“Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy —the joy of being Salvador Dalí— and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this Salvador Dalí going to accomplish today?” ― Salvador Dalí
expectations
Thinking Out Loud:
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Boris Pasternack’s work, Dr. Zhivago.
“It’s good when a man deceives your expectations, when he doesn’t correspond to the preconceived notion of him. To belong to a type is the end of a man, his condemnation. If he doesn’t fall into any category, if he’s not representative, half of what’s demanded of him is there. He’s free of himself, he has achieved a grain of immortality.”
Note: The moment we can honestly say, “I don’t have to be who you want me to be. I choose to be what I am destined to become, and I will choose the path,” we are free. We are free to fail miserably. We are free to succeed beyond our wildest expectations. Waylon Jennings in his song, The Chokin’ kind, sang, “You can kill a man with bullets, poison, or a knife / But it hurts him more to take his pride and run his life / Whatever it is you want, girl, I hope you find / But that hat don’t fit my head, ’cause it’s the choking kind.” When we have the internal freedom to live up to the expectations we set for ourselves, we discover the who we were meant to become.
Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Boost Your Self Esteem
Treat Yourself the Same as You Would Treat a Valued Friend
The best way to improve your self-esteem is to treat yourself as you’d treat a valued friend, in a positive but honest way. Notice when you’re putting yourself down, such as thinking, “You’re so stupid for not getting that job”, and instead think, “Would I say that to my best friend?”. You probably wouldn’t. Tell yourself something positive instead, such as: “You’re a bright person, you’ll get the next job”
NOTE: If you don’t love yourself how will you be able to love others? Is it time to forgive yourself for not being perfect? Is it time to release the expectations others have for you and grab hold of the expectations you hold in your heart? Is it time to let go of past wrongs and hurts and let the scars heal? Love yourself and you’ll find how much easier it is to love others.
Optimism Works ~ The Small Steps Build Confidence in Tomorrow
The road to optimism starts with small steps, or small joys. “We build confidence and change our expectations for the future with tiny, frequent wins,” says Heft. Whether you planted pretty mums in a container to brighten your front steps or you checked off a task on your to-do list, don’t just brush these small accomplishments aside, acknowledge them. While pessimists tend to believe their fate is out of their control, optimists think that with hard work, the future is largely in their hands.
We can call the small steps confidence builders. When we take small steps to become more optimistic we quickly discover we’re smiling more, enjoying life more, and lot more fun for others to hang out with.
Think About It ~ How do you Wake Up?
I wake up at 5:30. I can’t wait to get out of bed and get on with day. I’m sure the day is made for me. I’ve always been this way. I wake up thinking I’ve got things to do, people to see, and places to go. I can smell the coffee brewing. As soon as I finish my shower and dress, I’ll have a sip of that wonderful brew. I like it strong and black. Oh, yes it’s going to be a great day. Here’s hoping you wake up believing this day is a wonderful gift and you can’t wait to unwrap it.
