Tag Archives: Road

Straight Lines

24 Apr

When we want to be successful at something and are working hard to make things happen and push us ahead, we may expect our progress to move forward in a straight line.  If we’re diligently focusing it seems feasible to expect to make continual progress toward the destination.  It would be great if the line from where we are to where we want to go was straight and pointed up all the time.  We can achieve any goal we set our minds to but expecting to get there without delays or detours may not be what we experience.  Things happen, people make decisions, plans change and we may have to go sideways or even turn back a few steps to get back on track.  Success rarely comes easily and generally requires us to rethink, retool, and redirect from time to time.  We can plan and prepare and even if we’re sure the way forward is paved and clear, problems may arise that stop us in our tracks and force us to change our plans.  If the goal we’re seeking is important and we are determined to succeed, we can continue on no matter what complications come.  It may not come easily, the road may not be straight and the way forward may get dark from time to time.  We have enough courage and wisdom to find our way when things go wrong, and we are smart enough and strong enough to do what is needed to find success.

Some goals seem simple when we begin.  We know where we want to go and the road to get there is obvious and clear.  As we plan our way forward we may believe the goal will be easy to achieve.  Sometimes we are right, everything goes exactly as expected and we get to the destination with little struggle or time.  But other times, even if we’ve planned well and are sure the road we want to travel is available and ready for us, things may go awry.  There may be someone making decisions that block our way forward, or things change and the road we planned to travel is no longer available.  We may have to stop and find a new way to get to the destination.

Roadblocks and detours give us the opportunity to stop and think about our way forward again.  Sometimes when we stop in the middle of a journey we find better and easier roads to travel than we saw at the beginning.  We may find the detour points us in a direction previously unknown that gets us to the goal more quickly.  Every problem brings with it information that helps us going forward.  If we embrace the situation and take time to evaluate everything while we’re stopped, we may find answers we’ve been seeking.  There isn’t any goal we can’t achieve.  We have everything we need to find our way forward no matter how complicated the road becomes.  We are wise and powerful, and nothing can stop us from the success we desire.

Today if you’ve been pushing forward and there have been complications that stop your progress, take a moment to look around and see the whole picture.  There are answers there and you will find the way forward.  You can do anything.  There is nothing too complicated or difficult for you to overcome.  Rethink the road ahead and keep going.  Success is waiting for you and you will have it.

Stepping Out

17 Apr

“Too many opportunities out there to spend your life in a box. No matter how nice the box is.”  Dolphin Tale 2

Our lives are ours to design and we may do many things and go anywhere.  There are opportunities for us to try new things and open new doors.  When we feel settled and our lives have routines we may become complacent and neglect to notice what else is available to us.  We can make any decisions we like and if we want a small life we may certainly have one.  We can keep things close, never venture far from what we know and only step on the paths we’ve paved over time.  If we never step out or venture away from what we know we will never learn anything new.  There are countless opportunities for us to enrich our lives, endless roads we could travel and limitless experiences awaiting us.  If we open the door a little wider and take a step out of our comfort zone we will see things we don’t imagine and find wonders in the world and inside ourselves we never dreamed existed.  We are stronger and more capable than we think we are and there really isn’t anything we can’t do.  No matter how comfortable we feel in our lives we can always reach for something more.  Life is all about learning.  Staying locked up in a box – even a very nice box – will keep us from becoming the very best we could be.

Life is full of surprises and even if we try to keep our routines the same and prefer predictability, sometimes things will happen that shake everything up.  Unexpected complications take us someplace new that opens our eyes to fresh possibilities for the road ahead.  We can determine to re-set our lives back exactly the way they were before the tumult began, or we can choose to see things in a new light and try something else.  If we seize every opportunity for growth and step onto new paths we’ll develop more depth of understanding about our lives and the world around us.  We’ll be enriched by the possibilities of change.

If we’ve been doing the same things the same ways for a long time the idea of change may be daunting.  There is comfort in repetition and suddenly stepping off the paved path we’ve been on may be a challenge.  But staying on the same road can only give us the same experiences and the same views.  There are countless new things we could see and do, and stepping out will open our minds and enrich our lives.  We are capable of so much more.  We can stretch and reach for new goals, go to new places and build new dreams.  The world belongs to us.  If we open our arms and stretch there is no end to what we could do.

Today if you’ve been keeping your life the same and staying close to what is comfortable, think about trying something new.  Step out and see what’s possible. You are capable of so much and the world is there for you.  Open the door a little wider and stretch a little farther.  You can go anywhere, do anything, and make all your dreams come true.  There isn’t anything you can’t do and find success.

Call the Dance

16 Feb

There is an old saying that says if we call the dance, we must pay the piper. It means we are responsible for the results of all our decisions, even when they don’t turn out the way we hope they will. There will be consequences to every choice we make and no matter what they are, they belong to us. If we’ve been dishonest, childish, foolish, or unwise, whatever results from our actions is our responsibility. Of course, if we make good decisions and act well we will also gain the reactions to those choices. There is no way to skip out on our accountability and nobody gets to dance for free. We may try to ignore our part in our decisions, we may dodge the ramifications or try to hide, and we may even deny we’ve done something. But as in cards, once we’ve played our hand it cannot be changed. We can’t always predict the results of our choices and sometimes things will go awry even if we’ve tried our best. But if we are noble and honest we will manage what comes. We can call any kind of dance we want. We can choose wisely or foolishly, we can help or hurt, but whatever we choose the piper will require payment.

Selfishness never leads to happiness. If we selfishly make choices that only consider our wants or needs with no regard to how they will affect the lives of those around us we may get what we’re seeking but the price may be high. If we pretend to be something we aren’t or lie or cheat, we may fool those around us for a time. But truth is powerful and in the end, it will rise and if we’ve been dishonest our deception will become clear. Those who have trusted us and believed in us will see the truth of what we’ve done and who we really are. If we’ve hurt them badly they may turn away from us and we may lose our connections to them. It’s always wise to make the best decisions we possibly can and when we do, even if we falter, those involved will understand our objectives were noble even if our results didn’t work out.

There are times we might believe we can escape accountability by keeping our actions secret. Secrets only work when nobody figures them out. The problem is there is no secret so perfect or locked up that it won’t be revealed. Time has a way of opening the doors to truth. We might be able to hide for a while but nobody can hide forever. It’s better to make our choices out in the open. We can be honest about our motivations and choose boldly. If we decide to make a bad decision, we may make it and face the consequences. If we decide to embrace wisdom, our road will often be easier. If we choose well, when the piper comes for payment we’ll be ready. There isn’t anything we can’t do well. We deserve to be happy. Living honestly and making good choices will bring us happiness and peace.

Today if you’ve made a bad decision and must now face the consequences, face them bravely and openly. You can resolve any problem you must face and correct your course. Choose wisely going forward and live honestly. You’ll be happier knowing you’re on the right road and you’ll become the person you want most to be.

One Wrong Move

6 Feb

Every single day we make thousands of decisions and most of the time things go as planned. We try hard to make choices that bring us the results we want and don’t complicate our lives with problems. But nothing ever goes perfectly and there will be times when our decisions turn out badly. We might choose unwisely, or decide to do something for the wrong reason and experience sorrow or discomfort. Even if we’ve made 10,000 good decisions before we erred we may allow one mistake to ruin our confidence. If we focus on what we’ve done wrong instead of all the things we’ve done right, we may end up feeling like failures. It’s illogical to base our success on one botched decision when we put it up against the thousands of good decisions we make, but sometimes that’s exactly what we do. One wrong move doesn’t diminish all the good we’ve done. We can keep our focus and remember we are capable and strong and generally do things well. Everyone takes a step backward from time to time but taking a step back doesn’t prevent us from stepping forward again. We can correct any mistake we make, keep our eyes pointed ahead, and continue on with confidence.

There are few mistakes that are so damaging we can’t recover from them. Most of the time whatever we’ve done can be corrected and amended. We may feel great disappointment if we’ve faltered but that will give us added determination to rectify any problems that result. We don’t have to stay anywhere we don’t want to be and we can modify whatever is needed. No matter what we’re facing today, it will change and we can make sure it changes in a way that is positive. We all make mistakes but focusing on them, obsessing about them and allowing them to rob us of our confidence will not correct them. We can be objective, remove our feelings from the situation long enough to find workable solutions, and then proceed ahead sure that we will win.

Everyone has opinions about everything. If we’re in trouble, we may seek the advice of those around us in an effort to find answers. We may listen to all the suggestions and counsel we receive, and determine the best way forward. We can take any advice we’ve been given or after hearing other ideas we may uncover the answers we’re seeking from within. There really is no complication too difficult for us to figure out. Even if we’ve caused a problem we can solve it. There are many roads in life. Sometimes we choose one that ends in a detour or takes us to a ditch too large to cross. But we can turn back around and find another way. We are smart enough to figure out anything we face and wise enough to choose the best way forward.

Today if you’ve taken a step back because of a decision you’ve made, turn around and find your way forward again. You have everything you need to solve any problem before you. You are wise and capable and no matter what the situation is, you’ll find the answers you need. Success is always waiting for you. Walk toward it and be confident.

Clean Paper

2 Feb

Our lives reflect everything we experience as time passes.  We aren’t perfect and sometimes we do things that don’t work out or make a mistake that affects us or others.  When we’re carrying around the results of a negative experience it’s sometimes hard to get a fresh perspective and feel we can begin again.  But every single day is a new beginning like taking a clean sheet of paper with nothing written on it and starting a new story.  There may be some writing in the margins where we have things we need to work out or finish, but the main page is blank and ready for us to start anew.  Researchers say we make about 35,000 decisions each day.  With so many options the stories we can write are limitless.  We are never constrained or restricted by anything but our own choices.  There may be pressure from those around us to go one way or another and there may be restraints on our time, but ultimately we decide what we will do.  No matter what has happened in the past we have a new piece of paper to write on each day, and we can be confident in writing the story we want most.  Today we can write it any way we like, and tomorrow we can start again.  Life is all about our experiences and we can determine what many of them will be and where they will take us.

Although we all know our lives belong to us, there may be times when we allow the pressures of those around us or situations to control what we do.  We may go along and travel down a road we don’t want because someone we care about thinks it’s best for us.  Or in an effort to face a difficult situation, we might choose an option that takes us away from where we want to go in order to solve a complicated issue.  We can do whatever we want but each time we trade what we want most for something else we lose some control over our future.  We have the power to live our lives in ways that make us truly happy but that requires us to make choices that create happiness.  If we give our lives away, others will take them.  We deserve to determine where we’ll go and what we’ll do.  We have everything we need to create the lives we really want and when we do, happiness will follow.

There may be times when we feel we need to trade something we want for something else in order to keep the peace, or to get along, or change a situation that isn’t working.  If we make the trade, we must accept where the decision takes us.  However, no road is permanent and we can always change our course.  We can make decisions well and if we’re headed to a destination we don’t want, we can reroute our way forward.  We have a new piece of paper every single day.  We can start a new path and change our story until it fits us perfectly.

Today if you’ve been carrying around the remains of a negative situation and it’s holding you back, leave it behind in yesterday’s story.  You have a new day you may design any way you want.  You have so much to offer.  You know the road you want to travel and it’s perfect for you.  Choose your way forward and let your story reflect who you really are.