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Name Three

14 Nov

We all have a lot of gifts and abilities. Most of us try to do things well as we go along and sometimes we succeed. But there are times we may face difficulty and feel overwhelmed. When our lives get stressful and things go wrong we may get to the point where we feel we can’t do anything right. If lots of things go awry at the same time it can seem that no matter what we do, nothing works. We may begin to feel like failures and believe we will never succeed. At times like that we can re-focus by simply naming three things that are going right. No matter what’s going on we are successful in at least three areas. When we’re overwhelmed and feel like we’re failing, there are at least three things we’re doing well, and chances are there are many things we are doing well. Even in our darkest moments some things are going right. Perhaps we are facing the situation with patience, or we are able to continue to be kind to those around us, or we didn’t complain all day today. There are things we are doing well all the time and if we look at those instead of all the things that are going wrong we will be uplifted. Hard times take a toll but we are strong and even if we feel defeated for a time we will find our way.

It’s easy to internalize our struggles and make them personal. We may blame ourselves for getting into this mess, for decisions we made that created our situation, or for weaknesses we perceive in ourselves that brought us here. It doesn’t matter how we got into our difficult situation. What matters is how we manage it and how we find our way through. Blame never solves anything. If we made mistakes that brought us hardship, we can learn from them. If we took a wrong turn that created a bad situation, we know the road better now. If we made a choice that opened the wrong door, we won’t make it again next time. We can learn from every step we take and choose differently in the future. In the meantime, we can review our situation and options, and find our way through any difficulty we’re experiencing.

It’s hard to feel confident when we’re suffering. It’s hard to remember we do things well when our lives are in turmoil. But the suffering and turmoil don’t change the fact that we really are good at many things and we can count on those attributes to help us through. Nobody is a failure at everything or without redemption. We all have a lot to draw on, things we know and do well, and we can find our way through any problem that ensnares us. If feelings of failure come, we can step back and remember this is just a passage. We will overcome it, we will survive it, and we will learn new ideas that will help us in the future. We do many things well and we are capable and strong. We can focus on that and continue forward with confidence.

Today if you’re overwhelmed with a big problem and you feel like a failure think of three things you do well. No matter what is happening you are doing things right. This is just a complication and you have all the strength and wisdom you need to navigate it. You will find your way through and learn more to help you going forward. You do so many things well. Remember them and keep moving forward.

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Standing Still

9 Nov

When we’re moving forward and pursuing a goal and things are going well we feel confident. When we have momentum on our side and everything is pushing forward we may see the end in sight. We may feel sure that nothing will stop us and happy about our progress. But sometimes out of nowhere something happens that stops everything. In a moment, we may find ourselves no longer moving forward but standing still trying to figure out how to get the engine started again. It’s like being in a sailboat with a strong wind pushing us through the water when suddenly the wind stops. If there is no wind, we cannot move and we are stuck until things change. In a sailboat, we may have to wait for the breeze to return but in our lives, we have options we can exercise to start moving again. We don’t have to wait for our situation to change around us. We can be the change we need. No matter what has happened we can do what is necessary to move forward. We can weigh all the options and choose a path that will move us toward our goal. We don’t have to wait for someone else to fix the problem, we don’t have to wait for something to happen, and we don’t have sit quietly. We are capable of untangling any complication and finding the answers to any issue. We can pro-actively plan and begin to move forward on our own and we can reach our destination.

Problems are a common part of life. Rarely do things go the way we think they will or the way we wish they would. Generally, there are complications, snags, unforeseen developments and other things that gum up the works. But we are smart enough and patient enough to figure out anything that stands in our way and we can determine what is needed to continue forward. If we get stopped in our tracks, we can stand still for a time and regroup. We can re-evaluate where we are and see where we want to be. And we can correct our course going forward so we achieve our goal. There isn’t anything too difficult for us to overcome or too complex for us to unravel. We know what we want and we will find a way to achieve it.

If we’ve been working on something for a long time and have faced several setbacks we may be begin to believe the goal is unattainable. There may be others willing to point up the problems and discourage us from continuing. We may start to doubt our ability to succeed. But if the goal is something we really want it doesn’t matter what others say or think, or what challenges we must face to achieve it. If we want to be successful we can find the way forward. We don’t need the approval or permission of others in our decisions. We can do anything we like and if things get complicated we can figure them out. We define our own success. We can do things our way and we can win.

Today if you’re facing a setback that has stopped you in your tracks, stand still for a moment and review everything before starting again. You know what you want and you will find the way forward. You are smart enough to achieve anything you desire. The road ahead is waiting for you. Step forward. The goal is just ahead.

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It’s Not My Fault

18 Oct

We have many experiences every single day and sometimes our lives don’t exactly go the way we planned or the way we most want them to. When things go wrong because we run late, we miss an appointment, we overextend ourselves, or we drop the ball on a responsibility, it’s tempting to say “It’s not my fault,” and then blame the circumstance or someone else involved. Sometimes things really are out of our control and we aren’t responsible for the result, but other times, although we may want to blame someone else, the problem lies with us. When we are the reason things go wrong it’s best to accept our part in the problem and then find a way to fix it. There is great blessing in understanding personal responsibility. It’s a gift that enables us to find our way and clarify our path forward more successfully. When we fully acknowledge exactly what we’re doing when we falter we can learn how to be more successful in reaching our goals. Nobody gets everything right every time. We all take left turns from time to time. Understanding when we’ve failed to follow through and learning from the experience helps us become more honest with ourselves and those around us. And that honesty allows us to see where we need to change to find greater success.

It’s easy to point our fingers outward when things go awry. There are countless excuses we may offer and some of them may be valid. But even if our excuse is valid, we are still responsible for the promise we made. If we own our responsibility, and claim obligation over it we will often find a way to complete it as promised. Our ability to follow through on our promises reflects who we truly are. If we take them lightly and offer excuses when we drop the ball, we may lose the trust of those around us. But if we do all we can to honor them, making no excuses for failure, others will know they can depend on us.

Things go wrong sometimes and we can’t predict the future. If we simply cannot fulfill a commitment we’ve made, we can discuss the situation with the others involved and together come up with a plan to work around the problem. We can be pro-active and acknowledge when things aren’t going to work out. If we over commit, we can revise the plan. If our schedule changes and we can’t complete something we’ve promised, we can ask for help. Communicating our concerns will help us resolve any issue that arises and address a situation before we fail. There isn’t anything we can’t handle. We can keep our promises and we can move forward with confidence and clarity and address any problems that come our way.

Today if you realize you aren’t going to be able to keep a commitment you’ve made, address the situation openly and find a workable solution. Revise your plan and do what is needed to work around the problem. You are wise enough to solve any problem that comes your way. Face it head on and continue moving forward with confidence.

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The Other Way

12 Oct

As we go through our lives we make countless decisions.  Many of them are of little consequence but some may have far reaching ramifications.  When we’re faced with an important decision we may take our time and consider all our options.  If we are careful and wise we will often come up with a solution that brings us the desired result.  But sometimes, despite everything we’ve done to make the best decision possible, things go the other way.  We may make a wrong turn and end up uncomfortable or worse.  There are risks with every decision and even when we try hard to be proactive and choose well we may be wrong.  It’s impossible to make the right decision every single time.  We are going to miss the mark at some point and when we do it may be hard to figure out how to go forward.

If we want to go on a road trip we often consult maps.  We look at the destination and find the route we most want to travel.  There are many, many roads to get to any destination.  We can take a super highway and cut some time off the journey or we may choose to take the side roads and visit all the towns we pass as we travel.  If there are problems with the road we’re on we can circumvent them by taking another one.  There isn’t just one way to get there.  The same is true of our decisions in life.  Although we may choose which way we want to go, sometimes the choice we make fails and we have to find another way.  And sometimes the destination we’ve chosen isn’t available to us at this time and we have to wait.  But no matter what happens, even if the road is closed for now, things will change.  We can re-route, make a new plan, find another way, and wait if needed.  We can go anywhere we want to go and do anything we want to do even if we have to wait.

When we’ve made a decision that fails and it’s important to us we may feel great disappointment.  We may be angry we didn’t get our way, and if others are involved we may feel it’s their fault.  However, the change in our plans may open a new door for us.  We may see something we missed at the beginning and we might find the new path we’re on is better than the original.  It is true that often when one door closes another opens.  We can always move forward, but we may have to alter our course to get there.  We are capable of being flexible and we can find our way no matter where we are now.  We can set the disappointment aside and see things clearly.  We can take a good look at all our options and find the best road.  There really isn’t anything we can’t accomplish if we keep our eyes on the goal ahead.  We can keep walking forward and we will find success.

Today if your plans have failed and you’re stopped at a road block, look around.  Consider all your options going forward.  You can re-route your course and find your way again.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Keep your eyes focused on the goal ahead and you’ll reach it.

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Redefining

6 Oct

We all have ideas about what success looks like. For some it’s how much we earn, what we look like, or what goals we accomplish. Everyone has a different idea and how we see our personal success often defines how we see ourselves. If we haven’t reached a level we want to achieve we may be discouraged. If we haven’t moved our careers forward like we thought we would or haven’t gotten the praise we think we deserve we can feel like we’re failing. Although success is a personal description of what we want and where we want to go it is often influenced by the ideas held by others. If those around us see it only one way and we haven’t reached that level, we may be discouraged. If we don’t meet their standards and they are important to us, we may feel like failures. It really doesn’t matter how anyone determines what success is but us. If our idea of success if that we manage to get our tasks done every day and don’t lose our temper and we accomplish that, we are successful. We decide what our personal success looks like and we determine how we’ll achieve it. We can redefine what others call it and make it unique to ourselves.

We all have different experiences in life and as a result have unique perspectives about things. What one sees as moving forward, another may see as taking a step back. If we’re focused on non-profit work our motivation may not be to make more money. On the other hand, if we’re driven to be financially independent our income level will mean a lot. The interpretations of how to live our lives depend on who we are and what we want. Our personal choices determine what’s best for us and our personal ideas of success may be very different from the ideas of those around us. We are entitled to define our lives any way we choose and will find happiness from making our personal dreams come true.

The pressures of the world may make us believe our choices aren’t good enough or valiant enough and any number of other ideas. But that doesn’t matter. We have a gift to offer that nobody else can offer. What we do is up to us and we can define success our own way. Maybe we define it by being very patient, or by serving our community, or by practicing the piano every day, or by helping a student with homework. Or maybe we define it by how much money we make or how many people we help. However, we define it we can achieve it. The world has all kinds of ideas about success but we don’t have to adopt them. We can redefine it specifically for us and find great joy in being exactly who we are and achieving what is most important to us. Our lives belong to us and what we do with them is our choice.

Today if you feel pressure to succeed based on someone else’s idea of what that is you can choose your own path. You know what you want and you know how to get it. Be exactly who you are and define success your way. You are a gift to the world and we’re all blessed because you’re here. Your success is defined by you and you will achieve it.

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