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Knock Knock

4 Dec

There are a lot of things to learn and do in this life.  As we accomplish one, we’re ready to move on to the next.  Sometimes we take classes, sometimes we travel, sometimes we read, and sometimes we rely on others to teach us something new.  As we interact with all the people who come in and out of our lives, everyone knows something they can share with us.  When we meet those with the skills we’re looking for, it’s an opportunity to ask questions, and seek information.  But sometimes out of uncertainty, or because we aren’t sure how it will be received, we fail to engage the other person on the subject to discover what they can share.  Opportunity may come knocking, but if we don’t open the door our chance may be lost.

We don’t want to impose on others or their time, and sometimes even when we really want to talk about something, we aren’t confident asking.  Most people are happy to share what they know, and if they can’t do it when we ask, they are often willing to meet with us later.  It’s up to us to open the door and begin the conversation even when we don’t know what will come of it.  They might not be interested in sharing, or they may take a lot of time guiding us, and showing us what we want to know.  But we’ll never find out unless we forge ahead and ask.  We must be confident enough to take the first step.  They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and that’s true.  If we never put our foot forward, we’ll never get where we want to go.

Opportunities may come to us in unexpected ways, and in unexpected places.  We may have a passing conversation with someone who mentions something we’re interested in.  If we ask about it, even if they aren’t the ones to guide us, they may know someone who can share with us.  Or we might see someone doing something that relates to what we want to learn, and we can approach them for information.  For instance, if we’re interested in learning how to paint landscapes and we see someone taking photographs of them, we might strike up a conversation and ask if they know anyone who paints them.  It’s surprising how many contacts we already have and often referrals we need may come just by speaking up.  We can do anything we want to do, and if we pay attention, we can find someone to teach us how.

Today if you’ve wanted to learn something but haven’t done anything to move forward, start the conversation.  Talk to your friends and associates and share your ideas.  Be confident asking if they know about the topic or can refer you to someone who does.  You may be surprised at how helpful others are, and you may find exactly what you’re looking for.  Take the first step on the journey today.  Before you know it you’ll be well on the road to learning exactly what you want, and your life will be fuller and richer because you reached out.

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Wet Snow

28 Nov

The snow in winter can be a beautiful sight. The first snow of the season often brings excitement and wonder, and the new covering of white makes everything seem magical. It’s fun to play in and children rejoice if it’s heavy enough to close school. Every situation is unique and if the snow is powdery and dry it’s completely different than when it’s heavy and wet. If it’s dry and light we may not even leave a footprint in it as we walk along, but if it’s heavy and wet we will leave a deep impression with each step that may last a long time.  Wet snow has a long memory. If we step in it, our prints will be long lasting and defined. The wind won’t erase them, and they will remain until conditions permit them to melt away and disappear, which may not happen until spring arrives.

We can make decisions in our lives that are so dramatic and change the landscape so much they are like footprints in wet snow. They can have an impact so great that the everyday winds of our lives, our comings and goings, will not diminish their influence and we need to find ways to navigate around them. Sometimes we make extreme decisions that leave long lasting results because of situations we’re in. Other times they may be the result of anger, or impulse, or reflex. If we’ve put a lot of thought into the decision ahead of time and are sure the decision is right, even though it will have far reaching consequences, we will manage whatever comes as a result. But if we’ve plowed ahead without thought, and done something that has changed the entire landscape of our lives and we’ve made a mistake, the ramifications may remain with us for a long time.

We all make mistakes and if we make one that changes the course of our lives it will be a dramatic development that will take time to adjust to. If we’ve hurt others, we will need to do whatever is required to repair the relationship and regain their trust. If the action was so egregious that our relationship is destroyed, we may have to let go and move forward on a new road. There is no mistake so intense or far reaching that we cannot recover, but recovery might require a change in our direction, and a new focus in our lives. We may feel all is lost, and too much has changed to ever be right again, but that is never true. There isn’t anything we can’t adjust, correct, or repair if we are motivated enough. We can rebuild our lives, we can change our behavior, and we can be successful again. The snow may have been very deep and wet when we stepped in it, the print we left may be indelible for a while, but eventually the air will warm enough to smooth the edges and soften the imprint. If we work on successfully going forward, in time, the mark we left will become a memory and who we have become will be the focus.

Today if you’re coping with a mistake you’ve made, if it seems immense and you aren’t sure you can go forward, take heart. You can fix this. No matter what has happened, if you determine to make good choices going forward, you will turn this around. You haven’t lost everything. Make the best decisions today. Tomorrow do the same. Each day that passes will take you closer to where you want to be. This is just a moment. Navigate it the best you can and soon you’ll find happiness again.

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Earthquake

17 Nov

Life is unpredictable and we are sometimes stunned or even shocked by the way events unfold. Situations can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and in an instant we may find ourselves in a completely different place. When it’s somewhere we never expected to go, it can be startling and unsettling. Like an unexpected earthquake we are caught off guard and feel like the ground beneath us may give way. When everything shifts and the bottom suddenly falls out, we may be left dangling trying to figure out what to do. But we can hold on and go forward once the shaking stops and get our bearings again. If everything is suddenly changed we have to let it all go, and get down to our very foundation to begin again. This can be a stunning and difficult experience, and we may feel great sadness and disappointment. But we can start over in a new and more successful direction. We can re-set, revise, and modify our course going forward. We can find the right road, and we can still succeed.

When our lives suddenly change and nothing remains the same, we have to reorganize our thinking. If we’ve invested a lot of time in the situation we may feel angry at how much we’ve lost. However, as long as we’re actively engaged in our lives, we aren’t wasting time. No matter what comes to us we gain something from every experience. We learn things as we go, even if the situation disintegrates. If nothing else, we’ve learned what can go wrong and that is valuable information. Every experience brings some bit of information we can use again that will be helpful. Even when we fall, we learn more than we knew before.

Deciding how to go forward when we’ve had a serious realignment in our focus may take some time and thought. Sometimes a sudden turn changes our destination, and we must clearly determine where our next step will take us. We must decide where we want to go now, and what we want our lives to look like when we get there. Once we’ve decided that, we can plot a course and make a plan to succeed. There really are no straight lines in life. There are lots of curves, detours, changes, and complications that pull us here and there. But if we keep the destination in our minds, and keep our eyes on the goal, no matter what happens, we’ll get there. We will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Today if you’ve had a stunning development that has shaken your course off its axis, regain your footing and reevaluate your plans. Decide where you want to go. You haven’t wasted any time, and you will use the knowledge you’ve gained from this experience to be successful going forward. You are strong enough and smart enough to figure this out. You have everything you need already.

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Square One

13 Nov

When we’re working on something, or trying to move forward with a situation in our lives, we try to choose the best course. But sometimes after we’ve been at it for a while we find we’re in the wrong place, and what we’ve been doing isn’t working. And then we have to stop, and rethink the situation. It can feel defeating to discover we are back at square one again, and we have to start over realizing all the progress we thought we were making was an illusion. We need to regroup and reconsider where to go from here. Being at square one after we’ve been working to move forward can feel like failure, but there is sometimes no way to see where we’re going until we get there. Choosing the wrong path doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It means we tried one option that didn’t work. Returning to the beginning again isn’t always a step backward. Sometimes it’s the next step forward. We’ve discovered what doesn’t work and are wiser from the experience. Now we can choose again knowing more than we knew before.

Nobody can tell the future and there is no way to know how things will develop. Even if we try to consider all the possible complications that may occur, there is bound to be one we didn’t see. All we can do is use the information we have to formulate our best plan and go forward. When that doesn’t work, we have to try again. We never fail when we keep trying, but only if we stop and give up. Some things work out the first time, but often when we’re trying to learn new things, accomplish something complicated, or correct our path, it takes a few attempts before we figure things out. We learn as we go and each experience gives us valuable information to use going forward.

The expectations of others sometimes create stress as we are trying to find our way. There may be some who expect us to get everything right the first time, or some who are impatient with how long it takes us to get the job done. But we are all different, and we process things differently. We can take a little more time if we need to, and we can try a few different roads until we succeed. When we do things our way we’ll find what works and we will succeed. We are capable of figuring out any problem or situation that comes to us. Returning to square one will enable us to reevaluate, and use the new information we have to determine the best way forward.

Today if what you’ve been doing isn’t working, you can change your course. Start over, rethink the situation, and look at it again with all the information you have. You will find your way and you’ll be successful. Returning to square one is not failure. It’s the chance to begin again. Use it to define what will work and you’ll succeed.

 

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Missed a Step

10 Nov

Mistakes are a part of life. Despite our best efforts, we all make them from time to time. Perfection is the goal, but not the achievement, and so, sometimes we miss a step. When they are huge blunders that affect others, we feel badly, and the clean-up process can take some time. But even when we make small mistakes they can slow down our progress and we may feel frustrated. Mistakes happen and are a natural consequence of trying to find our way. What’s important isn’t the fact that we make them but how we respond to them. If we let them overcome us and undermine our confidence, they can have far reaching consequences. But if we see them for what they are, and learn as much as possible from them, they can, in the end, be blessings in disguise. After all, this life is a learning process and we are going to stumble from time to time.

Since we’re all human, and subject to error, nobody is exempt from occasionally missing the mark. It’s important to remember that when others falter and impact us. Belittling or criticizing because of a mistake will never fix the problem. Most of us don’t want to screw up, and generally try to do our best. But even with the best laid plans, sometimes things go wrong. Perhaps it’s because we didn’t get all the information we needed at the beginning. Or maybe we misjudged a situation and thought things were different than they really were. And there is always the possibility that someone else influences the decision and causes us to fail. There are a thousand ways to bungle every choice we make and none of us is immune.

Learning to be patient when we stumble is sometimes difficult, especially if we’re trying to impress or improve ourselves. It’s hard to face a setback when we’re trying hard to move forward. But the course of our lives will never be exactly even and predictable. We need patience to help us through the bumps. Sometimes it’s easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves, but we deserve the same consideration we extend. We can do everything in our power to make sure our decisions are flawless and sometimes we’ll succeed. But sometimes we are going to falter, and when that happens it’s important to remember all the times we did things well. Nobody is right or wrong all the time. We get some of each – all the time.

Today if you’re feeling bad because you made a mistake, and you’ve lost some confidence, don’t forget all the times you got it right. You make great decisions, and most of the time you succeed. If you’ve had a stumble, correct your course and go forward with courage. You haven’t lost everything. You really can do anything. You know what needs to be done. Stand up straight and start again.

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