Archive | Determination RSS feed for this section

Climbing

26 Jul

Every experience we have in our lives teaches us something. Every time we try to reach a new destination or goal we stretch in new ways and learn new things. When we have our eyes focused on where we want to be and are striving for it, sometimes all we can think about is how great it will be when we get there. It’s nice to reach the summit and we feel great when we succeed, but the goal itself isn’t what teaches us. All the work and all the benefit come from the climb to get there. As we take each step up a little further, and push ourselves to continue despite hardship and struggle, we become stronger and wiser. The rocks in our way, the detours that confound us and the missed turns that make us go back and start again are the blessings in the journey. We sometimes forget that and think the blessing lies in reaching the goal. It’s great when we succeed but once we’ve arrived at the destination, the growth we gained to reach it is what makes us who we are. The determination it takes on the road that gets us there is what defines and shapes us. If we can remember that when the road is long or difficult it will help us hold onto our confidence as we push forward.

If we want to be limber and flexible, we stretch our muscles. We pull on them in different ways to enable them to become nimbler and loose. As we do, we develop the ability to reach further and bend deeper. When we feel stiff or sore, stretching helps us loosen up and relax. Just like our muscles, when we stretch what we can do and where we want to go, we are able to reach further and attain more. We learn with every step forward as we loosen up and find our way. If we stay in the same place and don’t try anything new, our lives may become stagnate and stiff. Sameness may be comfortable in its predictability but it can’t teach us anything new. We can reach for something different and try for another challenge. When we stretch our abilities we’ll become more flexible as we learn new patterns and experience new roads. This life is filled with opportunity. If we keep moving forward and learn as much as possible our lives will be rich and filled with growth. We can become anything we set our minds on and we can do anything we want to do.

Sometimes when we reach for new things we encounter difficulty and confusion as we try to find our way. If something stops us, we can back up and try another route. If we are challenged, we can learn to solve new problems and find the way forward. There are few things we can’t accomplish if we want to. If we stop at the first roadblock and decide it’s not worth the trouble, we can return to things as they were and stay the same. We can have mediocre lives if we want them. They are easy to achieve and take little effort. But if we really want true happiness and success, we can try harder and push further to reach it. We are capable of doing anything. There isn’t anything too hard for us. We can fill our lives with incredible experiences and new horizons, and be fulfilled and happy.

Today if you’re thinking about trying something new but aren’t sure, you can do it. You can reach any goal you set your mind to. Climb a little further. And then do it again. You have everything you need to do anything you want. There is nothing you can’t achieve.

Tags: , ,

Chrysalis

24 Jun

Every day as our lives move along we learn new things, and our situations change.  We develop traits, preferences, desires, and goals based on what we experience and what we want.  We become who we are with each new experience but who we are now isn’t a permanent state.  We are capable of changing anything in our lives whenever we like.  There may be times we look at ourselves and don’t like the reflection we see.  Maybe we don’t look the way we want to look, or haven’t done the things we want to do.  If we are unhappy we can change our course.  Like a chrysalis we leave behind we can move forward from where we are and evolve into the people we want to be.  There isn’t much we can’t do if we really want to.  We can change our appearances, our professional goals, our relationships, where we live, with whom we associate, our ethical and moral standards and anything else that defines us.  Everything is fluid and if we aren’t happy where we are, altering our course is always an option.  The changes we seek may take serious determination and time but no matter what they require if we want them we can achieve them.

The world sends out a lot of messages about who we should be, how we should look, and how we should live our lives.  Those messages are everywhere and if our lives don’t mimic them we may feel we aren’t enough.  But we are the only ones who decide how our lives should be and who we really are.  The opinions of others don’t matter.  What matters is living authentically according to our own desires.  If we do we will find contentment no matter what we’re doing.  We don’t need to fit into the designs set by others and even if we achieve them, it’s unlikely we’ll find true happiness.  Only we know exactly who we are and what we want and we are entitled to create lives that reflect that.

We all deserve to be as happy as possible.  If we aren’t, we can change our course.  If we don’t like the relationships we’re in we can change them.  If we’re unhappy in our jobs, we can look for something else.  And if our family situations are not working for us, we can find better ways to navigate them.  There really isn’t anything we can’t do.  We can change anything and we can be completely happy.  We don’t need anyone’s permission or blessing.  But true happiness doesn’t just happen because we want it.  We have to determine exactly where we want to be and then do everything in our power to get there.  We can design our lives to fit us perfectly and have real and lasting happiness.  We have the power to make all our dreams come true.  We deserve everything we hope for and we are capable of achieving whatever we desire.

Today if you’re unhappy with where you are right now or you don’t like something about your circumstances, make a plan to change and leave the things you don’t want behind.  Start today to re-chart your path forward.  You can achieve all the things you want.  There isn’t anything you can’t do.  You deserve to be completely happy.

Tags: , ,

What is Real

16 Jun

We all live in the real world and things happen every day that we can clearly define and understand. When we have all the information we need in a situation we can proceed with confidence. But sometimes it can be hard to discern what is real. We have our perceptions and although we believe they are right we might be slightly off the mark. If we don’t have all the information we can only make determinations based on what we do have. Sometimes facts are withheld from us by others wishing to deceive and sometimes we just don’t want to know the whole story. If what we know doesn’t include the entire picture, we may struggle trying to find what is real. If we move forward with only part of the information, we will only find part of the truth. We can enhance our ability to make the best choices by looking at the situation objectively and deciding to see all the facts. If we move forward with only part of the story, we’ll end up at a destination that may not be what we planned on.

Truth is available to all of us all the time. It’s always there. We may look away from it because we really don’t want to know it, others may keep it from us, or our situation may be so complex that it’s hard to discern it. But it’s there and if we want to know the real truth of any situation and sincerely look for it we will find it. No matter how hard we try to hold it back or disguise it, truth will always rise because it is what is real. Learning to live truthfully isn’t always as easy as it may seem. There may be things we don’t want to look at or admit, we may have to face some uncomfortable or painful realities, and if we choose to we may tuck the truth away until we’re ready to face it. But while it’s hidden it will remain. It will not change even if we want it to. The truth of any situation is what is real and will always be there waiting for us to discover it.

We can design our lives any way we want to. If we like, we can hide behind our jobs, our families, our education, our intellect or anything else. We can pretend to be different than we really are, and we can play games with our honesty. But none of those things will ever change what is real in our lives. We can choose to only look at one side of an issue because it’s comfortable for us but the other side will remain. We can skew our perception to fit a model we think we should have and live superficial and dishonest lives. But none of those things will bring us true happiness. We can only be truly happy when we face our lives as they really are. If we look at everything honestly and openly and determine how we want to live and who we want to be we will find real happiness.

Today if you’ve been hiding from a truth that is difficult, open your eyes and see it clearly. There isn’t anything you can’t manage and knowing the truth will help you find what is real. You have everything you need to go forward and you deserve every happiness. Facing the truth and what is real will help you achieve it.

Tags: , ,

On the Level

14 Jun

As we go through our lives we experience a lot of ups and downs, successes and disappointments, and give and take. We never know what each day will bring and sometimes things go well, and sometimes they don’t. As we navigate all the changes and challenges we adjust and accommodate whatever is happening to keep ourselves on an even keel as much as possible. We can usually cope with whatever comes and mostly take it all in stride. We know the importance of perspective and as we face each situation try to keep things as level as we can so we can move forward with confidence. But if something extreme happens, something unpredictable and devastating, we might find our balance upset and everything leaning to one side. Our perspective is slanted and we struggle to stand up straight. Although we all go through hard times there isn’t anything we can’t manage. We can figure out how to right ourselves and find our way but it may take time as we process everything that’s happening. When our world has been shaken and we feel unstable, and when the road we’re on feels rocky and unsure it’s sometimes hard to look ahead. But we have all the courage we need and all the inspiration required to make things right again. It’s all inside us. We need only take some time to find our way and we’ll be able to correct the balance again.

Sometimes we all wish we could see the future. It seems if we could know what’s coming before it arrives we could better prepare for it. That might be true, but knowing what lies ahead could work against us as well. If we are overwhelmed at what we’re going to face we may try to hide instead of face it head on. We really don’t know how we’ll respond to anything until we experience it. We are where we are right now, and we’ll respond to whatever comes to us when it arrives. We can draw on all the experiences we’ve navigated already and find our way through whatever happens. There is nothing we can’t face and nothing we can’t conquer.

There are certain things we all think we could never survive. The loss of a loved one, the betrayal of a close friend, or maybe a serious financial setback. We may think there are things that will break us and from which we could not recover. But that is never true. Nobody wants to go through devastating losses or face extreme disappointments but even if we’ve been knocked completely down, we can get back up again. There isn’t any problem without a solution. There is no storm that doesn’t end. Even if we’ve completely lost our balance and our world has been shattered, tomorrow will come. And we will find a way through. We have more courage and strength than we know. We have everything we need to conquer anything we face. We can reset our level, we can rebalance the scales, and we can move forward. There is nothing that will stop us from succeeding.

Today if you feel overwhelmed and devastated by something that’s happened, remember how strong you are. You have overcome so many things already. This is just one more challenge and you have everything you need to conquer it. You are strong and capable and you can overcome any problem. Look ahead. This is just a storm and it will pass. Move forward with confidence. You have everything you need to succeed.

Tags: , ,

Detours

8 Jun

When we have goals we want to achieve and we’re focusing on them we may make a lot of progress going forward.  Everything may move along as planned but then something happens that stops us.  Maybe it’s an unexpected change in plans or a decision we make that takes us off the road for a time.  For instance, if we’re trying to lose weight and we’re doing well and happy with our progress we may have a setback if someone bakes us a delicious chocolate cake.  If we love chocolate cake we may decide we’ll have only one small piece but it was so good we have another, and then another.  Or if we’re trying to manage our time more effectively and are having success with getting things done as planned but then there’s a movie marathon we don’t want to miss.  It completely ruins our schedule as we spend hours and hours enjoying all the films.  These are just detours and taking a detour off the road we’ve chosen doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken the journey.  It’s just a momentary pause.  We can choose anything we want any time we want and sometimes our choices take us from our long range goals.  There is nothing wrong with stepping off the path we’ve set, and if we want to find success we can step back on it again.

We can set our standards so rigidly that if we waiver from the course we’ve designed we may feel defeated and convinced we can’t succeed.  Of course that isn’t true.  We can do anything we want to do.  There is plenty of time to redirect our course and get back on the road we most want to travel.  Stepping off and taking a detour doesn’t end the journey.  The road is still there waiting for us to return.  If we really want to accomplish the task, and if we really want the change in our lives we can find our way back to it and begin again.  There is no hard line in the sand.  We can step off the path and step right back onto it again when we’re ready.

We face detours regularly in our lives.  Things come up that distract us, people and events capture our attention, and life happens.  It’s impossible to set a course and stay on it perfectly every moment of every day.  We can decide on our goals and make a plan and if things happen that confound it we can work around them.  There are few straight lines in life.  Most of the time we get from point to point by going a little here and a little there.  It doesn’t matter how we get there and unless there is some time constraint it doesn’t matter how long it takes.  The important thing is to decide what we want, and then move toward it.  There will be detours from time to time and we can manage them as they come.  We can take as long as we need to return to where we were and start again.  The journey can continue any time we’re ready.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish.  We can be confident that no matter what comes we will manage it.  We are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.

Today if you’ve been derailed from a plan you’ve set for yourself you can get back on course again.  Decide how you want to go forward and start again.  You’ve come so far already.  Nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Step back on the path and start again.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →