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Now or Never

1 Aug

Our lives are busy and our days are filled with things we need and want to do.  Time flies by and sometimes we get so busy and distracted we barely notice what’s right in front of us.  We’re focused on the next thing to do and the next place to go and we may be blind to what is happening now.  As each day passes it is gone forever and if we rush through our days without paying attention we will miss the chance to experience everything possible.  It’s easy to get caught up in what’s happening next and completely miss where we are now but where we are now is important.  We can take a moment to really see what’s happening, smell the fresh air, and listen to the sounds that surround us.  We can breathe in the experience of our present and live it fully.  There is so much to learn and see and do every day, and if we take the time to be in the moment, exactly where we are, our lives will be richer.

The only thing certain in life is change.  Nothing stays the same.  We can’t freeze any moment or experience, and we can’t stop time.  It’s ever moving forward to something else.  Our lives change constantly.  If we rush through our moments pressing forward we may accomplish many things, but if we don’t notice what’s happening along the way the experiences we miss may be gone forever.  The richness and depth of living fully in the moment blesses us in many ways.  We feel things more deeply, we see things more clearly, and we hear sounds we may miss in the rush.  The taste of food, the sights in nature, the smell of something wonderful, and sounds all around us may be overlooked as we hurry along.  But all those things and innumerable other experiences embellish our lives and bring joy.  If we concentrate on being in the moment, wherever we are, and being fully aware of everything around us our lives will be richer and more fulfilling.

We often have a lot to do, goals we want to achieve, places we want to go, people we want to see, and dozens of other activities.  All those things are important and we can strive to meet them.  But our lives are precious and fleeting.  Every moment we’re here we have the chance to experience something wonderful and we can recognize those opportunities more fully if we’re paying attention.  We can deepen our lives by looking around and experiencing everything where we are.  It only takes a second to look up.  Being in the moment and savoring it will bring us great joy.  This life is a tremendous gift.  Each day, and each moment is precious.  If we remember that and experience our days to the fullest, our experience here will be magnificent.

Today if you’ve been rushing around and hardly noticing what is happening as you press forward, look around.  Experience your moments fully.  There is so much around you that will bring you joy.  Take the time to notice where you are and what is happening.  You’ll be happier and more fulfilled as you go.

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With Purpose

28 Jul

No matter what we’re doing with our lives, we have purpose. We are here for reasons that may elude us at times, but we are important and essential in our lives and to those around us. Recognizing our importance helps us live with purpose and define our journey each day. Life can get away from us if we aren’t careful and before we know it we may forget why we’re here or who we really are. But if we remember we are important and if what we’re doing isn’t what we want to do, we can change course. If we think about our purpose each day, and determine what we want to accomplish we will be more effective. Each day is a gift and every moment we’re here brings the chance to do something amazing and incredible. Living on purpose, meaning it every moment, and paying attention will help us become the very best we can be.

Routine has a way of numbing our focus. We know where we’re going, we know what to do, and we pretty much know what to expect. There is nothing wrong with routine but if we tune into each thing we’re doing instead of just going through the motions, even if we’ve done it a thousand times, we can learn something new. Everything changes every day but sometimes we have to look for the changes to see them. Meandering around and hanging back may keep us in a holding pattern. If we explore new ideas and ways to get things done, and apply ourselves to each activity we will open new doors and discover new ideas. We can’t expect to embellish our experiences and grow if we repeat them over and over again and do nothing to enhance them.

Being patient is valuable and if we choose to we can sit patiently and wait for everything we want to come to us. We can go through our lives day by day doing the same things and hoping something will come along to change them. But waiting for changes to come to us and doing nothing to make them happen is often fruitless. Waiting is fine if there is nothing we can do to make things happen, but often while we wait opportunities pass us by. It’s like being trapped in a flood and treading water because we have no boat to save us. While we’re patiently waiting and hoping for a boat we may let a large log that could carry us to safety pass by. If we sit and wait for exactly what we think we need to move forward and focus only on that, we may not recognize other things that could propel us ahead. But we can purposefully look for solutions instead of waiting for them to arrive. We are in charge of our lives and if we live them with purpose we will achieve our greatest goals and find success.

Today if you’ve been waiting for an answer to come to you, look around and find a solution that will work. Try something new and go forward with purpose. You have so much to offer. You know how to get things done and where you want to go. Stop waiting. All the answers are already there. Recognize them, use them, and start walking forward.

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Red Rover

27 Jul

There is a children’s game Red Rover where there are two teams of players lined up opposite each other holding hands and forming a line.  One side calls a player from the other team over to their side.  That person runs over to the other side and tries to break through the line.  If they succeed they take one person from that side back to join their team.  If they fail they must stay and join ranks with the other team.  It’s a fun game and the winner is the team that gets all the players on their side.  In our lives we might feel we’re playing Red Rover when we try to convince others of an idea or plan.  We present our idea and hope others will join us and sometimes they do.  But sometimes they counter with a revised plan and we end up joining them on their side instead.  When things go our way and others join us we feel confident and happy we prevailed.  But if our idea was important to us and we have to go another way it can be hard to let it go and join the other side.  Life is all about give and take, and sometimes we have to give when we’d prefer not to.  Compromise isn’t always easy especially when the compromise means we have to give up what we want.  If our ideas aren’t embraced the first time we present them, we can return to them again later.  If we must change our plans and go a different way for now we can wait.

Learning to wait for what we want can be a struggle.  If we’re sure what we desire is good and don’t see any reason we can’t have it we may be frustrated if it isn’t forthcoming.  But sometimes we have to wait even if what we want is beneficial.  There are a lot of factors influencing our lives – the decisions and desires of others, the current situation, timing, future plans, and present stressors may all come into play.  When we have a great idea and feel certain it will bring a desired result, we want to make it happen.  If that doesn’t work out the first time we try, we can back up and set it aside for now.  Things change every day.  We can try again later when the situation is different and we may find immediate success.

When we’re waiting for something we want if we focus on other things the wait will be easier.  If we obsess over the original idea, and worry about when we’ll make it happen we may lose focus of what we’re doing now.  We are living right now.  If we’re involved in what we’re doing at the moment and where we’re headed we will feel fulfilled.  Constantly thinking about a situation that isn’t where we are will only bring frustration.  We can plan for the future and how we want things to go, but if we must wait we can live effectively in the meantime.  When our lives change and the opportunity arises for us to try our plans again we will.  Until then, we can live fully where we are and learn as much as possible going forward.

Today if you’ve been thinking about something you really want to do but it’s not possible right now, move forward.  You can set it aside for now and live well.  Later when things are different revisit your plans and try again.  You have everything you need to accomplish anything you like.  Be patient.  Everything will come to you in time.

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Climbing

26 Jul

Every experience we have in our lives teaches us something. Every time we try to reach a new destination or goal we stretch in new ways and learn new things. When we have our eyes focused on where we want to be and are striving for it, sometimes all we can think about is how great it will be when we get there. It’s nice to reach the summit and we feel great when we succeed, but the goal itself isn’t what teaches us. All the work and all the benefit come from the climb to get there. As we take each step up a little further, and push ourselves to continue despite hardship and struggle, we become stronger and wiser. The rocks in our way, the detours that confound us and the missed turns that make us go back and start again are the blessings in the journey. We sometimes forget that and think the blessing lies in reaching the goal. It’s great when we succeed but once we’ve arrived at the destination, the growth we gained to reach it is what makes us who we are. The determination it takes on the road that gets us there is what defines and shapes us. If we can remember that when the road is long or difficult it will help us hold onto our confidence as we push forward.

If we want to be limber and flexible, we stretch our muscles. We pull on them in different ways to enable them to become nimbler and loose. As we do, we develop the ability to reach further and bend deeper. When we feel stiff or sore, stretching helps us loosen up and relax. Just like our muscles, when we stretch what we can do and where we want to go, we are able to reach further and attain more. We learn with every step forward as we loosen up and find our way. If we stay in the same place and don’t try anything new, our lives may become stagnate and stiff. Sameness may be comfortable in its predictability but it can’t teach us anything new. We can reach for something different and try for another challenge. When we stretch our abilities we’ll become more flexible as we learn new patterns and experience new roads. This life is filled with opportunity. If we keep moving forward and learn as much as possible our lives will be rich and filled with growth. We can become anything we set our minds on and we can do anything we want to do.

Sometimes when we reach for new things we encounter difficulty and confusion as we try to find our way. If something stops us, we can back up and try another route. If we are challenged, we can learn to solve new problems and find the way forward. There are few things we can’t accomplish if we want to. If we stop at the first roadblock and decide it’s not worth the trouble, we can return to things as they were and stay the same. We can have mediocre lives if we want them. They are easy to achieve and take little effort. But if we really want true happiness and success, we can try harder and push further to reach it. We are capable of doing anything. There isn’t anything too hard for us. We can fill our lives with incredible experiences and new horizons, and be fulfilled and happy.

Today if you’re thinking about trying something new but aren’t sure, you can do it. You can reach any goal you set your mind to. Climb a little further. And then do it again. You have everything you need to do anything you want. There is nothing you can’t achieve.

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Listen to Me

25 Jul

We know what’s best for us and what we want to do with our lives.  We know where we want to go and what we want to achieve.  Because we are effective in managing our own lives, sometimes we may think we can help others manage theirs.  Maybe we see them making the same mistake over and over again, and decide to give them advice we think will help.  Sometimes we may really have the answers for someone else’s problems, but that doesn’t mean we can tell them what to do.  If we care for them we can certainly offer our help and give them advice that may assist them.  But once we’ve done that it’s up to them to follow it or not.  They might listen to us or they may ignore the advice.  Their decisions belong to them and even if the counsel we’ve offered is helpful, they may choose their own way.  It can be frustrating to see someone we care about stumble when we’re trying to help them but their decisions are theirs to make.  We can’t make them listen to us.  They have the right to choose.  The best we can do is offer our sincerest advice and then let it go.

We can’t possibly know everything about anyone but ourselves and have only an external view of other people’s lives. We can see what they are doing and if they share confidences with us we may have some insight into how they’re feeling.  But we will never know the entire story.  We can’t know their private desires or intentions.  All we can see is what’s on the outside and we can only give advice based on that.  If they want to listen to us they may, but their lives belong to them and every decision they make is their responsibility.  They will make them based on their personal choices and not someone else’s.  Although we may want to help, in the end the choice is theirs.  We are all certainly smart enough to figure out what’s best for us and even if we falter and make a mistake, we can find our way again.

When we put pressure on others to comply with a suggestion we’ve made and it’s something they don’t want to do, they may feel worried and concerned about telling us they don’t want to do what we’re asking.  If we’re very close to them they may be concerned about how a refusal will affect the relationship and how we will respond.  But if they have other ideas about their life and feel confident about them they can clearly decline any suggestion.  We may not appreciate their refusal to go along but we can respect them for standing up for their decisions.  We own our own lives and can manage them and design them any way we want to.  We can do things our way with confidence and grace, and face whatever comes.  If we falter, we will correct our course.  We can give advice and when we get it we may take it or decline it.  The choice is ours.

Today if you feel compelled to tell someone else how they should move forward or how they should do something, you may offer your advice.  You may give sound reasons for why you believe this is the right way for them to go.  Give your suggestions and then let them choose.  They will hear you and appreciate your concern but they must choose for themselves.  Honor that and support them as you move forward.

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