All Talk, No Action

Words carry a lot of weight, but it is actions that bring things into being.

The time comes when we must admit to ourselves that what we say and what we do are not in alignment.  Constantly sweeping it under the rug doesn't get it done.

Depression and anxiety seems to steal desire and ultimately destroys motivation.

Does self-sabotage take dreams and ambitions and turn our words of desire around in our head to the point of action paralysis?

It is a vicious cycle that is difficult to manage and turn around.

Perhaps we use our words of desire entirely wrong and end up overwhelming ourselves.  It could be that we should change our words to align with reality.

Is it better to lose motivation and just give up?  NO!

Look at the situation differently?  YES!

Face the truth about the dream.  Maybe it should be broken down in smaller bites that can be easily attained instead of looking at it as a whole and ultimately become closer to bringing those words into reality.

It is all a mind game!

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The Encouragement of Love

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

Louisa May Alcott

There are times that a strong faith in God or the guidance and encouragement from those we love and look up to make all the difference in the world. Some are lucky enough to have both.

God's love and guidance is available to everyone.  Hopefully we all have those who love and encourage us when we need it.

Do you sometimes have the vision but lack the motivation to reach your highest aspirations?  Do you reach out to those you love in these times?  Do you trust enough to follow where they may lead you?

It all starts with the first rung of the ladder and progresses toward the top at its own pace.  There are times when trying to reach the top in the first step will lead you nowhere . . . it is impossible, or so it seems.  Isn't it the purpose of a ladder, to take one step at a time?

It is faith and trust that leads us to that first step.

The following is an excerpt from a Daily Om article that speaks of trusting in those we love to help us make that first step, or the second, or third.

"The love of important people in our lives can serve as a secure foundation for our outer-world endeavors because knowing that we are cared for grants us a higher degree of self-confidence than we might otherwise have known. 

We can courageously take risks and embark upon endeavors that take us outside of our comfort zones because we know that we can retreat into the affectionate embrace of the important people in our lives if anything should go wrong. Likewise, simply knowing that these individuals believe that we are capable of achieving great feats of emotional and intellectual fortitude provides us with much of the strength we need to prevail over adversity.

You will feel the weighty comfort of the tenderness of those who love you today, and the security this comfort affords you will help you grow as an individual."

Source: Daily Om

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Nasty habits and motivation

"Be miserable.

Or motivate yourself.

Whatever has to be done, 

it's always your choice."

Wayne Dyer

OK, fess up . . . I guess we all do it at times . . .

it is ok to want to feel miserable and throw a pity party.

I do it without realizing that I'm doing it.

It is all about changing your thinking and the way surrounding circumstances are perceived.  I'm learning that negative thinking isn't going to make my life much better or happier.  Quite the contrary.

One of my realizations is that negative thinking is a nasty habit.

Nasty habits are so hard for me to break, however, I believe that over time they can be defeated through awareness.

Choosing to motivate happiness should be the goal rather than expecting misery through negative thinking and dwelling on what is not right.  Circumstances are what they are and can't be changed . . . defeat the vicious cycle of negative thinking and make the best of the situation. 

You reap what you sow!

There was a time when I wrote notes to myself and placed them where I could see them in the midst of my daily routine on the refrigerator door, the bathroom mirror and/or my computer monitor . . . the little reminders heighten awareness to break those nasty little habits, leading thoughts in the right direction, whatever they are.

While it is healthy to look back on past experiences, it is not healthy to dwell on them or overthink them to the point of the downward spiral that can get out of control.  Thinking positively about the here and now and living for the moment is a much better practice . . . it is not living through rose-colored glasses . . . rather, it is expecting positive outcomes and breaking the vicious cycle of negative thinking while being realistic.

Peace, love and happiness . . . 

choose to be happy :) 

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Changing consciousness

Why should we care about raising our consciousness? 

When we set an intention to change and grow, we begin a journey in which we move from coping, to learning and finally, to the enjoyment of living.

Here are some of the shifts we move through:

From dependence on the clock, to charting a direction, to moment-to-moment guidance from intuition.

From doing things right, to doing the right things, to being your true self.

From lack of self discipline to having personal willpower to serving divine will.

From being out of control, to being in control, to trusting and letting go of the need to control.

With each step, we experience greater freedom, fulfillment and joy. Worth going for, don’t you think?

“Every human has four endowments - self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom . . . The power to choose, to respond, to change.” 

Stephen R. Covey

Source: Higher Awareness

Change is never easy, whether it is good or bad, whether we are self-motivated to become the best person we can be . . . for any reason.

Having faith and trust in yourself through the changes helps with any life transition is the greatest way I have found to cope with change.

Although becoming a widow after a long and happy marriage was the most devastating event of my life, the lessons I have since learned about life in general . . . and myself . . . are proving to be invaluable lessons for the rest of my life.

The ultimate freedom in life is being able to roll with the changes and use whatever the situation is for greater good in the future. Life lessons can bring awesome change for the better if we only have faith and trust within ourselves to make good things happen.

Everything happens for a reason!

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