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One Thing More

15 Dec

Everyday we get the chance to do something good. There is an endless need for good in the world and each day the chance to offer a little more arises. We all have our routines, and things we need to get done. We have our list of errands, and chores, and work, and family and all the rest. As we move along we can keep out heads down only focused on the next item on the list, or we can look up and see what’s going on around us. In the parking lot at the store, someone may be struggling to load bags into the trunk of their car. Of course, we can just walk by and mind our own business, but if we stop and lend a hand, everything will change. We will feel the satisfaction of having helped someone else, and we may lift the other person’s spirits in ways we will never know. There are billions of people in the world, but it’s easy to feel alone when we’re trying to do everything by ourselves. Extending our vision just a little, and choosing to do one thing more than we must, our spirits will be lightened, and we will be uplifted. When we extend ourselves, our self esteem will rise knowing we are being the best we can be. We have the power to change the world, if we only look up and reach out. There is greatness inside us all. By sharing it with those around us, we will bring great light and joy. We are all gifts to the world. By showing how much we care, we enrich not only ourselves, but everyone around us.

It’s easy to get caught up in other people’s ideas and feelings. If someone is intense and angry and brings us into their turmoil, we may also begin to feel intense and angry, even though the issue isn’t ours to deal with. Instead of absorbing the stress around us, we can look at all the blessings we already have, and hold onto our own peace and happiness. There will always be trouble, there will always be pain, but there will always be good as well. By choosing to focus on what works, and seeing the good around us, our lives will be embellished and we will experience real joy.

Some people just love to complain. This is not working, that sucks, I hate him/her, this situation is awful, etc. etc. We do not live in nirvana and the world is a complex place where a lot can go wrong. Nobody gets a clear, paved road to all the goals they desire. Problems will arise, people will annoy, and crap will happen, but that doesn’t mean we have to embrace it and make it our focus. Every problem has a solution, and by focusing on moving forward and solving issues as they arise, and not only seeing the barriers but the answers as well, we will find greater peace and happiness.

Today if you’ve been focusing on what’s going wrong and what’s not working, step back and see the big picture. You are amazing and capable, and have so much to offer. Extend yourself a little more, reach a little further, and you will find great success. Your life has incredible value and you bring so much light to us all. Remember you are precious and a blessing to the world. Be confident, be happy and nothing will keep you from your dreams.

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Not Never

8 Nov

The world is a big place and there are endless opportunities to do things and unlimited places to go. We are in control of our lives and can design them any way we like and set any goals moving forward. We can make any decisions we desire but not everything will be easy to achieve. As we move along we may encounter serious problems, complications and delays as we try to push ahead. If we don’t have all the information we need to succeed, we may end up going in the wrong direction and fail to reach the goal. Failure is difficult to accept and can make us feel like we can’t do anything right. But failure is a great teacher if we take the time to see everything clearly and learn all we can from what went wrong. We may not reach the destination today, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never get there. Success is always possible and failure is just an indication that it hasn’t happened yet. Just because we didn’t make it to the goal this time, doesn’t mean the journey is over. There are countless roads to take, and if the one we’ve been on doesn’t take us where we want to go, we can step onto another. The only time failure is terminal is if we quit. It may be hard to start again, but quitting will certainly never take us anywhere. Of course, if we want to, we can give in and surrender to defeat, stay in our own lane and keep doing what we’re doing. But we have great potential and if we want to move forward, we will find the way to do it. We are smarter and more capable than we think we are, and when we’re ready there isn’t anything we can’t do. By trusting ourselves, and keeping our eyes focused ahead, we will reach every goal. The whole world is there for us and every dream is possible. We can be sure and confident that no matter what happens, we’ll reach success.

Routines are comfortable and powerful. When we do the same things over and over, we pretty much know what to expect. If we try something new and it doesn’t work out, we aren’t doomed to stay in place. There is great value and benefit to experiencing new things and opening new doors, and there will always be endless chances to try again. We can explore whatever we want, and each new experience will enrich us and enhance our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Change is constant and if we want something more than where we are, just turning a little to the left or right may open broad new horizons. We don’t have to completely upend our lives to bring more interest and value. Success isn’t defined by doing the extreme like climbing Mt. Everest or traveling the world. Success is ours when we open new doors around us and try new things. We don’t know what we’re capable of until we try. We have so much to offer, and every success is possible. Nothing is out of reach and we really can have the lives we dream of.

Today if your plans didn’t work out and you didn’t reach the goal, it’s not the end of your journey. If you still want to reach the destination, look at everything objectively and decide on a new plan. Learn all you can from where you’ve been and take that knowledge forward to help you succeed. You are the most amazing person in your life. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Be confident, trust yourself, and start again. Everything is there for you and you will win.

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Without Exception

26 Oct

There are few absolutes in life. No matter where we are or what we’re doing there will always be a lot of variables and differences. Even if we stay in the same place and do the same things, our experiences will never be exactly the same. There are endless things that affect every decision and every move we make. We can’t control what others do or what goes on in the world, but we always have control over ourselves. Our choices belong solely to us. If we are careless and haphazard, and don’t pay attention to the cues and situations around us, odds are we’ll have some unpredictable and uncomfortable experiences. Who we are is defined by what we do, and we can set any standards we like for our own behavior. For instance, we may determine that we will never break the law, rob a bank, kill someone or cheat on our taxes. Those are big problems that would likely bring intensely unpleasant ramifications. But what about the choices that aren’t so extreme. If we want to be honest, will we decide that no matter what, without exception we will always be honest in all our dealings? It sounds straightforward enough, but life is complex and there are lots of situations around us that may make that decision more difficult than we imagine. How will we handle it if we discover we were given too much change at the store, or the checker only charges us for one mango when in fact there were two, or we have the chance to sneak into a theater or concert without paying or being seen? We may excuse these as small and insignificant, but there is no sliding scale for honesty. How we interpret that is up to us. We may do whatever we like, but at the end of the day, our lives will be a reflection of the choices we make. We know what we want and how we want to live our lives. By being true to the standards we set for ourselves, we will find great satisfaction and happiness. There isn’t anything we can’t do once we decide. Every choice is possible and with wisdom and clarity, we can choose the roads that take us where we most want to go.

Peer pressure isn’t just limited to our teen years. Wherever there are others around us we may experience pressure to be like something or do something. Everyone has their own ideas about how things should go and their own interpretation of what is acceptable. We may be pressed to follow the group even if we disagree, but we never have to do anything we don’t want to do. If we’re uncomfortable we can step back and go in a different direction. Those who respect us will honor our decisions. Our lives are ours to design, and we can do anything we like.

As time passes, cultures change, but no matter what those changes are, truth will always remain. The influences around us may be great, but we can take our time and evaluate what is happening and where it will lead. We are strong enough and smart enough to find the best way forward. We don’t have to follow the crowd to reach success. It is there, waiting for us to make the choices that will take us to it.

Today decide what kind of life you want to lead and determine where you want to go. Look at every option before you and choose the road that will take you to the goal. You have everything you need to achieve great success. Trust yourself and be true. Every destination is there for you, and you will reach them all.

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Making It Clear

12 Oct

Life is complex and since we can’t read the future, we never know what’s coming next. When we’re making our decisions, we may base them on the current circumstances, or where we believe they’ll take us, or a thousand other reasons. If we are unsure about the future, or afraid of something happening that upsets our lives we may choose what looks like the safest option. Everyone wants to be safe, but there will always be more than one possibility, and if we only look at the easiest or most comfortable road, we may not make the best decisions. There is risk in everything, and even if we do all we can to prevent problems, they will still arise. Making decisions based only on protecting ourselves may not take us where we most want to go. Before we decide, we can take a moment to think about our reasons for the choice we’re making. By clarifying why we’re going one way or another, we will understand what our real goal is. Do we really want to head toward that destination, or are we only going that way because we know the road and it’s easy to travel? By being honest with ourselves, we’ll be able to decide what we really want and then proceed with confidence. We can go through our lives just doing the next thing without thinking, and following along whatever paved road is in front of us, and we will end up somewhere.  But if we want the lives we desire most, we must decide on each goal, and then move forward to reach it. Everything is possible and we are certainly capable of achieving anything we desire. We are brave enough and wise enough to reach any destination, and with clarity and determination, nothing can keep us from success. 

Change is constant and nothing is permanent. The road ahead may be clear when we begin a journey, but we can’t see beyond the next turn. We may face detours and roadblocks that snag our progress and prevent us from moving forward. Complications will undoubtedly come, and issues will arise. People may get in our way and the sky may darken. No matter what goes wrong, there will always be a way out and another road to take. With patience and clarity, we can untangle any problem, and continue forward.

If we’re headed toward a destination and our situation changes, we may decide we want something different. We don’t have to continue on the same road if our desires have changed. We can take everything we’ve learned so far with us and go in another direction. Every experience has value and nothing is wasted. We know who we are and what we want, and by keeping our eyes focused ahead, we can go where we want, and achieve any goal.

Today think about what you really want. You never have to stay in the same place and every option is possible. Decide where you want to go and how you want to proceed, and then take the first step. You are amazing and more powerful than you realize. Nothing is too difficult for you to manage, and every dream is possible. Trust yourself and be confident. The whole world is there for you and you will succeed.

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Bandaids

19 Sep

Life is full of surprises and we never know what will happen next. We’ll go through things we never dreamed of and there will be times when things will go wrong, and we’ll suffer. Nobody gets a life filled with paved roads, rainbows and roses. Everyone will have challenges to overcome and painful experiences to get through. When trouble comes we may be able to look at it objectively and quickly find the answers we need to address the issue and move on, but not every problem is that easy. Some things are complicated and painful, and take a lot of time and thought to figure out. If we’re confused and overwhelmed, we may be unable to see everything clearly. If the situation is very painful, we may need time to gain the clarity necessary to proceed. When we get a scrape or cut that is bleeding and painful, we may put a bandaid on it. It will cover the wound and protect it until it heals sufficiently for us to remove it and continue on. We can do the same thing if we’re facing a very hard situation. We can take a step back and give ourselves cover for a while so we can think about everything clearly and decide how we want to proceed. Stepping back isn’t giving up. It’s like a bandaid – a short break for us to regroup and focus. When we’re ready we can step back in and begin to unravel the issue until we reach resolution. Life is complicated but we are intelligent and wise, and nothing is too complex for us to manage. We can trust that no matter what comes, we will find the answers we need, and be able to continue toward success.

Everyone has their own methods for doing things. Some people tackle problems head on and push their way through regardless of how difficult the road ahead is. Others take their time to look at everything before they make their first move. There are endless ways to move forward no matter what is happening and never only one perfect way to handle things. What works for one may be impossible for someone else. By doing things our own way and in our own time, nothing can keep us from moving forward. We know who we are and how we want to proceed, and with patience and determination, we will win.

There is no end to the many variations of things that could happen. Even when we plan well and do everything we can to ensure success, they will be times when everything falls apart. We don’t know what we don’t know, and there may be people making decisions we know nothing about that impact our lives. When our plans go up in smoke and we can’t even see the road ahead, we can stand still until things clear and then begin again. We are stronger and more capable than we think we are, and there isn’t anything we can’t do. Every single goal is possible, and we will reach them all.

Today if you’re facing a difficult situation and you feel unable to move, step back and look at everything objectively. The answers you need are already there for you. Stand still and let your mind rest for a moment, and you will find your way. You are amazing and smarter than you imagine. Every single dream is waiting. Trust yourself and step forward. Success is just ahead, and you will make it yours.

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