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Too Far

24 Aug

When we’re trying to move forward we sometimes push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We reach further than we have before in an effort to get ahead and stretch our capabilities. We are often capable of doing more and when we’re striving for success we test our limits to see how far we can go. It’s important to stretch if we want to achieve and we sometimes surprise ourselves at what we can accomplish with determination. But sometimes we push too far and when we do we may be hurt. We may over commit our time and then find we can’t keep our promises, or work too many hours and end up completely exhausted and unable to do anything. We should push to be the best we can but we must be mindful of where the lines are. There are limits to everything and recognizing those limits will help us find success. Learning to work around limitations enables us to achieve results more effectively and easily, and prevents us from going too far and potentially getting hurt.

Our physical limitations change over time. What we used to do easily years ago may be harder to accomplish as time goes by. Even if we are fit and healthy our abilities will change over time. It can be hard to accept the need to modify and sometimes we may ignore the signals and push ourselves beyond our limits. We may think that because we believe we can do it, we can do it. There is nothing wrong with high aspirations, but reasoning must be a part of the picture as well. If we truly cannot accomplish a task without injury, it’s foolish to try. When we go beyond what we can reasonably accomplish, we may get hurt. And getting hurt and having to take time out to heal and correct our course works against our progress. It’s best to understand and accept our real limitations and work around them. We can modify any plan for success and ensure it’s the best plan for us going forward.

We all have personal expressions for what works best for us. There are some situations we do well in and others that are more difficult for us. We can all grow and learn and change but every personality is different. For example, perhaps we work great in groups but working alone is difficult for us. If we accept positions or situations where we’re forced to work alone we won’t find the success that an atmosphere of team work would bring us. We can recognize our personal expressions and build our lives in ways that bring us the most success instead of trying to push ourselves to conform to a model that doesn’t fit. We can set our priorities to maximize what works best for us to reach our highest potential. We are unique and understanding where our personal limits are will give us great confidence and certainty, and bring us success.

Today if you’ve been pushing too hard and are feeling the pain use another strategy. You don’t have to get hurt to be successful. Find the plan that works best for you. You have everything you need to succeed and there isn’t anything you can’t do. What works best for you is the best plan going forward. Choose your unique path and you’ll find great success.

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Darkest Hour

4 Aug

Life is filled with all kinds of experiences. Some of them are wonderful but dark times come to us all. We have disappointments, sorrow, pain and suffering. If the trial is severe enough we may be devastated and feel overcome. We may face very dark times as we try to navigate our way through. They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. Dawn comes every single day. We can count on the light returning no matter what the night has brought. But just before it arrives, we will have endured the darkness for the longest period of time possible. When we are struggling and hurt, and when we feel lost and hopeless it’s like being in that last hour of darkness. We can’t feel the light of hope or the anticipation of happiness. We may feel oppressed and weak, but the light always returns. Always. There will never be a day when the light will not arrive and bring with it the chance for healing. Just before that happens we may feel at our worst but we can hang on and wait for the sun. Even in our darkest hour we can remember the sun will rise.

Sometimes when we are facing very difficult situations we feel they will break us. We may think we can’t endure them or we won’t survive. Although we know intellectually they probably won’t actually kill us, we might feel their impact will be so great that we’ll never be the same again. It’s true that every experience changes us in some way, but we can always take the lessons learned and apply them to our lives in ways that will help us and not hurt us going forward. In reality, there is no situation we can’t face. We have everything we need to navigate even the most challenging trials. We can be confident that no matter what we’re facing we will find the answers and survive.

Some believe that every time we struggle a small bit of us is chipped away never to return. Like blocks of ice being carved they believe we can never be the same after something has been broken away. But we are resilient and able to heal from whatever life brings us. We can restore ourselves in time and no matter what has been lost, be whole again. Life teaches us with each challenge and if we lose something we held before, we can replace it with a richer, more thoughtful understanding. What we gain from overcoming hardship deepens us and makes us stronger. The superficial is scratched away and deeper perception replaces it. Every experience brings information and as we go, even in the darkest hour, we become stronger and richer.

Today if you’re struggling with a trial and feel overwhelmed or uncertain, there is an answer and you will find it. You are capable of managing whatever comes to you and you will prevail. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Remember the light is just around the corner. The darkness will lift and you will find joy. Be strong. You have everything you need to conquer and find happiness.

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Making it Better

23 May

Everywhere we go and with everything we do, we leave an impression that we were there.  People remember us and the things we do, we impact our surroundings in different ways, and there is no way to prevent leaving evidence of our presence behind.  We change our environment every time we are part of it.  Sometimes the marks we leave are clearly evident and sometimes they are small but they will always be there.  We have a choice therefore, to either leave behind something negative or something positive.  If we don’t care or don’t pay attention as we go through our lives, our impact may not always be the positive influence we may want it to be.  But if we tune in and remember that everything we do changes something, we can leave each situation a little better.  Even if all we do is have a positive attitude as we attend to our responsibilities we may lift those around us.  There is no way to be invisible and no matter what we do, it will make some kind of difference.  Making that difference better helps everyone around us and makes our days a little easier.

Everybody has a bad day from time to time.  Maybe we don’t feel well, or we have pressures on us that are complicating our lives, or the weather is making our day difficult, or a thousand other things.  If we let our discomfort define how we act it can make things worse.  If we’re grumpy and pass that on to others, our interactions with them may be more difficult.  If we don’t feel well and ignore those who come into our circle, we may make a negative impact on them.  Things go wrong and we all have times when we don’t feel happy or at our best.  But we don’t have to share our bad fortune with those around us.  If we need time alone to get through our situation, we should take it.  If we need rest we should make sure we get it.  And if we must interact when we aren’t at our best, we can remember the issue is ours and doesn’t need to become everyone else’s.

We can’t control what comes to us but we can control our response to it.  If something uncomfortable is going on we can display that discomfort to everyone around us, or we can choose to be positive despite it.  That doesn’t mean being dishonest with our feelings or pretending things are great when they aren’t.  It just means managing our response in ways that don’t accentuate the negative situation we’re dealing with and remembering that no matter what we’re facing we’ll get through it.  Even if what we’re going through feels like the end of the world, in time we’ll move on to something better.  If we focus on the big picture and trust ourselves we will face our challenges more confidently and positively.  If we choose to be an example of grace, patience, endurance, and peace even when we’re working out a problem, our influence on those around us will be positive and uplifting.  Everything we do will make a difference.  We can make that difference a benefit and be a blessing.

Today if you’re feeling down or angry or upset or frustrated or whatever, and not at your best, remember you can manage anything that comes to you.  You have a lot of influence over those around you.  You’re going to touch a lot of people every day.  Let that touch be kind, loving, and patient.  Your consideration will return to you over and over and everyone, including you, will be happier because of it.

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One Thing More

10 May

We can all live our lives any way we choose. We can be ambitious or lazy, motivated or complacent, and we can do our best or just get by. But if we really want to get the most out of our experiences, we need to strive for excellence in all we do. That requires considering more than what is obvious. It means taking a moment before moving on to be sure we’ve done things the way we really want to. If we’re rushing around and checking things off a list, sometimes we don’t do everything as well as we might like. When we’re busy it can be hard to do everything with excellence. Sometimes we just want to accomplish the task and finish. But if we take just a moment to think before leaving what we’re doing, we can consider if there is more that could be done. If there is, we can accomplish it and be confident that we did our best moving forward. Great accomplishments and achievements don’t always mean excellence. Sometimes excellence is achieved merely by doing one more small thing. If we stop and think before moving on we may see something that could change a good outcome to a great one. If we want to do our best, taking a quick look before finishing anything and making sure we’ve done all we can, will allow us to do that.

If we want to achieve excellence, we must do our best in all our endeavors and be the best people we can be. But we’re also busy people and generally have a lot on our minds. There is a lot to accomplish in our lives and though we want to do it all well, sometimes the time crunch pushes us to move along even if we haven’t done everything exactly as we’d like. If we rush from task to task and fail to really look at what we’re doing, we may accomplish a lot but it may not be at the standard we are seeking. If there is one more thing we can do to complete the task with excellence, and we stop for a moment to see it, we can address it and then move on.

Most things we want to accomplish have many layers. If people are involved there will be lots of individual opinions and advice and it’s important to hear them. If the task is complex and takes many steps, and we skip something in an effort to move along more quickly, the job will get done, but may not be done as well. We’re all capable achieving excellence in our activities. But glossing over details, rushing and skipping what we feel is insignificant doesn’t always allow us to get there. No matter what we’ve done there may be one thing more we could do to improve the outcome. It might be a phone call, or maybe a re-check of something, or perhaps a conversation to gain another perspective. It doesn’t have to be time consuming but taking a moment to consider what we could do before we finish can mean the difference between doing a job well, and doing it excellently.

Today as you go about your routine and all the things you need to accomplish, take the time to see if there is one thing more you could do to bring the best outcomes. You have everything you need to accomplish anything you like. Do your best to be your best. Excellence is within your reach. Grab it and make it yours.

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Sharing It

3 May

When we are young, most of us are taught to share. We’re encouraged to share our crayons and our toys, sometimes our food or treats, and in doing so we learn how to give. As we get older sometimes we lose focus of the blessings that come from sharing. We’re busy taking care of ourselves and making sure our needs are met. We manage our time and our possessions and may hold them tightly in order to control them. Although it’s important to control our lives effectively, we can still include others in them as well. There is a lot of need in the world. Some of it’s financial and we may certainly give to a limitless number of programs or projects, but some of the need is personal. Not all needs are material in nature. We all need compassion, kindness and consideration. And our capacity to share those things is virtually endless. Unlike our checkbooks, there is no limit to what we can share emotionally. If we’re having a good day we can boost those around us. We can choose to be kind and engaged instead of rude and aloof. We can be polite and helpful and when we are, we share our very best.

The world is a big, complicated place with all kinds of problems and issues. Because we have so much access to what’s going on everywhere we can see suffering and trouble every moment of every day. Unfortunately, those who produce our news stories focus on all the negative things that are happening all the time. And there is no end to trouble. But with all that duress and strife, there are people doing well. There are people helping each other, caring for one another, easing each others’ burdens, and sharing what they can to make things better. We rarely hear about those stories but the people sharing their lives in service to others are the ones really changing the world. Sometime it’s not the big events that make the lasting changes. Sometimes it’s the small gift of personal charity that turns everything around.

We don’t have to do huge, impressive acts of kindness to make a change in the world. The smallest thing – helping someone who’s fallen get back up – can turn things around for others. We can be kind and share goodness with those around us and make a big impact on the world. Of course we can share our money and our food and our possessions and those are all helpful. But when we share ourselves by being kind and considerate, when we reach higher to be more present and available to others, and when we do a little more to serve those around us, the world becomes a better place. Lives are lifted and we impact everything for good. We have an unlimited ability to be loving and caring. If we focus on sharing those attributes with others, everything will be better. Our lives will be more fulfilled and those around us will feel happier. We have so much to offer. If we remember to share it, we can change the world.

Today remember to offer your kindness to those around you. Be polite and caring in all your dealings and your impact on the world will be great. You have nobility inside you. Show it to others. Be the change we all want to experience. You have so much to offer. Share it with those around you today. And you will change the world.

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