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Closed Doors

24 Mar

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”  Helen Keller

Disappointment and happiness are a part of every life.  Sometimes things go well and we find happiness.  Other times things go another way and we feel loss.  There is no one perfect way to live life and we take what comes to us.  We can create our own happiness but there may be times when we may feel lost, sad, scared, or frustrated.  If we focus on them and what has gone wrong it may be difficult to see the possibilities of what could go right.  There are many doors we’ll face as we go through our lives.  If we stand staring at those that are closed we may get stuck considering what might have been and be unable to move forward.  It’s fine to consider our disappointments and it’s wise to learn from them, but we can also change our focus and look in new directions.  The whole world is available to us.  We can do anything we want to do.  A setback may be difficult to face but it’s never the end of the road, and there are countless roads we may travel.  We can look up and we can look around, evaluate all the options possible and choose another direction.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and nowhere we can’t go.  Everything is possible but it will only be possible when we decide to keep moving.  If we need time to grieve we can take it.  And then when we’re ready we can begin again.

No matter how many things may have gone wrong or how discouraged we may feel, tomorrow will be the chance to start again.  The sun will rise and as a new day begins we can choose a new plan.  There is nothing powerful enough to keep us in place when we are motivated to change.  All we need is to decide where we want to go and what we want to do and then begin forward to accomplish the goal.  We are in control of our lives and no matter what comes we can decide what we will do.  We don’t need permission to design the lives we want.  We need only decide.

When we face great disappointment we may need time to determine what we want to do next.  Wrapping paper comes in all kinds of colors and designs.  If we’ve wrapped our future up in a plan that fails we can unwrap it and start again.  We can redesign where we want to go and how we want to get there.  There is never only one road to any destination.  We can choose another path and find another way forward.  We can do anything.  We don’t have to focus forever on what has gone wrong.  We can see the disappointment, process what we’ve learned and start over.  Life is long and we have unlimited chances to do all the things we want to do.

Today if you’re facing a door that has closed and you’re disappointed, look around.  There are other doors waiting for you.  Open them all and find what you’re looking for.  You can do anything you want to do.  Keep moving forward.  All your dreams are there waiting to come true.

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At the Beginning

21 Mar

Life can be complex, frustrating, joyful, confusing, easy or hard. The scope of experiences we have is unending and wide. We sail through some days with barely a care and grind through others aware of each painful moment. No matter what we’re experiencing today, it will be different tomorrow. Each day as the sun rises and we awaken to a new morning there are limitless opportunities waiting for us. We cannot know in advance what the day will bring but we can determine how we’ll handle it. If we decide trouble will defeat us at its first opportunity, that is what will happen. If we decide no matter what comes we’ll manage and keep looking forward, that is also what will happen. We can’t control much of what comes into our lives but we always, always have control over how we handle it. If we see our tribulations as temporary passages, we will navigate them more effectively. The only thing permanent in life is death and if we aren’t facing that today everything else will change. Big disappointments may await us, sharp turns to the left may move us and we may find ourselves lost on a new road we didn’t see coming. But those are simply complications and with determination we will find our way through them. Every day is a blessing. Even very difficult days bring us something valuable we can hold onto moving forward. We decide our fates, where we’ll go and how we’ll get there. There is nothing too difficult for us to manage and move through. A new day is a new beginning. No matter what has passed we can begin again and find success.

Hard times come to us all and if we don’t learn what we need from a difficult experience we may get the opportunity to go through it again. Being aware of our situations and learning everything possible for each experience allows us to move forward confidently. Even in our darkest moments there is something that will help us move forward. Keeping our eyes open and being willing to see everything available to us will help us find the message we need to learn.

Our lives are a reflection of everything we experience and that reflection is often colored by how we feel about what we’ve been through. Nobody’s life goes exactly the way they want it to. There are twists and turns and disappointments we all must face. If we see disappointment as a time to redirect our focus and unexpected turns as a sign that there is another way forward we will be happier as we continue along. How we take each step forward and face each new day will determine how happy we’ll be. We can choose to keep our eyes focused ahead and determine to succeed. We have everything we need to be happy.

Today, decide to have hope and determination. There is nothing you can’t do. You have everything you need to become the person you most want to be. The world belongs to you and you will manage whatever it takes to conquer it. Be courageous and wise. Every success you dream of is waiting for you. Look ahead and you will find your way.

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One More Step

20 Mar

When we’ve been struggling with something for a while or trying to accomplish a big task we may face many complications and detours along the way.  It takes energy to keep pushing through and thinking of new ways to go forward and after a time we may believe the goal is too high or too difficult to achieve.  When the road to a destination we’re seeking has been long and there have been many problems to overcome along the way, we may begin to re-think our objective and perhaps consider letting it go.  But often when we get to that point we are also close to the goal we’re seeking.  If we stop and rest for a moment, we may find the strength we need to take one more step forward.  That step, that last push, is often what gets us to the goal we’ve been trying to reach.  We always have reserves we can pull from when we get tired and there is always enough for one more step forward.  We can pull from within and reach the destination we’ve worked hard for.  There is enough power inside to take us all the way to the end of any road.  We can reach deep for our strength when we need it and grab onto it to carry us through.  Some roads are long and hard, and if we’re tired of the challenge we may find ourselves wondering if we can succeed.  Taking one more step forward is all we need to focus on.  Just one step more, and then if we still aren’t there we’ll have what we need to take another.  Every road has an end and no matter how long we’ve been traveling we will reach the destination.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish no matter how hard it may be.  We have enough determination and stamina to endure whatever is needed to win.

There is no way to know when we begin how any journey will go.  Even if we plan well, and try to foresee all the complications that may come, there will be things we don’t expect.  If we need everything to go as planned in order to succeed we may not prevail.  But we can be flexible and willing to bend when the road changes course or something is in our way.  We can figure out any problem that comes and find a way around it.  No plan ever goes exactly as we hope it will.  There will always be something that surprises us that may take us off course for a while.  We can be ready for those complications when they arise and be prepared to change our plans when needed.

Sometimes our journeys take longer than we expect or take us somewhere we don’t anticipate.  It really doesn’t matter how long it takes us to succeed when we reach the goal we’re seeking.  We can adjust our plans to accommodate any delays and reroute our way forward to circumvent any detour in the way.  There isn’t a goal before us we can’t reach and with careful consideration we can navigate any complication and find success.  We are strong and smart, and there really isn’t anything too difficult for us to figure out.  We can take another step forward and keep going until we reach success.

Today if you’ve been working on something for a long time and it seems you’ll never get there, take another step forward.  You are closer than you think and everything you’ve done so far has brought you near success.  You will reach the destination.  You are right at the doors.  Take another step.  The prize is just ahead and you will reach it.

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Hard Times

15 Mar

“It’s supposed to be hard! If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great!”  Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own

We all want our lives to be easy and uncomplicated but hard times come to us all and when they do we may find ourselves in very difficult and complex situations.  If we want to move through them and put them behind us we must face them head on, deal with the circumstances before us, and do what it needed to find a resolution.  Only then can we step forward and leave the problem in the past.  If the issue we’re facing is far reaching and very difficult we may feel overwhelmed at the enormity of the problem.  We can handle anything that comes to us and we can solve any problem.  The harder the challenge is, the more we’ll learn.  As we flex our power and test our abilities we will become stronger and the strength we gain will make us great.  The old saying of “no pain no gain” is true when it comes to the trials of life.  We have everything we need to face any challenge before us.  And as we overcome each issue we gain tools and positive attributes to carry forward.  Every experience teaches us something of value.  Remembering all the good we’re gaining as we struggle will give us added confidence and courage.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  We are stronger and more capable than we realize and we can face hard times and walk right through them.

Nobody is born perfectly brave and wise.  We must gain courage and wisdom as we live our lives.  Every decision we make brings us information and teaches us something new.  Every challenge we overcome gives us additional power and courage to go forward.  If everything came easily we would never have the opportunity to grow.  We cannot be successful adults if we have only the courage and strength of a child.  It’s important to grow and learn into adulthood and trouble is the best teacher.  Hard times mold us and give us experience that help us become successful and ultimately bring happiness.

Some people keep themselves apart from others and new experiences in an effort to shield themselves from problems.  We can try to keep a low profile and that may prevent some conflict from coming our way but problems will happen simply because we are here.  Instead of trying to hide from them it’s far wiser to face them and learn all we can from solving them.  The wisdom of age comes from the experiences of living a full life – trouble and all.  We have all the courage we need to face anything that comes to us and we’ll gain the strength we need going forward as we learn to solve hard times and difficult problems.  We are smart enough and wise enough to face anything and do it well.

Today if you’re facing a difficult issue and you aren’t sure you will manage, trust in your strength and ability.  There isn’t anything you can’t do and nothing you can’t face.  You are more capable then you know and you will prevail.  Be courageous.  You will win.

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Waiting to Change

10 Mar

We all have things we do well.  We know what is easy for us and where we excel.  Sometimes there are things we need to change in order to move forward or to achieve something we really want.  If that includes something we don’t like or something we don’t know how to do we may hesitate.  Our behaviors and skills will never change on their own no matter how long we wait or how hard we wish.  If we want or need to change something in our lives we must actively engage in doing what is needed to bring it about.  That may mean venturing into areas we don’t know, or trying to do something that makes us uneasy.  We can change anything we want if we do what is needed, but nothing will change simply by waiting for it.  Our lives are ours to design any way we choose.  If we want to try something new or reach for something higher we may have to step into foreign territory.  But foreign things become familiar after we do them for a time and we can master any new behaviors we choose.  We can reach for the stars, go for our biggest dreams and become anything we decide we want to be.  We are capable of adapting and modifying ourselves at any time.  Change is always possible and we can make it happen if we are determined and continue toward it step by step.  There really isn’t anything we can’t accomplish if we want it badly enough.  We can step onto any path and find success.

It’s easy to sit and dream about what we want to do.  We can talk about it for years on end and hope our dreams will magically come true.  Thinking and talking will only take us so far and if we really want what we’ve been dreaming about we must take action.  Every accomplishment requires effort.  When we’re ready, we can look carefully at what we want to do and then make a plan to achieve it.  We may have to learn some new skills, we may have to step way out of our comfort zone, and it may take time to accomplish the goal, but if we really want it we can achieve it.  It’s great to have dreams but making them come true is what brings happiness.

Every road has a destination.  We know the roads we customarily travel and we know where they’ll take us.  If we stay on the same roads year after year we will only experience what they have to offer.  When we want something different we have to step away from the familiar and choose another path.  There is no way to reach a new destination by taking the same journey over and over again.  There is no limit to the things we can do or learn but change requires us to step away from the road we’re on to find it.  We have everything we need to find a new way forward.  We know what we want to do and where we want to go and we can make the choices needed to find success.

Today if you’ve decided you want to reach a goal and change your direction, take the first step on a new road.  You have everything you need to make any dream a reality.  Decide what you most want to do and then begin forward toward success.  There is nothing that will stop you and you will reach the goal.

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