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Daily Motivation

Thu, Mar 28 2024 9:00 AM (1,939 replies)
  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Thu, Sep 10 2020 8:40 AM

    Thursday, September 10, 2020

    One of those times

    What if now is one of those times you’ll look back on with gratitude for having been through? What if this is one of those situations you’ll someday wish you had made better use of?

    Many of your most valuable experiences didn’t seem so great at the time. Perhaps this experience will one day join that list.

    Certainly you’re faced with difficulties you’d rather not have. Yet in each of those difficulties, there is also opportunity.

    Imagine that you could focus more on the opportunities and less on the difficulties. What would that look like, and how would it feel?

    Think about putting more of your energy into positive action and spending less of that energy on worry and resentment. How would that affect your current attitude, and what impact would it have on your future?

    Maybe this is, in fact, one of those times you’ll end up being very thankful for. Or if it’s not already, you can make it one.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Fri, Sep 11 2020 8:59 AM

    Friday, September 11, 2020

    Unseen goodness

    Life’s goodness is precious. Like other precious things, goodness is often hidden.

    There is much goodness you can see. There is more goodness you cannot see.

    You appreciate and marvel at the goodness that’s apparent to you. You benefit greatly from goodness you never even know about.

    Extending all over the world and throughout history, unseen goodness brings value into your life. You’re able to enjoy and thrive in this moment because of countless positive choices, past and present.

    The vast majority of those choices aren’t announced with loud fanfare. They are simple, humble acts of ordinary people, adding to life’s goodness one step at a time.

    You live upon a legacy of unseen goodness. Treasure it, respect it, make good use of it, add to it, and pass it on.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Sat, Sep 12 2020 9:15 AM

    Saturday, September 12, 2020

    Merge expectations with reality

    Expect the best of what can be. At the same time, embrace the reality of what is.

    Your expectations exert a powerful influence on the way you interact with life. Use that power wisely, and don’t let it become a burden on your experience.

    Let your expectations lift you, inspire you, illuminate the possibilities. But don’t allow them to set you up for disappointment.

    Keep in mind that your expectations are there to point you in a desired direction. They cannot serve as an exact, detailed map of reality.

    Your job is to integrate the hope and intention of your expectations with the actual truth of your situation. Be ever mindful of where you have chosen to go while also being fully present and aware of where you are.

    Make your highest expectations more than mere fantasy. Work to merge them with reality, so that you can bring them fully to life.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Mon, Sep 14 2020 8:23 AM

    Monday, September 14, 2020

    Find the positive

    Unless you are a multi-billionaire, pessimism is a luxury you cannot afford. You owe it to yourself to find something positive in even the most distressing situation.

    Negative thoughts waste your time and drain your energy. If you find yourself consumed with pessimism, ask some serious questions.

    How much of your life are you willing to give away in return for nothing? How much potential good fortune are you willing to forgo just so you can indulge your negativity?

    You do not have to be negative in order to be realistic. You can see what’s truly there and also, always, envision a positive way forward.

    It often requires much effort to uncover and to follow the positive possibilities. Yet the results you achieve are worth all that effort.

    Invest your thoughts, your focus, your actions to the benefit of all you love and care about. Find the positive, no matter what, and bring it fully to life.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Tue, Sep 15 2020 8:22 AM

    Tuesday, September 15, 2020

    With kindness

    Even if your kindness is not acknowledged or appreciated, it is worth your effort. When you experience yourself giving genuine kindness, that always has value to you.

    Kindness brings out the best in you, strengthens your strengths, mitigates your weaknesses. Kindness connects you like nothing else can.

    Kindness has its greatest power when you are least inclined to offer it. Kindness can be vastly more effective at resolving discord than anger, contempt or retribution.

    Being the first to offer kindness can give you a powerful advantage. Persisting in your kindness, you can use that advantage to everyone’s benefit.

    Genuine kindness, accompanied by genuine humility, makes life significantly better for you and those around you. Kindness has a power that is difficult to ignore, difficult to oppose, difficult to stop.

    Whatever you do, do it with kindness. And achieve optimum results for everyone involved.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Wed, Sep 16 2020 12:12 PM

    Wednesday, September 16, 2020

    Get specific

    You can’t get anything done unless you know exactly what you intend to do. You won’t create a better world until you clearly and precisely define the elements that will constitute that better world.

    It’s great that you seek to be your best. Yet you must also get clear about what that is and why you want it in the first place.

    Specific goals lead to concrete achievements, for the day, the quarter, a lifetime. Vague wishes and ill-defined intentions result in a lot of wasted time and opportunity.

    You have the amazing ability to define what you intend to do and then to actually do it. Over and over again, you can create good and valuable results in any area of life.

    It’s not always easy to focus that ability but it’s absolutely necessary. Before you can do the work to achieve, you must do the demanding work to clearly define what you will achieve.

    You can pick any destination as long as it is a specific destination. Know exactly where you’re going, and you’ll give yourself the ability to get there.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Thu, Sep 17 2020 8:09 AM

    Thursday, September 17, 2020

    Autumn morning

    A tennis ball rolls down the street to the bottom of the hill. Someone bought it, paid for it, hit it over the fence, but continuing the friendly game is more important than chasing the wayward ball.

    Tomorrow a yellow lab will discover it, and that ball will make his day the best one in two weeks. He doesn’t care where it came from or who will get it later, simply enjoys it to the fullest while he can.

    Inside her house a woman simmers with anger as she stares at a glowing screen. A politician said something foolish, and she’s eager to take it as a personal offense.

    The morning air is pleasantly cool and crisp but she’ll never feel it. Sunlight paints the leaves of her pear tree a golden hue but she’ll never see it, consumed as she is with willing her side to win.

    Her neighbors pack their car and drive off. They’re taking their children to play on the beach, hoping to make memories that will last for a lifetime.

    What’s important, what is not, what can you do, what can you let go? Every moment you decide, and all those choices make you who you are.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Fri, Sep 18 2020 8:31 AM

    Friday, September 18, 2020

    Positive about something

    You don’t have to be positive about everything in order to be positive about something. The world around you doesn’t have to be perfect in order for you to get good work done.

    Sure, you’d like the situation and the people around you to be more accommodating, more cooperative, understanding, and amenable. Yet there are plenty of ways you can move forward from the situation as it is, right now.

    The world isn’t the way you’d like it to be, and that’s an opportunity. Because you can take action and make it a little better.

    You can find something to be positive about. You can expand on that.

    The news headlines are important, but they are certainly not everything. Though there is much you cannot change, there are plenty of powerful, significant things you can do.

    Your actions today can make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others. Take that opportunity, do what you can, and expand what’s good and valuable in life.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Sat, Sep 19 2020 11:01 AM

    Saturday, September 19, 2020

    This time that is now

    Your time is here, your time is now. Live your time with purpose, with passion, with joy, with love.

    Get over your obsession with what could have been or what might or might not be. Fill yourself with appreciation for what is, and for all you can do with it.

    Let go of the impulse to judge whether it’s a good time or bad time, right time or wrong time. Use your thoughts, energy, and efforts to live the time in the best way you can imagine.

    Take a step back and look with fresh eyes at all you have, at all you love, at all you can do. In this time that is now, make good use of it all.

    The miraculous spark of life glows brightly within you right now. Feel the possibilities and act on them.

    Think of all you’ve wished you could do, all you’ve said you would do, all you’d like to get done. Now is your time to act.

     

    — Ralph Marston

  • Ladychipper
    22,630 Posts
    Mon, Sep 21 2020 8:22 AM

    Monday, September 21, 2020

    Note from long ago

    Imagine that you had written a note to yourself a quarter century ago, and stumbled upon it today. What would you have reminded yourself to treasure, to work for, to be careful about, to enjoy?

    Through everything you’ve experienced, you’ve continued to be you. The scene has changed, but the actor is still the same.

    Now you have more wisdom, more connections, more knowledge, more ability. Yet the fundamental purpose within you is still very much the same.

    You worked your way through the challenges you faced back then. Now the challenges are different, and all that good experience can serve you very well.

    Consider all the days since then, all the people, the problems, the successes, setbacks, and joys. Realize how superbly your life has equipped you to continue living and improving life right now.

    Today, and each day going forward, be true to that legacy you’ve worked so hard to give to yourself. Make good use of all you’ve gained, and continue to discover how fulfilling life can be.

     

    — Ralph Marston

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