Month: August 2016

Face Each Challenge

“No one ever said your life would be easy. The nature of being human makes life for all of us a challenge. The most important thing to consider here is this. Your life is only as challenging as you think it is. Think of challenge as a teacher and yourself the student. It’s up to you to figure out what the lesson is to be learned. To learn that lesson and build the strength and courage to face other challenges….”

― James A. Murphy

         Life is only as hard as you make it. If you freak out about every little bump in the road, then every challenge you face becomes an insurmountable mountain. But if you calmly and courageous face each storm that comes your way, you not only fortify your strength to endure but you allow yourself to grow…which is the whole point of life.

Change

No matter who you are,
no matter what you did,
no matter where you’ve come from,
You can always change,
become a better version of yourself.
― Madonna

          Each day is a new opportunity to be a better version of yourself – to not repeat the mistakes of yesterday. We all make mistakes, say things we regret and make bad decisions. However, you are not your mistakes. At any point you can choose to rise above all the petty BS and make changes in your life for the better. Never forget, you and you alone decide how your story will end.

Make the Time

No matter how busy we may believe we are, we have the wonderful opportunity presently of investing time with loved ones. For those are the great investments we will be glad we made, when time begins to slow and the ability to tend turns tender.
― Tom Althouse

          I’m so tired of constantly hearing people say they are too busy to be bothered to pickup a phone or reach out to a friend or loved one. Enough with the excuses. If someone is important to you, you will make time to invest in that relationship. You get but one chance at life, so don’t squander it. Take the time today to invest in the relationships that are important to you, for you may not get a second chance. Never forget that it is these bonds and relationships that make life meaningful and worth the heartache.

Choose to Smile

It was only a glad “Good Morning”
As she passed along the way;
But it spread the morning’s glory
Over the livelong day.

-Carlotta Perry

          One smile can change the world.  How you choose to greet the day sets the course of how it is going to unfold.  If you start the day in a bad mood with negative thoughts – guess what?  You’re most likely going to have a bad day.  Instead, if you choose to greet the day with a smile and a little optimism that today is going to be a good day, you will open yourself up to embrace the good that exists in every day.  You are better equipped to handle the hiccups that come your way and take it in stride not letting the small things ruin your day.  Attitude is everything. . .so, as we begin a new week, choose to embrace the glory in each day and let no one and nothing steal your sunshine.

Make Each Day Count

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love—then make that day count!

― Steve Maraboli

         Each day that you wake up is truly a blessing. It is an opportunity to try again. Don’t ever take for granted that you will see the Sun rise tomorrow. So, make the decision each morning to make the most of every moment of everyday.

Embrace Your Life

“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.”

― Henry David Thoreau

        Life is filled with good times and bad times.  It is filled with extreme highs and unimaginable lows.  And there is nothing you can do to avoid it.  Pain is as much a part of life as joy.  Because of this, we must all focus on embracing the unedited version of life.  Love your life. . .for you get but one chance to live it!

Embrace the Silence

If you learn to really sit with loneliness and embrace it for the gift that it is…an opportunity to get to know YOU, to learn how strong you really are, to depend on no one but YOU for your happiness…you will realize that a little loneliness goes a LONG way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant and colorful YOU.

― Mandy Hale

         We must all learn to embrace silence and quiet moments. It is during these moments that you cannot hide from yourself. You are forced to be alone with your thoughts and emotions and you may not like what you see. But do not run away, instead, use these moments as an opportunity to get to know You and start working toward becoming a better version of yourself – someone you’re proud to be alone with.

Control

The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.
― Steve Maraboli

       We waste so much time and energy on things we have no control over. Each day you should make a conscious effort to evaluate the things stressing you out and ask if you have any control over the matter. If the answer is no, then let it go. Don’t waste time on things, people and circumstances you cannot change. Instead, you should focus on what you do have control over – yourself, your perceptions, your beliefs and how you react.

Start Anew

I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. Nothing in life is easy. But that’s no reason to give up. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. After all, you only have one life, so you should try to make the most of it.
― Louis Sachar

           As you begin a new week, it is important to remind yourself that it is a chance to start anew and make different, better choices. Remember anything you want is possible if you dream it. So, no matter what happened yesterday, don’t let that discourage you from trying again today.

What You Seek

The quest for self-improvement and personal growth is now an integral part of my life. I’m always looking for ways to increase my capacity to grow, develop and achieve more.  And that means, I’m willing to read, observe, listen, discuss, research and do whatever it takes to become a better improved me. I hope you are too.

― Murali Murthy

     Self-improvement and personal growth should be integral parts of your daily life.  Each day you should embark on a quest to be a better version of yourself and not to repeat the same thoughts of yesterday.  We often say we want our lives to change, well, what we often forget to remind ourselves is that change begins from within.