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Owning It

15 Feb

Everyone has dreams and goals, and things they want to accomplish. Maybe we want to climb mountains or run marathons, maybe we want to write books and influence others, or maybe we just want to be happier. Whatever we desire is possible but it won’t happen just because we want it. There is no magic wand or genie who will appear to grant our wish. The only way to get what we want is to do what is needed to make it happen. If we want to climb mountains or run a marathon, we must put in the hours of physical training required. If we want to write a book we have to actually start typing, and if we want to be happier, we must determine what is holding us back and change our situation so we can move forward. It’s really a simple calculation – if you want to get to “B” you must go through “A” first. Choosing what we want and then pushing forward toward it will bring us success. When we look at our goals objectively it’s easy to see what needs to be done, but actually engaging and doing the work is a whole different story. We can set any goal we choose but if we want to accomplish it, we must do everything necessary to achieve it. Every dream is possible but nothing will change if all we do is dream. Imagine what our lives would be like if we were willing to do everything to make all our dreams come true. The confidence and satisfaction that come from achieving a long-desired goal brings great happiness. We deserve complete and abounding happiness. We can give it to ourselves by focusing on what we want most, and then doing what is needed to make it happen. We can focus on the road ahead and push through until we succeed. There isn’t anything we can’t do. Every destination and every goal are possible, and we can make them ours.

There are many reasons why we may not pursue something we want. It may take a lot of time, it might be difficult, it will change our lives, our families may not like it, we may have to change – the list is long and unending. If we want, we can live a mediocre existence, simply doing what is expected and going through the motions. But we own our choices and can go anywhere we desire. Deciding to create the lives we want the most will bring us the greatest happiness and fulfillment.

Fear of the unknown can be crippling. It can hold us in place even if where we are isn’t comfortable. We can’t see what lies ahead and there will always be some risk when we step out of our routine and choose something more. We may face challenges, but we are intelligent and capable, and even if we get tangled up, can find our way through. There are endless roads to every destination, and if one doesn’t work, we can step on another. Every goal is possible, and we have all the wisdom and courage to make our dreams come true.

Today if you’ve been dreaming of something more and want to change your life, look ahead and choose the path that will take you there. You are amazing and nothing is out of reach. Believe in yourself and step forward. Make the choices that will open all the doors. You can go anywhere and have the life you desire. Nothing can keep you from success. Start today. All your dreams are possible, and you will have them.

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Looking In

18 Jan

“You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Abraham Lincoln

As we go through our lives, every decision we make takes us somewhere and tells the world and those around us who we really are. We can say anything to anyone to convince them we are one way or another, but what we do tells the real story. Our actions will always shine the truth on every situation. If we’re good at pretending and hold fast to what we’re trying to portray, we may even convince ourselves we are different than we really are. But nothing can hold the truth back forever. It will always rise and show itself openly and clearly to us and those around us. We can do anything we like with our lives and gain any attributes we value, but it takes determination and focus to do our best and be honest and authentic in every decision. The world is filled with all kinds of temptations and possibilities. Sometimes it may be easier to get what we want by deception and trickery instead of working toward the goal with integrity and diligence. If we are desperate to win the prize, we may choose a path of deception that takes us far from the person we most want to be. We might fool those around us but when we look in the mirror, the person staring back will always know the truth. There is never a need to compromise our personal values or integrity. There isn’t anything we can’t do honestly and valiantly. It may take longer than cheating the system, but choosing well enhances our self-esteem and builds our confidence. We deserve the best lives possible, and choosing to be honest in all our dealings will help us achieve every goal.

There are all kinds of ideas in the world and a constant tug of war between what is right and wrong. The values of one group may contradict the values of another, and there will always differences of opinion. Despite differences in interpretation, we can choose the best road forward that reflects our personal honesty and ethical standards. There will always be the opportunity to make excellent decisions and choices that are above reproach and enhance us going forward.

Nobody is perfect and imperfections are a natural part of life. We all have things about ourselves we’d like to change and when we’re ready can do what is needed to alter them to better reflect who we are. Despite any perceived shortcomings, there is never a need to hide are true selves. We are valuable as we are and have much to offer. There is nobody else in the world who can give the gifts we have to share. We can be sure of our abilities and go forward with clarity and confidence.

Today, if the goal you’re trying to reach has been difficult and you’re considering cheating to get there, remember your choices tell everyone who you really are. Choose the path that will reflect your personal honesty and integrity. You are a great blessing and your influence can lift us all. Make the best decisions possible and set the example for good. Step forward with confidence, and you will find great success.

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Hard Line

14 Jan

There are billions of people in the world and although we’ll never come in contact with many of them, there are others around us most of the time. Sometimes it’s easy to interact with them but other times they may interfere with our plans, get in our way, object to our ideas, and basically make it harder for us to do what we want to do. It takes some skill and decorum to get through sticky situations when someone else isn’t on the same page we’re on and doesn’t share our views. Compromise is always a possibility but if we’re mad or determined to get things our way, we may draw a hard line and refuse to budge. That might work for us sometimes, but often all it does is escalate the situation and make things worse. If others feel their views are dismissed or ignored, we may find ourselves in an emotionally charged and difficult position. The whole idea is to move forward in every aspect of our lives, and there are many roads to every goal. Whatever we want to accomplish can likely be done in several ways. Instead of deciding it’s our way or the highway, we can open our minds up to the possibilities and options presented by others and bring them on board. Everyone wants to be heard and feel valued. We can get to our goals and reach every destination by listening carefully and finding a solution that expresses everyone’s point of view. It takes a little more work than just forging ahead our own way, but the ultimate success is worth it. Everyone has good ideas. We can include them in our plans and move forward.

We’re all at different places on the spectrum of intelligence and understanding. Some people are very smart and understand concepts and ideas quickly and completely. Others take more time to comprehend the goal and what must be done to accomplish it. How fast we understand the issue doesn’t define our success. When everyone is ready, they can contribute ideas for success, decisions can be made, and a plan can be put into motion. Everything is attainable and with patience and cooperation we can reach any goal.

When we’re confident and have a clear understanding of an issue, if we want others to agree with us, we may state our position and the reasons why we feel the way we do. We may convince those around us to follow our lead, or they may prefer to do things their way. There is not one, absolute, perfect answer to any problem. We can accept modification of our plans that include everyone’s perspective. The idea is to get to the goal – not necessarily to get to it in one specific way. We can be tolerant and patient enough to include those around us and choose the best road ahead.

Today if you’re sure you have the perfect answer to a problem but others around you disagree, listen carefully to their suggestions. There are always many roads to any destination. Include those around you and find an answer that represents everyone. You are wise and strong. Share your wisdom and allow others to share theirs with you. Compromise will bring freedom and success. You have so much to offer. Be willing to listen and move forward with confidence.

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Stumbling

11 Dec

Life is busy and there are always complications and unforeseen developments. Things rarely go exactly as planned or expected. Most of the time we are able to bend with the tide and continue forward but sometimes something may trip us up and we may stumble or even fall down. Perhaps someone makes a decision we never dreamed of and it throws us for a loop, or a development happens that suddenly alters the road moving forward. When everything changes and we trip trying to find our footing it sometimes takes a while to figure out what to do next. Everything may look different and we may be unsure which way to turn. If we are determined to hold onto our previous plan and refuse to adjust to the changes before us, we may get stuck and unable to move. There is no way to travel a road that no longer exists. Demanding that everything return to the way it was will not help us. Life is all about change and sometimes that means we have to change with it and rethink the way ahead. There is always more than one road to any destination we desire. We can look at all the options before us and consider new ideas that will help us reach the goal we seek. It’s frustrating to have to stop and regroup when we’re focused on the road ahead, but if we keep our eyes open, we’ll see new possibilities that can take us where we want to go. We can learn about new roads and find our way forward. Everything we want to do is there for us. We can adjust our thinking and continue on.

We don’t know what we don’t know, and even if we’ve planned well there will always be unknown influences we have no control over. If we hit a snag and can’t get through, we can find our way around it. We might stumble trying to see the road but stumbling isn’t a full stop. It’s a chance to stand still for a moment and re-assess where to go next. We can try something new and step on a different road to get to the goal. We are certainly capable of changing our focus and learning new ways to accomplish anything. We can be confident, even if everything changes, that we’ll find our way.

When dancers practice for a performance they don’t always perform every action perfectly. If they miss a step, they go over it again and again until they master it and learn to make it work. It’s the same for our personal lives. If something trips us up, we can try different ideas until we find the one that works and moves us forward. We can make the stumble part of the dance and continue on. Every dream we desire is possible if we continue forward and do what is needed to make it come true. We can have the lives we want the most by deciding we will succeed, no matter what comes.

Today if your way forward has been upended and you aren’t sure what to do next, take a look around. There are endless possibilities before you and you will find your way. Everything you desire is in your power. Start again and press forward. All your dreams are only steps away. You have everything you need to reach them and make them come true.

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Around and Around

15 Nov

There are many things that may occupy our time and endless activities we may be involved in. Every day brings new opportunities and we can use our time any way we desire. If we’re focused on a goal and doing what is needed to make it reality, we’re likely to find success. But life is filled with all kinds of distractions and even if we’re intent on doing something, if we allow those distractions to alter our focus, we may not achieve the goals we want to pursue. There are a lot of people in our lives who may want our time for one thing or another and if we value our relationship with them, we may give it. It’s good to be helpful and supportive to those around us but if we constantly say yes to the needs of others, we may end up sacrificing the things we want the most. Time is a defined commodity that cannot be expanded or recaptured. We can’t stretch our days longer in an effort to get more done. We must manage the time we have and judiciously make decisions that will allow us to help those in need and still accomplish the things we want most. Our lives are important and our dreams can come true if we do what is needed to make that happen. Constantly being busy doing all sorts of things for everyone else may make us very popular but won’t help us achieve our personal goals. We can plan our days in ways that allow us to serve others and still have time to continue toward the destinations we desire most.

Being busy doesn’t always mean being successful. If we’re spinning around and around in circles, we are active and busy but aren’t moving forward. Continually stepping off the road that takes us to our goals to do other things will not help us achieve them. There is much to be learned by doing many different activities and we can try everything we like. However, if we spend all our time trying new things, we will never master anything. We know what we want and we know where we want to go. We can keep our eyes focused on the goals we want most and with determination we will reach them.

There are endless opportunities to do unlimited things. We can accomplish many personal goals but before we begin, we must decide what we want to do. Making lists and plans is only the first step. All the planning in the world will get us nowhere if we never move. We must actually step out and start our journey if we want to reach any destination. We are strong and capable and there isn’t anything we can’t do and nowhere too far to reach. The whole world is there for us and we can find great success and achieve all our goals.

Today if you’ve been busy doing lots of things that haven’t moved you closer to the places you want the most, revise how you spend your time. Your life is precious and your dreams are worthwhile. Make a plan to achieve the goals that mean the most and begin your journey toward them today. You can do anything. Step forward and make all your dreams come true. They’re always available to you and you will reach them.

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