SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

Negative thoughts affect more than just your mind. Those thoughts create negative energy that flows destructively throughout your entire life. If you are extremely negative about one thing, that negativity seeps into everything. That’s why it is so important to transform the negative influences into positive thoughts and endeavors. There will always be people, events and circumstances that have the potential to get you down. However, you don’t have to let them keep you down for long. Much of what comes to you, and happens beyond you, is out of your control. Yet you always can precisely and dependably control what you do with it. The best thing to do with whatever happens is to find a positive, purposeful way to respond. If something threatens to get you down, choose to do something even more consequential that lifts your world up. Instead of letting the negativity drain you, create your own empowering positive energy. A positive response is always there, so find it and choose it every ...

Life is as it is in this moment, and it’s powerful to be able to accept that. Yet just because you accept what is, here and now, doesn’t mean you must be resigned to letting it stay that way. Yes, you can accept even those things you don’t agree with or approve of. It is your acceptance of reality that positions you to change and to improve upon that reality. Accept the moment, and find great value in it. Accept the situation, whatever it may be, and enable yourself to move positively forward from it. It can be tempting to simply avoid or deny the truth. Eventually, though, you must accept and deal with the truth, and the sooner you choose to do so, the better. Visualization can be a powerful tool, yet merely pretending that something is true does not make it so. Visualize the way you desire for life to be, and accept that you must work to make it so. Accept and embrace the reality of what is. Then take it and make it the best it can be.

When you find a way to be thankful for something, you find the value in it. When you find a way to be thankful, you find a way to benefit. That is especially true when you’re thankful for things that would not seem at first to be beneficial. The more you can be thankful for, the more real, meaningful value there will be in your life. Be thankful for the difficulties. Your gratitude will make them less difficult and much easier to bear. Be thankful for whatever you’ve just experienced. In that state of thankfulness you’ll find powerful lessons to be learned. Gratitude enables you to see anything in a whole new, empowering light. Be thankful, and you’ll understand how truly rich you already are, and how much more richness you can now create. Find a way to be thankful, and you’ll discover many new ways to move forward. Find a way to be thankful, and you’ll see that limitless abundance is yours to live.

Feel a little of life’s goodness and let that goodness be magnified throughout your being. Feel a little goodness and make a lot more. There is goodness everywhere. Open yourself to it, expect to experience it in every situation, and you will. There are times when it is clear and obvious how truly good life is. Yet even when it is not so obvious, that goodness is most certainly there. Remind yourself how good life can be, and bring that goodness wherever you are. Share the goodness, and suddenly there is much more. Instead of assuming that life must be disappointing, give life a chance to be good. Give goodness a place to be in your life, and it will be. On any given day, whatever the circumstance, life is as good as you allow it to be. Feel a little goodness, then feel a little more, and make life the best it can be.

Careful and detailed planning is essential to any achievement, and yet the planning is not the achievement. To achieve any goal you must act on it, and the sooner you begin to act, the better. The first thing to do is to do something. Instead of speculating, or debating, or making excuses, or wondering, step forward and take action. You cannot learn what works until you actually do some work. Begin, learn, adjust, and continue acting with growing wisdom and experience until the goal is reached. Yes, you can benefit greatly from the experience of others. And the way to do that is to continue adding your own experience to it. If there’s something you intend to do, get started. If you don’t take the first step immediately, it’s not really an intention but merely an empty wish. You are fully capable and fully deserving of the great, rewarding experience of achievement. Start on it right away, right now, and bring that experience to life.

Right now is your opportunity to fully live this day. It’s an opportunity that will never come again. If you waste the opportunity that is now, you are guaranteed to deeply regret it later. If you make the most of the opportunity of today, then tomorrow you’ll have access to an even greater opportunity. To live a rich, fulfilling life, you must do valuable, fulfilling things. Today is when you can choose to do those things. You can either punish yourself by avoiding the opportunity of now, or you can reward yourself by doing all you can to make the most of it. Think of that when you’re deciding how to spend the next moment, and the rest of this day. There is unclaimed value right in front of you, right now. By giving of yourself and by sincerely making your very best efforts, that value can be yours. If you wish to fill your life and your world with richness, the opportunity is now. There is so very much to give and to live, so get busy and do it.

Be inspired by life, and yet go beyond being merely inspired. Act on your inspirations. Let life stir your passion, and let that passion push you into action. Let the outstanding, meaningful ideas flow, then do something real and useful with them. Each time life makes a profound impression upon your heart, resolve anew to make a difference. Take the real goodness you see, and be the living instrument through which it is amplified and expanded. There is so very much that can inspire you, in the ordinary moments as well as in the extraordinary experiences. Consider each inspiration as a starting point from which you can do truly amazing things. There is a reason why you feel that warm, right and wonderful sense of inspiration. It resonates so well with you in order to give power and authentic purpose to your actions. Follow that purpose, and make the most of that power. Be truly inspired to act on your inspirations, and lift all of life to inspiring new heights.

The life you live is lived first in your imagination. Every step you take is imagined before it is actually taken. The powerful thing is, you can imagine absolutely anything. So remember to use that power wisely. There are consequences to whatever you imagine. Make those consequences good ones by filling your imagination with positive, loving and life-affirming visions. There is no restriction on what you can imagine. So choose to imagine the very best for your life, your world, and all the other people in it. Your imagination drives your actions in ways you never even realize. The seeds you plant in your imagination will spring to life in the day-to-day reality of your experience. Just imagine how good and wonderful and fulfilled your life can be. Imagine, and you are well on your way to making it happen.

Don’t waste your time seeking to find happiness. Instead, be the happiness. Happiness does not come from anything outside of you. Happiness is the way you choose to be. Yes, you can express your happiness in many wonderful ways that go far beyond you. The consequences of your inner happiness bring beauty and great value to your outer world. Yet the happiness itself always comes from within. And you can always choose it, no matter what other things may be going on. Instead of limiting your happiness to just certain situations, let it come alive in any situation. Instead of waiting and hoping for someone or something to bring you happiness, bring it on yourself. Be the happiness you wish to experience. Let it flow freely from your feelings, your thoughts and your actions today, and always.

Live by intention, not by reaction. Consciously choose your actions and they will be far more rewarding. Instead of being a slave to the negativity of others, be the master of your own positive and purposeful life. Decide precisely how you wish to live, and then focus your energy on following that course. Keep in mind that excuses make you a victim, so let go of any urge to create those excuses. Choosing to unconditionally take responsibility for your life is what will make life rich and full. Living intentionally and responsibly is difficult, inconvenient and won’t always make you the most popular person around. Ultimately, though, it is always the choice that creates the true, meaningful value you seek. Live fully in each moment, but don’t live just for the moment. Live so that your very best possibilities continue to unfold as time goes on. You know that there is great, unique value and goodness within you. Live each day with purposeful intention, and joyfully give that value and go...

Life is amazing, so be amazed. Instead of acting like you’ve seen it all before, live as though you’re seeing it all for the first time. You are in fact experiencing this bright new moment for the very first time. So look carefully, lovingly, and with the highest of expectations. Take an interest in what you’re doing, in where you are, and in every part of life you touch. There is new treasure to be discovered everywhere, so find as much as you can. Let yourself be curious about whatever crosses your path. Let yourself be fascinated by what you see and what you learn. There is never any reason to be bored. Embrace a vision of life that is endlessly fascinating and truly amazing. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, be amazed. And your life, along with your whole world, will indeed be amazing.

When you doubt yourself and your efforts, keep working. Your creative energy, persistently applied, will soon make the doubt go away. When you’re simply not making any progress, keep working. The breakthrough you seek may be just one more effort away. When you’ve enjoyed a great success, keep working. Instead of resting on your achievements, make them even more meaningful by making good use of them. When it feels like all your energy is drained, keep working. Your determined efforts will create their own energy. When you’re not sure what to do, keep working. The more you do, the more you learn, and the more clearly you’ll be able to see the way forward. Life works best when you keep working at it. Keep working, and keep making life truly amazing.

Even the smallest positive effort can create a radical shift in your perspective. Even the smallest positive effort can begin to create a powerful, forward-focused momentum. If it seems you’re going through a bad stretch, make the choice to change your momentum. Then step decisively forward and act on that choice. The way to change something is to do something. You can wish and worry and complain until you’re blue in the face, yet nothing good is likely to happen until you act to make it happen. When you avoid any effort, life can seem endlessly overwhelming. Yet the moment you start to do something you’re suddenly connected, almost as if by magic, to all kinds of positive options. Though you may not feel like it, and though you may have to do it on faith, take a small positive step. Make a little effort in a good and positive direction, and you’ll be making a big change in your momentum. Your actions absolutely can make a difference, so choose to use that power. Act to give your momen...

Certainly life has its pains and disappointments, but you don’t have to totally invest yourself in them. Life has its setbacks and injustices, but you don’t have to identify yourself by them. You can acknowledge and deal with the negativity without letting it get to you. You can live in a world that is sometimes harsh and cruel without choosing to see yourself as a victim. Sure, there are lots of difficulties that come along. Yet there are even more positive possibilities to live for. Instead of letting the difficulties get you down, let them inspire you. Let them inspire you to focus more intently on the good, valuable and beautiful aspects of life. No life is free of pain, inconvenience, frustration or challenge. However, there is no law that says you have to let those negative things completely overwhelm your awareness. Take the difficulties in stride, and then be sure to move quickly on to the joys. No matter what has happened, remember that joy can always be your next experience.

Your intentions can be enormously powerful, yet they must be clear, specific and meaningful. If you just have a vague idea of the results you intend, the results you actually get will have little value. Decide what you wish to do today, or this month, or this year, and make it precise. In order to be fully committed, you must know exactly what you’re committed to doing. The more clearly you visualize your intentions, the more powerful you make them. When you can see exactly where you’re going, you can also find realistic and workable ways to get there. The power of your intentions also comes from the strength of purpose behind them. When they’re solidly connected to what’s meaningful in your life, then you’ll put your best efforts into making those intentions happen. Your intentions are powerful precisely because they enable you to focus and harness your substantial energy. Your intentions bring results because they compel you to create those results. Make them clear and meaningful, an...

Some of the most interesting and valuable experiences are the ones you don’t expect. Surprises can bring into your life good things you never knew were there. It’s comfortable to stick with the same old routine, but comfort is overrated. Choose to regularly jump out of that routine, and get yourself in situations where you can be surprised. Learn to look forward to the difficult, the unusual and the unknown. When you’re not sure what you’ll find, you’re more likely to find something that will bring new richness to your life. You are superbly able to be curious, innovative and adaptable, so make use of those powerful abilities. Step out of the comfortable box that houses everything you already know, and enjoy exploring unfamiliar territory. If you were a typical child, you loved surprises. Make it a point to get some of that magic back. Go where you can surprise yourself. And experience firsthand just how fascinating and rich your life can be.

The way to achieve big things is to take care of the little things every opportunity you get. Instead of seeing yourself as too important to do some small task, see the task as too important to ignore. Don’t worry about whether you’re making a big enough difference. Just keep your focus on making whatever positive difference you can. Every major achievement is filled with countless minor details. Get the small details right, and you’ll get the big achievement done. Now is the time you have in which to act. So do what you can do now. A molecule of water is so small it cannot be seen by the naked eye, and the ocean is so vast it cannot be seen all at once. Yet the vast ocean is nothing without the tiny molecule. Each little effort matters. So make one every chance you get.

Don’t be too smart for your own good. Don’t be too critical of your own work. Prepare for what you intend to do, and plan how you will do it, but not to the point of obsession. Sooner rather than later, finish the planning and start the doing. Even though you won’t get it perfect, focus all your energy on getting it done. Even though you may have your doubts, push on through them and keep going. Achievement is never clean or linear. Great achievement is messy and inconvenient, daunting and often quite unpredictable, and it is worth all that. You have great achievement within you, today, in this place, using what you have and what you know. What a shame it would be to never let that unique achievement see the light of day. So get busy right now and begin to let it see the light of day, on this day. You have so much to give to life, and such exquisite fulfillment to savor from doing so.