I will touch a life today

Do you know what you want out of life? Sometimes the things we DON'T want are more clear than the things we DO want. Yet if we dwell on what we DON'T want, even with the conscious intention to avoid it, we tend to get it. So the trick is to understand what we don't want, and then use that to formulate strong, appropriate positive goals, for the things we do want. For example, let's say that one of your co-workers loses his job, and after more than 6 months is unable to find employment. His house is foreclosed and his family must move into a small apartment. You look at his unfortunate experience and realize that you don't want that scenario for yourself. Now, instead of worrying about losing your job, and your house, and dwelling on the negative, you must determine what goals you can set, and what actions you can take, so that you never end up in that situation. Turn the fear into desire. It will be just as strong and will lead you in a more positiv...

Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. -- Francis Bacon We must live WITH hope, yet we cannot live BY hope. It is fine to hope for the best. That, however, is not enough. We cannot merely hope, we must take action. It is sad how many things are tolerated in the hope that they will improve. Hoping for the best won't do anything. Working and taking action, with hope in your heart, will bring about results. That's a powerful combination. Hope works in your favor only as long as it is accompanied by action and commitment. Hope cannot replace action. Do what needs to be done, hope or no hope. Hope for the best, and do everything in your power to make it happen. Yes, there is hope. Things will get better -- when you make them better. Start each day with hope, and then get busy working. Let your hope inspire you, rather than console you. Hope for the best, and then do whatever it takes. Hope depends on you.

The more you look up, the more things will be looking up. The more positive you are in a physical sense, the more positive your whole life is. Your mind and your body work together. It is difficult to be mentally and spiritually joyful and positive when you have a negative, lifeless physiology. Conversely, when you are smiling, standing or sitting up straight, looking upward, and breathing deeply, it is almost impossible to sustain negative attitude. Act positive physically and you will be positive. You'll see the good things around you. You'll interact better with other people. Think about it, who would you rather deal with, someone who is slumped over and looking down at the ground, or someone who is sincerely cheerful, smiling, bright eyed, looking up, and full of positive energy. Have you ever looked at someone and known immediately that they were depressed? Of course. It is easy to spot. So, if you don't want to be depressed, don't act depressed. ...

Know that what you're doing is right, and nothing can stop you. Believe in the value of your effort, and you have the courage to do whatever it takes to get the job done. When you know you're on the right track, nothing anyone says can dissuade you. Every circumstance becomes an opportunity. Time becomes your friend, as every moment leads you closer to the inevitable attainment of your worthy purpose. The time you take, and the effort you spend, to develop an unshakable belief in the value of your work, will pay huge dividends in the commitment, resilience, persistence, creativity, focus and determination it brings you. Believe in what you do, and do what you believe in doing. And it will happen.

What will tomorrow be like? Well, that's a very good question. The answer depends primarily on what you do today. Tomorrow will be like... whatever you plan and work for it to be. The same goes for next week, next month, next year, and so on. If you don't really have a plan, then tomorrow will be left to chance. You'll drift along with whatever comes by. There's nothing wrong with that, if you like drifting. But if you want more direction, if you have something you'd like to do, or be, or have tomorrow, then you need to start planning and working for it today. Here's something to remember -- the further ahead you plan, the more control you have. Take, for example, flying on a commercial airline. If you show up at the airport, with no ticket, 30 minutes before the flight is leaving, you'll be lucky just to get a seat, and you'll pay the airline's highest fare. If, however, you plan your trip 3 months in advance, you get your choice of...

The word "but" is a killer. It kills your dreams. It gives you an endless supply of reasons to live a life of desperation and mediocrity. "Yes, I'd like to go back to school, but I just can't find the time." In life, there are either results or there are excuses. Unfortunately, most of us have too many excuses and not enough results. Excuses are worthless. Why do we even bother with them? They make us "feel" better, they allow us to deceive ourselves, they help us to forsake responsibility for our own lives. "I want to, but... I need to, but... I could be, but..." But what? To make something of your life, you need to bust some "buts". Get rid of them. For starters, replace "but" with "and". That just naturally makes things more open ended. "Yes, I'd like to go back to school, and... ...and here's how I'm going to do it." "But" may make you feel better in the sho...

You can fill the darkest day with hope, just by the way you decide to look at it. Anger, frustration, and dismay are not the result of your circumstances -- they are the result of your reaction to circumstances. Your situation may indeed be difficult. The obstacles may appear to be insurmountable. It may seem that the whole world is against you. Yet that is all the more reason to look up, to look ahead, to find something positive you can grab on to. You may have every reason to despair, yet despair will only keep you down. Is that what you really want? You control your reactions. You're in complete control of the way you interact with the world around you. Any particular circumstance can be good news or bad news, depending on what you make of it. Everything that holds you back, has the potential to move you ahead. Your life is overflowing with possibilities, if only you will decide to live them.

The phone rings. The voice on the other end asks "Do you have that report yet?" You answer, "No, but I'm trying to get it done." Stop. Rewind. Run the scene again. The phone rings. The voice on the other end asks "Do you have that report yet?" You answer, "I'm working on it right now. You'll have it in the morning." Notice any difference? In the first example, you're trying. In the second example, you're doing. Which one seems more likely to result in a completed report? Trying... Have you ever thought about that word and its implications? When you tell yourself, or anyone else, that you're "trying", that strongly presumes the negative -- that you're not actually doing. Even worse is when you are "trying hard". Think about those two words, "trying" and "hard." Not exactly confidence builders, not exactly full of action. We refer to people in dire circumstances as ...

We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Time does not cure all ills, time does not make things better. It is only through living, and striving, and struggling against the challenges, that things are made better. Time is not our servant. Neither is it our oppressor. Time is our workplace, and our raw material. We can fashion it in any way we choose, through focus and effort. And time comes to us in doses of now. Now is the only time we have, to do what we must do. If we wait until the "right" time, it never comes. Things will only be "right" when we act to make them so. Now is the only time we have, and now is when we must act. We must expect the best -- of ourselves, and of...

We all need each other. What would happen to the richest person in the world, if no one else had any money? In such a case, even the greatest wealth would be meaningless. Abundance cannot be stolen or hoarded. It must be lived. Too often we see wealth as the result of a "getting" process. We waste an enormous amount of time figuring out how we can "get" this or "get" that. In reality, wealth results from a "creation" process. And creation means giving of yourself. You have something within you that is valuable and unique. Something that you can use to create all the wealth you could ever need or want. Perhaps it is your fascination with sports, perhaps it is your skill with programming computers, or your ability to bring people together, or your knack for selecting appropriate colors. Maybe it is your extensive network or contacts, or your dedication to physical fitness, or your ability to compose music, or your skill at repairi...

The greatest accomplishments happen when you get just a little way beyond the point where others would have quit. The difference between someone who enjoys magnificent success, and someone who just managed to get by, is the willingness to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to reach the goal. How far away are you, from reaching your destination? If you quit before you get there you are infinitely far away. Make the commitment to keep going, and suddenly you are almost there. Go beyond where others are willing to go. Put in the extra effort. The time will pass anyway, whether you use it or now. It just makes sense to make the most out of every moment. Give a little more than others are willing to give, be a little more patient, have a little more curiosity, take a little more responsibility, learn a few more things, and it will make all the difference in the world.

Do something for someone else, something unexpected, out of a sincere desire to help, with no expectation of anything in return. Tackle a challenge that has been hanging over your head for a long time. Try something new -- a new food, a new route home, a new book, a new store. Enjoy a few moments of quiet solitude. Think about the things in your life that are most important to you. Call or visit a friend, just to say hello. Learn something new, perhaps related to your job, perhaps not. Smile for no reason at all, as often as you remember. Say hello to a stranger. Do something for the future, that won't "pay off" until several weeks, or months, or years from now. When problems arise, smile and say "that's great, because..." Then find a way to finish the sentence.

Life is an endless source of richness. Everything that comes your way can, in some way or another, add to that richness. From the smallest petal on a flower, to the wide and distant horizon, you'll find energy and possibility, and astounding lessons to be learned. From the most intimate whisper to the roar of a crowd, there are ideas, dreams, hopes and love in every flavor. There are components that, when put together in new and unique ways, create value that's never been known before. There are objects that, when carefully taken apart and studied, yield magnificent, life-changing secrets. The possibilities have no end. And they grow more stunning with each advancing moment. The real richness is not found in any one thing. Rather, it is in the sheer abundance and availability of it all. Choose now, and always, to live your own special expression of life's richness. There will always be more of it to know.

Each setback provides an opportunity to recover. And each time you recover, you grow stronger. The route to your goal is not a straight line. There will be many times along the way when you find yourself off course. When that happens, it can seem like your destination is unreachable. Doubt, fear and apathy will take hold if you let them. The key is not to let them. For as hopeless as the situation may feel, there are actions you can take that will enable you to quickly get back on track. Much of the substance of achievement is in becoming skilled at making a quick and solid recovery. Each setback gives you the chance to practice and strengthen and refine that valuable skill. Know that whatever has slowed you down can provide you with a way to move more effectively forward. Quickly get back up, and feel the new strength you've gained.

Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands. Once you decide to be at the level of choice,you take responsibility for your life and gain control of it. If you don't run your own life, someone else will. You're in control of your life to the degree that you make the decisions. If you let others make decisions for you, you have no control. When you control the decisions, you control the actions. Take charge of your life. You don't have to ask permission of other people. Don't give someone veto power over your life. If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

The sincerest form of gratitude, is to make full use of those things with which we have been blessed. How can we be thankful that there is food on our table, when others are starving? Isn't that smug and selfish? How can we be thankful for a good job, when others are desperately seeking work? We can be fully and sincerely thankful, by making the best of the opportunities that the food, and the job, and all our other blessings, give us. Of all our life's treasures, one of the most precious is the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. The more we are blessed with, the more we're able to make a difference. True abundance compels us to be the best that we can be. Enthusiastically embrace the wonderful possibilities that come from your life's blessings.