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Convinced

6 Apr

As we go through our lives there may be times when we’re asked to do things we may not be enthusiastic about or aren’t sure we want to do. It could be something personal, something involving our families, or something in the professional arena. Whatever it is, there may be others who try to convince us we need to do it, or who try to make us do it. Unless the person asking has authority over us we don’t have to comply with any request. But it can be hard to say no when those who want compliance are close to us. They may try to control us or manipulate us into doing what they want. If their influence is strong enough we may acquiesce. But if we do, we may not be happy. When we have feelings for someone, we can be vulnerable. If they ask us for something and we aren’t convinced the request is in our best interest, but do it anyway, it may damage the relationship. We all get to make our own decisions. We can choose anything we like and if we choose things we don’t want, we may have regrets later. If things don’t go well we may say we were made to comply but that’s not completely true. The fact is we are in control of our own lives. If we acquiesce and do something we don’t want to do, we are choosing that path. And when we do, we also choose where it takes us. If we aren’t convinced the decision is in our best interest, no matter who is pushing it, we need to choose what’s best for us.

Influence is a powerful tool. When we love someone we want them to be happy. If they ask us for something we often want to comply. But if they want something we don’t want to give it may be difficult to decide. We can choose anything we like. We can go along even when we don’t want to, or we can decline. If we go along and things don’t work out and we get hurt, we may blame the requestor. However, that’s not fair. We make our own decisions and if we chose to go along, we own the results of that choice. We are accountable for every decision we make. If we don’t want to do something and do it anyway, we own it.

Learning to be genuine and honest in all our dealings takes determination. If we honestly decide what we want to do and where we want to go, there may be times when others disagree. If they want us to go another way and we refuse, they may not be happy. But being honest in every choice keeps us on the road we want to travel. If we take a detour to do something chosen by someone else, we may end up going somewhere we don’t want to go. Although some will be annoyed when we don’t comply, we can respectfully decline any request that isn’t right for us. If we are honest in every situation our lives will reflect what we want most, and take us to the destination we choose. We are entitled to live our lives any way we like. If that isn’t what someone else wants, we can still choose our own path.

Today if you’re being influenced to do something you aren’t sure about you may decline. You have the right to make the best choices for yourself and choose where you want to go. This is your day. You are capable of doing anything you like. Design the life you want most and you’ll find true happiness.

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Dirt Roads

30 Mar

When we travel through rural areas we sometimes need to take dirt roads to get to our destination. Because they are rough and unpaved, they may have potholes, brambles, rocks and other things we have to navigate around. Just being dirt they are subject to damage from wind, rain, or snow, and can become quite pitted and difficult to traverse. After driving on them for a while it’s always nice to get back to pavement and smooth roads again. Pavement isn’t something we generally focus on or give much thought to. We drive around on it, and take it for granted. But pavement is a great blessing. It helps us get to our destinations quickly and safely, and the ride is more enjoyable than it would be without it. When we’re navigating difficult situations in our personal lives and the road is bumpy and hard to get over, we can do things to make it smoother and easier to travel. We do that by seeing things clearly and preparing ourselves for what comes next. We can’t do anything about what has passed, and we’re already in the moment, but we can think about the next best step and prepare ourselves for it. If we take the time to analyze the situation, and make a plan for our next move, it’s like laying down pavement for the road forward. Thinking ahead and preparing our way makes the journey less stressful and helps us move along more quickly.

Nobody can read the future but we can decide where we want our path to go. If we’re in a situation that is difficult and there are others involved it’s important to understand the issues clearly so we know how to move forward. We can listen when they express their ideas, and take time to comprehend their concerns. Then we can look at everything objectively and determine what to do next. Taking the time to look and listen and really see the whole issue will open our eyes to all the possibilities before us. When we see the entire picture we can often see what we need to do to move forward. Once we determine what our next step should be we can put things in motion to make it happen. Success doesn’t usually just happen to us. We need to plan for it. And we can do that by preparing the way forward.

We can pave the road for our personal dreams and aspirations as well. If we want to learn something but haven’t found time to get to it, we can make it a part of our daily schedule and commit to making it a priority. If we want to change something about ourselves but haven’t taken the first step, we can get a coach or involve a trusted friend as a support to help us focus. If we want to do something new and don’t have the skills to make it happen, we can find a teacher who will show us how. There isn’t anything we can’t do. But we must decide what we want, and where we want to go. And then we can start laying down the foundation that will help us get there. Step by step, mile by mile, will take us closer. Every destination is possible. Nothing is out of reach.

Today if you’re navigating a difficult situation take some time to look and listen. See everything as it is and then decide the best way forward. If there is a destination you’ve been wanting to reach but haven’t yet started the journey, plot a course and begin. Pave the way by planning and preparing. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You have everything you need. The road is there waiting for you.

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Wishes and Dreams

29 Mar

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  Antoine de Saint Exupery

We all have ideas about things we want in our lives.  We think about them, hope for them, and dream about them.  We can fill our lives up thinking about the things we want to happen and what we want to do.  Maybe we want a better job or a nicer car, or want to spend more time doing something or seeing someone, or want to learn something we’ve been pondering.  Thinking is fine, but thinking about them only takes us through the idea of what they would be like.  It doesn’t make anything happen.  We can set all the goals we want, and have all the dreams we desire, but if we don’t make a plan to accomplish them, nothing will change.  The very first step in any change is to plan for it.  Our lives are busy and the days fly by.  We can talk about what we’re going to do, what we’re going to accomplish or what we’re going to get, until the end of time.  But if we do nothing, they will never become reality.

We know when we want something in our lives.  We feel it, we yearn for it, and at times can think of nothing more.  The desire is there but making goals a reality in our lives takes more than desire – it takes action.  Sometimes we don’t move forward because we are afraid we won’t succeed.   Sometimes reaching for the goal means we have to do something intimidating.  Any time we reach for something new we’re going to be in unfamiliar territory.  That’s what change is all about.  If we want something different we have to be willing to step where we’ve never been before.  There will be uncertainty because we don’t know the terrain, and we haven’t walked the path in the past.  But we are certainly brave enough to process differences and find our way.  There is no path so difficult or complicated we can’t figure it out.

Making a plan is imperative to making a change.  When there is no plan there is no direction, and things stay ambiguous and undefined.  But if we decide we’re ready to go forward, make a plan, and then set a date to begin, we will find success.  Just letting things happen will only allow us to experience what comes to us without any thought.  If we want to do anything, we need direction and focus.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish but we need to plan to succeed to make it happen.  We can leave our lives up to chance and maybe the things we want will come to us – maybe they won’t.  But if we really want them, we can take the chance out of the equation, and by planning make them real.  We deserve the lives we want most.  And if we direct our lives where we want them to go, we can have everything we’re seeking.

Today if you’ve been waiting for your dreams to come true, start making a plan to make them a reality.  There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish.  Think about what you really want and then decide how to get it.  Everything is waiting for you.  You can reach any goal you set your mind to.  Start today, and soon all your dreams will come true.

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Today

26 Mar

Every day we live we have the chance to do anything we want to do. Every day brings with it the promise of happiness. Even if today doesn’t not turn out to be the best day of our lives, it is the only day we have. Yesterday is gone and will never return, and tomorrow is out of our control. All we have is today. We can decide how we’ll live it, what we’ll do, where we’ll go, and what we’ll learn. If we make the most of it, today may bring untold blessings and countless benefits. If we squander it just going through the motions it will pass, and nothing will be gained. We cannot stop the march of time. We can’t make it last longer or slow down. We can only navigate it as it comes and do our best to make the most of it. It’s easy to close our eyes and drift through the hours, mindless of what we’re doing and oblivious of what’s available. But our chance to live right now is fleeting, and the hours will be wasted if we don’t pay attention and live wide awake.

Today is a good day to start. If we’ve been thinking about something we want to do, somewhere we want to go, or someone we want to see, today is the perfect day to begin. We can take the first step on a new journey, or begin the plans we’ve been making and putting off. Sometimes just taking the first step is the hardest but once we’ve set our foot in the direction we want to go we can be off and running. Every dream is a possibility. Every goal is achievable, and today is a good time to start making them happen. We can set time aside and really begin to move in the direction we want to go. We can reorganize our priorities to make sure we continue moving forward, and we can succeed. If we aren’t quite ready, today is the day to start making a plan. Unrealized goals often bring with them frustration and unhappiness. If we are consciously working toward where we want to be and actively pursuing what we want to gain, we will find contentment even before we reach the goal. When we’re on the road moving forward we will gain the confidence we need to succeed.

If we’ve been grieving or hurting from something in the past, today is a good day to start letting go. No matter how many tears we’ve cried, no matter how many sleepless nights we’ve endured – it’s enough. Maybe we can’t let go of all the hurt but today we could look up and let happiness creep in just a little. Pain sometimes has its own timetable and we can’t rush it, but we can give ourselves a breather. We can take a day off from the worry and sorrow. It will still be there tomorrow if we return to it. But if we’ve had enough, we can choose today to let it go and move forward. Happiness is a gift we give to ourselves. Nobody else can give it to us. We have to decide to take it and make it a reality in our lives. This life flies by in an instant. We can choose to be happy and make the most of each day, and today is the perfect day to start.

Today – if you’ve been wanting to do something and haven’t begun, start. If you’ve been suffering and are ready to move forward, let it go. You are worth more than you know. The world is blessed because you are here, and your presence brings light to us all. Choose today to move forward and be happy. You deserve every happiness. You can have it. Today is the perfect day to get it.

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Tadpoles

25 Mar

Tadpoles are interesting creatures.  They are generally water creatures, and have gills, no legs, and a tail.  But their form is transitional.  Their quest is to become frogs – an entirely different creature that looks and lives completely differently.  As tadpoles mature, their gills are replaced by lungs so they can breathe air, their tails disappear, and they grow legs.  Their mouths change and become very wide, and their diet changes as well.  The metamorphosis from one creature to the other is dramatic and amazing.  The change is extreme and occurs naturally without intervention.  We aren’t tadpoles but we change as we grow as well.  We aren’t going to grow another set of legs, but the metamorphosis we go through as we change into our unique and genuine selves can be dramatic.  But our changes don’t always happen without intervention.  Life gives us challenges and trials, and as we navigate each one we change a little.  Our changes may not be dramatic, although they can be.  Change is a constant in our lives, and if we are wise the changes we go through will take us to who we really want to be.

When we stretch our abilities and push ourselves to move forward, we may feel discomfort.  It’s like deciding to start running to get into shape.  There are lots of benefits to getting more physical exercise, but getting to those benefits means we have to go through a transition.  At first we may struggle to get through the run.  The next day we may feel pain because we’re doing something new.  It may be difficult to manage, but if we stick to it and continue day after day, we’ll become stronger and gain the benefits we are seeking.  Change isn’t always easy.  At first turning another way may feel foreign and uncomfortable, but as we practice we’ll find our rhythm and the behaviors we want will become routine.  But it doesn’t happen overnight.  The tadpole needs time to change into a frog, and we need to time to change as well.

Like most situations in our lives, the big changes generally take longer to adjust to than the smaller ones.  If we want to change our route to work it will take little effort, but if we want to stop smoking it will be much harder.  No matter what it takes, if we want to change anything, we can.  Our lives are not carved in stone and we aren’t pre-determined to do anything.  We can change anything we like.  There may be pressure from those around us to keep things the same because it’s comfortable and rocking the boat can unbalance things.  But if we want to we can push forward and once on the other side, our balance will return.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and we don’t have to live a life we don’t want.  We are in control and can choose any path going forward.

Today if you’ve been thinking about a change you really want to make, take a step toward it.  You know where you want to go and how you want to get there.  The first step will open the door to the destination.  You can do anything.  You can decide how your life will go.  Begin today moving toward where you want to be.  You’re only steps away.

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