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Breaking in Two

21 Jul

We all go through many experiences in our lives. Some are wonderful and the happy memories stay with us forever. Everyone wants happiness and joy in their lives and we strive for it each day. But trouble comes to us all and sometimes serious disappointments or losses come and we feel as though our hearts are broken. We may feel great sadness and despair as we try to find our way through a very hard time and there may be moments when we feel so bad it’s hard to breathe. We may believe we’ll never overcome the sorrow, we’ll never find our way back into the light, and we’ll never be happy again. When we’re brokenhearted and feel lost it’s hard to see anything but what we’re going through. We need time to grieve and adjust to whatever changes have come. How much time we need is different for every situation. Healing has its own schedule and we don’t need to rush it. We can take time to recover and day by day regain our confidence again. There isn’t anything too strong or difficult for us to face but when we’re in the depths of sorrow that may be hard to see. But if we have faith and hold on, each moment will bring healing and comfort, and in time we’ll be happy again.

Nobody has a perfect life. There are ups and downs in every situation and we have little control over what comes to us. Even if we try hard to limit the possibility of problems, they will come. We are forging our own way, a road nobody else has traveled and there will be unexpected twists and turns as we go. We may trust in someone or a situation that lets us down. We may believe in something that isn’t true, and we may want something badly we cannot have. If we push hard for something we want and can’t achieve it no matter what we do, the disappointment may rattle our confidence. If we are intensely involved with others who let us down, we may feel deeply wounded and afraid to trust again. If we are seriously betrayed by a loved one, we may feel broken and lost. Severe setbacks can make us doubt our worth and our capabilities. We may believe we can’t survive and will never get through them.

No matter what comes to us, no matter how hard it is to face or how difficult it is to navigate, there is nothing – nothing – too difficult for us to get through. We are smart enough to figure out even the most complex problems, and we are strong enough to endure any struggle. When we’re broken and disheartened we can remember that and move forward. We may shed a thousand tears, have many sleepless nights, and feel desperately sad. But we will survive. And we will conquer even the hardest of challenges. We have everything we need to overcome anything that comes to us. Each day will bring us more courage as we move forward and in time we’ll find ourselves on a new road with sunshine and light. There isn’t anything we can’t do. We are capable of greatness and nothing can stop us.

Today if you’re facing heartbreak over something that has hurt you deeply, remember you are strong and there isn’t anything too difficult for you to manage. You have great courage and you will be successful no matter what you’re facing. You can do anything. Have faith. You will overcome.

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Tough Nut

18 Jul

Sometimes when we have difficult things we have to do or when a situation becomes hard to handle, we often feel we’re having a bad time.  Difficult problems can be hard to solve and we may struggle to find answers but it doesn’t always mean it’s a bad experience.  Hard times don’t always mean bad times.  Untangling complicated developments and figuring out unexpected problems may take us off the path we want to be on but that’s not always a bad thing.  We learn a lot as we tackle new situations and everything we learn can be beneficial to us in some way.  If we look at these situations more positively we may find our way through them more easily.  We are capable of managing any problem or complication that comes to us.  We know in the beginning we’ll eventually solve the issue no matter how hard it is, and in the end we will be successful.  If we focus on that instead of the annoyance of going through the issue we will benefit more from the experience and feel better as we push through.

Some problems are very complicated and take time to find answers to.  In many cases, it doesn’t matter how long it takes us to solve them and we can take all the time we need.  We can ponder them, think about the outcomes we want and work them step by step.  At each point as we try to crack the nut, we learn something valuable.  Everything we learn we take with us going forward.  If we have a complex issue that requires going through a lot of steps to find the answers, we grow with each step we take.  Once the problem is solved, all the knowledge we’ve gained getting through it will be valuable and will help us in the future.  Tough nuts may be hard to crack but with determination and faith we will always break through.

It’s a common expression to see difficulty unfavorably and we all want to avoid trouble.  But hard or difficult situations aren’t necessarily bad.  When things are running smoothly our lives seem less worrisome and easier to manage.  But nothing runs smoothly all the time.  There will be regular snags, bumps, detours, problems, and complications.  It’s the nature of life.  Learning to see these experiences merely as enhancements that teach us and not roadblocks that stop us in our tracks will help us gain more as we navigate through them.  There is no problem too difficult for us to solve and no situation too complicated for us to figure out.  We can remember that and see our difficulties for what they are – complications in the process.   If we do, we’ll be more confident moving forward.

Today if you are facing something difficult and you feel it’s a bad situation that’s greater than you can handle, take a more objective look at it.  It’s just a complication along the way.  You will solve it and you will find your way through.  You have everything you need to succeed and you’ll learn more as you go.  You’ll solve the problem no matter what it is.  Be confident.  There isn’t anything you can’t do.

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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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Too Much

7 Jun

There are times in everyone’s life when we want something new. Maybe we want to learn a new skill, get more education, move up in our careers, or try something completely different. When we’re thinking about a change and all that it will entail to make it happen we can sometimes think we can’t do it. Or we might think we aren’t worthy of the growth, or we may even think we don’t deserve it. There is a lot to experience in this life but we can only have the experiences we’re willing to try. If we don’t believe we can do something, odds are we won’t do it. If we don’t think we can manage the challenge, we may not even try. But we can do anything we want to do. There isn’t anything out of reach if we want it badly enough. And we all deserve everything we want in our lives. We don’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to get approval, and we don’t have to wait. We can have anything we want as soon as we’re ready to do what it takes to get it. There is nothing that is too much for us. We can climb mountains, learn to fly, get an advanced degree, open a new business, or just take one day a week off. It’s all up to us. We don’t need the support of everyone around us. All we need to do is decide. And then go for it.

Some people like routines and keeping things the same. There is security in knowing what to expect each day, and that security is important to some. But the problem with keeping everything the same is that nothing changes. And when nothing changes we can’t grow. If we want a life that’s fulfilling and challenging, we have to be willing to try new things. Getting out of our comfort zones isn’t always easy. They’re called comfort zones because we’re comfortable in them. If we step away from them and do something new it may open up a whole new arena in our lives. We can’t know what’s outside if we stay indoors all the time. There are limitless experiences waiting for us but we have to be willing to let them in.

We may not always get support from those around us when we decide to change our lives. They may say we’re too young or too old, it’s too hard, they don’t want us to change because they like things the way they are, or a thousand others reasons. If they try to keep us the same it just means they don’t want to change. They may certainly keep their lives any way they want them and that has no bearing on our decisions. Everyone can choose the type of life they want. If we want to, we can embrace all our dreams and forge ahead to make them come true. We are the only ones who can make our dreams a reality. There are no fairy godmothers coming to grant our wishes and there is no magic spell that will make them come true. We can do it ourselves. There is no dream that’s too big, no change that’s too much, and no future we can’t create. We have everything we need to have the kind of life we want.

Today if you’ve been dreaming of a life different than the one you’ve been living, change your course. Set out on a path that will make your dreams come true. You can do anything. There is nothing strong enough to keep you from moving forward. You deserve everything you want and you can get it. Open all the doors and push through. The destination is waiting for you.

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Filters

24 May

Life brings us a lot of different experiences. Some are happy, some sad, things go well and then not so well, disappointments and victories come, and with each experience we learn something more about ourselves, our lives, and those around us. As we change we carry information forward from what we’ve learned. Those lessons help us understand more about who we are and what we want, but they may also color the way we perceive things. For instance, if we have a very bad experience with a dog, we may fear or hate all dogs going forward. Or if something painful happens to us in a specific situation, we may avoid all similar situations in the future. It’s good to learn from our experiences but if they create filters that restrict our lives we may miss out on opportunities available to us. If we learn as we go without fear or avoidance, we will be more successful in living fully and embracing our lives completely. We can’t predict the future but the odds of repeating an exact experience going forward is unlikely. Allowing one bad or uncomfortable situation to color our lives indefinitely may keep us locked down and unable to see everything available to us. We can navigate difficult experiences, learn from them, and then move on. This life is all about change. We don’t have to hold onto anything that holds us back.

Sometimes we have pre-conceived ideas about things based on what we’ve seen in the past or what we’ve been taught. The problem with assuming is that we’re often wrong in the assumption. If we decide something is round because it was round before, and we’ve heard it’s round but never seen it, we may proceed accepting that as truth even if what we’re looking at is a square. Our minds can play tricks on us if we let them and we can be convinced of something that isn’t real because of where we’ve been or what we’ve seen in the past. If we can set our personal experiences aside and look at our situations objectively and openly, we may find that things are completely different than what we first imagined they would be. Learning to see things as they really are will open our lives up to new possibilities for growth and understanding, but we must be willing to see clearly and accept what is real.

It’s wise to protect ourselves from situations we believe will hurt us or make our lives difficult. And there is nothing wrong with pro-actively trying to be in the best place we can. But if we lock the doors around us because we are afraid from a previous experience, or we aren’t sure we can manage whatever is locked behind them, we may be protected from possible pain but we may also prevent possible happiness. If we filter our possibilities because we are unsure or afraid, we also filter any benefits that may come to us. It takes courage to step out of our comfort zones and take a chance, but we have sufficient courage to do anything we want. We are able to make excellent decisions and brave enough to move forward. Life teaches us a lot and we can do everything we need to be successful and happy. There isn’t anything we can’t manage and we can open all the doors in front of us.

Today if you’ve been holding back because of experiences in the past and you aren’t sure about going forward, remember you can do anything. Open all the doors. There is nothing you can’t handle. Be confident. You have everything you need to be successful and happy.

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