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Triangles

5 Jan

In an orchestra, every instrument has an integral part to play. Each is needed to make the piece being performed complete. If even one instrument’s part is removed or quieted, the entire sound is affected. If one section is more subdued than another, the main melody transfers to whichever is playing the most prominently. Directors use this to manipulate the performance and create the sound they seek. They choose the most beautiful parts of the piece to sing out above the other harmonies in order to bring the greatest beauty and depth to the music. But every instrument has it’s place and is needed to create the entire sound. Even the triangle has a role to play. It’s a small instrument with a very tiny voice. But when it is called on to sound out, its perfect placement makes the entire piece more complete. We are like the orchestra in many ways. We are all different and each of us has a voice that is unique and important. Even if we’re like the tiny triangle, and don’t say much or aren’t loud, what we have to offer is valuable and needed. Our contribution, no matter how small is integral in our lives and the lives of others. It’s important and precious.

We all have different ways of expressing ourselves. Some of us are clear and direct, and even forceful when talking with others. And some of us are more reserved, waiting until we are sure of what we want to say before speaking up, and then speaking more quietly and modestly. But our messages are all important. Whether we are loud or soft, each of our voices is necessary for our world to be complete. When we think of all the people around us and their contributions in our lives, it’s hard to imagine leaving even one of them out. None of them is perfect, and we sometimes wish some of them would fade into the the distance but when we look at the whole picture we can see that each is a necessary piece of the puzzle that is our lives. Each has a voice in our personal orchestra and we need to hear them all.

If we lack confidence we may find it hard to speak up and share our comments and thoughts with those around us. But what we have to say is important. Even the things we think are insignificant could be something someone else really needs to hear. We can feel empowered enough to share our thoughts and feelings with others, and recognize that we have an important role to play in our own lives and the lives of those around us. We are all far more connected to each other than we realize. If we open up, share our thoughts, and become part of the conversation, we will be embellished and we will bless those around us in ways we cannot possibly know. Sometimes one word from us changes everything for someone else. It’s possible that our one comment could change someone else’s perspective from lonely and unsure, to one of inclusion and acceptance. We have so much to share. We can be brave enough to share all we have, and be an integral part of the complete picture adding our own instrument and voice to the world around us.

Today if you’ve kept to yourself and not spoken up when you had the chance, determine to share who you are. You have so much to offer and your perspective is valuable and desired. Open up and let others know you more deeply and become part of the orchestra around you. Your voice is needed and we all want to hear it. Tell us who you are and let us grow from your influence. You are an amazing gift to those around you. Share yourself with them today.

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What’s Coming

4 Jan

If you’ve ever tried skiing, you know there are times when you’re at the top of the hill and because of fog or snow, you can’t see the bottom of the hill. You know it’s there – you just left it – but it’s invisible. There is no ski lift that takes us back down the mountain and once we’re at the top we have only two options. We can ski down it, or we can walk. If we decide to ski, which most of us do, despite the inability to see the bottom of the hill, we can begin down the slope. If the fog or snow is heavy, it may be hard to see more than a couple of feet ahead. If we haven’t done the course before we will not know what’s coming. But if we have faith in our abilities, and plan every turn carefully, we can get down the hill and reach the bottom in safety. Our lives can be like that. We know where we are and where we want to go, but the distance in between the two can be foggy and hard to see. If we really want to reach our destination, we have to go forward with faith. Sometimes we come to a wall and have to re-navigate but if we take our time, and keep moving forward we will reach the destination.

When we can’t see the road ahead of us, and we aren’t exactly sure which way to start, we can be overcome with doubt and decide to stay where we are instead of venturing forth. We know the location we’re in, it’s predictable and sure. Forging ahead into the unknown can be frightening. But the truth is there isn’t anything we can’t manage. We are smart enough and strong enough to face anything that comes to us. If we really want to go forward, even if we can’t see each turn that’s coming, we can keep moving and if we come to a complication we can re-navigate and start again. Every road is within our reach and every goal is attainable if we’re willing to do what we must to achieve it. We can ignore the fear and just start moving ahead. We can push our doubts aside and have faith that although we can’t see the next bend, we will know what to do when we get there.

Not everyone will support us when we want to make a change in our lives and move in a new direction. Some may tell us it’s impossible, some may say it’s too hard, some may ask why we want to change when we’re fine where we are. But none of that matters if we know what we really want. We can forge a new road, go after a big goal, and tackle difficult challenges. The world and the future belong to those brave enough to grab it. We all have the courage we need inside us. We can do whatever we want to do. We can summon our confidence and garner our faith strongly enough to do anything. There isn’t anything too hard for us to manage, too difficult for us to figure out, or too intimidating that we can’t overcome it. We can do anything. When we believe that and begin going forward deciding we will continue no matter what, we will find success. There is nothing that will stop us.

Today if you’ve wanted to move in a new direction but have been unsure, you have everything you need to succeed. You are smart enough and strong enough to do anything you want to do. You can go forward and if you keep going forward you will succeed. Nothing can stop you when you are determined to win. You already know what you want. Start moving and you’ll get there. You deserve everything you’re seeking. Today take the first step forward to claim it.

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Showing Up

17 Dec

Happy days come to us all. Things go well, we’re healthy, our loved ones are doing great, and we feel good. We like our neighbors, enjoy our jobs, and have plenty of relaxation and fun.  When everything is going well and life seems easy, we don’t have to do much to get through our days. They sail by and we feel content, and don’t have to draw on much within ourselves. We’re enjoying our lives, but we aren’t really learning much, which at the time is just fine with us. However, those times never last and when they change into more difficult periods, life becomes more challenging and it’s harder to process what we’re going through. When hard times come, as they inevitably will, we have to rely on ourselves to find courage and strength. Thankfully, both show up when we need them. We have everything we need to face anything that comes to us. Courage and strength wait in the wings when things are going well, and rise to the top just as we need them.

We can trust ourselves to find answers and get through any trial or difficulty we face. No matter how old we are, chances are we’ve faced hurtles before and surmounted them. We’ve figured out difficult puzzles and complex situations already so when they come again in their endless variations, we know we can face them. Of course, nobody wants to go through difficult times, and we may think we want our lives to be an endless picnic of fun without the ants. But life isn’t like that, and it’s in the trials where we learn to be brave and in the fire where we learn to be strong. Our courage is honed through practice, and our ability to process and untangle problems comes with experience.  Every single bump brings with it a blessing. As we go through them, figure them out, and conquer them, we get closer to the person we most want to be. We burn off a little more superficial shell, and get down to who we really are deep inside.

It takes faith to believe we can overcome obstacles that come to us, especially if they are very painful. We will experience many difficult things in our lives – death, sadness, loss, hurt, and shame to name a few. Although we don’t enjoy the hard times, they teach us the most, and on the other side of them we are deeper and more enriched than we were before they began. And we have everything we need to face them. Our courage, our stamina, our determination and our wisdom will rise the moment we need them. They are always there ready to assist, and with them we can conquer anything. Even in the most difficult moments, we can continue to go forward. Nothing lasts forever and as each problem untangles itself, as we heal from the loss, we begin to rebuild into someone stronger and more capable because of what we’ve overcome – again. This life is a continual round of lessons to be learned. We can learn them all and we can defeat any adversity. There is nothing we can’t do.

Today if you’re facing something very difficult and painful, remember you have everything you need to prevail. You have sufficient courage and wisdom to find resolution and move forward. There isn’t anything that is too hard for you. Everything you need is there for you already. Draw on it, pull from it, and let it rise. You will overcome this. It’s just one more step.

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Wolves

9 Dec

As we go through our lives, we meet lots of people.  Some become friends, some just acquaintances, and some we meet once and never see again.  We see people in passing, and interact with them in lots of different situations.  Most of us think we are good judges of character but sometimes it’s not easy to know what people really are.  There is the old saying of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” meaning sometimes someone looks one way, when in actuality they are completely different.  We meet people like that from time to time.  There is always a reason they are hiding behind what we see, and often those reasons are destructive.  It’s hard to see behind a disguise.  Sheep seem so friendly and docile that even if a little dark fur is sticking out under the white curls we might not notice it until the damage has been done.

It’s good to be trusting of others.  It opens doors for us and helps us feel comfortable in our interactions.  But when we have a trusting nature, we can also be manipulated by those whose intentions are not noble.  We might befriend someone we think we can trust, only to discover they aren’t trustworthy at all.  If that happens, we may blame ourselves for falling for a lie, but it’s not our fault when someone else makes bad decisions.  We aren’t fools because we trusted them.  Until we know that someone is wearing a disguise it’s appropriate to give them the benefit of the doubt.  When that is abused, and we discover we’ve been duped, we may be hurt, but we’ll learn more and can make wiser decisions going forward.

If we get tangled up with a wolf and get hurt, we may decide not to trust anyone anymore.  But that never works.  Most people are honest and deserve our trust and respect.  If we judge everyone based on the few who choose badly, we only end up hurting ourselves.  We can’t live in a vacuum, and we need others in our lives.  No matter what’s happened, we’ll find a way to recover, and use the information we’ve learned going forward.  We can be brave enough to allow others to get close to us despite the experience.  We are in control and we can make excellent decisions and judgments.  There are a lot of genuine sheep in our lives.  There are people who care about us and want what’s best for us.  We can’t disregard our good relationships with them because there are a few wolves waiting in the wings.

Today if you’ve discovered you’ve been manipulated or in some way treated dishonestly, and you’re hurt, learn from what you’ve experienced.  You know more now than you did, and you can go forward with confidence.  You can still trust those around you, and allow them to get close to you.  There are a lot of good sheep in your world.  Don’t let one wolf turn you against those who love and care for you.

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Suddenly

8 Dec

When we’re trying hard to accomplish something very difficult, or trying to change something in our lives that’s hard, it can seem like the road is never ending.  We push, and we inch forward, and then we have a setback, and it seems despite all we’ve done, we’re back at the beginning again.  Change takes time and when we’re trying hard to accomplish it, we can get frustrated and feel stuck.  But if we keep going forward, even when it feels like we’re going nowhere, eventually something happens that breaks us through.  Something finally goes right, and we feel recharged and hopeful again.  It’s like suddenly everything changes and we realize we can do this.  When we get a break, even a small one, we realize we can keep going and when it happens, in that moment everything is different.  If we were discouraged, we feel buoyed up.  If we felt defeated, we feel we can prevail.  It’s amazing when it happens.  Suddenly everything has changed and we’re renewed.

Although we know we can accomplish anything we choose to do, if it’s something big, something far reaching or we’re trying hard to change, it can be daunting and overwhelming at times.  We know what we want to do, and we know how to get there, but the road is long, and filled with detours and complications.  We can get discouraged and sometimes we might even consider giving up.  We might think we should just let it go and move on to something easier.  But accomplishing something difficult isn’t impossible – it’s just difficult.  We are capable of facing difficulties, and we’ve proven that over time.  We can face them, we can process them, we can manage them, and we can overcome them.  If we keep that in mind, if we remember the successes we’ve already had, we can press forward and day by day we will get closer to where we want to go.

That light at the end of the tunnel will come.  That break we’ve needed will finally arrive.  And when it does, everything will change.  Even the smallest gain, or the tiniest encouragement, can change everything.   Perhaps one person notices our efforts and compliments us, or maybe there is one small adjustment that allows us to move up.  Whatever it is, when the positive moment comes, suddenly we can see the road ahead and we know we can traverse it.  We are resilient and capable.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  We have all the courage and stamina we need to make any change we want to.  And when the blessing finally comes to us, when we achieve the objective and grab the gold ring, it will be worth everything we did to get there.

Today if you’ve been pushing and trying so hard to make a change and it seems like you’ve been constantly going uphill against the wind, hang on.  The break you need is just around the next bend.  It’s right at the doors.  Take another step forward, and hold on for another day.  All the blessings you are seeking are there for you, and will be worth everything you’re facing now.  There is sunshine and light just ahead.  You can do everything you need to get to it.  You are amazing and you have everything you need to succeed.  Just keep going.

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