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Cherry Picking

10 Jun

A big cherry tree covered with fat, red, glossy cherries is a lovely sight to behold. When it’s time to pick them, the tree may be heavy laden and its branches sagging under the weight of the delectable fruit. As we pick them, we might marvel at the natural beauty of each cherry and like a treasure hunt we look for the very best fruit to pick. When we look at all the talents and gifts we possess it’s like the cherry tree burgeoning with fruit. Each gift we possess is a beautiful piece that will bring pleasure and gratitude when we share it. We all have a lot to offer and the variety of our gifts is endless. But if we hold them close, never letting them shine, they may wither and die. Giving of ourselves to those around us, sharing our talents with them and offering our time to serve and help makes the most of our fruit and allows us to grow. The more we give, the more we get in return. Our lives are blessed and bountiful when we are open and share the gifts we have with those around us.

This life brings countless opportunities to learn and grow. We can shut ourselves off and live small, enclosed lives that keep us isolated and apart. We can live our lives alone and make all our decisions based solely on our personal wants and needs. If we do we may find contentment in control over our experiences but we will be restricted from those around us and their influence. Everyone has something of value to share and we learn from every person we allow into our lives. If we keep ourselves separate and alone, we cannot benefit from the growth available to us by sharing our lives with others. And if we don’t share our gifts the world cannot be embellished by our presence. Our gifts are unique to us and we are the only ones who can offer them. If we refuse, the light they could bring will never be seen.

Sharing our gifts with others takes confidence. We must believe they are worthwhile and have value. Everyone has something wonderful and unique that nobody else possesses. We can allow others to see our special gifts and be magnified by them. We have our own perspective and an exclusive viewpoint that nobody else possesses. If we offer that and expose the world to our personal characteristics, we add new flavor and dimension to those around us. The world will be greater and more beautiful than if we keep it to ourselves. Just like those beautiful cherries on the tree, we can offer something wonderful and unique that will bring pleasure and joy to those around us.

Today if you’ve been holding back your unique thoughts and perspectives, let them shine through and share them with others. You have so much to offer. Don’t just be a tree in a forest of other trees. Be a cherry tree filled with bright red fruit ready to give. We all want to know you. Tell us who you are and show us your personal gifts. We will all benefit when you do.

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Mount Everest

19 May

When someone decides they want to climb Mount Everest, it takes a long time to prepare. They must have a lot of experience climbing other peaks before they attempt such an arduous journey, and they must be in top physical condition. Before they go they have to be sure they can manage the physical requirements that will be placed on them by enduring other similar experiences. The climb to the top will be long and difficult and the weather is always unpredictable. Additionally, they will need to interact with others in a way that will ensure their safety and support. It’s a big challenge and a serious decision. Going unprepared or unwilling to do what is needed could mean extreme danger or even the loss of life. Climbers sometimes prepare for years for this challenge, and even then sometimes don’t succeed on getting to the summit. It pushes them to their limit but the only way to know if they can do it is to try. And so they climb.

We may never choose to climb Mount Everest or any other mountain. But we will face extreme challenges in our lives that will push us to our limits and make us question our abilities. They may be physical challenges but often are other types of situations. We will all face big decisions, major disappointments, and changes in our lives that may make us question our ability to overcome or at times, even survive. Things don’t always go the way we want them to or even the way we think they will. And when there’s an unexpected ringer, something that rocks us to our core, something so disappointing or unexpectedly difficult we may, at first, believe we won’t find our way through. But no problem is so devastating that we can’t manage it. There is no change so pervasive that we can’t navigate it. If we trust ourselves, and lean on our proven capabilities, we will find our way.

There is really no way to prepare for the unexpected. We can try to live our lives to help us become strong, independent people capable of doing many things. And we will be tested time and again with problems and challenges, some big and some small. Every time we sort through an issue and find an answer, every time we push through a problem and get to the resolution, our skills for managing the unexpected are refined. Each day brings something new and as we face each situation, good or bad, we learn. It’s like preparing to climb a mountain. We carry a lot of weight that makes us strong, we make decisions that teach us how to proceed, and we keep moving forward and improve our endurance. This life is a journey. Every turn will bring something new. We have everything we need to face whatever comes and we can reach the summit every time.

Today if you’re facing a big challenge and it feels like you’re climbing Mount Everest, and if you’re struggling to keep going, dig deep. You have resources you’ve refined over time inside you ready to come forward to help you find your way. No matter how far the summit is, you will get there. You already have everything you need. There isn’t anything too big for you to handle. Keep pushing forward and the answers will come.

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One Tiny Boat

28 Apr

The world is a big place. There are billions of people and endless miles of geography. We comprise limitless cultures, languages, and experiences all at the same time. There is so much diversity and distance that our lives can seem insignificant in the large scope of things. It’s like being on the ocean in a tiny boat. The oceans are enormous, and one small boat is nearly impossible to notice in such a huge expanse. With the millions of people on the planet and the great distance it covers we might feel like that small boat, and that we don’t count in the big scheme of things. But we’re important, even significant. We are all here for a purpose. And we are the only ones who can live our lives for that purpose. We are essential and necessary. And even if our boat is very small we can have a great impact on the waves ahead. Every living thing makes an impact of some sort. Nothing is worthless. Everything counts. Even the tiniest organism makes its mark on what’s around it. Our presence here, no matter how small we believe it to be, will leave a mark as well. What kind of mark we leave depends on what we do.

Each day brings with it endless opportunities. We have the chance to serve, to help, to offer support, to be happy, to give back, and to extend ourselves to others. We also have the chance to be selfish, self centered, focused only on our own lives, and keep ourselves apart. We can live our lives any way we choose. If we only want to see ourselves and strive for what’s important to us, we can. We can shut ourselves off from others and live a solitary existence. We don’t have to reach out except to serve our own needs. We can be in our tiny boat with the doors locked shut and the hatches secured. But if we do that, the world will never gain the blessing of our presence here. We all have special gifts to offer. We all have unique and individual blessings to give. When we provide them freely, and allow others into our lives we change everything. Every interaction creates another, and every experience brings something new.

Sometimes we might think we don’t have anything to offer. We’re just ordinary, average people going through our lives. But there is no such thing as ordinary or average. We are all unique and have special gifts only we can present. Each of us has our own perception of every situation and sometimes our perceptions are the ones that will change things for the better. Maybe our thoughts are the very ones that make a positive push forward. Sometimes what we offer is exactly what is needed to move ahead. If we keep to ourselves, our suggestions and comments will go unheard. Nobody knows how much impact they have on those around them. A simple word may change someone’s whole perspective or lift a burden that beforehand felt too heavy to carry. We are all connected to each other in ways we can’t possibly comprehend. Each gift we offer, each time we help, every word of encouragement is valuable. We are a priceless gift to the world. Yes, our boat may be small but it may be the one thing that turns the tide. We have so much to offer. The world needs us all and everything we have.

Today if you feel insignificant and unimportant remember you are the only one like you in all the world. You are unique in every way and we need you. You have things to share we all need. Your influence is vital and essential. Share it and show us who you are. The world is better because you’re here. We’re all better because you’re here.

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The Other Eleven

24 Mar

When we’ve set a goal for ourselves and we’re moving forward, sometimes along the way we have a setback. Maybe we lose our focus for a moment and go the wrong way, or go backward, or even stop altogether. No journey is without occasional bumps and detours and we expect them when we travel. When they happen we take them in stride, and just keep going. But when it’s a personal situation, when we’re trying to change something about ourselves or do something we want badly and we go sideways, we can feel frustrated. We might even convince ourselves we can’t succeed and think about quitting. If we take an egg from the carton and accidentally drop it, we don’t ever think of smashing the other eleven because one got broken. We just clean up the mess and continue on. When we lose our footing as we try to achieve something, we break the diet, forget the gym, or sleep in instead of working on the project, it’s like breaking one egg. We aren’t ruined. We haven’t failed. It’s just a slight detour. All is not lost. We can get back on the road and pointed in the right direction again. We are still capable of succeeding and we can keep going.

Detours happen for a lot of reasons. Sometimes we get tired of trying so hard. Sometimes we get distracted. And sometimes we forget our focus. Life is busy and complicated. No matter what we’re trying to accomplish, odds are it isn’t the only thing we have to do. We’re busy and our goals are just one of the things we’re involved with. But when they are important to us and we really want to accomplish them, they have to take precedence whenever possible. It isn’t always easy to juggle everything in our lives, and change is hard for most of us. But despite the detours that occur, no matter what the cause, if we’re determined to succeed we can re-align our path and begin to move forward again. There isn’t anything that will stop us from achieving our goals if we want them badly enough.

When we falter we can be stalled by self criticism and doubt. We might believe that because we haven’t achieved the goal yet, and we’ve gotten off the path again, we don’t have what we need to be successful. But that isn’t true. It doesn’t matter how many times we get sidelined. What matters is that we start again. And again. And again. We can’t go forward if we stop. We can’t achieve anything if we quit trying. If we drop one egg, we don’t have to smash the other eleven. No matter what has happened or how long it’s taken, we can still succeed. The only thing that will stop us is if we stop ourselves. There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish if we just keep pushing forward. Just one step more and we’ll be on the road again. We have everything we need to get to the goal. Nothing is strong enough to stop us.

Today if you’re feeling defeated because you’ve been side tracked and haven’t moved forward the way you wanted to, you can correct your course. Refine your focus and begin again. There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish. You have everything you need to succeed. You know what you want. Don’t let anything stop you from getting it. You deserve every blessing, and they will all be yours if you keep moving forward.

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Finding Center

19 Mar

Most of us have busy lives and everyday have a lot to get done. Sometimes we rush around and the day flies by so fast that at the end, sometimes we aren’t really sure what we’ve accomplished. There are a lot of responsibilities to take care of, tasks that must get done, people we need to see, and dozens of other things we need to address. If we’re working a job, we have to fit all our personal errands and chores in before or after our time there, and it can be stressful. The most important thing we need to do every day is take care of ourselves. It seems like a simple idea, but when lots of people are pulling on us and there are things to get done, sometimes what we need falls to the bottom the stack. But we’re the most important people in our lives. If we don’t care for our own needs we won’t be able to care for anyone else’s. We can get our perspective more aligned if we take a moment to find our center. If we center ourselves before we start our day, take some time to focus on who we are and what we need, we’ll be better prepared to face whatever comes, and more effectively prioritize our time. We deserve every benefit. Taking time to identify what we need most will make us stronger, healthier, and happier.

It seems in this day and age we are expected to accomplish more in one day than ever before. The bar for achievement is set very high and we can get burned out constantly trying to reach it. We should strive to do our best, but our best must be determined by us. Nobody knows what we’re capable of or what we need better than we do. If we let others decide what defines our success we may feel defeated if we can’t reach it. But success can be determined by what we want to accomplish and not somebody else. We all get to choose how we’ll live our lives. We’ll never be happy constantly doing things the way somebody else would or achieving things we don’t really want just because someone else likes it. If we are honest and genuine with ourselves, we can set our own course and find success.

Finding our center requires us to think about our own needs and our own attributes. We all have gifts to offer that are unique to us. We know what we’re good at, we know what we need, and we know what makes us happy. Taking time to identify those things and then planning to incorporate them in our lives will bring great satisfaction. Each day is a blessing and once it’s gone we can never get it back. If we live our lives cherishing each moment, and doing what we need to be happy, remembering our center and who we are, every day can bring us joy. Life goes by in a flash. It’s ours to live and every choice we make counts. We can do anything we want. And if we do what we want most, nothing can stop us.

Today if you’ve been doing things the way someone else thinks you should, stop and re-evaluate your path. Turn your course to the things that matter most to you. Bring happiness into your life by making it uniquely yours. You are valuable and precious. There has never been anyone else like you, and there never will be again. Find your center and go forward your own way. You’re everything you need to be and the world is blessed because you’re here.

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