Doubling Down

22 Aug

Everyone makes their own decisions about what they want to do.  We choose the paths we want to follow and each moment of each day decide how to proceed. We have complete power over how we live our lives and each decision we make defines who we are and what we stand for.  Sometimes we may make choices that aren’t in our best interest but because of circumstance or personal desire we make them anyway.  If they are in direct contradiction with what we say we stand for there will be a disconnect.  We don’t need anyone’s permission to do anything but if we say one thing and do another there will likely be conflict.  There is no way to justify condemning something someone else does and then say it’s different if we decide to do the same thing.  A change in players doesn’t change the act.  We may believe that because we are smarter or older, or somehow wiser, we can get away with doing something we disapprove of in others, but it’s impossible to be honest and authentic by playing both sides of the story.   We can make any excuse we want, double down on our reasons, and try to explain the hypocrisy away but that will never change the facts.  We can say anything we want but who we really are is reflected not in what we say, but in what we do.  If we want to be completely honest in all our dealings we must reconcile any issues where there is contradiction between our words and our actions.  We can’t expect anyone to trust us if we aren’t true to who we say we are.  The choices we make create the lives we have.  We can live in ways that bring us trust from those around us and be confident in choosing wisely in ways that take us where we really want to go.

There is an old story of a man who asked his neighbor if he could borrow his axe.  The neighbor said no, and the man asked him why not.  The neighbor told him he couldn’t lend the axe because he was making soup.  Confused, the man asked what making soup had to do with borrowing an axe and the neighbor replied, “Nothing, but if I don’t want to lend you my axe, one excuse is as good as another.”  When we make choices that are contradictory we can give any excuse we like.  In the end, the only thing others will remember is what we did – not the reason or excuse we gave for doing it.  Honesty always brings confidence, and that confidence will bring us happiness.

If we’ve made a mistake in judgement and done something that damages our credibility, we can turn around and correct the way forward.  Owning our decisions and doing what is needed to repair what we’ve damaged will pave the road ahead and help us mend any broken connections.  We have unlimited opportunities before us and with wisdom and patience we will find the right road.

Today if you’ve made a decision that contradicts who you really are, turn around and start again.  You can change anything necessary to correct your way forward.  Be careful and wise, and be who you really are.  You have so much to offer and we need your influence.   Be confident and show us your best.  Every success is there for you and you will find it.

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Getting Experience

21 Aug

There are all kinds of ups and downs in all our lives. Sometimes everything runs along smoothly with little disruption or discord, and other times it seems every step we take brings more problems and trouble. In the midst of trials and confusion when it seems nothing will go right, it can be hard to understand how the experience is helping us and what we could possibly be gaining as we struggle. Nobody wants trouble in their lives and we try to avoid it whenever possible. But trouble will come no matter what we do and when it does, how we manage and overcome it broadens our understanding of life and who we are. It’s not fun to suffer and if the trial is intense and the burden heavy we may believe it’s impossible to get through. We may want to quit, give up and walk away rather than face what we must to resolve the issue. It’s always easier to surrender rather than work through our problems but if we do, we can never prevail. No matter how hard an issue is, no matter how complicated the situation, we have everything we need to navigate through it successfully. It may take serious thought and pondering and it may take a lot of time, but we can find the way. Every experience teaches us something of value. Each trial brings worthwhile understanding and every lesson enriches our lives in some way. We grow and mature because of the experiences we go through. Up or down, easy or hard, each step teaches something new. Complete happiness and satisfaction are possible if we’re willing to work through everything that comes. We are stronger and more capable than we realize and nothing is too difficult for us to manage.

There may be times when it seems our lives are out of sync. We can’t find the right path, nothing is working and we may feel beset and confused. When we can’t advance, we can stop and stand still for a moment and look at all the options before us. There will never be a time when all the roads ahead are closed. If we widen our vision and see all the possibilities, we will find the way. We can untangle any confusion before us and find success.

Life is all about change. The only real guarantee we have is that what we’re going through today will be different tomorrow. No road stays the same forever. Things will turn and we will find the way. What we learn as we travel becomes part of us and helps us as we move forward. The wisdom we gain enriches us and deepens our understanding. Life is an incredible blessing and if we’re patient in suffering and trust our ability to overcome whatever we must, we will find great joy and satisfaction as we move forward.

Today if you’re in the midst of trials and confusion and can’t see the way forward, if every step seems to complicate the situation further, have faith. Walk with confidence and remember how strong and capable you are. As you gain wisdom and insight you are getting closer to the person you really want to be. Nothing is too difficult for you to manage. You are amazing and powerful, and every blessing will come.

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Out of the Light

20 Aug

We determine what is right for us and where our ethical and moral boundaries lie.  When we’re true to the standards that define us we can be authentic in our expressions and genuine in our responses.  There will be opportunities every day to compromise ourselves and step away from the boundaries we’ve set.  If we decide to venture into areas outside the borders we’ve defined as what’s best for us, the foundations we’ve built will be left behind and we’ll step onto a road that will take us somewhere we’ve never been.  We may think we’re only stepping out of the light for a moment, and then we’ll return, but life continually moves forward and it’s possible that although we only intend to set our standards aside for a moment, what we do may make it difficult to return to them.  If we point our compass away from the values we’ve previously set, it may be hard to turn it back and start again.  We can always change our lives and no roads are closed indefinitely but the patterns we choose and connections we make can be powerful.  One step away from who we are takes us closer to becoming someone else.  Letting go of our personal values and standards will never make us into the people we most want to become.  One thing always leads to another and every choice will bring a result.  We can carefully look ahead and make choices that take us where we want to go and help us to live our best.

Dishonesty will never bring us lasting happiness.  One lie often leads to another, and then another, and before we know it we may find we’ve forgotten what’s real.  It’s possible to create a life of mirages and illusion that has no basis in fact or reality.  We can tell people anything we like, pretend to be someone we aren’t, and manipulate the truth any way that paves the way forward.  If we are proficient we may fool others for a long time but eventually the truth will rise and we’ll be left with nothing but our lies for companions.

If we want something badly, we may be tempted to step out of line for a moment and cheat – just this once – in order to get it.  We may justify the action by thinking we’ll only do this one time but if we’re successful and don’t get caught it’s possible we’ll try it again.  If we continue over and over it’ll become our new norm and we may lose our sense of what is right altogether.  Our lives are ours to design.  We can be dishonest, unethical, manipulative, and as slippery as we want.  Or we can hold fast to the values we cherish and no matter what, choose the right.  The lives we have will be reflected in each choice we make.  We are strong enough, wise enough, and brave enough to choose wisely and live with excellence.

Today if you’ve stepped away from your personal standards, decide what kind of person you want to be.  You can find authenticity and perfection by choosing to be honest in all your dealings.  The roads to your dreams are straight and true.  Hold fast to the values you cherish and choose the right at every turn.  Your light will shine brightly and every door will open for you.

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Choosing the Ending

17 Aug

There is a popular children’s book series where there are several different endings to the stories.  After reading the basic story in the book, the reader can choose the ending they want from a few at the end.  It’s a great and creative idea that allows us to imagine how it would be if we could decide how things end up.  In our lives it would be wonderful – amazing even – if we could decide where our decisions would take us and design how everything would come together.  We could do the things we wanted without concern for the result because we could always change the ending if we didn’t like where we landed.  But life is reality, and we have all the freedom and power to make any decisions we like but no control over where those decisions take us.  Sometimes everything works out exactly as we hope and other times we may end up in a place that is nowhere we want to be.  There is no way to predict the future and all we can do is look at the options available and make the best choices possible.  Life will take us places we never dream we will go and sometimes we may end up somewhere that isn’t comfortable or easy.  We don’t have to stay anywhere forever and always have the power to change our situations, whatever they may be.  If we land in foreign territory and don’t like the scenery or the players involved, we can move.  Although we can’t control everything, we can always control our own lives.  We can change our location, our relationships, our job, or anything else that isn’t working.  We deserve complete happiness and can do whatever we need to achieve it.

There are all kinds of opinions about life and how we should be living.  We can listen to all the advice we’re given and decide how much of it we want to take, if any.  Some people have very strong ideas about how things should go and if we’re different from them they may try to persuade us to change our ways.  We are responsible for our own lives and can follow their example if we like, or continue to do things our own way.  We know what we want and who we want to be.  Our expressions are ours alone and never have to mimic anyone else.  The unique gifts we bring are ours to offer and enhance the world in ways nobody else could.

When we make decisions that take us far from where we thought we were headed we can choose to go back and start again, or investigate our new situation and see what it brings.  Change offers us new insights and a wider vision of our world.  Foreign territory may be intimidating at first but we can learn about it and make it ours.  There are countless roads to explore and endless locations to find.  If we end up someplace new, instead of running back to home plate, we can see what the new landscape offers us.  There are great blessings just waiting to be discovered and we can be confident and sure we will find them.

Today if a choice you made took you somewhere you had no intention of going, before you retreat, take a look around.  You may find great pleasure and unexpected benefits as you get to know something new.  The world is filled with possibilities and they are all open to you.  Be confident and open all the doors.  There are blessings waiting for you.

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Go Faster!

16 Aug

We all have our own ideas and methods for getting things done. Some people like to jump into projects with both feet and storm through them as quickly as possible. Others like to take time to look at the situation before beginning and then carefully and cautiously proceed watching out for any stumbling blocks in the way. Neither method is wrong but when we’re on one side of the process we may deride the other as either being foolish for moving so fast, or become impatient because they are taking their time. The way we do things is completely up to us. We can rush through or ponder each step along the way. It’s a matter of personal choice for what we feel will work best. If we’re in a hurry it’s hard to wait for someone who is going slowly. We may press them to go faster, tell them to forget the minutiae, skip the finer points and details, and get on with it. It’s nice to accomplish many things and we may feel successful when we’ve checked a lot of boxes off our list, but rushing doesn’t always bring the best results. We may find the things we skipped over in order to get the job done fast are the very details that come back to haunt us because we left them undone. Fast doesn’t always translate into complete. It will do us no good to get something done quickly if we have to go back and do it again. Even if our schedule is pressing, we can take a moment to ensure we are clear on all the details and understand exactly what needs to be done. Then we can proceed with confidence and complete everything as effectively as possible.

It can be hard for high energy people to wait. Waiting takes patience and it’s hard to be patient when we want to move forward. If others are taking more time than we like and we think we know the way forward, we may jump in and take control. If we push others aside and rush forward with our own plans we may reach the goal faster but it may cost us in personal relationships we value. Everyone’s opinion is important and all views are valuable, even if they’re different from ours. We don’t have to do things our way every time to succeed. There is never only one road forward. We can be open to other ideas and still reach the goal.

There is no way to know what lies ahead before we get there. We can’t read the future and there will always be unforeseen complications we don’t expect. Although we can’t prepare for what we can’t predict, if we keep our vision open to everything around us instead of laser focused only on the goal, we will be ready when problems arise. We are capable of navigating through any issues that come up. Success is always possible and by allowing different ideas into play, we will find it and reach the destination.

Today if you’re impatient because someone is moving slowly, be open to their perspective and listen to their ideas. You may find their choice will take you forward more quickly than rushing ahead yourself. There are limitless options available to you. Open your eyes wide and see everything before you. Success will always be there and you will reach it.

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