Tag Archives: Journey

When it Hurts

14 Feb

We make millions of decisions as we go through our lives. Some of them are easy and we process them quickly and move on. We want to make good choices and choose the best possible options available so we can be happy with the results that follow. That’s sometimes quick and easy but there are other times when our decisions are more difficult. It’s hard to make the best decision when that choice will take away something we want or move us in a direction we don’t want to go. We may be in a situation where the best path forward in the long run hurts us right now. The best things in our lives are worth working for and sometimes in order to get to a goal we must endure uncomfortable situations along the way. It takes courage to choose well and even more courage when those choices hurt. Sometimes in order to accomplish our dreams we must sacrifice something along the way. We can weigh out each choice, see the road ahead and choose the best option going forward. If it’s a hard decision and creates discomfort we can walk through it, learn all we can and use that knowledge to navigate the way ahead. We know what we want most and we can do what it takes to get it.

Life isn’t always a bed of roses. Sometimes it may seem that everything works against us and no matter what we do we can’t make any headway. In those complicated times when things get difficult and we’re inundated with issues and problems, we may consider giving up on the goal altogether. It’s hard to keep trying when everywhere we turn there’s another wall in our way. But nothing is impossible and if we’re facing obstacles it only means we need to find another road forward. There are countless ways to any goal we set. If one road doesn’t get us there, we can choose another. If that one ends in a detour we can turn again. We can modify our course as many times as it takes to get to the destination and as long as we don’t quit, we don’t fail.

There is no way to know all the complications we may face when we begin a journey. We can make excellent plans for how we’ll proceed, do all the research we can to make sure our plans will work, and still things may go wrong. If we really want to reach the goal we can prepare for any eventuality no matter how complex, and determine that we will persevere and continue forward. If we are determined we will more effectively navigate any disappointments or problems we encounter and even if we must back up for a time, will be able to continue moving ahead. There really isn’t anything we can’t do if we are determined. We can keep stepping forward in the face of trouble and if we refuse to quit we will win. Temporary setbacks are only opportunities to re-focus. We can do anything. There isn’t anything we can’t face and overcome.

Today if you must make a decision to move forward that is uncomfortable and difficult, keep your eyes on the goal ahead. There is nothing too complex for you to overcome and you will find the answers you need. Success is there waiting for you. Choose well and you will reach it.

Detours

8 Jun

When we have goals we want to achieve and we’re focusing on them we may make a lot of progress going forward.  Everything may move along as planned but then something happens that stops us.  Maybe it’s an unexpected change in plans or a decision we make that takes us off the road for a time.  For instance, if we’re trying to lose weight and we’re doing well and happy with our progress we may have a setback if someone bakes us a delicious chocolate cake.  If we love chocolate cake we may decide we’ll have only one small piece but it was so good we have another, and then another.  Or if we’re trying to manage our time more effectively and are having success with getting things done as planned but then there’s a movie marathon we don’t want to miss.  It completely ruins our schedule as we spend hours and hours enjoying all the films.  These are just detours and taking a detour off the road we’ve chosen doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken the journey.  It’s just a momentary pause.  We can choose anything we want any time we want and sometimes our choices take us from our long range goals.  There is nothing wrong with stepping off the path we’ve set, and if we want to find success we can step back on it again.

We can set our standards so rigidly that if we waiver from the course we’ve designed we may feel defeated and convinced we can’t succeed.  Of course that isn’t true.  We can do anything we want to do.  There is plenty of time to redirect our course and get back on the road we most want to travel.  Stepping off and taking a detour doesn’t end the journey.  The road is still there waiting for us to return.  If we really want to accomplish the task, and if we really want the change in our lives we can find our way back to it and begin again.  There is no hard line in the sand.  We can step off the path and step right back onto it again when we’re ready.

We face detours regularly in our lives.  Things come up that distract us, people and events capture our attention, and life happens.  It’s impossible to set a course and stay on it perfectly every moment of every day.  We can decide on our goals and make a plan and if things happen that confound it we can work around them.  There are few straight lines in life.  Most of the time we get from point to point by going a little here and a little there.  It doesn’t matter how we get there and unless there is some time constraint it doesn’t matter how long it takes.  The important thing is to decide what we want, and then move toward it.  There will be detours from time to time and we can manage them as they come.  We can take as long as we need to return to where we were and start again.  The journey can continue any time we’re ready.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish.  We can be confident that no matter what comes we will manage it.  We are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.

Today if you’ve been derailed from a plan you’ve set for yourself you can get back on course again.  Decide how you want to go forward and start again.  You’ve come so far already.  Nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Step back on the path and start again.

Straight Lines

10 Feb

Our lives don’t usually travel in straight lines. As we move forward, perhaps we take one road and hit a detour, and then turn our course toward another direction. Sometimes we change direction several times until we find our way. We learn as we go, and as we’re learning we modify where we’re headed. At first we might think we know the way, but after several complications make an adjustment. Most things we accomplish are done through trial and error. The errors aren’t permanent road blocks, but merely indications that some correction is needed. Generally the only time we move forward in a straight line is when we’re traveling a road we’ve already conquered. When we’ve been there before, we know the way and it’s easy to get from the beginning to the end. But when we want to go somewhere new, it’s all up for grabs. Maybe this way will work, may that. It doesn’t matter how many times it takes us to find the direction that works. What matters is that we don’t quit when the first road doesn’t take us there.

If we want to do something and the first time out doesn’t work, we don’t have to continue. We can quit. If we didn’t find our way the first time we may decide that trying again isn’t worth the effort. Our lives belong to us and we can manage them any way we like. But if we really want to get somewhere, and it’s important to us, we can try again. The great thing about life is we get unlimited chances to figure things out. We are where we are at any given moment. We know what we’ve learned so far and when we’re reaching for something new there will be situations we haven’t yet faced. We won’t know the perfect way to get there, and sometimes don’t know how much effort it will take. But we do know where we want to go, and knowing that will give us the temerity and courage to find our way.

Failure doesn’t happen when we don’t find our way the first time. Failure only happens when we give up and quit trying. We can get lost again and again and again, but if we reset our direction and try one more time, we haven’t failed. We’ve learned more than we knew when we started out, we’ve discovered what doesn’t work, and we can keep refining things until we get to the destination. There are lots of different roads to every destination. If we keep going, turning here when needed, redirecting there when we reach a detour, we will find our way. We are creative and strong enough to keep going. If the goal is important, it really doesn’t matter how many times it takes us to reach it. What’s important is that we keep going until we succeed. And when we’ve achieved a difficult goal, when we’ve finally mastered everything we need to be successful we will feel great accomplishment, and our confidence will soar. There really isn’t anything we can’t do if we want to badly enough. We can climb mountains, build cities, master new skills, and become the person we most want to be. Everything is available to us. All we have to do is keep going. There is no road too long to travel, no journey too hard to conquer, and no goal too lofty to reach. We can do anything.

Today if you’ve been trying to accomplish something and haven’t found the right road yet, keep trying. It’s there and you will see it. Every road you’ve taken so far has brought you closer to where you want to be. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Try again. The goal is just around the next bend. It’s waiting for you and you will reach it. Don’t stop. You have everything you need to succeed.