SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

Challenge is inconvenient and yet it is so absolutely necessary. Effort is not always fun and yet it gives you access to the good, fun and fulfilling parts of life. Though in the moment it may seem unfair or tedious or boring or frustrating to make the effort, get past all that. Go ahead and do what must be done, especially including the hard stuff. Looking back on the effort, it will not look so bad. In fact, looking back you’ll be quite thankful you did it. So now, when the opportunity is here, do it. Now, when your destiny is begging you to respect it, to follow it and give value to it, get going. Muscle your way through, or finesse your way through, or do what it takes to get it done. Though at the beginning you may not feel you’ll like it, you will come to like it in a deeply satisfying way. It is amazing what you can do when you put mind, body and spirit into it. Go ahead, do the hard stuff, and delight yourself with amazement at how great it is.

Forget what you think you know, and remember who you know you are. Let go of the need for sensation, and experience the miracle of existence.  Breathe deeply the sweet, cool presence of possibility. Life means markedly more, yet a glorious place to start is with the meaning you give it. Dart quickly from the thought that anything is mundane. Every great and tiny thing is anything but. Your longings are not strange or irresponsible. They are you, and indeed your responsibility is to indulge them in creative and beneficial ways. Joy is not some fleeting, fashionable amusement park ride. It is the gift you can inject into even the smallest, most ordinary moments, again and again. Lovingly immerse your world in the unique joy you keep longing to create. All is now possible, and from that limitless realm your choices make life magnificent.

Trust yourself to love what you truly love. Have plenty of confidence to say what you really want to say. Life is too precious to always be asking permission. Go ahead and live your authentic purpose in every thing, in every moment. Have faith in what impassions you. Go with what you know is good and right, energizing and empowering. Anyone else’s mere opinion about you is that person’s concern, not yours. Trust in your unique worth and beauty, for they are absolutely there. Be endlessly curious and joyously delighted about whatever you care about. Let yourself be fascinated by the special, sparkling gems of life that catch your eye. You already know how to live richly. Trust yourself, and do it.

Your purpose won’t scream at you all the time. Though if it did, you’d be continually smothered in delightfully good fortune. Purpose does whisper in every little thing, in each feeling, experience, preference, desire and joy. It is not loud yet it persistently calls, and you’re smart to listen. Climb the challenging trail unfolding from that purpose of yours. You’ll accumulate joyous new fulfillment not only at the summit, but also all along the way. How you feel about life says much more about you than it does about life. Pay attention to those feelings, learn what drives them, and choose to follow the unshakable, underlying yearning from which they spring. Purpose pulls you through the struggle, then is deepened and enriched by that same struggle. When you know you must act no matter what, it is purpose urging you forward. Find it, feel it, and allow that purpose to inform and energize all you do. Let it propel you to the rich and fulfilling life that is yours to live.

Action and excitement and activity are all great. So are peace and quiet. If you spend all your time having entertainment and information fed to you, there’s no time left to find meaning in it all. On a regular basis, disconnect from the constant feed and reconnect with the beautiful reality of who you are. You don’t have to see and hear and know everything the instant it happens. Much of the value of knowledge comes from taking the time to process what you know. Your power to imagine is one of the most useful and valuable abilities you have. Yet if you are constantly overloaded with intense incoming sensations, your amazing imagination will begin to wither. There’s exquisite music of your own making to be found in moments of peaceful silence. For a little while, let go of what they are saying and rediscover who you are. Delight in the sights, sounds, thrills and excitement of life. And find profound treasure in the peace and quiet.

The best of life is not out of your reach. It is here in this moment. It is outstanding to dream, to plan, to work toward a meaningful goal and to achieve great and valuable things. But you don’t have to wait for later to get the most out of life. Everything you need to enjoy the richness of life is here now, today, where you are. With what you have, with what you know, with what you feel and with what’s available to you, you can experience life at its best. The key for doing so is to live with purpose, with authentic passion, with enthusiasm and genuine gratitude. In whatever situation you may find yourself, with whatever else you may have, you have the privilege of experiencing life from your own unique perspective. Let go of the illusion that something else, something out there, something apart from you will make you happy. Let happiness and real, true joy flow from whatever you’re doing, wherever you are. This day is too precious to waste it waiting or hoping for things to be diffe...

Don’t waste your energy being resentful about the distractions or blaming the interruptions. Just go ahead and cheerfully deal with whatever comes along. Don’t use up all your time complaining about the problems or worrying about the challenges. Instead, be thankful that you’re able to do something positive with them, and then get busy. There is so very much you can achieve if you’ll simply get out of your own way. There is so much you can do when you stop second-guessing yourself and allow yourself to take action. By all means think about what you’re doing, but don’t let the thoughts get in the way of doing. Anticipate the possible problems but don’t let those imagined problems prevent you from moving forward. You owe it to life to express your unique perspective by creating new, original value and richness in the world. You owe it to yourself to wake up every morning and spend every day free of any self-imposed limitations. Step forward with joy and live your life. Discover in each n...