Star of the Show

13 Feb

When we’re watching movies, there are often a lot of people on the screen and many things going on. There is a lot of sensory stimulation with the music, the script, and scene movement. If it’s an action movie it can be hard to catch everything that’s happening. But no matter what’s going on or how many different characters there are, our attention is focused on the star of the show. There is always one main character who carries the story. Our lives aren’t movies but there are lots of things going on all the time and many people coming and going every minute, and we are the star of the show. We are the most important person even when we’re focused on others and what we’re going through is captivating. We can be selfless and help those around us and address all the scenarios and situations that come, but in the end if we aren’t taking care of ourselves we won’t be as effective as we could be. The first person who needs our attention is us. If we don’t meet our personal needs, we won’t be able to care for anyone else. Most of us will not get “star treatment” from others as we go through our lives, but we can give it to ourselves and make sure we have everything we need to be healthy and strong. We are the stars of our own lives, and we deserve to take the best care of ourselves we possibly can. If we do, we will have all the strength and wisdom we need to help others and be an asset to the world around us.

When we fly on planes and go through the safety drill before the flight, the flight attendants always explain that if oxygen is needed, we must put our masks on first and then help those around us. We must make sure we are able to help by taking care of our needs first. That’s true in our personal lives as well. No matter what we’re going through or what trials we’re facing, we need to figuratively make sure our masks are securely fastened and we’re getting the oxygen we need before we attempt to assist those around us. We must be first on our list to ensure we have everything we need before we extend ourselves.

It is noble and valiant to serve others. It’s good to sacrifice our time to help when we’re asked and be available to those who need us. Living a life focused solely on our own personal needs and wants and discounting those around us will not bring us long term satisfaction or happiness. There is much gratification to be gained by extending ourselves and being helpful. But helping others requires personal strength and courage. We must build up our own personal energy before we can share it. We can be kind and helpful and still take the time we need to care for ourselves. We are the most important person in our lives and when we remember to give ourselves everything we need first, we will have enough to serve others.

Today if you’ve been neglecting what you need to be strong and happy, take some time for yourself. You deserve the very best of everything and you can get it. Remember how important you are. We all need you in our lives and want what’s best for you. Give that to yourself today and you’ll find happiness and peace and have the strength you need.

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Friend Request

10 Feb

A friend is a great thing to have.  They are someone who will rejoice with us when things go well and be in our corner supporting us when they don’t.  A true friend will stand by us through the trials and challenges we face, give us advice, listen when we need to vent, and have our backs when we need them.  It’s wonderful to have them in our lives.  We value them, we love them and we count on them.  But sometimes maybe someone we thought was a friend does something that makes us see them in a new light.  Perhaps they choose something they know will hurt us, or act in ways that are demeaning or critical.  We may always re-evaluate our relationships with them, and if we choose to, may go forward without them.  Being a friend is a wonderful gift but it carries with it the great responsibility of respecting the relationship.  If that responsibility is neglected we may lose.  Losing a friend is disappointing, sometimes heartbreaking, but if our trust in them is broken we may have to continue on without them.  We may step back from any relationship we need to.  We deserve to be happy and if our situation changes and brings us sorrow, we may change our way forward.

Sometimes there may be people who want to be our friends with whom we aren’t comfortable.  Perhaps their lives are very different from ours and we don’t understand them.  Maybe we have seen them hurt others or act dishonestly.  Or maybe they aren’t genuine and often seem to be pretending to be something they aren’t.  There are lots of reasons we may feel uncomfortable around others and if we do, we are not required to allow them close into our lives.  We may be polite and kind, and still walk another way.  There are all kinds of people in the world.  We will relate to some of them and others will remain strangers.  We can choose whom to allow into our lives and how much we will share.  Having friends is a great asset and we can make sure those relationships will bring us happiness.

We all have free agency and can make any decisions we like.  If we aren’t careful or don’t care, we may make choices that break relationships and ruin our friendships.  It’s painful to lose the friendship of someone we’ve shared our lives with but if we’ve chosen something that has hurt them and broken their trust that may happen.  We may try to explain our position in an effort to repair the situation but if the damage is too great it may not be possible to continue forward as their friend.  Every decision we make has consequences which may be far reaching or even destructive.  We know how to make excellent decisions and if we are mindful and careful we will be able to preserve our relationships and find great joy having them in our lives.

Today if you’ve lost a good friend because of something that has happened, determine what is best for you and go forward with confidence.  If you’ve done something that has hurt a relationship with someone you care about, do what you can to repair the loss.  We all want true, honorable friends.  Be honest and caring, and those around you will draw close to you.  Be the friend you most want in your life and you will find happiness.

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Shooting the Moon

9 Feb

We all have goals we want to achieve and in our zeal to accomplish them we might make plans that very aggressive and challenging. We may decide we’ll make great changes overnight in order to achieve something quickly that often takes time. It’s good to have lofty goals and creating a plan that’s workable will help us find success more easily than one that’s extreme. For instance, if we seek personal wealth we may decide we’re going to work hard and in a year double our salary. If we want to change our fitness level, we may plan to go to the gym for two hours every single day. Or if we want to improve our diets we may swear off all sweets – forever. While these plans are certainly impressive we may not be able to adhere to them simply because of the intense changes needed to make them work. Finding the right method of accomplishing our goals is the first step. We can shoot for the moon and hope we make it, or we can determine what we can reasonably do each day to move us closer and make a plan we can more easily adapt to. Change never happens overnight. The important thing is to arrive at the destination, not how fast we get there.

Every small step forward we keep is a victory. We don’t have to change 100% right away and each step forward takes us closer to the goal. Even small advances are victories and if we are consistent will bring us success. If we only advanced a quarter of a percent each day we tried, and then only tried half the time, in a year we will have advanced almost half way to the goal. Small steps move us forward and each time we step forward our confidence will rise. Aiming too high too quickly often ends in failure. If we push too hard it may be difficult to accomplish the task. Understanding change and not speed is the goal will help us be more successful.

There may be times we feel we should have come further than we have in the time we’ve been pressing forward. We may feel we should have been able to get more done, or become more masterful at something. When we’re starting a new goal, or beginning a new behavior it’s impossible to know all the changes we’ll have to make to incorporate it successfully into our lives. We can imagine some of the work we’ll have to do but until we’re actually in the process of making the change we can’t see everything. While we’re striving to achieve, we can keep our eyes focused on making small adjustments that will move us forward. We can determine to continue despite any setbacks and if we don’t stop we will reach the goal. Life is long enough for us to accomplish anything. Step by step, making small successful moves will get us to every goal we desire. We have everything we need to succeed and there isn’t anything too difficult for us to achieve.

Today if you feel frustrated that you haven’t yet reached your goal, look back and see how far you’ve come already. Every step you take gets you closer to where you want to be. Continue forward. You know where you want to go and you have everything you need to get there. Move the dial a little closer today and tomorrow do the same. You’ll reach the goal and find success.

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Hero Worship

8 Feb

Sometimes we meet people who seem larger than life.  They may be beautiful, talented, and successful and might appear to be close to perfect.  We may believe they are everything we want to be and more.  When we’re with them perhaps we can’t take our eyes off them, or hang onto their every word, and we may think they could never do wrong.  This sort of hero worship can happen to all of us.  While there are some people who have achieved great success, or done things we have only dreamed of, we must remember nothing comes without a cost and nobody is perfect.  Even the most successful among us have shortcomings and personal issues they must deal with.  Although their faults and weaknesses may not be readily apparent, they have them just like we do.  It’s good to admire those who have achieved great success, no matter what that success entails, but it’s important to remember they are just like us.  They may be further down the road than we are, and they may have opened more doors than we have but we are all on the journey together.  We can take from them the lessons that will help us going forward and we can be confident in continuing on our own course to the success waiting for us.

Everyone has personal struggles.  We all pay for our successes in one way or another and even those who seem to have it all have sacrificed something valuable along the way.  Nobody is truly perfect and even when others seem to have it all, there are things we can’t see.  We all have things amiss in our lives and problems we must solve.  Everyone has challenges they must overcome specific to their own circumstances.  We can learn from others’ experiences and they can learn from ours.  Everyone has a unique road to travel and the trials along the way are specific to the goals we are trying to accomplish.  Nobody gets a free ride or a free lunch.  We all have our challenges and issues, and it’s those who refuse to let them overcome the journey who succeed and reach their goals.

Although we may feel others are heroes, the real heroes in our lives are ourselves.  We are the only ones who truly know what we’ve been through, how hard the journey has been, all the detours we’ve had to navigate and the price we’ve paid.  Our determination to continue forward and reach for the next door is heroic and brave.  When we don’t quit and continue to persevere we are courageous.  We can honor the choices we’ve made to stay the course even when it gets hard, and take credit for staying in the game.  If we stay up all night with a sick child, endure a difficult boss, extend ourselves when we feel we have nothing left to give, or share when we don’t have enough, we are heroes.  Choosing to be the best we can be no matter what our circumstance, is the most incredible thing we can do.  And when we make that choice we are the real heroes.

Today if you’ve been admiring someone you think has it all, remember how wonderful you are.  You are the real hero in your life.  You are a blessing to the world and those around you. Remember that today and go forward with increased confidence doing well and changing the world for good.

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Shields Up

7 Feb

When we’re trying hard to accomplish a difficult task and face complications, we can press forward with determination and courage. If the odds are against us and we have little support from those around us, continuing the struggle alone may make the trial harder. But if we really believe in what we’re trying to accomplish and are unrelenting in our pursuit, we can continue on no matter what challenges we must face. A shield is anything that protects us. There are physical shields we can use to be safe but we also have personal shields inside us that give us courage and help us move forward confidently. They include our determination, our stamina, our unwavering dedication and our willingness to try. We can hold our invisible shields in front of us and press forward when we’re facing difficult challenges. They are endless and strong, and with their constant availability we can accomplish almost anything. But we must be diligent to keep our shields up against the barriers in our way. If we let them fall and lose our confidence the chances of success will diminish. We have everything we need to find success and we can navigate anything before us and manage it well. We can use our shields to help us along and be confident we can succeed.

There is nothing we can’t try and if we are determined to win it will always be too early to quit. We can stay the course and continue for as long as we choose. If we get stuck, we can stop for a time, regroup and rethink our plans forward and then begin again. Some things take a long time to accomplish but if we’re dedicated to making them happen we can keep moving forward. If we quit, we are destined to fail. There is no way to win if we stop trying. If the challenge becomes too great, we can pause for now and wait until things change. Success if often about timing. What we want to do may not be possible right now but life is always changing and our circumstances change as well. What didn’t work before may work later. Setting a goal aside doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken it. We can take a break and let things roll forward without us and then return to our objective later.

Our regrets often reflect what we didn’t try. Our willingness to try for all our dreams is what brings us happiness. Some things won’t work no matter what we do, and some things will come easily. There is no way to know what we can accomplish until we put ourselves out there and give it our best. We can often do far more than we think we can. We have unlimited personal resources. We have the confidence we need, our shields to help us go forward, and our desires to lead the way. There really isn’t anything we can’t do. The world is there for those who take it. We can make our dreams come true, accomplish the seemingly impossible and find great success. It’s all there for us.

Today if you’ve been pushing hard to make something happen and you feel overwhelmed by the struggle, keep your shields up. Take another step forward. You have all the wisdom and strength you need to win. You are invincible. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Keep moving forward. Success is just ahead.

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