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Glory

10 Dec

Sometimes when we think about ourselves we may underrate our true value because of something we don’t feel we measure up to.  Perhaps we don’t look like super models or that guy on the fitness commercials, maybe we aren’t influential speakers, or perhaps we don’t think we’re smart enough.  Sometimes we demean ourselves because we haven’t yet achieved the level of success we aspire to, or don’t make the money we think we should.  There are limitless things we can measure ourselves against, and often when we do, we feel we aren’t good enough.  But that’s a dangerous and detrimental game to play.  The truth is, we are all exactly who we need to be at this point in time.  We can’t be anything other right now than what we are.  We can make changes if we want to, and if they’re important to us.  However, right now we are enough just as we are.

Personal glory is an attribute we all share.  Glory is defined as magnificence, renown or honor.  We all have things we do well, traits that are exemplary, and distinctive and unique features to our personalities that are beneficial and valuable.  All of those are magnificent and honorable.  And every day we have the chance to share them with the world.  Even the most meek and timid among us has a lot to offer.  We don’t have to be millionaires or kings to have an impact.  We need only be who we are, and share ourselves with those around us.  When we do our very best, or when we choose what is right and noble and true, we express our personal glory.  If we let it shine every day, those around us will be magnified and embellished, and will treasure their interactions with us.

We can express our glory in many ways.  When we extend our friendship and our hands to help, when we forgive, and when we offer a little more and have compassion, we glorify those around us.  When we make noble choices, when we honor others, and when we praise them for their good works, we share glory with them.  It’s something we all have, but we don’t always acknowledge it.  If we really shared how much we have to offer every single day, we would change the world.  We can be excellent examples, we can choose to make wise choices, and we can enrich our experiences by recognizing and expressing our personal glory every day.  It’s a valuable blessing, and sharing it is our privilege and choice.

Today, remember your personal glory.  Open up and share your gifts with those around you.  Show them your valiance, your commitment, and your care.  We need each other and we need you.  You are exactly how you should be today.  You don’t need to be anything more right now.  Be confident.  You have so much to share, and the world is better because you’re here.

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Wet Snow

28 Nov

The snow in winter can be a beautiful sight. The first snow of the season often brings excitement and wonder, and the new covering of white makes everything seem magical. It’s fun to play in and children rejoice if it’s heavy enough to close school. Every situation is unique and if the snow is powdery and dry it’s completely different than when it’s heavy and wet. If it’s dry and light we may not even leave a footprint in it as we walk along, but if it’s heavy and wet we will leave a deep impression with each step that may last a long time.  Wet snow has a long memory. If we step in it, our prints will be long lasting and defined. The wind won’t erase them, and they will remain until conditions permit them to melt away and disappear, which may not happen until spring arrives.

We can make decisions in our lives that are so dramatic and change the landscape so much they are like footprints in wet snow. They can have an impact so great that the everyday winds of our lives, our comings and goings, will not diminish their influence and we need to find ways to navigate around them. Sometimes we make extreme decisions that leave long lasting results because of situations we’re in. Other times they may be the result of anger, or impulse, or reflex. If we’ve put a lot of thought into the decision ahead of time and are sure the decision is right, even though it will have far reaching consequences, we will manage whatever comes as a result. But if we’ve plowed ahead without thought, and done something that has changed the entire landscape of our lives and we’ve made a mistake, the ramifications may remain with us for a long time.

We all make mistakes and if we make one that changes the course of our lives it will be a dramatic development that will take time to adjust to. If we’ve hurt others, we will need to do whatever is required to repair the relationship and regain their trust. If the action was so egregious that our relationship is destroyed, we may have to let go and move forward on a new road. There is no mistake so intense or far reaching that we cannot recover, but recovery might require a change in our direction, and a new focus in our lives. We may feel all is lost, and too much has changed to ever be right again, but that is never true. There isn’t anything we can’t adjust, correct, or repair if we are motivated enough. We can rebuild our lives, we can change our behavior, and we can be successful again. The snow may have been very deep and wet when we stepped in it, the print we left may be indelible for a while, but eventually the air will warm enough to smooth the edges and soften the imprint. If we work on successfully going forward, in time, the mark we left will become a memory and who we have become will be the focus.

Today if you’re coping with a mistake you’ve made, if it seems immense and you aren’t sure you can go forward, take heart. You can fix this. No matter what has happened, if you determine to make good choices going forward, you will turn this around. You haven’t lost everything. Make the best decisions today. Tomorrow do the same. Each day that passes will take you closer to where you want to be. This is just a moment. Navigate it the best you can and soon you’ll find happiness again.

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Taking the Hint

11 Nov

Inspiration is a very personal experience. Sometimes it comes to us like a nudge to do something a little differently. Or someone says something and we are inspired to look in a new direction. Sometimes we feel a continual prompting to change our course a certain way. When we receive inspiration we have the choice to listen to it or ignore it. If we’re happy with our lives as they are, we may ignore the niggling thoughts that come to mind and just brush them off. But if we’re trying hard to find our way they may take on more importance. Inspiration happens to all of us. If we listen to it, we often find it brings us information we’ve been seeking, and we have more confidence going forward.

When we’re trying to accomplish something that eludes us, and we really want to get through, but we can’t seem to figure it out, it can be very frustrating. Sometimes if we just stop and let our minds rest, inspiration will surface, and we’ll see the problem in a new way. When we’re stressed and busy it can be more difficult to find obscure answers because we’re so focused on the issues of the moment. But if we take time out, and sit still letting our minds wander, sometimes we find the answers we’re looking for. It seems counter productive when we’re pushing hard that the answer might be found by doing nothing, but sometimes that’s how inspiration works.

When we get a thought about a situation we’re working on that seems odd and completely different from where we are, we might ignore it. But sometimes those strange, new ideas that come to us are the perfect solution for what we need. We can think about them, toss them around, perhaps discuss them with others, and consider how they might work. Sometimes those ideas themselves aren’t the answer but looking at them opens up a new thought that leads us to where our real answers lie. We need to be open to everything that comes to mind and see how it might apply. The key to resolving our questions and problems is sometimes found in the tiniest of suggestions. If we keep ourselves available to inspiration, and open to every possibility, we’ll find our answers more quickly and effectively.

Today if you’re stumped and frustrated by a situation you can’t seem to resolve, stop looking for the answer and let yourself reflect on all the many possibilities – even the silly ones – that might open the door. You’ll be surprised at the answers that will come to you. You already know how to solve the problem. You just need to access the information available to you. Let your inspiration work. Listen to it and you’ll figure out the next step.

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Fingerprints

31 Oct

Most of us have watched some sort of crime movie and seen investigators look at the evidence available at a crime scene and brush for fingerprints. Because we all have unique prints, if we’ve been somewhere and touched anything, we leave behind proof we were there. Every whirl and curve on our fingertips is ours alone, just like every thought, every action, and every expression we share. When we think of the billions of people on the planet and understand that we are the only ones exactly like us, it’s astounding. Even if someone looks like us, they can never be our exact replica. While we may share similarities, there is nobody anywhere identical to us. Even identical twins aren’t completely identical. We are it – the one and only.

Because we are unique, our life experiences are unique as well. We have the power to impact others in ways only we can. The impact we make can’t be made by anyone else. There is something divine about that. Wherever we step, whatever we say, and whatever we do can never be duplicated exactly by anyone else. As we navigate our lives, we will touch many others and if that contact is positive our impact will be beneficial. However, if we are negative, if we are rude and unkind, if we are uncaring and mean, that impact will be felt as well. This is our time to make a mark. The type of mark we leave is up to us. Nobody can live our lives for us. We are the ones who will decide.

We all make mistakes, and sometimes we have regrets about something we’ve done. There is no blueprint for our lives or instruction manual that tells us to watch out for certain events or warn us about certain people. We learn as we go. Each day we get more information. What we do with that is up to us. Sometimes we choose well, and sometimes we falter. But over the course of time we learn what works and what doesn’t, and if we’re wise we concentrate on the things that bring hope and happiness to us and those around us. This life is a one-time shot. We get the chance every day to make a difference. If we make those differences positive, our mark will be impressive. We have the power to be an influence for good. We can change the world one action at a time. Remembering that power is important, but whether we remember it or not, it’s always there. We can choose the higher way, we can choose to be noble, and we will find peace and happiness if we do.

Today, choose to make the best mark you can. Be kind, be caring, and be thoughtful. Your gift to the world is yours alone. Make it count. You have the power to change the world one day at a time. Make decisions that bring happiness to you and those around you. Be wise and you’ll never regret your choices.

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Taking Our Turn

20 Oct

In every group situation, in order to get things accomplished, there must be some sort of order, and leadership. If there was no plan and no leader, chances are nothing would get done. Leading requires responsibility and thought, and when opportunities to lead come up, if we want to, we can keep a low profile and not get involved. We can keep our heads down and study our shoes, but we can learn a lot more if we step up and take a turn in leadership. When geese migrate south for the winter, their “V” formation always has one bird at the very front leading the way. The primary responsibility of that position is to reduce air drag for the flock so they can fly as far as possible before needing to rest. The leader flies in the first position until they are tired, at which time they fall back into formation with the other birds. Immediately, another bird flies up to take the lead. This exchange happens many times throughout the flight, each one taking a turn at the front. Like geese, when we take on a leadership role, our responsibility is to reduce the stress of the project by showing the way for success. If we take our turn at the front, and do our part, we will enable goals to be accomplished, and we’ll learn a lot in the process.

When leading others, the first step is to understand the objective. Where is the group going? What are we trying to accomplish? Once we know that, we can make plans for successfully completing the task. We don’t have to do all the work ourselves, but may involve everyone on the team by delegating tasks to them. If everyone completes one small part of the project, no matter how great the job is, it will be accomplished. Being a leader doesn’t mean being the boss, and we can’t force anyone to do anything. But we can encourage them, and show the way. If we trust others to get things done, they will respond more positively than if we try to manage them. There is a saying that you can’t push a string. And you can’t. If you try, it will just bend and go nowhere. But you can pull a string and it will go wherever you take it. If we pull others along with the goal in mind, they will follow our lead.

Setting the example for leadership, whether the task is great or small, will help others learn to become leaders as well. If we lead with kindness, support, and patience, when we’re on the other side of the team as a participant, chances are we’ll get the same treatment in return from those in charge. If we are respectful and fair, we can be excellent leaders no matter what our current skills are. When we’re taking our turn at the front, and we need to reduce drag and show the way, if we include everyone in the plan and treat them well, we’ll accomplish the task, and be the example we want to be. We have everything we need to be great leaders. We just have to step up and take our turn.

Today if you have the opportunity to be a leader, take it. You can step up and be the one to show the way. Be kind and patient, and trust others with what needs to be done. They will respond positively and before you know it, the job will be accomplished. You have greatness in you, and the potential to be a great leader. Pull from that knowledge, and show the world what you can do. Take your turn, step up to the front, and be the best you can be. The experience will teach you more than you can imagine.

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