SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

Precisely because dissatisfaction is so uncomfortable, it energizes your life. When you are not satisfied with the way things are, in that feeling of dissatisfaction is the energy to change. You can tap into that energy to change yourself, or the situation, or both. In every case, you are looking directly at an opportunity for significant improvement. Experiencing what you don’t want can drive you to create what you do want. The next time that happens, jump at the opportunity. Take hold of the energy of your dissatisfaction. Immerse your awareness in the focus, in the drive, in the determination it gives you. Then look out at the world with joy, with gratitude and with love for all that is. See the possibilities in a new, empowering light, and let them push you into action. Feel your dissatisfaction, and resolve its discomfort by growing, building, creating, by becoming smarter, wiser, more capable and generous. In the energy of your dissatisfaction is your opportunity to uplift the wh...

Where do you find happiness? The only place you ever find happiness is where you are. Happiness is not in some far off, fondly imagined time or place or situation. The happiness you enjoy is the happiness you choose to enjoy in the here and now. You possess the very real ability to be happy just as you are. When you utilize that ability, when you choose happiness, you inject positive power into everything you do. Are you disappointed, frustrated, feeling ineffective and unappreciated? Choose to be happy, and feel how quickly that all changes. Being happy for no reason, or even when there are compelling reasons not to be, is not naive. It is a shrewd and effective way to energize your life. Go ahead and empower yourself with happiness. Be happy with your situation, and it will most definitely improve, because you will improve it.

Life can be amazing, so by all means be amazed. But don’t be so amazed that it immobilizes you.  Be amazed at the possibilities, at all the great things you can do. Then get beyond your amazement and get busy actually doing.  Be amazed at what others have achieved, at what you yourself have done, and at the beauty the universe constantly proffers. Then find something new and great and wonderful to do with it all.  Life is amazing and you can make it even more so. Be amazed, yet don’t ever let yourself be satisfied with mere amazement.  Drink in the wonder and beauty of life. Let it all inspire you to create greater beauty.  The journey is long, worthwhile, fulfilling and amazing. Be amazed, and keep going.

You have more strength than you know. Start to make use of that strength, to expect more of yourself, and you’ll begin to find how much is really there. You have more stories than you realize. Begin to offer those stories, in ways helpful and congenial, and you’ll understand how rich and profound they are. You are wealthy beyond any level you have ever imagined. Open your eyes to the value in all that surrounds you, and live the joyful, creative reality of that wealth. Within your life is an ever-glowing treasure, resonating with all of life while also being uniquely you. Allow that gentle glow to spark into a brilliant flame, lighting the universe in its own beautiful way. You have more resources, skills, experience and capacity to love than you have yet discovered. Focus your life, genuinely and passionately on a meaningful purpose, and let all that goodness pour forth. There is always more to know, more to do, more to live and more to give. Experience the matchless joy of allowing i...

Life is great, and it can be much better when you put more of yourself into it. Feel the wonder of all that is, and then let that sense of wonder and awe motivate you to make something new and great from it all. The more you put yourself into life, the better life gets. The more you invest the whole of your authentic being into living and achieving and making a difference, the better your world becomes. Don’t hold back, or hide your feelings. Celebrate the fact that you feel vulnerable, or that you feel excited, or that you feel whatever you feel. It’s a waste of time and effort to pretend that you’re above it all, or apart from it all. You are in fact woven intricately into the fabric of life, so do your part and live it richly. There’s nothing of value to be gained by hiding behind a well-cultivated, one-dimensional image. Be you, in all your complexity, with all your contradictions, with your real passions, shortcomings and strengths. The more enthusiastically and authentically you ...

Whatever you must do is not particularly hard. It’s just a matter of doing it. Sure, it has its challenges. And those challenges are what give value to the work you do. Are you avoiding something because of how hard you think it will be? Stop and remind yourself how foolish that is. You are capable of doing great work, of making a positive difference, and of transforming the challenges into achievements. Go ahead and get busy doing all that. Worry and procrastination will just make the task more difficult when you eventually have no choice but to do it. So now, while you still have a choice, choose to get the work done. You can in fact enjoy the effort, enjoy the challenges, and enjoy pushing forward. So take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, feel your power, and get the work done.

Insist on excellence from yourself and your efforts. Don’t settle for anything less. Excellence is not quick or easy, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. You know when you’re doing your very best, so don’t let up until you’re doing it. If you’re going to make the effort, make it all the way. You can learn, and improve, and learn some more, and make use of your experience to make your way toward excellence. The energy you put into doing it right is energy that’s well invested. Instead of wasting your time on half-hearted efforts, you can transform your time into real, lasting value. The world may let you get by with less than you’re capable of giving. Yet true fulfillment depends on knowing that you’ve given your best. Insist on excellence from yourself, and don’t stop until you’ve reached it. All of this wonderful life is yours, so take the opportunity to make it all truly count.

Today is a day for something new in your life. Think of what it could be. This is a new, original day. So celebrate it, honor it, and live it with new, original experiences. You’re only stuck in a rut to the extent that you allow yourself to be. On this beautiful, unique day, go beyond everything you’ve done before and put some new, meaningful substance into your life. That doesn’t mean you have to do something that will be reported on the local news. It just means that you have the opportunity to add a new flavor of richness to this experience that is your life. Think of all you love, all you care about, all you desire and wish for, all you value, and all the things you’re curious about. Go ahead, take a step you’ve always wanted to take, and explore an aspect of life you’ve always wanted to know more about. What a shame it would be for today to be an exact copy of any other day. This is your chance for something new, so take that chance, get out of your rut, and experience the wonder...

Instead of judging in advance whether or not something will be enjoyable, make the intention to enjoy. And then live the reality of your own intention. Your present attitude does not have to be restricted by your past experiences. Choose an attitude that will bring value and fulfillment, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. Let the substance of your life flow from your conscious, intentional choices. Decide how you will live each moment, and then follow through with that decision, no matter what does or does not happen in that moment. The outside world is absolutely real and exerts significant influence. Yet you have even greater influence over the way your life unfolds. Let go of the assumption that certain situations must necessarily engender certain attitudes and responses from you. In fact, turn it around and allow your positive, purposeful attitude to cast a bright and empowering light on every situation. Create your own solid intentions of excellence, fulfillment, joy and eff...

Don’t waste this precious day creating regrets. Invest your time creating value. Don’t work against your own interests by using your energy to feel sorry for yourself. You can use that same energy, and more, to get beyond whatever may be troubling you. The choices you make are what determine the quality of the life you live. Every time you have a choice to make, you have the opportunity to make life richer and more fulfilling. You are immersed in abundance and possibility. Have the presence of mind to see it, and have the courage to make the most of it all. There’s no limit to the number of ways you can make a difference. Remind yourself of that, and remind yourself of all that truly matters to you. Opportunity is yours and it is called life. Now, live it well.

It occasionally happens that you become disappointed in yourself. When that occurs, choose to transform that disappointment into determination. Many times you will become disappointed by the words or actions of others. At such times, you can take the power of that disappointment and transform it into effective, purposeful determination. Experiencing the shortfalls in life can actually give you increased positive energy to create real improvements. You have the opportunity to take a bad thing and transform it into a good thing. Disappointment is powerful because it commands your attention, and focuses your thoughts on what you envision for life. When you feel that happening, what you’re feeling is the chance to make a positive change in your approach. So go ahead, and feel the legitimate disappointment, but don’t let it disappoint you for long. Know right away that you can let it inspire you, motivate you, and create an unstoppable determination. Grab the opportunity that disappointment...

The vast majority of what you consider problems, when viewed in a historical context, are nothing more than trivial inconveniences. That’s because a whole lot of people who came before you made the choice to leave life better than they found it. By the standards of that same historical context, if you’re not improving life, you’re not living fully. No matter where you are or what you have, you always have the opportunity to move life positively forward. You have the capacity to be creative, productive and effective. To the extent you utilize that capacity, you experience life’s richness. Those problems, those trivial inconveniences, don’t have to slow you down for more than a short while. You are far more powerful than any problem that might come along. In fact, the challenges give you all sorts of ways to utilize your capabilities and to create new value. Get out there, meet those challenges head on, and discover how you can connect to the best life has to offer. Step back from the da...

Have a little more patience, and you’ll have a lot less stress. Take a deep, relaxing, refreshing breath, and allow life to unfold as it will.  Don’t take it as a major personal affront if someone else is not as quick or as competent as you would like. Find a way to enjoy the moment rather than poison it.  Instead of being obsessed about what you might be missing, be thankful for what you have. Instead of being so anxious about what’s next, focus on the richness of what’s now.  Let go of the life-wasting need to prove how important you think you are. Put your energy into improving how good and helpful and creative you truly are.  Enjoy the journey, and enjoy the rich, unique qualities of those who journey with you. Expect the absolute best of life, while giving your vision plenty of time to unfold.  Have a little more patience. Give your life and your world, and all the others in it, the time they deserve.

If there’s a problem, work on it. Instead of wishing there was no problem, or complaining, feeling sorry for yourself, or running away from the problem, work on it.  Sooner or later you’re going to have to work on it. So make it sooner, and get the problem behind you.  If there’s something you would like to create in your life, work on it. Work on it, and bring it out of the realm of fantasy into the living reality of your world.  Any situation can be improved when you work on it. Though it does indeed seem simple and obvious, you always benefit by reminding yourself to work on it.  You don’t have to remain stuck, or frustrated, discouraged or ineffective. Work on it, and feel the unique joy of making real progress.  Life is a blessing, and in countless ways you can make it even more so. Work on it, and discover again and again how much good you can do. 

Expressing outrage is a very poor way to show how much you care. In fact, too many people use the dramatic expression of outrage as a substitute for actual caring and commitment.  The way to truly care is not with loud, abrasive outrage. It is with beneficial, sustained effort.  Nobody really benefits from anyone else being offended and outraged. What people benefit from are quiet acts of kindness, encouragement, support, respect and generosity.  Instead of loudly proclaiming your values, consider all the many ways you can live them. Instead of putting on a show, put forth some real, sustained, helpful effort.  Lashing out is a sure sign of weakness. Living with goodness, quiet determination and generosity is evidence of true strength.  Be strong, and skip the outrage. Be strong, and make the necessary effort, again and again, to make the world a better place. 

You will be miserable when you choose to be miserable. You will be happy when you choose to be happy. You don’t need a certain job or activity, or a certain collection of possessions, or a specific set of circumstances in order to enjoy life. You must simply choose to enjoy life. You can choose in any situation to feel whatever way you wish to feel. When you choose to feel empowered, fulfilled and positively purposeful, you are. Do you wish to be old, young, rich, poor, smart, foolish, useless or highly effective? It is all in the way you look at life, and all in the way you choose. Yes, there are solid objective realities about which you cannot do very much. What matters to you, though, is your subjective viewpoint, which is always yours to choose. You are the way you choose to be. Choose your own unique greatness, and your choice makes life greater with each passing day.

Quality questions create a quality life. They direct our mental focus and therefore determine how we think and feel. The difference in the quality of people’s lives often comes down to the difference in the questions they consistently ask themselves. If you ask a disempowering question (i.e. “Why does this always happen to me?”), your mental computer will look for an answer, even if it has to make something up! It might come up with “Because you’re stupid” or “Because you don’t deserve to do well anyway.” On the flip side, if you ask an empowering question, such as “How can I take this experience and use it to contribute to others?” your brain will look for answers to this question and often come up with an answer that not only makes you feel better, but that can help others as well. The key is to develop a pattern of questions that empower you. The following questions are designed to help you experience more happiness, excitement, pride, gratitude, joy, commitment and love every day o...

You have a large amount of unrealized potential. Choose today, right now, to begin fulfilling more of that great potential.  Don’t let the best of your beauty, your unique value, your possibilities stay locked up inside you. Give yourself the enjoyment and satisfaction of living to do all you know you can do, and more.  Give all of life the gift of your very best efforts. Instead of merely having the capability for achievement, create the reality of achievement.  You can do so much more with your days than merely getting through them. With your focused and purposeful effort, you can transform fleeting moments into lasting value.  Let this world know, in the best possible way, that you are here to make a difference. Make this day count, through all you do, for things that are good and right and meaningful.  Leave the excuses, the insecurities and the doubts behind. You know how very much you can do, and how much of a difference you can create, so get busy and mak...

Every part of life requires regular nourishment. If anything in your life seems to be going downhill, it is probably not receiving enough good, solid nourishment and positive attention. You cannot eat one big meal and expect it to last for a week. Not only physical, but also mental and spiritual nourishment must come in continuing portions to support a healthy, fulfilling life. Nourishment must also be of good quality in order to be beneficial. Just as you can’t expect to live well on junk food, you can’t expect to live a good life in a mentally or spiritually toxic environment. Nourish your mind, nourish your body and nourish your spirit with quality substance. All that you do on a moment-by-moment basis combines to influence the way your life unfolds. Every experience, every situation, every tick of the clock is an opportunity to nourish some part of your life. As you go through each day, keep that in mind, and provide your life with good, positive nourishment all along the way. Good...

Life is messy, uncertain, difficult, inconvenient, and wonderful. Live the real wonder, and not just an imitation.  Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, and do something for the sheer joy of it. Unplug from the so-called conventional wisdom and serve yourself up some delicious original thoughts.  Take the most stimulating, interesting, thought-provoking and enjoyable route, not merely the quickest one. Stop along the way, and discover something you had no idea was there.  Fill your time with activities for which there is no sanitized, diluted, pre-programmed app. You are a unique, original spirit, so live up to that glorious potential.  Feel the texture of life in all its diversity. Stop comparing yourself to what others have done and start expressing the singular beauty of what it means to be you.  There’s no joy in living as one of a million copies. Live real, live rich, and live the unique joy that only you can create.