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Starting Gun

28 Apr

Life is full of unknowns. Nobody can read the future or see what’s coming around the next turn. We can do everything in our power to protect ourselves and prepare for the unexpected, and still be taken by surprise. Everything we know and understand could change in a moment, and if that happens, we may have no idea what to do or how to proceed. When the wind gets knocked out of us, it takes time to recover and be able to breathe. We know a lot and can learn more, but there is no way to predict how anything will go. With all that uncertainty, we may be hesitant to venture forward toward a desired goal. What if it doesn’t work out? What if we get tangled up and can’t move? What if we fall flat and everything blows up? What if, what if, what if? Lots of things could happen and we might discover the journey ahead is far more difficult than we imagined, but there is no way to reach success by standing still. In a foot race, the runners set themselves at the starting blocks. When the starting gun sounds, if they want to win, they must jump forward and begin to run not knowing how it will work out. Being afraid to move will never propel them to victory. The same is true for our own personal goals. We can think about them, prepare for them, decide on the different ways we could accomplish them, and make all kinds of plans, but if we don’t move off the blocks, nothing will change. Whatever we desire is possible, but we must be willing to take the chance and do what is necessary to make it ours. We already have all the courage and wisdom we need to do anything we want, but we must trust ourselves and believe we will succeed. Nothing is beyond our reach, and with determination and focus, every single dream is possible.

Everyone is unique, and our ideas about life and what we should do belong solely to us. We make our own decisions, and can design our lives any way we like. But others may not understand our choices, and may try to move us in a direction they think is better. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but nobody can possibly know us better than we know ourselves. We don’t need anyone’s approval or permission to do what we want. We are in control of our lives, and can move in the direction that brings us what we desire most.

Problems and complications are a constant part of life. No matter what we’re doing, odds are something will go awry. The road may get rocky and hard to navigate. Someone may block our way forward, or we might get tangled up in unexpected snags and details. If we’re determined to reach the goal, it doesn’t matter what happens along the way. We are smart enough, and strong enough, to manage anything that comes. Nothing can stop us from reaching success.

Today, if there’s something you want to do and haven’t begun, look at the road ahead and start the journey. Move forward one step at a time, and take things as they come. Keep your eyes focused on the goal, and continue moving ahead. Every dream, every goal is waiting for you. Be confident and sure, and trust yourself. Nothing can keep you from success. 

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Stronger Than the Storm

14 Feb

Everyone wants an easy life where everything goes as planned and we’re never unhappy.  It would be great if we could order our days ahead of time to ensure we get exactly what we want. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and even when we try hard to plan carefully and watch our step moving forward, sometimes things just go wrong. None of us lives on a deserted island and there will always be people coming in and out of our lives. They may inadvertently make decisions that affect us negatively, or they may purposely stand in our way. We might have no idea why our plans went up in smoke and everything fell apart, and while we’re in the midst of trying to figure out what to do next, we may feel lost and uncertain. We can’t control the weather. What comes comes, and even the most proficient and wise meteorologist has no control of what will happen. Storms will appear – sometimes intensely and unexpectedly. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, we’ll have to navigate through. Weather is one thing, but we may experience difficult storms in our personal life. Something may change without notice, we may lose something we treasure, or someone we love may leave us. We may lose our jobs or a million other possibilities that upset our lives and turn everything upside down. At the beginning we may feel frozen in place as we try to understand what’s happened, and we may have no idea how to proceed. But we are stronger and wiser than we imagine, and no matter what comes, we have everything we need to find our way forward. Trouble will come. There is no one perfect way to handle it. The answers we need will be there and when we’re ready, we can step forward, confident, and sure of success.

Sometimes it seems that everything we touch falls apart. It’s as though the planets have aligned against us and nothing will ever work out. When we’re struggling and there’s a lot going wrong, we may believe we will never be successful. We may as well just sit down and give up. Of course, we can do anything we like and if we want to surrender, we certainly can. But giving in and giving up will never take us where we most want to go.  All our dreams are there for us and nothing is strong enough to hold us in place forever. We can take the time we need to decide how we want to proceed, and then begin again.

There is no such thing as bad luck.  Luck is simply when preparedness and opportunity meet. We may get prepared to do something, but the opportunity to start isn’t available at this time. That’s not bad luck and it doesn’t mean we can’t succeed.  It only means the goal is unavailable right now. Nothing is permanent and when our situation changes we can start again. We know who we and what we want, and we already possess everything we need to reach any goal we desire. By trusting ourselves, and standing firm, there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish.

Today if a storm is raging and everything is upside down, take the time you need to look at the situation objectively. You are smarter than you think you are, and you will find your way. The whole world is there for you and nothing can keep you from success. Stand strong and look ahead. Every goal is possible, and you can make them yours.

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Swimming Laps in the Pool

25 Jan

A lot of people learn how to swim as kids. Maybe we went to the local YMCA for lessons, or our uncle just threw us in the water and told us to figure it out. However, we did it, we gained a valuable skill. Learning to swim is like riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you don’t forget. If we know how to swim, we may be confident we could easily swim laps in a pool with no problem. The first day we go and jump in we may think it’ll be a snap – we’ll just start and be able to do several laps before we quit. But knowing how to do something and becoming proficient in it are two different things. Our first time in the water we may be surprised that although we know how to swim, actually getting to the other side of the pool is harder than it looks. It takes a lot of effort, and we may be gasping for air after going just a few feet. We may be stunned by what we can’t do. If we are determined and continue to spend time working on it, we will improve and be able to accomplish the goals we’ve set, but that won’t happen over night or in one week. It may take a lot of time before we feel comfortable and confident. The same is true with most goals we set. We may already possess many of the requirements to reach success, but they will still take time and effort to achieve. We can do anything we want and nothing is out of reach, but we must be willing to do what is necessary to make them ours. We are strong and powerful, and we know what we want. By planning carefully, and then doing the work, we can reach any destination.

It isn’t hard to climb a mountain. You just have to put one foot in front of the other until you reach the top. Sounds simple right? But there lots of factors that make it harder than it seems. Although we’re essentially just walking, it’s all uphill which is far harder than walking on a flat surface. Then there are weather factors. If it’s a very high mountain, it will likely be cold and involve snow and ice. There may even be breathing issues due to high altitude. Although it seems simple in theory, actually climbing a mountain is not easy. When we begin toward any goal, there is no way to know what complications will get in our way. By keeping our eyes focused ahead and unraveling each problem that arises, if we’re determined, we will succeed.

Everyone admires successful people. They seem to have everything figured out and know what to do. What we don’t see is all the time and trouble they went through to get to success. Nobody pays attention when we’re just starting out, or when the bank turns down our loan, and we are just making ends meet. Nobody sees all the problems, and complications, and headaches that come because we refuse to give up. Success isn’t always easy, but if we keep our eyes on the prize, no matter what gets in the way, we will reach the top and find great satisfaction.

Today if there is a goal you want that’s more difficult than you imagined, decide how you want to proceed. You are smarter and stronger than you think you are, and if you want success, you can have it. Look at the road ahead and plan your next steps. There isn’t anything too difficult for you to overcome or too hard for you to understand. Be confident and trust yourself. The whole world is there for you and every success awaits.

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Looking Over Your Shoulder

22 Nov

Life is complex and unpredictable. We will experience things we never imagined and face challenges that may try us and push us to our limits. We’ll also have some wonderful days filled with happiness and each event we experience will remain in our memories as we continue forward. Nobody gets a perfect life with all paved roads and unending success. Everyone will have hard times, and go through periods of distress, worry, and confusion. Although we always want to succeed at everything we do, it’s likely we’ll face failure at some point, and our lives may be upended. We may lose our jobs, forfeit our money, our lovers may leave us and countless other difficult things may happen. If we’ve been seriously hurt it may take significant time for us to heal and trust ourselves and our lives again. When we are ready to start over, the scars of what’s happened will remain and may continually prod us not to trust what lies ahead. Lots of things could happen but nobody can read the the future. We don’t know what will happen, who will enter our lives, or how things will work out. Things may have gone wrong in the past, but the past can never predict the future. However, if we continually look over our shoulder at where we were and obsess over everything that went awry, it will be nearly impossible to move forward. If our eyes are looking back, we will not be able to move ahead. There is much to be learned as we go through our lives, and although they hurt, the hardest times teach us the most. Instead of looking back and trying to dissect everything that went wrong, we can use the skills we’ve gained from what’s behind, and step forward armed with more information and greater confidence. Life is always moving ahead, and each day we get the chance to try again. We are stronger and wiser than we imagine, and nothing can hold us back when we’re ready to move. We can look forward with clarity and be sure of success.

We may go through something that’s so painful and encompassing that it stops us in our tracks and shakes us to our very core. We may be temporarily paralyzed and unable to move. Our minds may race trying to grasp what’s happened and we may feel completely overwhelmed and lost. Nobody wants to suffer, but this is real life, and bad stuff happens. Our world may be rocked and we may be dumbfounded for a moment, but we are intelligent and wise, and already possess everything we need to face anything that comes.

Our lives belong solely to us. We decide how we will proceed and what we will do. Situations may develop that take us off course, but the road will remain, waiting for us to return. Nothing can prevent us from moving toward any destinations we desire. If we must modify our plans, we can. If we must turn and go in another direction, we will find the way. We are powerful and highly capable, and we will succeed.

Today if you’ve been looking back and holding onto a painful memory, remember how important your life is. You have incredible gifts to offer, and the whole world in enriched because you are here. Turn your eyes to the road ahead, and stand strong. Nothing can keep you from your dreams. Be confident and step forward with clarity and resolve. You are amazing, and every blessing awaits.

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Marionettes

4 Nov

A lot of things will happen to us as we go through our lives. We are in control of our own decisions, but that’s where our control ends. We have no idea what will come next of what awaits around the next corner. It might be something wonderful, or something difficult, or something we already know. There is no way to tell the future or predict how things will go. Some people believe we are subjects of destiny and everything we do has already been pre-planned and arranged. If that’s true, why would we do anything? We could just sit around and wait for our lives to roll out exactly as planned. We would be like marionettes, just waiting for our strings to be manipulated to what we will do next. This, of course, is nonsense. If destiny, or whatever it’s called, is in charge, what would be the purpose of having a brain? Why would we ever need to make any decisions? The fact is, we are the ones in control of our lives, and if we don’t do something, it won’t happen. We decide what we’ll do and where we’ll go, and if we don’t like where we are, we can change. There is no master planner directing our decisions and choices. It’s all up to us. When we make mistakes, we own them, and when we succeed, we own that too. There are unlimited ways and unending roads to choose and once we decide what we want, nothing is powerful enough to keep us from it. The whole world awaits, and every dream is possible. We need only decide what we want, and then do what is needed to make it ours. Nothing is off limits or out of reach. Every success is possible, and we can make them ours.

When things go wrong, or we’re facing a very difficult challenge, we may yearn for someone to come along and take it from us. An all powerful solver, who can simply change what’s happening and make us happy. It’s hard to face trouble and trials and we all get tired from time to time, but no matter what is going on, we have everything we need to get through. There is no problem without a solution, and no question without an answer. We can step back and take the time we need to look at everything objectively, and find our way forward. We already possess all the wisdom and courage we need to face anything.

There are all kinds of people in the world, some are helpful and others not so much. If we’re struggling with a complex issue, someone may tell us to give up, that it’s too hard to solve and we should just surrender. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but nobody knows us better than we know ourselves. All the information we need to find the answers necessary to solve the issue is there, and with focus and determination we will find it. Life is complex, and we may face very difficult and challenging moments that test us and push us to our limits. But we are stronger and more powerful than we imagine, and nothing can keep us from success.

Today if you’re facing a very difficult issue and you feel unsure about how to proceed, stop and take things one step at a time. The road ahead is there for you, and you have all the wisdom and intelligence needed to find it. Be confident and sure. You are amazing and have so much to offer. Look forward with clarity and be confident. Every dream and success are possible, and with patience and determination, you will make them yours.

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