Tag Archives: Hope

22

When You Wish For Better Things

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Wish- a desire or hope for something to happen

wish
Jiminy Cricket had it right.

Some of my earliest memories are of the fantastic stories read to me as a child. In these stories, reasonable people would be experiencing a challenging situation and wish for help or a solution to enter their life.

Inevitably these desires would come into existence. It was a magical thought. All of your wishes could come true!! Unfortunately, it seems in life today that no magic lamps are waiting around the corner for us. At least not any that I have found yet. Do you wish for things? Or do you think it’s a waste of time? Desire or hope for something is not a waste of time; I believe that conscious wishes are valuable and creative and provide direction to your true self. The power of a wish begins by being aware of your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions regarding a desire. What is it that you want? We don’t always get what we want, but we almost always get what we wish.

When You wish ………….

Being conscious of what we wish is essential because these thoughts can guide us toward the things that will make us happy. Some people never want anything, and with no action, they get nothing. Others wish for wisheverything, and surprisingly, when follow-through and work are attached to these wishes, they come into reality. The difference is your mindset and the action you take. Either you believe you are worth your dreams, or you don’t.

The mindset of worth and value in ourselves allows you to look past the cynical part of your mind that puts the word wish and fantasy together. Don’t listen to that voice. Use your imagination to wish for the things that you want in life. To be successful, wealthy, famous, or master a particular skill are all attainable, and the wish to experience them is just a gateway to getting them. The act of consciously thinking of something opens a passage to your goals. Your imagination is the key to this. A wish is powerful because once you have one, it can come true. Wish freely and wish often. Then take action to give them a chance to come true.

Leave the Negative

There will always be those who feel the word wish means fantasy. There are several negative sayings about wishes, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”  This sentiment is looking at the thought with no action attached to it. The magic of a wish is that it provides hope, and hope is the best of things. It allows you to move through a tough day because the promise of a better day is ahead of you. Hope lets you find your inner strength and discipline. There are few things as powerful as a wish come true.

Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out the way we wish. It could be that there are lessons you need to learn or information to gather to allow you to become the best version of yourself. Whatever the reason, when a person dares to wish, there is a chance it won’t come true, especially if your wish involves other people. They have their wishes. If you let disappointment tamper with your enthusiasm, your power is gone. You stop believing there is value in a desire, and most significantly, you stop wishing and hoping for things. Without magic, what do you have left? Without hope, where do your thoughts go? Keep wishing and know that just because it doesn’t come to you magically in the way you think it should, it can still come to you. Most often, in the best way possible, one that will last and be much more rewarding. Wish and know the Universe rewards action.

I Wish You The Best

Some of our best wishes aren’t for us but for someone else. I have sent wishes of favorable, good fortune to many people from my past. Positive thinking is a practice I have kept up and do today. No matter what adverse events may have happened between us. No matter what anger, pain, and hurt were there once, I wish you well in all you do.

These wishes can be the most potent because the alternative is to hold onto the negative emotion and experience. It is in the past, and it is what it is. Feeling wrong about things today isn’t going to change the past. All you can do is be positive, and that energy will also course through your life. Let go of the anger toward those that let you down. They are only human, after all. I wish them well on their journey, and do the best you can on yours. Moving without the weight of disappointment, fear, anger, or regret holding you back is far easier.

Wish Today

Take a moment today and think of the wishes you would like to make. Some may be realistic, some may not, but all are legitimate if your heart desires them. I wish all people you see today, silent or loud best wishes to find what will make them happy today and in life. It all begins with paying attention to your thoughts and the emotions they elicit from you, which are there to guide you. Thoughts lead to feelings, words, and actions taken for what you wish today.

I wish you the best of days and that happiness will find you in every moment you experience.

“The wish to bring pain to an end, to heal and be present for another person in their anguish are qualities we have all aspired to and embodied.” —Christina Feldman

“It is not what you say, or wish, or hope or intend; it is only what you do that counts.”- Brian Tracy.

“Many people go through their lives wishing that they were more successful. This is a good starting point because ‘Wishing’ for something will not get you it.” —Simon Banner

“Be strong as you fight your way to success; the difficulty you face is nothing compared to the joy of success.”

“It isn’t hard at all to make a wish, and the difficulty lies in how to make what you wish for a reality.” –Catherine Pulsifer.

Wish Articles

How to turn your Wishes into Reality

About Wishes

Achieving your Wishes 

What Your Wishes Say About You

Blog Articles about Wishes 

 

 

21

Time for Hope

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“And sometimes, against all the odds, against all logic, we still hope.”

The goals we set and the dreams we create about life are the fuel that gives us purpose and allows us to thrive. It is a common occurrence for people to get overwhelmed sometimes.  There are bills to pay, family obligations to keep, personal tragedies, and work bringing us down.  Sometimes the challenges we face seem like they are mountains too high to climb, and our goals and dreams fall to the back burner as the life of obligation takes over.

But hope still exists there buried in the back of your mind and can be pulled out to fuel your fire and try to move us in the direction of success you are dreaming of. Hope can exist in some pretty dark circumstances. It serves a great purpose to provide someone with the belief, no matter how down you are at this moment, things can turn around, and circumstances can present themselves in a way that allows you to find the dream you have in life and to achieve all of the goals you have set for yourself. It is a matter of time, attitude, and perseverance.

Develop a Keen Vision

The people who can hold on in life and make it through the tough times and still move toward their goals are the ones who develop a positive vision of the world. We all know that there will be dark times. Just as the sun comes up in the morning and ends the physical darkness in the world, a symbolic sun will rise in the darker times of your life.  Your job is to develop a vision that can see through the darkness and know the dawn of the solution is coming.

Each time a person decides to have faith and maintain hope in the goodness in the world and their life, the world becomes slightly better. We are all given opportunities in life to face our challenges. Some we handle easily, and others, of course, are much harder. But the hard lessons are the ones we take the most value from and the ones that shape the foundation of who we are. If you quit too soon and never give it all a go, you never get a chance to build a solid foundation. Your positive vision and hope allow you to grow into something better.

Just One More Try

So when the challenge comes to you in some way.  A job is too hard, you have a goal you only haven’t been able to reach, something you want isn’t working out for you, or a financial problem is rearing its ugly head. Whatever the challenge you face, hope will tell you to give it just one more try.

It doesn’t matter how many times life knocks you down. Life will knock you down from time to time. If you are knocked down eight times, get up after each one and press on. If you are after something you want, a few more moments of effort are worth it. Mentally, it is the man that refuses to be beaten that wins. Talent is great, but hope in a better outcome combined with the tenacity of action will push you over the top and allow you to achieve most goals. Just one more try is all it will take.

Never Forget The Light

It is up to you to never forget your dreams and know that change is inevitable and constant even though circumstances don’t seem favorable right now. It may move slowly, but it moves, and you will have an opportunity to grow and achieve what you desire. It is up to you to take advantage of this opportunity to become what you wish. Or you can choose to give up and never follow your desire.

Keep your hope alive in accomplishing whatever it is that you have always dreamed of having. Every new day comes with the possibility of greatness, and anything can happen on any day. The key ingredient to power these dreams and goals is hope. Be ready to accept all the good that can come your way.  And hope is always there. Find your faith and allow it to work its magic in your life today.

I still maintain hope in many things a less stubborn person would have given up on a long time ago. I have confidence the sun will rise tomorrow and reveal a day I am longing for in my life. I aspire to things that could come as soon as tomorrow. I wake with a heart of hope and a mind filled with possibility. What better way could there be to live?

 “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”- Desmond Tutu

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope. ” Bernard Williams

“Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm, and genuine people.”   Tena Desae

 

21

F.E.A.R.

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Fear– an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

FearOne of the most challenging things that people face in life is fear. It is a formidable foe because it can rise in any area of your life at any moment.  Any experience in life can cause pain, and we are designed to avoid pain. So a traumatic experience at any age can cause fear to arise in your mind and affect your life. Fear can either be a motivator or a limiter to what you can and will accomplish in life.  Once you have been harmed, most people go to great lengths to avoid a repeat performance.  Raise your consciousness today, noticing the fear in your life. Look at where you are limited and the fear behind it in your thoughts, words, and actions.  By recognizing the fear and understanding its cause, the fear can be overcome and even eliminated. Try to be fearless. (See Video here)

Eliminate Fear

People often believe that the opposite of love is hate, but that isn’t true. Love’s opposite is fear.  All things seem to come down to a choice between love and concern.  To eliminate fear will, therefore, allow you to experience more love in your life.  Love should be your goal in all things. Not just the fearidealized version of attachment but the caring for others in the world, making your experience more positive.

The thoughts of fear are always in contrast to the ideas of love. Like two sides of the coin, they are there waiting for you to make a conscious choice of which one gets your attention.  There is a Cherokee parable about this battle in our hearts. Each of us has two wolves inside of us, fighting for control. One is love, and one is fear. Which one wins is the one you feed.

The thoughts of love are joy, peace, acceptance, hope, kindness, empathy, humility, and truth.

The thoughts of fear are anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, dishonesty, judgment, and ego.

Which one do you choose to feed? It is essential because overcoming fear will allow you to become a better human being. You are making your life and the lives of those around you a better experience only by consciously choosing the positive thoughts, words, and actions of love over those of fear. Be fearless.

Action Kills Fear

If you asked most people what they would like to do, they would tell you, but then follow it up with a list of reasons they can’t possibly do that right now. Lack of funds, time, freedom, acceptance, fearunderstanding are all reasons to keep dreams at a distance. These are all words of fear of talking.  The truth is behind the excuses is a fear of failure. A doubt has arisen in all of us since the beginning of our lives. But one that cane destroyed as quickly as all others.

The remedy to fear is action. Fear will kill your dreams, and work will open the doorway to achievement. Taking a vision from thought to action is scary because of all the things that can go wrong.  It is courage that allows you to move forward, take action, and see what happens.  No matter what happens, there are answers on the other side of action. Those answers will make your goals and dreams a reality or provide you with a roadmap of getting where you want to go.  Be brave and take action toward whatever it is you want to achieve. Be undaunted by potential failure. To do anything else is to cower in the darkness, hoping someone will stumble across your greatness.  Develop your excellence through action and defeat your fears.

Fear the Constant Companion

Fear is a constant companion in life. It is the brain trying to keep you safe.  But it is just a thought, and you have to decide what kind of life you will live. Life comes with no guarantees, and there are going to be situations that hurt you. That is life.  Learning to muster the courage to keep living fearfully, even though pain may happen, is how great experiences are created.  The only person who can be brave for you is you, so developing this talent will allow you to have the potential to accomplish anything.

So be conscious today and every day about the fears that are controlling your life. Where do they come from? What action will overcome it?  Become aware of your thoughts, words, and works around fear, and strive continuously to overcome it.  This conflict between your mind and your concern is the most significant battle we all face in life. Everything you dream about is on the other side of your victory over fear.

Questions about fear

What fears cause anxiety to you?

How do you deal with the emotion of fear?

What fears are most challenging for you to face?

How does fear help you in life?  How does it limit you?

Quotes About Fear

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.~Eleanor Roosevelt

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. ~Marcus Aurelius

Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.~Japanese Proverb

Be Fearless

 

 

21

Fight the Dark Side

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Focus On the Force

Each of us has a power that we either use to help move us toward our goals or provide an excuse for not achieving what we want.  I think it is much more similar to life in the Star Wars franchise than we would probably admit. All people contain within themselves a duality. These two sides have a high potential to do things perceived as an excellent good or something representing evil.

All people contain this power within them, and that is the force of life.  It is not by magic that people end up living an authentic life. It is by conscious decision.  The choices we make in every moment dictate the nature of the force within us.  These choices are a refreshing combination of how we think about ourselves, the world, and everything in it.  Focus honestly on how you feel about things and your conscious thoughts today.  Notice the emotions that arise in you because of an idea. Then see the words and actions that come from that.  This process determines the power and nature of the force in you.  It all starts with thoughts.

Operating on the Light Side

We would all like to think of ourselves as being the hero and doing what is right always. That is not a human experience. It is a constant struggle between our two sides. Here is the simple formula for working with the forces of light.  Put others before yourself, be kind in thought and deed, accept the differences of others, feel joy, peace, serenity, love, hope, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  All of these exist within us, and it is our choice to practice them or not.

What a world we would have if all people were able to function in this part of themselves.  If you look at how you like to be treated, all of these things are probably on the list. Choosing these things and meaning allows the force within you to help others. It isn’t always easy to think this way when you see someone doing something say to someone else or you. It is human nature to want to fight back and take an eye for an eye. When we are hurt, we want to cut back. To put that instinct aside and treat a situation with love will allow the force in you to do great good in the world.

Welcome to The Dark Side

Welcome to the dark side, which needs no introduction, I am sure because we all have one of these.  Our darkness exists by our insecurities, pains, and fears of our lives.  Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, superiority, and ego contribute to our dark side. These are thoughts that lead to words and actions that will directly or indirectly harm others somehow.  But the person who is hurt the most is you. The dark side of the force does contain the power, but it is corrupting, painful and takes away the good in the world for selfish gain.

Many people I have known can harm someone by directly consciously speaking words that exploit the insecurity of someone.  Then fear is generated, or selfishness, and that person has been infected.  Look at the people in your life and how they speak to you and others. Where on the scale of the force does their intention come from in each moment?  The allure of the dark side is that you will not have to suffer again. But the truth is, of course, your actions are causing you to experience. These thoughts and emotions wear you down and hurt you. To feel these things is the dark side.

Your Force is Always there.

Inside of each of us, this force I am trying to define is always available to you.  It is there to call on when you need strength to face a challenge.  Even in the most desperate times in life, remember the force in you will be there to push back the adversity and allow you to thrive if you let it.  You may have to make a course adjustment, learn a new skill, create a new goal, or start over.  Whatever the task ahead of you, the power to move toward it every day is the force inside you.

Be conscious of how you can help yourself and help others see the good in the world through you.  Take advantage of opportunities to show this. Consciously practice kindness even when there is no apparent gain for you.  Create hope for someone in the world.  Don’t let mindless anger brought on by fear control you. It solves nothing but creates pain in the world. Pain and suffering are the calling cards of the dark side of the force within you.

Where does your force lie?

Every day, you have a choice to cause pain and suffering to others or create joy and kindness.  These choices develop in the thoughts you choose to entertain.  Are they from the dark side, or are they from the light?  The force in you will always be there working on the side that you choose.  So choose your thoughts wisely.  The world depends on it.  And it all starts with your thoughts, the corresponding emotions they lead to, the tenor of the words you speak, and the actions you take.  All things will affect the force in you and the effect that energy has on the world.  Which side of the line do you fall on here?

“We must wake.” -Yoda

“Always pass on what you have learned.”- Yoda

“The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.”- Yoda

 

 

 

21

Hope

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hopeSometimes it feels like situations will always be as they are, and they resign themselves to their fate. The way that it is right now will always be. If one believes this, then there is no room for improvement. There is no hope. But there should always be hope in your thoughts, words, and actions.

Things can change in an instant, and the things you dream of can come to you today, seemingly out of the blue. Change is constant and inevitable.  Hope is a powerful tool that allows a person to realize their dreams in a way that you may not have imagined before. It will enable those changes to work to pursue your best self and your most treasured idea of the future.

Building Hope

When life seems darkest, and fate seems to be stacked against you in a hope sizeable impenetrable wall of frustration. That is where hope can be a guiding light. Perhaps it is the connection you meet who pushes you toward a solution to the challenges you face.  Maybe it’s someplace you haven’t ever thought of before.  Yet there you are, moving forward and living in hope for a better situation tomorrow.

Without hope, you very well may be blind to all the opportunities that exist right in front of you with the potential to bring everything that you could want for your life.  The hope of love, life, fortune, a gift, or that special relationship could be coming your way today. A person only has to have their eyes open and mind, ready to see them coming.  A mind without hope will often hopemistake the opportunity for an inconvenience. Don’t be asleep at the switch; see the chances that exist in your life.

Hope Keeps You Positive

When you feel like you are down, a loss has occurred, and you don’t think you can come back from it, that is the time to hope. Hope for help, hope for a friend, hope for a way out, hope for what you need, and hope will find a way. Even in the darkest night, the promise of the sunrise will keep you going. The sun will rise, and with it, bring a multitude of possibilities. Be aware and look for the answers you seek.

What is it that you hope? Think of it, and don’t lose it, and it will give you hopestrength. Maintain an image in your mind of what it is that you hope. It is the creativity of our brain that all things in the world spring. If you have no hope of love, success, help, or triumph, there is no way that you can find it. By merely thinking of it, you will be able to recognize it when it shows up in your life.

Always be Hopeful

Hope provides nothing but positive things to the world and the lives of people. It provides fuel to get through tough times. It gives the light in the darkness. Hope allows you to persevere the challenge life throws at you. Hope enables the test to be passed.  In all undertakings of life, above all else, be hopeful of success, take action, and it will find you.

You are a valuable person and have talent beyond what you even comprehend right now.  It is there waiting for you, and the first step to reach it is to hope.  So have a little hope today. It will all work out for the best. Keep your eyes open. Follow the path. See the clues.  Be the best you. Your success is what I hope for.

“Every cloud has a silver lining.”      D.R. Locke (1863)

“Hope springs eternal.”  Alexander Pope 

“However long the night, the dawn will break.” African Proverb – Hausa Tribe

“We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.”     Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

21

To Read

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Reading is The Key to Learning Anything

reading is power
All The Power in the world is contained within the binder of books!

If you are looking to be the best you can be, I don’t think there is a better activity for you than reading.  When you talk to people today, it is sad how little we read books that expand our horizons and push ourselves to grow and think a little.

I understand that there is an inordinate number of distractions out there today, all vying for our short attention spans, and books seem to be getting the short end of the stick. But, unfortunately, with that, so are we.

Books Changed My Life

I am going to champion the wonder of books and the magic they carry in their pages, just waiting for you to read their words: the imagination that they provide, the knowledge, and the answers to questions.

I was fortunate to have been a reader since I was four years old, reading books with my parents and myself as often as possible. So, as a child, I was aware of the power of words to catapult your imagination and stimulate thoughts of places you have never been, and expand your mind.

As I grew older, the importance of reading fell behind other interests like sports, girls, and money.  I was subject to the same time restraints everyone else is.  I forgot what power was hidden in the pages of these works of art. Each book possesses an opportunity to learn and grow. Yet, I did not take them right away.

teaching you something through books
Find the book that is just right to interest you.

Eventually, as life has unfolded, I finally started to ask some questions that nobody I knew could answer.  How we positively live life, and what being alive on this planet was all about?  I wasn’t the first one and won’t be the last to ask deep questions. Fortunately, I was able to find some great guides for this journey, and they were all located in the pages and words of books.

The Key to the Kingdom

The first really great book I read was called The Kingship of Self-Control and The Majesty of Calmness, by William George Jordan, which he wrote about 100 years ago, but it is a guide for your behavior, most part applicable today.

Dealing with honesty, greed, calmness, how to treat others was a revelation, and I have him to thank for my reawakening in literature.  Since I read that book, I have read somewhere between 60 and 100 books on various topics, but always being drawn toward philosophy, psychology, and how life works.

william george jordan
The Book that started my journey will make you want to be a better person!

The more I read and learned, the more I wanted to learn. There were many things that nobody had ever told me, so not only was I entering a new world I had never visited, it was a world I didn’t even know existed.

There are other philosophies about reality or that our minds work a certain way because conditioning was an exciting discovery.

There isn’t any force that could stop me from learning more and reading now.  That is a passion and a desire that I would hope for everyone.

One of the saddest conversations I have had recently was with a high school student who stated clearly that most of her classmates didn’t see the value in reading and, in fact, couldn’t remember that last time they read a book.

They stated that they didn’t see the value in it. You can watch things on television or on your computer.  This is true, but you will never have the intricate connection that absorbing words from a page into your mind will give you.

This connection is more powerful than any television show you will ever see and is available to anyone literate.  Once you have the power of literacy, all you have to do is apply it, and there you go, you are off to whatever pinnacle you are reaching for.

The Dream Builder

For myself, reading helped crystallize what my dreams were, and it may help others do the same thing.  Read a book about something you are interested in and then ask questions about the information you learn.  That will inevitably lead you to another book and more knowledge, and before long, you will be smarter than you ever imagined possible.

Knowledge is power, and power will help you get anywhere you want to go, regardless of

be a bookworm
I can’t think of anything better than being a Bookworm!

your economic background or family situation can achieve whatever you want by applying yourself in reading.  You can learn from the mistakes of others, building on their philosophies, adopting what proves right to you, and discarding what doesn’t seem to fit. Unfortunately, this is learning and seems to be a lost art in our overly mandated education system today.

So if you are wondering about anything and curious about how to be successful or how to run a business or climb a mountain or sail a boat, all that you need to know is located somewhere in a book for you to discover, read, and read and master.  All you have to know is where to look.

Read for your mind, read for your soul, and read for your success.  There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish through the power of literacy.

 

Some of the books I have read and would recommend checking this link. 

Get a move on and read, get smarter, become successful.

 

21

Day Before

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You never see the real painful things coming.
You never see the harrowing things coming.

There are days that you remember because they have a long-lasting effect on your life.  I certainly have many of these.  Some days serve to remind me of those moments when my life changed so dramatically that it could never be the same again.

What had been my life was over and what was coming next was unknown and unpredictable. The experience I identified as my life was shattered into a million pieces, and no matter how they my life will never be the samewere put back together, they would never be the same. They would never fit snugly.

What was I going to do? But what about the day before? The day before, my life changed forever. Before the accident. Before we told the truth. Before she left. Before the death. Before………

I remember having several days where my life ended as I knew it, and the scars are going to be carried inside for the rest of my life.  Those painful moments are seared into my memory, and their story has become a part of my inner and outer story.  I have remembered them more than I care to admit and still feel a dull pain of regret and longing for the past.   It is strange, but I remember the days before with as much clarity as to the traumatic events themselves. I had no idea that I would never be the same.

I remember that I worked out that day. If I had known it would be my last, I would have probably commemorated it more but got my work done and then went home.  I remember hurrying to mow the lawn before it rained because there was a storm coming. I got half of the backyard done before it rained. I had no idea I would never finish that lawn for the rest of the summer.

As the rain started to fall and the thunder rolled in the distance, warning of the foul weather to come, I had no clue that in many ways, it would never be clear skies again for years to come.  I remember watching the rain from my back porch and thinking of the small, boring things I had to do tomorrow, the next week, the next month.   What to eat? What to watch on television? What to do in two weeks? The futility and foolishness of those thoughts could only be revealed by the

What to eat? What to watch on television? What I “needed” to accomplish? The futility and foolishness of those thoughts could only be revealed by the wisdom or folly of the days coming unforeseen in my future.  The day before my life, as I knew it ended, I had no idea of what was coming.  I think that is what they mean when they say ignorance is bliss. 

I am sure that is how most people feel on the day before your life changes forever. A regular day of “normal” thought that will unexpectedly be interrupted by the devastation of the storm to come, unlooked-for and out of nowhere.  I am not sure if they are meant to last as a memory of peace or one of torture.

I hope that you have never met this kind of tragedy and that your life is full of happy days that you truly enjoy. There is a part of me that will always warn you, though; Beware of the calm sea because often there is a tempest waiting under the surface, simply waiting for the right time to alter your life forever.

Know that no matter how devastated you are or how many changes you undergo, there is still hope. I hope that you will be stronger and can put your life back together again.

I hope that the pain of the current circumstance will sharpen your talents and wits to the fine sharp edge needed to accomplish great things. It can build your confidence back up again after a fall and allow you to rise higher than was previously possible.

Hope is the light of the future, and it allows all people not only to seek but to find retribution in your life. It allows you to take the next step forward when all you want to do is quit. Don’t quit, or you will never know what you are capable of contributing.

Know that each day, there is something to be grateful for and to enjoy. So enjoy it because you never know what will come tomorrow.

21

Seasons

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Seasons-  each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth’s changing position concerning the sun.

It is a fortunate thing, to be experiencing the spring of the year! A wise person once said there is no way to stop the seasons from changing. That is true in nature, and it is true for your life as well, just like the planet rolls around each year, inevitably bringing an awakening, a vibrant life, and slowly a return to a darker cold slumber. So do our lives move as well. The sad part is that there are over 7 billion people globally, and a tiny fraction ever evaluates their existence in any thoughtful manner at all. The seasons provide us with a natural lesson on how to appreciate things.  Do you pay attention? Or are you caught in your own thoughts?  Look at the seasons of life, and you will appreciate the experience more.  This begins with really looking at the thoughts you entertain, the words you speak, and the actions in life you take because of all of these things.

Season of Eyes Shut

It seems like people live their lives and flow through the seasons with their eyes closed to the change that is coming to them. Each year the seasons move by and with them a lesson. Still, the young person is too involved in the physical world and what other people think of them to pay real attention to the knowledge the world offers—a chance to love, enjoy, and find experiences that color our lives.  Very rarely do young men and women remove their conscious thought from what they want to accomplish to imagine how it all fits into the big picture.

Worrying about your relationships, jobs, and living arrangements dominates thoughts. Life passes you by, and all you try to do is collect as many things as possible. The value of things is temporary, but the value of experience stands the test of time. Youth is wasted on the young, and the spring is wasted on selfish, individualistic behavior.  As you get older and time becomes shorter, you realize there is a reason for this, and you become envious of the time you had that is now gone. Unfortunately, others are frittering it away with their eyes tightly shut, looking at themselves and ignoring the world.

Enjoy the Seasons

It is common in the area I live to look ahead to spring during the winter.  It gets dark early, there are major snow events, and the temperature is frigid. But it provides a unique experience people in areas which are warm all year don’t get.  There are cold hard moments that come in winter. If you pay attention, they will wake you up to the soft, warm moments that will come as the calendar moves toward spring and summer. We all need to appreciate more warm, soft moments.  Winter creates this appreciation.

Spring brings hope and renewal, and summer brings vitality, fall brings sober acceptance of change, and then we are back to winter again. The seasons mimic the experience of our lives. As we age, we go through seasons, but most don’t notice these things are happening.  We are young in the spring, and our summers are spent doing, going, collecting, competing. Fall is the time you realize there is an end in sight, and winter is that end, like it or not. We all hope our winter is a long way away, but………………we never know.

Be in the Moment of the Season

There is nothing as inevitable as the passing of time, and the human experience is a finite thing. Our seasons are flying by, and all you have to ask yourself is, are you making the most of it, or are you wasting your time?  It really doesn’t matter what you do.  The human experience is a gift.  Think of the magic of experiencing a snowfall or a warm summer day with a cool breeze blowing.  Or the fall when the leaves are changing, and the crisp weather is a harbinger of things to come.  The wonderful hope of spring that revives us.

Please pay attention to your life and the people in it.  Spend your time and money accumulating experiences rather than things. Things are finite and provide joy for a short minute.  Experiences lead to growth and sharing and a life to be remembered.

So spend a little time in your day to be a little more conscious of the seasons occurring inevitably on your calendar and life. It all starts where you focus your thoughts and what you appreciate about life in every season—the words you use to express this appreciation to others and the actions which result. So look at your seasons and take a moment to enjoy them all.

“Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty; from morning to night, as  from the cradle to the grave, it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable that we hardly notice the progress.” ~ Charles Dickens

Wherever in the world you may find yourself right now, we are about to enter a new season.

“The beat of drums and the blustering of summer fade away. Everything becomes quiet, more introspective, sad. Autumn always comes with such beauty.” ~ Jaak Drees

 

 

21

Hopeful

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hopeTo keep moving through life, we all have to believe that something better awaits us in the future. We need to hope. No matter where you_ are right now, and there is a potential for a future that contains anything that we can conceive of. This is limitless.

If life is going great, then it can get better. If things aren’t going as well as you would like, it can improve in the short order. That is called hope.  In a world where suffering is a part of life, hope is why we undergo healing from our wounds to search for happiness and our connections to life.  Hope changes your life.

How Hope Feels

Hope is the feeling that can sustain you through your dark times, mistakes, and failures. It shines a light in the darkness, and no matter how dark it is, there is a promise that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It encourages you to keep moving forward. Some people see hope as dangerous because it might stop you from realistically assessing your situation. Hope does not cloud your judgment, and it motivates your action.

Real hope provides you with the courage to move forward, try again, and find a way to better your life and all of your circumstances. This is not blind optimism that leads a person to nothing, nor does hope ignore the challenges in your way or the enormity of the task at hand.

Your place is not to sit on the sideline and watch as things happen to you and your dreams. Your place is to be in the game, trying, learning, and trying again. That is how life works, and with a bit of hope, you keep moving forward. It is the hopeless way to quit and stop trying.

Ideas of Hope

Hope brings you the idea that even though things look tough and you face some dark challenges, you can see a way for life to get better. It is the fuel that allows the inventor to try again after a failure. It is the force that makes the athlete practice more than anyone else. Hope is the business owner’s motivation to push forward with his dream, despite those that question them.

In life, there will always be those who don’t believe in you, but the specter of hope can push your actions past the doubters and toward success. Without hope, a person will wilt and shrink from the challenge. Be vigilant in your thoughts and goals, don’t let someone else’s negativity stop you from achieving your greatness.

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”~Thich Nhat Hanh

“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” ~ Shawshank Redemption