Baby Steps...

I have long learnt that I have to do something first
before I can receive
and that often means putting myself on the line
"Doing" is risky business...
We have to step out in faith...
We have to act on our belief...

I write everything down
But I have found that a written plan is worthless
unless I act upon it
It is only when I take action that I see and experience results...

All we need to do is take that first baby step...

A New Day...

Very often I find myself holding on very tightly
to what I have and I probably miss out on
some great opportunities for growth...

I find evidence of this in so many areas of my life
I hold onto a bad habit knowing full well that it is bad for me
I experience the negative effects
but I continue doing nothing about it

Sometimes I will make a half hearted attempt to change or to stop...
but I never really put my all into tackling the situation
In theory I know all the answers
I know exactly what steps I should take
But somehow I just never get it right...

There is however hope for me
because today is a new day
and I still have breath in me
and another day to try once more...

Love Thyself...

Leo Tolstoy said - "If one has no vanity in this life of ours
there is no sufficient reason for living"
And at first glance that quote does not make sense
But think of it this way...
In order to love those around us we first need to love ourselves!
Giving ourselves unconditional love makes it easier
to extend compassion to those around us
In fact... we should be "vain" in our self love as Tolstoy suggests

And then... and only then will we be more accepting of others
and even find it easier to be more tolerant of them

Because lets face it...
sometimes it is so hard loving those who hurt us...
And people who love themselves are less inclined to be
hurtful to others around them...

Dreams are good Friends...

As I have said before - our desires and dreams act as fuel
They thrust us toward new horizons
Without having something to strive for
we get stuck in ruts because we are
unsure of what to do next...

Goals are the dreams that we are willing to work for
When we set goals and write them down
we take responsibility for our lives
Even if we only take small steps
we are actively pursuing our goals
just daydreaming about them will get us nowhere
and having goals that we have written down
make us feel good because it adds a sense of purpose
and direction to our lives...

Putting Pen to Paper...

I have plans
in fact.... I'm always planning and scheming
But I have found when I think about my plans
without sitting down to put pen to paper
the ideas just seem to float around in my head
and nothing happens...

Being clear about my objectives help me stay focused
I find that I have to set aside time to create a clear plan
and assess all my options

It’s good to write things down so you don’t overlook anything
And once the list is complete
I take time to consider the possibilities
and drawbacks of each choice so that I can determine
where I should focus my attention

Look before you leap.... we are always told
Having a clear idea of what we want in life...
considering all the possibilities open to us...
and then making a decision
can make a big difference in our efforts

When Opportunity Knocks...

Yesterday I read a blog where a young lady
expressed her frustration about not getting the break she needs
"What do I do to let people notice my potential" she said

I fully understand her frustration
but we are co-creators of our destiny I believe
and I believe that our job is to be prepared when opportunity knocks
We need to be at the right place
at the right time
with the right equipment
if we want to make things happen for us

And not every opportunity is our opportunity either...
But we cannot sit back and hope something will drop into our lap...
Also... we never know who we are going to meet next
The very next person we talk to could be
our ticket to an exciting future
Will you be ready for your opportunity?

Someone once said...
“It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity
and not have one, than to have an opportunity
and not be prepared.”

We all need to be ready when our opportunity knocks...

One Step at a Time...

It is only when we are willing to listen to our self
and be fearless
that figuring out our next step becomes easy...

Underneath the fear, hesitation and uncertainty
lies our inner knowing that always knows
which step we need to take next...

Our lives are made up of a network of pathways
that we can choose to move from one phase of our lives to the next...
Some of us have smooth clearly marked paths
While others have more difficulty in seeing their way clearly

But ultimately we always know whats right for us
only we know which path to choose
but we need to tune into our inner voice
Our inner council...
And THAT...
is the difficult part

We need to make time for ourselves
we need to be still and tune in to our inner council
our little voice
our dreams
our passions
because those are the things that light up the way of our paths in life...

Wise Words...

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes

smart enough to profit from them

and strong enough to correct them”

- Anonymous

Gratitude...

One of the things in life I have lots of difficulty with
as a result from my childhood sexual abuse is TRUST...
and I find that I often second guess peoples motive
when they do something for me...

"What do they want from me" is always my first reaction
I have to consciously take a step back from those thoughts and
remind myself that I no longer need to "protect"
myself from people... and that those close and dear to me
offer support that is given with complete love
without expecting anything in return
They help me for no other reason
simply because of the intensity of their caring

And I have found that
giving words of thanks in a heartfelt manner
is one of the best ways to return their kindness
I have to connect with the energy of my heart
when I convey my gratitude
and I have to accept in the same way
in which I have received the gifts
—without expecting anything in return

Saying thanks from my heart is the only way I am able to
let my loved ones know the true depth of my appreciation

And there is so much I need to be grateful for in my life...

Positive Reactions...

We cannot control what other people do
but it is very important to recognize that we
have control over our reactions to situations

When we hold onto the actions of others
we are reacting in a way that is neither positive nor healthy

When we have control over ourselves
there is no way others can control us
and by learning how to react to others in a positive way
we will feel a greater sense of self-empowerment...