self improvement

In my neighborhood there are believers and non believers. There are people of every race. There are old and young. There are cat lovers and dog lovers. I like my neighborhood and the people who live here. Even though we are different, we are friendly and in a pinch will help each other out. There’s room for everyone. Hope you enjoy your neighborhood as much as I do mine.

Words are powerful.

Contrast these statements:

“We’re having lots of disagreements.” 

or

“I see lots of areas for agreement in what we are discussing.”

“That’s a stupid idea.”

or

“Can you tell me more about what you’re thinking?”

Some days are great. Some days want to beat you down. One thing is certain, we’ve got to get up, dress, and face them all. Not to worry, you’re strong and resilient. Dance and sing on the great days. Face the tough ones head on. 

When it’s over, it’s often hard to let go. It can be a broken relationship, lost job, or death of a spouse (or someone close). Yet, letting go and moving on is the only viable choice. Letting go doesn’t let go of the pain. The pain walks with us. Letting go means that I won’t let the pain shackle me and I’m not fearful of moving on.

Leave it all behind, don’t carry any dead weight on your journey. Go happily into the day. Today might be the day the muse appears and everything changes.

Disappointments hurt. They’re part of life. Shake off disappointment and move on. It’s the only healthy emotional choice. Something better is waiting for you. Life was preparing you for it with the disappointment. One day, in hindsight you’ll look back with a grateful heart, that what you wanted didn’t work out. I know I have, time and again.

Be grateful for the past. It’s made you who you are. Be grateful for today. It’s your opportunity. Be grateful for tomorrow, it holds your hopes and dreams.

Above a cloudy, overcast day, the sun is shining. We can’t see it, but we know it’s there and we know the overcast will eventually give way to blue sky and sun. If we endure the tough times we experience, we know the tough times will lose their power. We know our sun will shine again and our day will sparkle with renewed energy and life. 

I’ve seen it time and again. People quit too soon. They opt not to try again if the fail. And, I’ve seen the other side, people who refuse to be discouraged. People who don’t listen to naysayers, but push on. People who keep grinding. Give me the second group of folks to hang out with. They may not have the answers, but they won’t quit trying to find them.