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Moonlight

27 Sep

There is something magical about being outside under the moonlight at night. The darkness is softened by the subtle and soothing light emanating down and everything looks velvety and smooth. The edges aren’t as sharp, the landscape is luminous and the world looks gentler. It’s nice to experience and wonderful to see. But moonlight is only magical at night. During the day the moon is still there, shining down on us but the bright intensity of the sun takes first priority. We need the sun during the day when we’re busier and there is much to accomplish. We need to see all the fine lines and every detail, and the brightness and clarity the sun provides is exactly perfect. Each has its place and time, and provides what we need at precisely the right moment. If we had darkness and moonlight all the time it would be hard to accomplish everything easily. And if the sun were beaming throughout the night it would be difficult to rest. The perfect symmetry of each completes our days and brings order and structure to our existence. They are dependable, reliable, and helpful. We need them both but only at their designated times.

They say timing is everything. When we are able to plan well and organize our activities things often go more easily than when we let things happen on their own. We’ve all been in situations when something we’re trying to accomplish won’t work and we have to wait until things change and try again. Learning to wait for the timing to be right takes patience. If we’re trying to do something we want badly it’s hard to wait. We can try to push the ball forward and hope it will stick and sometimes that works but often no matter what we do we can’t make things move until the time is right. We can wait and as we do we can prepare for the moment when we’re ready to proceed so when it arrives we have everything set to go. Patience isn’t just waiting but taking the time to prepare as we wait. All things come in their appointed time. We can wait and be ready.

Sometimes because of uncertainty or fear we may wait beyond the point of return. The moment we need to act may come and go and because we did nothing we lose our opportunity. Some situations only come around once in a while or even only once in a lifetime, and if we are unsure and hesitant and let them pass us by our chance to grab them may be lost. If we have clearly identified our goals and know where we want to go, when the opportunity to step up arrives we’ll be ready to take it. But if we put off the preparation, are afraid of the challenges or aren’t sure where we want to end up those chances may be lost. If we want to be truly happy we must be ready to take the leap when it arrives. Our lives belong to us and we can do anything we want. We can plan and watch and be ready, and we can succeed.

Today if you’re waiting for a change so you can move forward, use the time to prepare. If you feel unsure, decide the best way forward and plan your future. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Your time is now and everything is waiting for you. Grab your dreams and make them come true.

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The Water is Wide

26 Sep

There are times in our lives when we simply cannot get to our goals alone. Although we accomplish much, there will be moments when the water is too wide to cross by ourselves and we need the help of others to get across. If we are very independent, it may be hard to accept assistance. If we are shy, we may be afraid to ask. If we are arrogant, we may try to do it ourselves even when we know it’s impossible. Getting help when we need it is beneficial. It’s wise to understand our limitations and asking for help doesn’t mean we’re weak or incapable. Nobody can do everything. When we need others to get across and ask for help it shows we are strong enough to accept the situation and work around it. If we want to do it alone we may feel disappointed that we need support and it might be hard to admit we can’t get there on our own. But the goal we’re seeking is the focus. If we can’t get to it alone, working with others will often help us achieve it. We are capable of understanding the big picture and finding a way to succeed even if we can’t do it by ourselves.

Personal success is defined in many ways. Some people prefer to accomplish many things alone and like to fly solo in their endeavors. If they hit a snag they can’t navigate by themselves, instead of including others they may change their plans to get around it. They eventually find their way but it may take longer than if they had asked for the assistance of others. We all have different talents and perspectives. If we allow others to share theirs with us, we often find the answers more quickly. We can embrace the experiences of others and invite them into our journey to navigate the path forward more easily. Listening to many other interpretations of the situation may bring us the answers we’re seeking. We can open up and bring others in and get the help we need.

Competition is a normal part of the human experience. Some of us are more competitive than others and if we need to feel like the winner in every endeavor, we may try to get to our goals before anyone else. There is reward in being first but there is much to be learned by collaborating. If we’re in a situation that stops us and are struggling to find our way through, allowing others to collaborate and share in the victory may help us find our way to success more easily. But if our desire to do it alone supersedes our willingness to allow others in, success may elude us. There is much to be gained by allowing others into our journey. We are capable of doing many things well, and often we won’t need assistance. But when we do, the door is always there for us. Opening it and allowing others in will help us get to the goal we’re seeking. And getting to the goal is the primary objective.

Today if you’ve been struggling with something that has you stumped and aren’t sure how to proceed, ask those around you for their advice and counsel. You may be surprised by what you learn and you’ll find your way to the other side. The water may be wide but by working together you will find your way across. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Get the help you need and you’ll succeed every time.

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Hand Over Hand

15 Sep

Climbing a rope is hard. No matter how much we weigh, pulling our entire bodies up inch by inch is strenuous and difficult. If we are very strong it’s easier but the first time we try we may be surprised at how much effort it takes to pull up even the smallest bit. Hand over hand we pull and each tug takes us up a little further. If the rope is long and we want to reach the top it requires constant strain and determination. It’s hard work but once we’ve completed the task, the reward will be great. When we’re trying to accomplish something difficult it can be like climbing a rope. We pull and reach and make a little progress but if it’s complicated every step forward may take serious effort. Big challenges take time but each step forward takes us a little closer to the goal. If we get tired we can rest, and the goal will wait for us. We are capable of focusing on where we want to go and there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish if we want to badly enough. We can pull and tug taking each step with determination and we can overcome any obstacle in our way.

There are countless opportunities in life. There is no end to what we can learn and experience if we choose to. We can change our lives any way we want to – learn a new language, travel the world, teach a class, go skydiving, become a chef, run a marathon, or anything else we can imagine. There is more to do and see and learn than we could ever accomplish. Every new activity will take us out of our norm. We may be uncomfortable at the beginning as we learn the new skills and the change in environment may be foreign to us. But we are extremely flexible and there isn’t anything we can’t adapt to if our motivation is sufficient. If we want to do something new all it takes is the decision to do it and the determination to master it.

If we like we can have predictable and comfortable lives and never think about changing or attempting to climb any ropes. We know where we are, we know what to expect, and there is comfort in routine. But routine will only give us the growth we can find in doing the same things. Of course, we can become experts where we are and that is a noble goal, but new experiences will open the doors to growth and understanding. If we are timid, we can try new things that are similar to what is familiar. If we are more adventurous we can go far out of our reach and do something entirely different. Our personal experiences are up to us but the further we reach the more we’ll learn and the more confident we will become. We are capable of conquering new goals and stretching our abilities. We are often stronger and more flexible than we think and we may find we are far more courageous than we may have imagined.

Today if you’ve been pulling and tugging to get further down the road and you’re feeling the strain, keep moving forward. If you’ve been comfortable and want to stretch, reach out and grab hold of something new. You have everything you need to succeed and are stronger and more capable than you imagine. Press forward. There isn’t anything you can’t do and you’ll reach any goal you set your sights on.

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Our Gift

14 Sep

“The past is your lesson.  The present is your gift.  The future is your motivation.”  Unknown

While we’re navigating our lives and doing everything we need to accomplish we often think about our futures.  Where are we going?  What do we want to do?  How will get there?  There are questions to explore, ideas to formulate, and plans to make.  If we’re highly ambitious we may spend a lot of time planning for what lies ahead.  There is nothing wrong with making plans for the future and everyone has dreams they hope to accomplish.  But the real gift in our lives is our present.  What’s happening right now is the most important thing in our lives.  The past is behind us and we can take all the lessons we’ve learned from our previous experiences forward with us but we can’t go back.  The future lies ahead and although we may try to plan for it, nobody really knows what it will bring.  Today is the most important day of our lives.  What we’re doing right now is the only thing we have any control over.  What we’re doing, how we’re living, and what we’re learning today is the gift that helps us move forward.  We may forget how important today is if we’re heavily invested in plans for tomorrow, or grieving over something that has passed.  But today, right now, is the most precious gift we have.  If we pay attention and apply ourselves to this moment we will gain as much as possible from our experience.  Without today there would be no tomorrow.  We can honor our lives today and grab hold of everything it has to offer.

When we’re busy and have a lot to get done our time flies by.  The hours seem like minutes and before we know it the day is gone.  If we’ve rushed through it we may have missed some of the blessings available to us as we hurry to the next item on the list.  We may not even see those who pass us or hear others say hello.  Having a singular focus is helpful when there is a lot to get done.  But if we look up and pay attention as our lives rush by we will have a richer experience and deepen our connections to those around us.  It doesn’t take long to acknowledge someone and say hello, or offer a smile as we walk by.  If we take our eyes off ourselves for a moment and interact with others our days will be augmented and enhanced.  This day will be gone quickly and there is nothing we can do to get it back.  Seeing it as a gift and opening ourselves up to receiving all its blessings will bring us happiness and contentment.

They say when we’re dying we don’t regret the things we did, but the things we didn’t do.  If we knew today was our last day on earth, how would we change things?  Who would we see, and what would we do?  This may not be our last day here but if we lived our lives as though it were, how different would it look?  Would we take more time for those we love?  Would we pay more attention to those around us?  Would we offer more care and compassion?  We can change anything about how we’re living our lives at any time.  We can make each day a priority.  This life is precious.  Living each day to the fullest will bring us the most satisfaction.

Today if you’ve been rushing around to get things done, remember what a gift today is.  It’s just for you.  This is the best day of your life because it’s the only day you have.  Live everything to the fullest today.  This is your most precious gift.

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Restore Session

13 Sep

If we work with computers, and most of us do, there may be times when the system goes awry and there are glitches. Sometimes as those problems are worked out we may get a prompt asking if we want to restore the session. If we click on it the system will go back to its configuration before the issue started and we can continue on as though nothing happened. It’s great to be able to return to exactly where we were before the hiccup and go from there. When we have problems in our lives it seems it would be wonderful if we too had a “restore session” button we could push. If we did, all the things that went wrong could be forgotten and we could simply return to where we were before it all started. We wouldn’t have sorrows or scars to heal from and we could continue on without a second thought. Of course, that isn’t possible and whatever we experience we carry forward with us. If we got tangled up and entwined in a situation we have to change, we have to find our way out. And all the feelings and emotions we’ve experienced will color our pathway forward. There is no way to escape any experiences we have in life. They become part of us and even if we try to forget, there will always be something that has changed because of them.

After a bad experience we may desperately want to forget what’s happened. We may try to push every thought that reminds us out of our heads, and press forward with dogged determination. We might be successful in forgetting most of it but we will never be able to return to exactly how we were before things went wrong. We change with everything we encounter. Sometimes the changes are far reaching and affect us greatly going forward, and sometimes they are subtler. Everything impacts us in some way. How we manage that will often determine how happy we are. We can change anything but the past. It is there forever. If it’s a bad memory, we will carry it forward but we can find ways to navigate it successfully.

We can learn something of value from most of our experiences. There is generally at least one lesson we can take with us that will help us in the future. We might understand ourselves a little more deeply because of what’s happened. Or we might understand relationships better, or how to give and take more effectively, or we may see where we need to improve to find greater success. Every experience brings lessons to learn. Some of them will apply to us and if we are wise we will take the opportunity to evaluate them and learn from them. Learning from our past can help us prevent repeating old mistakes again and again, and bring us greater success and more happiness going forward. We can learn all we can when things go wrong and if we do we’ll find increased understanding in the future.

Today if you’re going through a difficult situation and wish it would just disappear, you have everything you need to prevail. There is value in struggle and you are learning new ways to cope. Learn all you can from this experience and take the lessons with you going forward. You will get closer to the person you most want to be and happiness will follow.

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