug

Nobody gets a perfect life where everything always goes right and each day is happy. There is conflict and struggle around us all the time. Sometimes our days are easy and go well, and other times they are heavy and difficult. There are times of trial and disappointment, sadness, sorrow, and pain. It’s a normal part of our experience here. When we’re trying to overcome something and life seems bleak, and when we feel our hope is fading and we aren’t sure we can survive, we can still find happiness. Peace is possible even when our circumstance isn’t peaceful. There is joy even when our lives are not joyful, and we can find hope even when it feels hopeless. Tomorrow will come and each day brings with it something new. Nothing stays the same forever. We have reserves of peace and joy and hope within us. Even in our darkest hours, we can find our way. There is greatness inside us and it carries with it everything we need to move forward no matter what is in our way. There isn’t anything we can’t do, and we can do it with confidence.

It would be nice if we could count on every day going well. It would be heaven on earth if trouble didn’t darken our path and sorrow never showed its face. But this life is filled with all kinds of problems. Although we don’t want trials to come to us, they will and when they do we will find our way through them. If they are extremely difficult we may struggle and feel overwhelmed. For a time, we may even believe we can’t survive them. But there really isn’t anything too strong or difficult for us to face. It may seem bleak, it may seem impossible, and we may struggle to find our way. The storm may rage but no storm lasts forever. In time, things will change. We’ll find our footing and the right road to walk. And once the problem is behind us we’ll have more experience and knowledge going forward.

Finding joy when our world is falling apart is possible. We can find it in small things – the blue sky, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, birdsong, the smell of baking bread or a thousand other things that lighten our load. Joy is always there waiting for us to embrace it. We can give it to ourselves and find peace even in trouble. Taking a moment for respite and seeking happiness when things are going wrong may not diminish the struggle, but it will make it easier to manage. Whatever is happening won’t last forever, it won’t destroy us, and we will prevail. Whatever we’re going through is just a bump in the road. It might be a big bump that takes time to get around or climb over, but in the end it’s just a bump. We are capable of facing anything and managing it well. We can find peace, and joy, and happiness. It’s already there inside us. We need only look inward and allow it to shine.

Today if you’re going through a difficult trial and you feel overcome, reach inside and find respite. You can do anything. This will not defeat you. You have everything you need to manage this well. You are strong and capable, and you deserve every happiness. Dig deep. Your joy is there.

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