Tip of the Iceberg

23 Mar

Icebergs are very deceptive things. They may be huge floating in the water but no matter how big they appear on the surface what’s hiding underneath is far larger. What we can see floating in the water, even if it’s enormous, is generally just a small fraction of the iceberg’s total size. The bulk of it is hidden and cannot be seen. Sometimes we face a problem in our lives that’s like that. It may appear to be somewhat simple on the outside and we may make decisions for solving it quickly only to discover there is a far bigger situation lurking beneath the surface. We might have a complication that seems easy to navigate and make a snap decision to settle it only to find there are deeper issues in play and we have much farther to travel if we want to solve the real problem. It’s not always easy to see everything the first time we look. Some issues only reveal themselves over time and if we think we know everything from the beginning we may get burned. Although we understand rushing may mean a mistake, sometimes if we’re in a hurry to move on we may ignore valuable clues that give us the whole story. We have enough wisdom to understand complex issues and enough patience to wait until we comprehend a situation completely before proceeding. If we take the time to see all the information before us, chances are we’ll have a better understanding of how big the iceberg is before we attempt to conquer it.

People are sometimes hard to understand. We may take others at face value and believe the image they are portraying about themselves is true. Sometimes we are right and who they seem to be is exactly who they are. But some people may fool us. They may present themselves in a specific way to get our attention or favor when in truth they are far different than they appear. It takes time to get to know those around us and we can be open and still be cautious before we jump into a relationship. Relationships can be complicated and when based on half the facts can be very difficult. Instead of rushing we can learn a little more and take a little time to get to know others before we get too close.

Problems may have many layers we can’t see at the beginning. Sometimes they look innocent and easy to solve but once we’re involved we may discover there are many issues that must be addressed. Even if they are complicated and difficult we have everything we need to figure them out. We can take the time necessary to consider our options and find the best way forward. If we are patient and look carefully we will see the situation clearly and be able to solve it, no matter what the problem is.

Today if you have an issue you thought was simple to solve that has turned into a huge iceberg, take your time and see all the facts before you. You can find the answers one at a time and resolve the problem. There is nothing too difficult for you and you will succeed. Be strong and have confidence. Step by step you’ll find the way forward and you will prevail.

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Mountains Ahead

22 Mar

Every life is filled with challenges and opportunities.  No matter what we accomplish there will always be another mountain ahead waiting for us to climb and as long as we live we will have challenges to overcome.  While we’re busy learning all we can from every experience and trying hard to succeed we may become so focused on the task ahead that our behavior with those around us may suffer.  It’s great to be determined and self-directed but as we travel forward if we cut off those around us and brush them away as we plow ahead we may lose connections we might need in the future.  We may need assistance to overcome an obstacle and if we’ve pushed the person with the answers away in the past they may not be interested in helping us.  Being aware and kind to those around us no matter how focused and busy we are will always be a benefit to us.  Even if we never need their help in the future, the bridges we build by our consideration and respect will be a great support in all our endeavors.  Embracing the friendship of those around us, building relationships and letting others into our lives will be a great benefit and blessing.  We all have so much to offer and even when we’re pushing for success we can share our gifts and allow others to share theirs with us.

In our lives as we travel from one point to the next there will be times when something gets in the way and stops our progress.  Even if what we’re doing is very important if there is a barricade in our path we will not be able to go forward until we find a way around it.  If others have been in the same position they may have valuable information that will help us.  We can be open to asking for help and then listening and taking good advice.  We don’t have to do everything ourselves to be successful and relying on others from time to time is an asset we may draw on.

Sometimes we may believe we are the only ones who know exactly what we need to do and how we need to do it.  It’s good to be confident in our abilities but no matter what we know there will likely be someone else who knows a little more.  If we are receptive to listening when they offer us information and take the time to carefully evaluate their advice we may find an easier way forward than relying solely on our own resources.  Everybody has unique gifts to offer.  Being open to receiving them and allowing new ideas to enter our plans often helps us achieve our goals more efficiently.  We can be confident in our own abilities and still allow the ideas of others to embellish our plans.

Today if you’ve been pushing hard to get to a goal you want to achieve and have brushed past others along the way, remember you can’t know everything.  Others have ideas you haven’t yet considered and allowing them into your life and listening to their advice may give you the boost you’ve been seeking.  You can do anything but you don’t have to do everything alone.  You can listen and see things in new ways and as you do you will build bridges that will help you get to the goal.  Success is always there for you.  Allowing others to join you along the way will help you find it.

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At the Beginning

21 Mar

Life can be complex, frustrating, joyful, confusing, easy or hard. The scope of experiences we have is unending and wide. We sail through some days with barely a care and grind through others aware of each painful moment. No matter what we’re experiencing today, it will be different tomorrow. Each day as the sun rises and we awaken to a new morning there are limitless opportunities waiting for us. We cannot know in advance what the day will bring but we can determine how we’ll handle it. If we decide trouble will defeat us at its first opportunity, that is what will happen. If we decide no matter what comes we’ll manage and keep looking forward, that is also what will happen. We can’t control much of what comes into our lives but we always, always have control over how we handle it. If we see our tribulations as temporary passages, we will navigate them more effectively. The only thing permanent in life is death and if we aren’t facing that today everything else will change. Big disappointments may await us, sharp turns to the left may move us and we may find ourselves lost on a new road we didn’t see coming. But those are simply complications and with determination we will find our way through them. Every day is a blessing. Even very difficult days bring us something valuable we can hold onto moving forward. We decide our fates, where we’ll go and how we’ll get there. There is nothing too difficult for us to manage and move through. A new day is a new beginning. No matter what has passed we can begin again and find success.

Hard times come to us all and if we don’t learn what we need from a difficult experience we may get the opportunity to go through it again. Being aware of our situations and learning everything possible for each experience allows us to move forward confidently. Even in our darkest moments there is something that will help us move forward. Keeping our eyes open and being willing to see everything available to us will help us find the message we need to learn.

Our lives are a reflection of everything we experience and that reflection is often colored by how we feel about what we’ve been through. Nobody’s life goes exactly the way they want it to. There are twists and turns and disappointments we all must face. If we see disappointment as a time to redirect our focus and unexpected turns as a sign that there is another way forward we will be happier as we continue along. How we take each step forward and face each new day will determine how happy we’ll be. We can choose to keep our eyes focused ahead and determine to succeed. We have everything we need to be happy.

Today, decide to have hope and determination. There is nothing you can’t do. You have everything you need to become the person you most want to be. The world belongs to you and you will manage whatever it takes to conquer it. Be courageous and wise. Every success you dream of is waiting for you. Look ahead and you will find your way.

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One More Step

20 Mar

When we’ve been struggling with something for a while or trying to accomplish a big task we may face many complications and detours along the way.  It takes energy to keep pushing through and thinking of new ways to go forward and after a time we may believe the goal is too high or too difficult to achieve.  When the road to a destination we’re seeking has been long and there have been many problems to overcome along the way, we may begin to re-think our objective and perhaps consider letting it go.  But often when we get to that point we are also close to the goal we’re seeking.  If we stop and rest for a moment, we may find the strength we need to take one more step forward.  That step, that last push, is often what gets us to the goal we’ve been trying to reach.  We always have reserves we can pull from when we get tired and there is always enough for one more step forward.  We can pull from within and reach the destination we’ve worked hard for.  There is enough power inside to take us all the way to the end of any road.  We can reach deep for our strength when we need it and grab onto it to carry us through.  Some roads are long and hard, and if we’re tired of the challenge we may find ourselves wondering if we can succeed.  Taking one more step forward is all we need to focus on.  Just one step more, and then if we still aren’t there we’ll have what we need to take another.  Every road has an end and no matter how long we’ve been traveling we will reach the destination.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish no matter how hard it may be.  We have enough determination and stamina to endure whatever is needed to win.

There is no way to know when we begin how any journey will go.  Even if we plan well, and try to foresee all the complications that may come, there will be things we don’t expect.  If we need everything to go as planned in order to succeed we may not prevail.  But we can be flexible and willing to bend when the road changes course or something is in our way.  We can figure out any problem that comes and find a way around it.  No plan ever goes exactly as we hope it will.  There will always be something that surprises us that may take us off course for a while.  We can be ready for those complications when they arise and be prepared to change our plans when needed.

Sometimes our journeys take longer than we expect or take us somewhere we don’t anticipate.  It really doesn’t matter how long it takes us to succeed when we reach the goal we’re seeking.  We can adjust our plans to accommodate any delays and reroute our way forward to circumvent any detour in the way.  There isn’t a goal before us we can’t reach and with careful consideration we can navigate any complication and find success.  We are strong and smart, and there really isn’t anything too difficult for us to figure out.  We can take another step forward and keep going until we reach success.

Today if you’ve been working on something for a long time and it seems you’ll never get there, take another step forward.  You are closer than you think and everything you’ve done so far has brought you near success.  You will reach the destination.  You are right at the doors.  Take another step.  The prize is just ahead and you will reach it.

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On the Lookout

17 Mar

“Never to suffer is never to have been blessed.”   Edgar Allan Poe

We all have ups and downs in our lives.  Some days are wonderful, some days are merely okay, and some days try us with difficulty and trouble.  When we’re struggling with complications and problems and our lives are twisted up in confusion we may feel overcome with stress and anxiety as we try to find a way through.  When terrible times come upon us we may feel beset, completely surrounded by trouble, and uncertain we can manage.  But no matter what we’re going through there is always something beneficial for us.   No matter how hard the trial, or how difficult the problem, as we navigate it there will be something positive waiting for us.  We may not see it at first but if we are on the lookout for the one good thing, the one piece that works, or the one bit of information that is helpful, we will find it.  It’s always there and is the blessing to help us through.  It may not be evident at first, and it may not be easy to see but it is there and will lift us and help us through.  We find our true courage when we face difficult trials.  We learn how to solve problems by solving problems.  No life is without difficulty but with each challenge comes a blessing.  Looking for it, finding it and embracing it, will give us added fortitude and power.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and nothing we can’t solve.  Every trial we face makes us stronger and more powerful.  We are invincible and unwavering in courage.

When we are children and things go wrong we may lose our temper, cry, scream or run from the situation.  As we grow and face disappointments along the way we have the opportunity to gain tools that will help us mature and process problems effectively.  If we choose not to face our problems and instead try to hide or push them off onto someone else, or make excuses instead of addressing them, the opportunity for growth is lost.  We can embrace every difficulty that comes to us, take it apart piece by piece and with each step forward find resolution. As we solve each problem our understanding of how life works will deepen and we’ll become stronger and more capable.

Learning to face life bravely takes experience.  If we never have problems we cannot understand how to manage them or overcome them.  Every experience – good and bad – teaches us something and everything we learn works for our benefit.  Even in our darkest hours when we aren’t sure we will survive there is a blessing that will help us.  We can keep our eyes open and actively look for the good in every situation.  When we do, our experience will be embellished and we will have added courage and confidence that we will prevail.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and do well.

Today if you’re facing a big problem and you feel beset and overwhelmed, look for the one thing that is going right.  It’s there for you.  Embrace it and let it lift you and help you along.  You can solve anything and you are strong enough and brave enough to prevail.  Success is always there for you.  You will find the answers and you will win.

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