We are habit driven people. We form habits as naturally as we breathe. Habits make life easier. For example, how often do you think of your going to work habit? It’s as if our feet or other form of transportation does the thinking for us. Our habits are working subconsciously. Habits can also be counterproductive. They can prevent us from becoming the people we are meant to become. Is it time to name and review your daily habits? Once you name them, you can decide wether or not the habit is helping you or harming you. It’s not easy to break a harmful habit. Habits don’t fight fairly, they’ll use smells,sights, and any excuse to keep you hooked. You’re stronger than any harmful habit. You’ll make the right choices. And, if you fall, you rise and begin again.
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Feeling stuck? Don’t know what to do? Don’t wait for someone to knock on the door to do whatever you need to do for you. Do something,anything, now. Â If it doesn’t work, do something different. When we are immobile, we’re going nowhere, we remain frozen. It’s better to take a chance, fail, and try again. Chances are good that whatever you choose to do will work out.
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When I engage with others, I listen to their stories. They tell me about experiences I’ll never have. I listen to opinions that never entered my mind. I listen to stories of love, tragedies, and dreams broken or made. When we take the time to listen to another’s stories, we learn, new ideas come to mind, and we acquire a deep compassion for a person whose journey was far different from ours.Â
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I know folks who seek happiness in the past. I also know folks who seek happiness in the future. Both choices are as illusive as a mirage in the desert. Happiness is now, this moment, in the place I find myself. Happiness  doesn’t just happen. It happens in a happiness nurtured environment. And, in most cases, it happens through the interaction with others.
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Leaders of nations often use the phrase, “red line” to indicate a line where the leaders feel they must make a stand. What is your red line in terms of your values? Our personal red lines define our character. They are in an indication of the “stuff” that makes us up. It takes courage to say in the words of Martin Luther, “Here I stand, I can do no other.”
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I hope you’ve made friends with yourself. For many of us, it’s easier to make friends with other people, but difficult to befriend ourselves. We are often are our most severe critic. Today, introduce yourself to yourself. Accept yourself as you are, where you are, with all your faults and gifts. You may be surprised, you may even fall in love with yourself. You’ll have a new best friend.
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It’s good to be serious, some of the time. But, keep the all-the-time serious folks away from me. They’ll drain the energy out of the room. Being serious is good if it is balanced with joy, laughter, dance, and song. These are the kinds of folks I’ll invite to lunch or dinner.Â
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I read a news story this morning about a 21 year old woman who committed suicide. She was a brilliant student, involved in important projects, and an excellent athlete. She had everything to live for. A wonderful life was waiting for her. Yet, she couldn’t see it. Life overwhelmed her. Listen to others. If you feel something is bothering a friend, don’t ignore it, take time to ask. Take time to listen. Check in on them. Help them find the help they need to get over the bump in their road. And, if you’re a prayerful person, pray for them.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (USA – Available 24 hours: 800-273-8255).
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Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Giving up is easy. When we give up, our minds go into defensive mode and begin generating excuses for our decision to give up. Before you know it, we’ve convinced ourselves that giving up is the best decision any human being could make. Conversely, hanging in, enduring, working at our challenge is often painfully slow. Yet, there comes a time when the foundation we were building by staying with it pays off. We look back and see the great distance we covered a step at a time. If it is worth it, it is worth not giving up and patiently enduring.
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Both today and YOU are unique, only to appear on earth once. Don’t waste either one. Treat both today and yourself with love, respect, and dignity. Make the best of both.Â
