Today, I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on, and my theme is a quote that is new to me; it’s by the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh. He says that, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” I love that line because it is so true. I know that sometimes it feels like you are spinning your wheels when you are trying to create an opportunity for yourself or others, or you sometimes feel alone as you’re building a business or as you do the daily work of the job and responsibilities […]
I dwell in Possibility
Recently, I saw a reference to a poem by Emily Dickinson called “I dwell in Possibility.” Like most things that take me by surprise, I have to admit, I did a double-take on the title. Then I thought, “I hope that I am a dweller in possibility, that I leave the door wide open to allow all possibilities that come my way to run wild without my interference so I may follow the path to whatever is waiting on the other side.” I am guessing that possibility is not a word that gives many people much comfort. We want surety […]
If you’ve made mistakes and have scars to prove it – good for you!
In a recent post, I encouraged you to keep on keeping on a while longer because too many people quit right before success is achieved. And my hope for you is that you will be strong enough to push yourself a bit more to find what is most likely waiting for you on the other side. I know that many people want assurances that what they have been working on will be rewarded, and I hope for your sake it happens, so don’t give up and don’t get discouraged. Now, of course, there may come a time in your personal […]
Every Positive Change
People often think that making life changes (large or small) is just too difficult to do, so they procrastinate, and then they take such a long time to finally make a decision that they miss the opportunity when all they really need to do is to take the most basic step, and that is to start. My thought for the day is… Every positive change in your life begins with a clear, unequivocal decision that you are going to either do something or stop doing something. I don’t want to be a scold, and frankly, that is not my personality. […]
The Most Dangerous Place
I have come to believe that the most dangerous place on the road is the intersection. And I think that is because at that place, within seconds, someone has to make a decision. And isn’t that just like life? You come to the intersection, and then you have to choose which way to go, how fast, and still (out of the corner of your eye) be aware of those around you. I do prefer an intersection to a roundabout. In other countries (where they don’t drive in between the lines), the round-about can force you to go round and around […]
Practice the Pause
“Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly, and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.” ~ Lori Deschene Oh, if I had only learned this earlier in my life, I would have saved myself from myself. I probably have too many stories to regale you with from all the times I spoke out when I should have practiced the pause, mentally and verbally. Even now, I catch myself chatting away when, in reality, my brain tells me I should just be quiet and let the conversation hum […]
Sometimes your only available transportation
I have had a lot of different experiences in my life and have taken chances that, on the outside, might not have seemed so smart. Okay, they probably weren’t so smart on the inside either, but who knew? I jumped in anyway because I have this theory about life—you’ve got to go and do what you want to do in case the world changes and those one-time opportunities disappear. I fundamentally believe that we are not meant to live a boring life. This world is too big, too amazing, too discoverable for me (or you) to sit at home and […]
Discover who you are
Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. Bernice Johnson Reagon If you ask your friends and family what are some challenges they are facing today and how they plan to overcome them, most of your peers will look at you with a blank expression, and suddenly, you will see a quote cloud form above their head that says, “You need to find someone else to talk to. I don’t want to go that deep today…or tomorrow or ever.” Now, it’s not because they didn’t understand the question, it is because […]
If you can’t change the people around you…
This has been a week of sadness and joy for me. Let me explain. Within ten days, three people I knew died: one from unexplained causes, one from cancer, and one from Alzheimer’s. Due to my travel schedule, I could only attend one of the funerals, but I know what I saw that day would have been the same at each service. Sitting in the packed church for the service, I was struck by the outpouring of love that left a 500-plus seat auditorium only with standing room for those who came to support the family and recall their memory […]
