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How We Get There

12 Jul

As we go through our lives we make millions of decisions and choose which way we want to go. We have goals we want to achieve and destinations to find. There are countless ways to get anywhere we want to go and do the things we want to do. We can take a paved road that has been traveled many times, we can choose our own road, or we can create a combination of the two. We can be honest as we move along or we can choose to break every rule in order to get to the end. It’s all up to us. But the choices we make along the way matter. It matters how we get there. Every choice changes us in some way. If we continually choose with honesty and integrity, those attributes will be reflected in our personalities. Conversely, if we choose to storm through, with no thought to whom we hurt along the way and only see ourselves, that too will be reflected in who we are. Every step we take changes us in some way. It’s important to make sure the steps we choose reflect who we most want to be.

Sometimes if we want something very badly we might decide to compromise our values in order to move forward. We might cheat a little, or manipulate the situation by saying things that aren’t completely true, or we might cut a corner that leaves someone out. It’s possible those tactics may move us forward more quickly but the cost will be high. Cheating may bring us a desired result but it won’t be because we earned it. Dishonesty may help us skip a few steps but the lies will follow us for the rest of our lives. And sometimes the person we push out of the way in our effort to move forward may be the only one who can open the door when we arrive at the destination. Compromising our values to achieve any goal will hurt us in the end. We know what’s best for us and there is no goal or destination worth deserting who we are to get to it.

We can choose our own paths and don’t have to take roads that have been designed by others. We don’t have to follow the norm just because it’s the way things have been done. We can create a new road and go our own way. There may be some who will tell us it can’t be done, or others who protest because what we’re doing doesn’t match their paradigm for how things should work, but we can still do it our way. Nobody knows what works for us better than we do. We can find our own way, even in the dark if we have to. We can design a new road, and still get to the goal. If we want to follow the proven path we can. But we have everything we need to create a new road. We can succeed at anything we choose. We can find our way to any destination and we can do it honestly and with grace never forgetting who we are.

Today if you’ve been trying to get to a goal but the paved road isn’t working for you, start a new path. Be honest and clear in your dealings and make every turn authentically yours. You have everything you need to succeed. Choose a road that reflects who you are. Make the journey valiant. The goal is worth your best efforts. Give your very best and you’ll get to the end with honor.

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Doing it Right

11 Jul

When we’re trying to get something done and we encounter a complication that takes time and effort to navigate we have lots of choices we can make.  If we’re in a hurry to complete the task and don’t care how we get it done, we can push through whatever problems arise, focus only on our goal and rush forward.  If the goal is something we’ve worked toward for a long time and are tired of dealing with it we might ignore problems and go around them instead of solving them.  We can get to any goal any way we want to.  We can work problems and find the best solutions as we go or we can shove our way through in order to finish the task and move on.  If all we see is the finish line and pay no attention to how we get there we might take shortcuts to get there sooner but in the end neglecting details may cause us more headaches.  Doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing.  But if we do our best to completely address each situation and solve whatever problems arise as go our path will often be less complicated later.  It may take a little more time to tie up all the loose ends but left dangling and unsolved, problems have a way of circling back and tangling up our future plans.  They say a job worth doing is worth doing well, and that’s true.  If we effectively try to do our best as we go, the road will be easier and less complicated in the future.

Quick fixes are great.  We get in, do what absolutely has to be done now, and get out.  But the quick fix isn’t always the best option.  In the material world if we have something that’s broken and needs repair but we don’t have time, we might do something to hold it for now.  We know the fix won’t last forever and it’s just a patch until we can return and take care of the problem permanently.  In our personal lives we sometimes use quick fixes as well.  The problem with using quick fixes is our lives continue on and more things happen.  We have other situations to address and before we know it time has gone by and we haven’t returned to finish the situation we set aside.  If we do this continually our lives will be cluttered up with all kinds of problems that are half finished and half solved.  They’ll be in the back of our minds niggling at us to return and may chip away at our confidence because we haven’t completed them.

Most problems have a beginning when they arise, a middle as we process them and figure them out, and an end when we solve them.  Solving a problem is the only way to get rid of it.  It’s the only way to leave it behind and move ahead.  If we get stuck in the middle, and set it aside, the problem sits and waits for us to return.  Most problems don’t go away on their own.  They hang around until we decide to look at them and solve them.  While they wait, we carry them with us.  They weigh on us and may impact our ability to move forward.  It’s like dragging something heavy behind us as we try to step ahead.  We can keep our lives clear if we address our problems and do our best to resolve them when they appear so we can let them go and move on.

Today if you have unresolved issues that are weighing on you, choose to solve them and let them go.  You don’t need to drag them along with you.  You deserve to feel free and confident, and taking care of things now will give that to you.

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Here a Little

13 Jun

Life teaches us many things.  Sometimes we learn what we need right away and adjust our lives accordingly.  Other times the lessons take a long time to understand.  When we’re navigating change we may wish we could learn everything we need immediately and move on but it doesn’t always work that way.  Change is a process and doesn’t usually happen overnight.  We can’t see all the adjustments we need to make from where we are to where we want to be.  We have to grow into each step and as we do our vision is clarified for what’s next.  There is no way to see everything we need to do or all we need to learn going forward at the beginning.  We get a little here and a little there and piece by piece we gain the attributes we’re seeking.  Here a little and there a little will bring us success.  There may be times in our lives when everything changes all at once but those are very rare.  Generally we move forward inch by inch and as we do we learn everything we need to move forward confidently.

In our busy lives if we have a lot going on we often try to take the fastest routes possible.  We may try to do two things at once and call it multi-tasking although it’s been proven we really can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  But still we may try and although we’re moving forward, we may miss a step here and there.  When a lot is expected of us or we’re in a time crunch we might cut a corner to get to the finish line in time.  But the corners are there for a reason and sometimes when we cut them we miss an important part of what we’re trying to accomplish.  Going fast doesn’t always mean doing well.  Getting the job done is only one piece.  Getting it done well is what brings satisfaction.

When we try to learn something new we have to take it step by step.  If we’re learning to ski we don’t start on the expert run and hope we’ll learn how as we fly down the hill.  But if we want to learn something badly or we’re in a hurry to achieve the accomplishment we may feel impatient taking it step by step.  However if we want to learn the lesson well, whatever it is, step by step is the only way.  We can learn a little here, and as we move forward we’ll learn a little more.  Making the most of each turn, and seeing everything completely and openly will allow us to gain the most from what we’re experiencing.  We can climb every mountain, learn every lesson, and achieve every success little by little.  Learning our lessons well the first time prevents us from making mistakes and having to return to learn them again.  If we take the time needed to make the change well, we can move forward with confidence and completely integrate the change into our lives.  Here a little and there a little will bring success.

Today if you’re impatient with your progress and want to skip to the finish line, remember that each step along the way has something to teach you.  If you learn everything you can as you move along you’ll be successful in gaining the most from your experiences.  Learn all you can as you move forward.  Your understanding will be magnified and your growth will reflect that.

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The Ladder

6 Jun

Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky.  American Proverb
 
When we want something we don’t have or want to achieve something higher than where we are we have ambition.  We believe we can do what is needed to succeed and set our sights on the goal.  Ambition is greater than hope because we put effort into gaining the achievement.  Having ambition is like climbing a ladder.  When we need to reach something higher than where we are we can use a ladder.  We lean it against something sturdy and safely climb higher to reach the goal.  Ambition is like setting a ladder against the sky.  The sky has no end and there is no limit to what we can achieve.  Having ambition allows us to dream of something more, something higher or greater.  It enables us to stretch further and see how far we can go.  We can try to reach anything we want.  We can push ourselves to become more, and when we do we learn more about who we are and discover what we’re capable of.  We can do anything.  We can set the ladder against the sky and scale it as high as we like.

Anything worth having is worth working for.  Nothing of value comes to us without effort.  If we stand still and coast through our lives, we will never achieve our full potential.  We are capable of doing more than we believe we can but we won’t find our real limits unless we push forward.  If we want to we can simply coast through our lives.  Coasting is effortless movement.  It might take us in the direction we want to go but it’s susceptible to the winds of change and the decisions of others.  If we do nothing to direct our course and simply allow life to carry us, we will go places but they may not be the places we want to be.  And because there is no effort we won’t become stronger.  When we have no rudder we can’t steer our ship or choose a destination.  If we allow ourselves to simply be driven by all the forces around us, we have no idea where we’ll end up.

Our lives belong to us.  They are ours and ours alone.  It doesn’t matter what other people think we should be doing.  What matters is what we choose to do.  Choosing to do nothing is a choice we can make if we want to.  But we only get one shot at this life and wasting even one day is a loss we can never recover.  We know what we want our lives to be like.  We know what we want.  We have the power to aim high and achieve anything we like.  We can direct our course to the destinations we choose and we can turn our ship at any time.  If we anchor our progression with effort and planning we can succeed.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  Every dream can become a reality if we do what it takes to achieve it.

Today if there is something you want to gain, someplace you want to go, or something you want to achieve, set your sights on the goal and begin moving toward it.  You have all the ambition and drive you need to make it yours.  Start moving toward the destination and soon you’ll see it just ahead.  There isn’t anything you can’t do.  Set your ladder and start climbing.

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In Control

27 May

Personal independence varies from one individual to another.  Some people are comfortable doing everything on their own and don’t need or want help from anyone else.  Others are more comfortable doing things as a team and depend on any help and assistance they can get.  We all have our own comfort levels and no matter what other people are doing, we define those parameters for ourselves.  We all want to be in control of our lives but what that means differs from person to person.  However, there is a difference between being independent and being selfish.  When we’re selfish we think only of ourselves and our personal needs and wants, disregarding those around us.  Selfishness is rarely a positive trait and often leads to disharmony and conflict.  Where the lines are between being independent and being selfish depends on the influence our decisions have over others.  If we do something that negatively impacts those around us and we have no consideration or concern for them we are being selfish.  We can be independent all we want, but it’s important to remember how our decisions affect others.  If our choices create problems for those around us we may get returns we didn’t count on.

There are a lot of people in all of our lives and our relationships with them have a wide range of expression.  We may be close and share everything with them, or they may be passing acquaintances we rarely see.  Our relationships sometimes define how independent we are in our interactions with them.  If we have a situation where everything we do impacts someone else and our decisions will result in changes not only for us but also for them it’s important to consider the implications before the decisions are made.  Being independent doesn’t give us the right to make decisions that impact others just because we want to do something.

Selfishness is a difficult trait in any relationship.  By its definition it means to think only of oneself and not others.  It’s almost impossible to be selfish and kind at the same time.  Few people want to be around those who make decisions that impact them without caring.  We may get away with it for a while but in the end if we value ourselves over our relationships we may end up alone.  If we think only of our comfort, our choices, our plans, and our way of doing things, it will be impossible to build a healthy connection with anyone else.  Everyone’s views are important and we all have a lot to offer.  If we want to share our world with those around us, we must learn not only to take what we want, but to give something in return.

Today if you’ve made an independent decision that has negatively impacted someone else, revise your plans.  You can do anything you like but if you consider those around you, your life will be happier and things will go more easily.  You are strong and capable.  Everyone has a lot to offer and deserves to be considered.  Be as independent as you like but remember others as you go forward.  When you do you’ll build stronger relationships and connections that will embellish your life.

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