Self-growth

Why is it that you decide life appeals to you? Your attitude influences how you feel. Do you wish to do something different than you do now? Making different life choices may prompt new self- growth.  People who work in business sometimes say they would prefer to do work where they didn't deal with customers.  What new choices would you like to make to transform your life for the better? Remind yourself that positive change begins with you.

Choices come from within

I read about a man who was told be doctors his cancer was incurable and he would certainly die.  Yet, by the power of his thoughts, by the sheer will of his inner core, he healed himself without medical treatment.  He lived dozens of years after that in increasingly better health.  This and similar stories demonstrate the fervent desire to heal oneself can lead to self-healing.  The incredible power of loving and believing in oneself is connected to Forces beyond us.

Now, if you dwell on poverty and sources of misery, would it not be logical that these particular circumstances would await you or be reinforced by your own thoughts?  To focus on misfortune, to repeat stories of pain ad suffering would surely bring on continued misfortune. It is never too late to break the cycle.

Rather than wallow and repeat what discomfort you may have experienced, speak instead of how you plan to think and live differently than before.  Write about how you will establish limits for just treatment and set standards for your own self-respect.  Recognize that your state of mind is connected spiritually to people all aound you.    Each person is somehow touched by the development of your inner strength. The value you create for yourself in life also enriches others.

You are never alone.  Your choices carry an incredible responsibility for people you don't even know.  You act in relation to everyone you consider to be human, learning and growing much like yourself.  Believe it or not, you set an example for others and your choices have consequences.  What you choose to pursue, abandon or ignore all affect your growth and how you inspire or otherwise affect others.

Although many human beings live in constant anticipation of a coming happiness linked to love, they often limit themselves to their imagined concept of love among life partners.  Human beings seldom realize that learning to love and understand themselves may be the greatest love of all.

Seize the Day

We learn there exist different ways to embrace each day. After all, depending on who or what we are, our energy level, what we set out to do, and how it affects others, can vary.

The spider in my bathroom starts his day by re-partitioning my ceiling.
He certainly seems to believe in his abilities.
His productivity reflects that. I watch him from the shower.
Since spiders are good luck, I left him to his delicate business.

The army of ants outside my front door is marching like tin soldiers in a row.
The team works together to move my garden pebbles out of sight.
I guess it doesn’t matter to them where they were before or why?
Ants have their goals. They know time waits for no creature.
I step over them and go on my way.

The retired couple down the street has already been gardening since dawn.
They work tirelessly until they feel that they are done,
That’s usually most of the day. They're often still outside when I get home. Water restrictions urge them to be frugal, so they summon a hired water truck.
They harness sun, nutrients, whatever they find. It’s amazing what they grow.

The garbage man already came and went. The coupon flyer man left a mark.
Hard to believe the industrious people that do their tasks in the dark.

Coffee shop bustling.
People rushing.
Somebody tells me I’m in the way.
Reading the paper.
Mobile ringing. It isn’t mine.
I dream of the bubblebath. No room for a tub in traffic.

Looking around prompts reflection.

Productivity, industriousness and progress--

You can earn a break, take a break or make a break.
Choose.

Are you being tested?

Do you ever get the impression that something is testing you?

You know, maybe it's been one of those days.

You didn't intend to invite so many challenges...

Yet, you felt rushed, skipped breakfast and then, forgot that important document. 

To top it off, while driving to work, you were pulled over and booked for speeding.

Then, just as you got going again, the car had perfect timing to run out of gas. 

What about the mobile battery dying and no traffic in sight.

Sound like your lucky day?  What did you get out of it all?

You're supposed to be learning that each event prepares you for coming events.

You're supposed to learn to stretch your limits, endurance, patience.

Your supposed to believe in your potential to learn from what happens and do better next time.

Imagine you arrived at your office late at night before  a deadline to discover someone had changed all the locks and neglected to tell you. Would that also be a test? Of course! Run with it!

It would simply a new opportunity to calmly adapt to your circumstances and move forward.

You may not understand completely how, but you've earned each of your trials and your faith will help you get something meaningful out of them. 

You lack nothing.  You have the tools and the ability. Each test makes you stronger.

Proactive thinking

You may know people who complain about what they're not doing rather than focus on what they can.  I've heard people express they know they should eat differently, exercise more, sleep longer, be more diligent or commited to what means the most to them, and finally finish a project they start. Yet, these sorts of people reinforce their negative thinking and never seem to change.  They are talkers and not doers. They would prefer to complain about where they are rather than try new things and face a fear of failure or re-experience past failures.  They may sometimes seem to drain your energy because they look backwards and not forwards.

More people talk about taking action than actually get out in the world and make a difference.  What would compel you to go that extra step? If you're not satisfied with your relationship, what are you doing to change that? If you're unhappy with your work situation, what will you be doing as of tomorrow morning that will help you move closer to what you wish to do? If you're the type of person to regret the past, what would cause you to learn and apply lessons to your future? If its easy for you to self-criticize and judge, what might you do instead to focus on learning to feel good rather than increase the negative thoughts that make you feel bad?

You may have been asked, "if you were given only 6 months to live, how would you live life differently that you do now?" Many people would abruptly stop certain things they would suddenly consider a waste of time.  They would spend money differently.  They would express how they truly feel.  They would devote time to loved ones or do those things they had been putting off. Now why would you wait until your life was almost over in order to really begin to live?

How you see your life now is your point of departure. You are in control. If you continue to make choices you know are bad for you, recognize that you're the only person who can ultimately decide to change that.  If you have developed habits that harm yourself or others, you have the option to ask for assistance.  If you feel discouraged, you can always reach out to sources of encouragement.  Its possible to learn to motivate yourself to change your life for the better. As you learn to visualize positive developments, this will lead to proactive thinking.