Why worry? It is very simple and scientific;
40% will never happen, for anxiety is the result of a tired mind.
30% concerns old decisions which cannot be altered.
12% centers in criticism, mostly untrue, made by people who feel inferior.
10% is related to my health which worsens while I worry,
and only 8% is "legitimate", showing that life does have real problems and challenges which may be met head on and conquered when I have eliminated senseless worries."
Stay Strong!
There is No Death
"In one sense there is no death.
The life of a soul in earth lasts eternally beyond his departure.
You will always feel that life touching yours, that voice speaking to you, that spirit looking out of other eyes, talking to you in the familiar things he touched, worked with, loved as familiar friends.
He lives on in your life and in the lives of all others that knew him."
-Angelo Patri
"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.
It is what you think about."
- Dale Carnegie
"Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, cause your mind to dwell on peace and joy." - Ernest Holmes
"Let Go, Let God."- Anonymous
Three terrific quotes to begin and guide our day today!
There is no denying or rebutting the fact that all we need to do is identify "what we let" our minds think, reflect upon, and dwell upon to understand what defines our moods and consequently defines the amount of stress, worry and fear we deal with on a daily basis.
"Thought is Supreme" is an understatement!
If you feel crappy, fearful, anxious, depressed, lost, helpless, hopeless, or fearful, you can bet that you are allowing that creep of negativity - negative thoughts - seep into your head and it is running roughshod all over the place!
The second you feel these emotions, stop yourself and identify what you are dwelling on immediately!
Work to replace these negative thoughts with a prepared, handy, positive thought or concept.
Ask yourself what is the worst that can come of this situation!
Put it all in perspective and realize that no matter your concern or worry, it will not matter 1, 10, 30, 100 years from now!!!
So why are you beating yourself up over it now?
Why are you letting it run your life and ruin your peace??
You know it will pass as everything does and you know you will be stronger as a result of riding it out - confidently and in Faith!!
Take back control now!
You hold all the power necessary to do so!
I will close with one of my favorite pieces that my bro in law Tim showed me years ago - I recommend you keep it handy and make it a daily read and mantra!
It certainly can shape and frame your day - it shapes mine every morning!
God Bless and Stay Strong!
"Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high, and fill the lungs to the utmost; drink in the sunshine;
Greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every handclasp.
Do not fear being misunderstood & DO NOT waste a minute thinking about your enemies.
Try to fix firmly in your mind what you would like to do; and then without veering off direction, you will move straight to the goal.
Keep your mind on the great and splendid things you would like to do, and then, as the days go gliding by, you will find yourself unconsciously seizing upon the opportunities that are required for the fulfilment of your desire, just as the coral insect takes from the running tide the element it needs.
Picture in your mind the able, earnest, useful person you desire to be, and the thought you hold is hourly transforming you into the particular individual…
Thought is supreme!!!!
Preserve a right mental attitude — the attitude of courage, frankness, and good cheer.
To Think RIGHT is to create.
All things come through desire and EVERY sincere prayer is answered.
We become like that on which our hearts are fixed.
Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high.
We are gods in the chrysalis."
— Elbert Hubbard
"Life is a riddle.
We cannot expect to understand life's twists and turns as they occur each day,
and we greatly frustrate ourselves in the futile attempt.
Be content to appreciate that there is an overarching purpose,
though that purpose be known only to God, and to history.
Choose service.
Choose joy.
Accept the unknowing."
- Anonymous
One thing we can count on besides death and taxes in this life is that we will all experience our share of twists and turns!
Every second of our day holds the promise of some type of situation, some change, some challenge or some opportunity!
That is the double edge beauty of life!!
Life is short and things can turn on a dime at any moment - for better or worse!
The secret to peace and joy is to let go of this illusion that WE fully control our own paths!
We constantly plan, scheme, lament, and map out and drive ourselves nuts trying to control and dictate the way our lives will unfold!
Planning is fine and a good idea. I recommend it and it certainly helps keep life in some order.
However, if we believe for a second that our planning will allow us to control the circumstances and twists that life throws at us, we are going to go mad in our futile efforts!
Accept that storms are imminent, that not every day or season will be sunshine and roses, and embrace the difficult challenges that arise to test us, to mold us, to make us into stronger and greater souls while here on earth!
We can be happy, peaceful and content despite any trials and bumps we hit on the road if we BELIEVE that there is a greater plan for all of US and BELIEVE that we are all on the exact path we are meant to be on!
What a relief it is to let go of the need to control every single aspect of our lives. Not only is that prospect impossible, but it only serves to frustrate us and waste our fleeting time here in this life!
Relax and believe that all will be well because IT ALWAYS WILL!
Stay Strong, let go a bit, and enjoy the weekend!!
"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and your strength.
Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself."
- Tecumseh
Such a true quote!
We all have such abundance and blessings compared to the rest of the world.
It is staggering and criminal what we take for granted every single day!
If we but reflect for a moment on what other human beings in other countries, and even in our own backyard, lack and can only dream about we ought to be ashamed of ourselves for taking these precious gifts for granted!
Therefore, endeavor to give thanks for all we have and thank the Lord we live where we do, in the time that we do, and with all the opportunities that we have!
Please offer prayers to those less fortunate than all of us who face unimaginable, daunting challenges of staggering proportions every minute of every day!!
Regardless of our current trials, worries and challenges, we have no idea just how truly blessed we are!
Remember this fact the next time you find yourself lamenting over some minor issue that we deem a huge "problem".
Stay Strong!!
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds that you plant."
- Robert Louis Stevenson
What a perfect quote for this beautiful autumn season!
All too often we tend to judge ourselves, our progress on this earth, our development as humans, in fact our entire lives by the results we yield!
On the Harvest!
We tend to use the most prevalent means available to judge and evaluate our value and our meaning here on earth - which are money, wealth, possessions, social status, career, etc.
This is the world in which we live and the preliminary test of our value often falls into these monetary and materialistic categories.
These materialistic things - while necessary in our world and always in our faces - are the "harvest" cited in the quote above.
If we pin all of our value as human beings on having the greatest amount of harvest, boy are we missing the point of our purpose on this planet!
It is the planting of the seeds, the daily actions and interactions that we take that truly matter!
If we were to judge quality of life and true value based solely on material possessions, we would have to eliminate so many amazing and impactful lives from this "list".
Last I checked, Mother Theresa, all of the Saints, and a carpenter from Galilee never obtained a spot on the Forbes 500 Wealthiest People edition.
There is nothing wrong with striving for a comfortable life and working hard in your vocation. This is not the point I am trying to make.
The point is that if we use the standard worldly measure of a person's true value here on earth, and we allow that measure to drive our throughts, emotions, and our happiness and peace, then 99% of us are setting ourselves up for failure!
It is not the "harvest" alone that makes us the special people we are - it is the planting of the seeds - our kindness, our compassion, our willingness to help others and to insure other people find peace and joy - that truly matter!!!
Lighten up on yourself and adjust your parameters!
Choose and guard closely your measuring stick and judgement criteria because this will drive your happiness and joy!!
Keep planting these seeds daily, continue to tend to your daily work with the right focus, and I assure you there is zero doubt you will experience an immeasurable and irreplaceable HARVEST in your life!!
Stay Strong!
"When you find yourself on a path, you must not be afraid.
You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes.
Disappointment, defeat, and despair are
the tools God uses to show us the way."
- Paulo Coelho
Courage. Faith. Strength to make mistakes!
Regardless of the path you find yourself on today, you must know that it is the true and correct path and there is a plan for all of us!
Venture out, cast off the lines and set sail with the Faith that you are never alone and that you will reach your destination. - EVEN if you aren't even yet aware of the destination!
Keep your heart and mind open to positive influences and you will be ok!
"Trust that all of the seemingly meaningless dots today will eventually connect!"
It is not too late!!
Many of us have probably seen and heard one of the most valuable and powerful commencement speeches of all time, but I am unable to stop listening to it once I begin regardless of the umpteen times I have heard it!
I ask you to take a few minutes right now to listen to this speech below - either for the first time or the 20th time - as the three simple stories told and the lessons derived from them are truly invaluable and oh so true - they are not to be missed!!
Stay Strong!
"When the conflict has ceased and Our Lord Jesus Christ had fully accepted the sacrifice, He was perfectly self-possessed.
Let us too be calm, and united with God, and that will give us strength to endure that suffering we had dreaded and shrunk from.
To all outward appearances, our Lord's life was a failure; so will it often be with us.
Yet it is just then we are most like Him, and in our very failure will lie our success in the sight of God.
Our Lord's agony was an anticipation of suffering; specially helpful in these days so full of subjective troubles.
"My soul is sorrowful even unto death" (Matthew xxvi. 38)
Jesus's soul, generally in such peace and calm, was taken possession of by suffering that was enough to take His life.
What was the cause?
The knowledge, the anticipation of His Passion.
"He began to fear and be heavy" (Mark xiv 33) - a sickness of heart - agony - fear!
Jesus was mortally sad.
This fact alone ought to be the greatest comfort and consolation to us.
To find a parallel to our sufferings in the Blessed Son of God is a lifelong asset of consolation that cannot be prized too highly."
- Confidence in God
It is comforting indeed to know that even Jesus Christ Himself experienced the same fears, sadness, anxiety and despair that all of us often experience in our earthly lives.
As we struggle and battle with our daily challenges and trials, let this fact be of consolation to us all.
This too shall pass is a fact of life and we need to have the Faith that we will be provided the necessary strength and endurance to ride out any bumps and obstacles in our lives!
Whatever your current challenge or battle, remember that you are never alone in your fight and that nothing lasts!!
You are strong enough to sustain and eventually everything will be ok!
Just resist the temptation to give into the onslaught of negative thoughts and continue to persevere in Faith and Hope - with your eye on the next step - NOT the current trial or past failures.
Ride it out! As you read above, afterall are in good company! ;)
Stay Strong!
"If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labor.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be the master of my emotions."
- Og Mandino
No matter what is bothering you this crisp autumn Monday morning, you can overcome it quickly if you really want to!!
We all hold the solution to beating those melancholy blues whenever they rear their ugly head!
The key - as the amazing Og Mandino points out above - is to simply take your focus OFF the present state and shift it to WHAT YOU WANT!
Allow the Law of Attraction to take hold by putting all that has already occurred behind you and focusing like a laser beam on what you want from your life!
Stop the negative thought patterns in their tracks as soon as you become aware of them and ENVISION exactly what you WANT in your life.
Let the past go - it does not matter a smidge!!
Visualize a new job, new career, new relationship, new passion, new lifestyle, a NEW YOU!
The more we focus and envision what we want - as opposed to our current struggles and challenges - the quicker these things will become a reality!
Keep the FAITH that you are exactly where you are meant to be on your path - and embrace the trials and obstacles with Hope and Strength!
Start today!! YOU control your life and your emotions!
Master them with the use of positive, enthusiastic thoughts and helpful actions toward others!
Stay Strong! !!!
