Full Steam Ahead

“Life is a creative process, not a journey of discovery, or school of learning. You’re recreating yourself (daily). So…establish who you want to be. You can be, do, and have whatever you can imagine” – Conversations with God

We have talents to create a fantastic life. But what are we creating? At 211° water is hot, at 212° it boils, which makes steam, which can power a train. Are you lukewarm, hot or boiling in how you create your life? Make today a “full steam ahead” day!

Forgiveness

Forgiveness in Greek literally means, “untying a knot” so that both perpertrator and victim are free from hurt or shame. So an act of forgiveness is actually a mutual liberation. Both sides are forever changed by it. It doesn’t replace justice, but it does move us beyond the feeling that retribution is enough (which it isn’t since we can never get back what has been lost). Forgiveness grants both parties to be equal again and paves the way for atonement.

Choice

“Sometimes life digs in, hurts, and you end up wearing it like an ugly dress. Fits, but no one wants to see it” – Bob Perks

I loved the description of how we wear how we feel on our bodies. It’s always a choice on how we express what is happening. We use words like coping, dealing, reacting…all words that have a meaning of no choice, when in reality it is all about choice. Use words that express hope for the good things that we have instead, like finding the rainbow instead of the rain.

Clouds

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky” – Rabindranath Tagore

Everything that happened today was filtered through a lense. It wasn’t good or bad except for what I thought it was. Since the choice is up to me, why wouldn’t I want to make it a positive experience and have joy in my life?

Friends

“You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn

Or as the proverb says, tell who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.

Inspiration

Inspiration always comes…we just have to be still enough to notice it. I think that this is why the idea always pokes its way out when we are busy doing something that doesn’t demand our complete attention. It lets the mind wander enough to let the thought through. So stop trying to figure it out and go for a walk or take a shower and in the stillness, see what emerges.

Acclimation

Mountain climbers know that the shortest route to success is NOT a straight line, and acclimation at each stage is critical for achieving both personal, financial and business goals. So the framework that we need to have in place is that when you feel a need to pull back in your activity, what you are doing is acclimating, not failing. You aren’t doing something wrong and you shouldn’t just quit. This is actually a sign that you are on the right track. So acclimate and then keep climbing!

Turtle

“Behold the turtle: He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.” – James Bryant.

A few months ago a good friend helped to realize that I wasn’t visible. Like the turtle, I sat there, huddled inside my shell afraid to expose myself. So I gave myself permission to open up, reach out, and speak out. And I wasn’t laughed at and I didn’t die of embarrasement and most amazingly people liked hearing what I have to say!

Label

“People who matter are most aware that everyone else does, too.” – Malcolm Forbes

We tend to label people as better than us because they have a money, power or fame. We forget is what makes a person “better” is how they treat other people, not what they have. So when you achieve your fame or fortune goals, don’t forget what really matters is making a difference to another life in whatever way we can.

Success

“Those are a success who have lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who have gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of children, who have filled their niche and accomplished their task, who leave the world better than they found it, whether by a perfect poem or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of the earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best they had.” Emerson

Walls

You Do Make A Difference

“Maybe you can’t change the whole world, but if you have love in your heart you can make small differences every day, which really does change the world, one life at a time.” – Kristina Koncz

The impact that we make on our world is seldom known by us, but it happens just the same. A proverb says a good life is when we cry entering the world and the world cries when we leave it. Even if you don’t think that you have ever made a difference, if one tear is shed for your leaving this world it is proof that you did.