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Directions

30 Jun

There are endless roads we can travel as we go through our lives.  We can make any decisions we like and choose any way forward.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter which road we choose and other times the choice is critical to where we want to end up.  When we’re facing a lot of options it may be difficult to clarify exactly which way is best and we may seek directions from others.  We may certainly ask for advice at any time and listen to any suggestions we receive.  It’s great to get directions when we need them but we must always remember that in the end, the choice is ours and ours alone.  If we choose a path that was recommended and it takes us somewhere we did not want to go we may be disappointed and have to start again.  If we take someone else’s advice and it turns out badly we may feel they are responsible and blame them for our results.  However, if our choices don’t work out we are the only ones responsible.  Advice is just a suggestion.  If we take it and things go wrong we own not only the decision we made but the results from that decision.  If we end up in the wrong place we can start again and choose another way forward.  We don’t have to stay anywhere we don’t want to be.  We can begin again and turn our course until we reach the destination we desire.  We have unlimited chances to choose and we can find the right road forward.  We have enough confidence and wisdom to make excellent decisions and reach any destination we desire.

Personal inspiration is available to all of us all the time.  We can listen to it, trust ourselves and rely on our ability to choose wisely.  Nobody knows what we want better than we do and even if we get a lot of suggestions about how to achieve it, we can listen to our own inspiration and base our decisions on what we feel is best.  There are unlimited roads we can take, endless turns we can make and countless destinations to reach.  We can define what we want and how we want to achieve it.  We know who we are and have everything we need to design a journey that fits perfectly.

Some people are very strong and determined and may feel they know what we need.  They may tell us which way to go, what to do and how to move forward and we may listen to any suggestion they make.  If they are wise and knowledgeable, their directions may be valuable but we must choose for ourselves.  If we allow others to decide where we’ll go and how we’ll get there we may lose the confidence we need to make good decisions.  We may also end up going places we don’t want to go.  Good advice is a valuable tool we can use when we need it.  There will always be plenty of opinions about how we should live our lives but if we want to find true happiness we must make sure the decisions we make reflect what we want most.  Everything is available to us and we can reach any destination we choose.

Today if you know where you want to go but are confused by directions from others, trust yourself and choose what’s best for you.  You have all the wisdom and inspiration you need to find your way forward.  Be confident and move ahead.  Every destination you desire is there for you.

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At the Feast

12 Jun

Life is complicated and sometimes we get into situations where it’s hard to see clearly.  We may face very difficult times and if we stay in them for a while we may begin to believe it is what we deserve and there is no way out.  Despite our efforts to see the situation as it is we may get so far off course we lose our perspective and forget how valuable we are.  There may even be some in our lives who want us to believe we are worthless and try to hold us back.  But we are important and worth more than we can imagine.  We don’t need to ever settle for crumbs and deserve to sit at the highest table of the feast.  We are valuable and even when we miss a step or take the wrong road it need not define us or our lives going forward.  There will always be another step to take and we can choose any direction we desire as we move ahead.  Trouble will come to all of us.  We will all face times of doubt and concern and there may be moments when we forget who we are.  But if we step back and look at all the times we’ve won and remember all the ways we’ve already been successful we will find the courage and wisdom to correct our course and find happiness again.  We deserve a place at the feast and we can make sure we take it.

There may be times we encounter people who are determined to make us fail, or situations that make success difficult.  We will all experience complications and problems and snags and difficulties.  It’s the nature of life.  Nobody lives in nirvana.  Even when we choose wisely and plan carefully there may be times when things go awry and we are left out in the cold wondering what happened and how everything went wrong.  There may be moments of serious doubt that we will ever succeed.  But everything always changes and no matter where we are now tomorrow will be different.  We have everything we need to endure any storm and find our way through.  We are strong enough, wise enough and capable enough to succeed.

It’s easy to be distracted when there are many influences all around us and there are always many influences all around us.  It takes focus and determination to get to the destinations we desire.  We certainly have everything we need to succeed and if we get lost we can find our way again.  Our choices are ours to make and no matter what is happening we may make them and direct our lives anywhere we choose.  Others may disagree but we need not alter our way forward unless we want to.  If we get tangled up we can find the way out again.  Nothing will stop us if we are determined and remember our personal worth.  There is nothing more precious than our lives.  We deserve every happiness and success, and we will achieve them when we remember how valuable we are.

Today if you’ve missed a step and gotten lost on your journey forward, and aren’t sure you deserve to win, remember who you are.  You are precious and valuable and deserve the very best of everything.  The feast is waiting for you and your seat is reserved.  Keep walking forward and everything you dream will come true.

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Best Friend

1 May

Most of us are probably pretty good friends.  We’re supportive when others need help, we listen when they are concerned, and we try to be there when they need us.  It’s good to be a faithful friend and we all need them in our lives from time to time.  Sometimes we are better friends to others than we are to ourselves.  If we don’t do something well we may criticize our actions and disparage our decisions.  Our reactions to our shortcomings may be far more condemning than we would ever offer someone else.  When others come to us with concern over a wrong move we might be supportive and positive and offer them encouragement.  However, sometimes when we see the same situation in ourselves we are far more abrasive and critical.  We can decide to be as good a friend to ourselves as we are to others.  We can give our choices the same understanding and patience we offer so freely to those around us.  If we become our very best friend and learn to rely on our own personal support, our challenges will become easier and when we falter we’ll feel better knowing we are always in our corner.  We deserve to be treated with kindness and encouragement and we can offer it to ourselves.  Loving ourselves with the same measure of patience and compassion we give others will bring us peace in struggle and comfort in disappointment.  We are worth the very best of everything.  Remembering how precious we are and valuing our self-worth will help us achieve greatness and find success.

Nobody is good at everything or does everything right every time.  We all stumble from time to time and learn as we move along.  Opening new doors brings new experiences and sometimes we have to backtrack or turn in another direction to find the way forward.  We can succeed at anything but the road forward isn’t always straight and paved.  We may stumble along the way, but as we continue we learn what works and find the way forward.  No matter how many times we get lost we can find our way again.  It doesn’t matter if we go the wrong way.  What matters is that we continue the journey until we succeed.

Some things come easily to us and other things are hard to comprehend.  If we’re having trouble understanding we can take the time we need and get the help necessary to get the job done.  No matter how difficult the issue we can find our way through.  We have all the wisdom and determination we need to accomplish anything we desire.  When we stumble we can get back up.  When we take a wrong turn we can choose another way forward.  We can trust in our ability to succeed and we have enough courage to face whatever comes.

Today if you’ve been punishing yourself for a mistake you’ve made or belittling your judgment for a wrong turn, decide to be your best friend.  Treat yourself with the kindness you offer others.  You are precious and valuable.  There is greatness ahead for you.  Remember how important you are.  Trust in your wisdom and you will find the way forward.

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Finding David

28 Apr

We’ve probably all heard the story of David and Goliath. David was a normal sized man who came up against Goliath, a mean and vicious giant. Goliath tried to kill David and if were only a matter of size and strength would have succeeded. But David was skilled with a slingshot and in the midst of being pursued, sent a rock sailing through the air that hit Goliath in the head and killed him. When we think about this story we may marvel at David’s ability to keep his wits about him while being chased by a murdering giant, and being able to steady himself enough to make the shot that saved his life. While it’s unlikely we will ever be in the same sort of circumstance, we may face times in our lives when we feel we are being pursued or overtaken by something far bigger than we are that is threatening and making us afraid and unsure. It might a person who has power over us or a situation we can’t control. Whatever the threat, we may feel it’s too big for us to overcome. No matter what the issue or how powerful the other players are, we always have choices about what we will do. We can run and hide if we decide the fight is too strong but hiding from our problems will never solve them. We can pretend the issue isn’t a big deal and look the other way, but ignoring issues doesn’t solve them either. In the end, the only way to address whatever is disturbing our peace is to face it head on. Like David, we have to stop and turn around, and look right at the head of the problem. There isn’t any issue too hard for us to face and solve. We have enough courage and wisdom to manage anything that comes. We can find the David within us, face our problems, consider our options and find the way forward that brings us success.

There are some people who want to control others and situations. They need to have the final say, they demand their way be honored and they want to be in charge of where things are going. When we must work with them we may find it hard to be heard and if we push against them, they may aggressively constrict our efforts and exert pressure upon us. If we strongly believe in our views we may struggle with them before decisions are reached. Although it may be uncomfortable to disagree, our opinions are valuable and we deserve to be heard. We can state our case and press for what is important. We have all the strength and courage we need to proceed and win.

We may face a painful situation where we have little or no control over the outcome. If there is nothing we can do to mitigate the problem we may need to simply endure. It’s hard to wait through hard times when we have no control. But even as we wait we can exercise the courage to be still, and the wisdom to listen. If our only option is to endure well, we can still choose the best course forward and succeed.

Today if you’re facing a threatening situation and you feel apprehensive, find the David within you. You have all the courage you need to face anything you must. Reach for it and be strong. You are secure and capable. Look ahead, aim high, and push forward. There is nothing too big for you to overcome.

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True Competition

25 Apr

There are all kinds of ways to compare ourselves to the world. We can determine how we measure up to performance standards we admire, notions of beauty we desire, levels of success we strive for and thousands of other ideas. Although we may compare ourselves with others, our true competition is within ourselves. It doesn’t matter what anyone else achieves, how much they acquire, or what they define as success. We are the ones who determine what success is in our lives. If we emulate someone else’s achievements we may get closer to the goal we’re seeking but our personal success is unique to us. We must define true accomplishment in our own lives. Each of us has specific and unique talents and gifts we bring to the world. We will not find success by trying to give the world something we don’t possess. Understanding who we are and what gifts we offer will help us find our way to the lives we want most. We don’t need to compare ourselves against the accomplishments of others. We may set our own goals and standards and achieve them our own way. The world may set all kinds of ideals for what it defines as success, but true success comes when we give our best, no matter the outcome. We are the only ones who can truly judge our performance. We are our true competition.

There are a lot of ideas and opinions about what success looks like. Some believe it’s a reflection of material possessions and the more we have the more successful we are. Others think it has to do with power and having control over many people. Still others equate it only with money with the goal to have a lot of it. But we define what true success is in our lives. There is no success greater than doing our best to live the lives we most want. We determine what that looks like and only we can decide if we are accomplishing the goal. Our competition lies within us and the choices we make every day. What others think really doesn’t matter.

We live with ourselves every single day. There is no way to escape the choices we make or the decisions we choose. If we aren’t living in ways that bring us satisfaction and happiness we can change. True happiness is available to everyone but we must make decisions needed to bring it to us. We can compare ourselves to everyone around us, to what others think we should do, and try to model our lives after examples we admire. But real happiness will only come when we do what is best for us. We don’t have to compete with what others define as successful. We can define it for ourselves.

Today if you’ve been trying to measure up to someone else’s ideas and competing with those around you, remember only you know what makes you happy. Make choices that bring you the personal successes you seek. You know the perfect path forward. Choose it, and you will find joy as you move forward. Every success you desire will become a reality. Real happiness is there for you and you can have it.

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