Circumstances outside of our control sometimes impact the outcome of our race. Along the way it may force us to consider actions like ABORT; or CTL-ALT-DEL; or RESTORE FROM BACKUP; or maybe a full RESET to a specified previous point.
We will have obstacles, but not every obstacle presents a reason to quit.
Don’t quit just because the race turns out to be harder than expected.
Don’t quit just because you become tired and frustrated.
Don’t quit just because someone tells you that you are not good enough.
Don’t quit just because you do not ‘see how you can possibly make your way through.’
Don’t ever lose faith in your ability to accomplish that which is important to you, regardless of the obstacles you encounter. You might not necessarily become the best at something, but you should always aim to do the very best you can at everything you do.
Success, which comes against apparently insurmountable odds, yields unparalleled satisfaction. Yes, success is its own reward. You only have a chance at success if you actually stay in the race.
The absence of sunshine does not mean the sun is not there.
What do we focus on most when we go through our days? What determines whether we feel we are having a good day, or a bad day? It is quite easy, and perhaps normal, to focus on the situation we currently face rather than the more significant aspect of who we are becoming as a result of the situation.
Like our mood – which changes from moment to moment in some cases – our situation is only a fleeting, minuscule aspect of our daily lives, unless we fail to see such situation for what it really is and become paralyzed by it. Of itself it does not define our long term outcomes. After all our moods sometimes change a lot doesn’t it!
No matter what is going on in our lives, there will always be a brighter tomorrow. Just keep holding on.
To see beyond our situation is to see our life as a whole rather than a fleeting circumstance, no matter how dire. Our circumstances and situations change, and while we are impacted by them, we can look beyond them and find hope for brighter days ahead.
After all, the absence of sunshine does not mean the sun is not there.
Does the way you respond to others make them want to connect with you when they need someone to talk to?
We sometimes forget to consider our own frailties when we interact with others. We therefore speak to, and treat, others as if their opinions and feelings do not matter, especially when these opinions and feelings happen to be in conflict with our own. At times we exhibit uninviting and unwelcoming dispositions which keep others from reaching out to us in their times of need.
A hallmark of a positive relationship – and indeed society – is the extent to which participants in that relationship or society value each other’s feelings and opinions, and are guided by that in their interactions. Words DO hurt, and persons who have greatest influence on others tend to affect them most with not only the words they say, but also HOW they say it.
We need to be honest in our interactions and our communications, but we can still accomplish both if we adopt an approach that seeks to encourage positive change. A wise and mature individual is one who will take stock of himself/herself regularly and make the necessary changes that will lead to greater mindfulness of others, and that in turn will go a far way in building more harmonious relationships.
Sticks and stones may break one’s bones, but words can break their spirit – and that might well be harder to heal than bones.
The past is sometimes quite a messy place: A cesspool of unwanted memories and a graveyard of filth and putrid decay that too often refuse to stay buried…but should they really stay buried?
We cannot change the past, and to try to deny any aspect of it robs us of the opportunity to benefit from the lessons that are there to be learned and applied in the choices we make today. To try to deny our past is to squander the potential life-transforming lessons that can go a far way in the shaping of our future – because our present and future are inextricably linked to our past.
An undeniable paradox lies in the fact that while the experiences of the past can present an opportunity for us to grow, they can, if allowed, provide a recipe for the exact opposite: stagnation or even death.
We should embrace the past, even if it does not reflect who we are today. We should, at the same time, be prepared to leave it behind in our pursuit of personal growth and empowerment; in our evolving pursuit of BETTER.
In so doing we may well find that whether because of, or in spite of, our past, our best years are indeed yet to come.
Regardless of what our past is like, there is undeniable beauty in who we are today, and the future we are building for ourselves and others
Three little words often spoken so lightly Just three ‘little’ words they may seem But those three little words when said sincerely Can cause tears to flow down like a stream
These three little words are often overused Without any thought of consequence Sometimes they leave someone quite confused About another’s motive and intent
Many friendships start through these three words But the opposite can sometimes be true So before you use those three little words Make sure that’s what you really want to do
There is great power in these three little words That can brighten up someone’s day You can totally change their view of the world As they travel along their way
These words are mainly said to family and friends But they can be said to strangers too These three little words that are by no means simple Are the three little words “How are You?”
Start a conversation with someone by asking them ‘How are you?’ and actually WAIT for a response. This simple act can transform someone’s day into something that much brighter.
“Part of being a successful person involves pursuing opportunities for others to thrive from your actions and ideas. True success and fulfillment are not attained through accumulating material possessions. Instead it is through: the way you influence and help others to become better individuals; the way you remain humble regardless of your accomplishments; and the way you are prepared to work hard even when you do not ‘have to.’
Indeed, it is mostly the extent to which we are prepared to extend help to others in need which makes our life significant.”
While we all endure pain in its various forms from time to time, whether emotional or physical, our responses tend to vary depending on the cause or source of our pain. If we hurt our foot against a piece of furniture we do not kick at the furniture in anger. If we are injured, say in an accident, we tend to be very protective of the injured area.
However, if we have been hurt by someone we tend to lash out at those who we believe to be the source of our hurt. Unfortunately, when we cannot readily identify or reach to the source of our hurt, we instead tend to lash out at others. This is because our level of tolerance of others becomes impaired due to our emotional state, thereby putting us in a defensive mindset aimed at self preservation. In such a state, the wrong word or action can send someone careening off the cliff of self-control.
So next time you feel like lashing out at someone just pause long enough to consider your emotional state, and ask yourself: am I directing my anger at the correct person? If not then is it fair to ‘lash out’ at him/her?
Conversely, it is worth being aware that if someone lashes out at you for no apparent reason, it might just be that they have been hurt by someone else, and a response of love and patience might be just what they need to put their hurt into the correct perspective, or perhaps even to assist in healing their hurt.
Anger, especially when not properly managed, may not only cause unintended pain to others, but can be ultimately quite embarrassing.
‘Some things are unforgivable.’ For some this view is deep-rooted and will be hard to change. After all, the emotional and/or physical pain which results from an action by someone you trusted, but who has betrayed such trust, are not easily healed. This is, admittedly, a normal, logical and justifiable human perspective to take. The saying ‘who feels it knows it’ is all too true for those who have experienced, endured and sometimes miraculously survived acts of betrayal or any of a number of untold hurt. For such persons, who can blame them for holding such a view?
For such persons, it is understandable that they view extending forgiveness to be a case of ‘giving someone something they do not deserve.’ And that can be totally understandable because, let’s face it: the nature of some actions (or even words) directed against us can make them excruciatingly painful to experience and could be deemed ‘unforgivable’ to even the most forgiving of persons!
However, choosing not to forgive is really a case of us choosing to prolong the hurting, by holding on to the pain we experienced. Over time, we will find that we are actually hurting ourselves more than we are hurting the person who did us wrong, and whom we find it so very hard to forgive.
It may sound contradictory, but choosing to forgive someone who has wronged us is actually a real case of giving OURSELVES what we deserve. Choosing to forgive empowers us to move on and releases us from the deadly poison that would otherwise have been festering inside us. Yes – choosing to forgive is choosing freedom from the anger and the pain, disappointment, or even fear, that we otherwise continue to experience.
This is not to suggest that forgiveness is easy! On the contrary, it is because it is so difficult that we have so many cases of people carrying out acts of violence in the name of revenge, that for others will appear so out of character; some, even years later! This is why some persons have chosen to destroy their own lives just for the ‘satisfaction’ of seeing someone pay for what they did. This is why for some, trusting others becomes nearly impossible.
The irony about forgiveness is that with forgiveness it is the giver, rather than the recipient, who benefits most. So go ahead and DARE to forgive someone today. YOU deserve it and you might just find it to be an act of administering well-deserved healing, while also being beautifully liberating.
