Think About.....

If you consistently do the best you can, with integrity, you will regret less and move forward with greater ease.

Brian Koslow

The Room Filled

by Michael Smith

I ran home from school, stomped up the worn wooden steps, slammed open the front door and yelled, 

"Mum! Mum, I'm home!"

"Michael, I'm right here!" Mum appeared around the corner. "Stop yelling. 

What if your father had been sleeping? You know he works nights."

"Sorry, Mum." I mumbled and hung my head in shame. "I didn't mean to yell."

"If you had woken him, you know how mad he would have been."

"I just wanted to show you my spelling test." I handed her my test. "I got a gold star."

"You got another one?" She smiled. "Good for you! You always study so hard, but you have to remember not to yell when you come in the house ."

"I know, Mum, but I was exited and wanted to show you." I lied. Dad drank a lot. If he had too much, he'd argue with Mum. I was afraid she'd leave. My two older brothers and I would be alone with him. What if I came home and she was gone? It was a fear I lived with most of my childhood. I needed to know she was there.

Years later, I moved away for my first job. Each evening, I'd open the door to a lonely, empty room. I didn't callout for Mum. I knew she wasn't there. I spent evenings alone. There were no computers, only books and a television. It was a temporary situation.

Three months later, I was home again. Mum and I sat at the kitchen table, played cards, and talked. It was nice to have someone to share my day with - someone who loved me.

A year later, I sat in my car. The back seat and trunk were full of mybelongings. My mattress was tied to my roof. Mum stood beside the car.

"Well, you're off on your own again."

"This is it." I smiled up at her. "I can't believe I have my own house."

"You'll do fine, Michael." Her eyes glistened. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Thanks for everything, Mum. Without your support, I wouldn't be going where I'm going today." I pulled away and wiped my own tears from myeyes. I'd miss coming home to her, but there was another woman I'd be coming home to soon.

A few hours later, Georgia and I sat in the living room of my new home. I knelt on one knee and asked her to marry me. For many years, I came home from work to my wife. We had two children - a boy and a girl. Georgia and I shared our days and love. My home - my life - was full. I was happy.

Disaster struck. My manager announced major layoffs. Fifteen years of seniority were not enough to save me. A new job took me to another city. Georgia and our kids stayed behind to sell the house. I opened the door to a rented room. There were no hugs, no children yelling "Daddy", and no one to share my day with. I was alone.

A year later they joined me. I opened a door to love and family again. The pattern continued: a new job, a move, a lonely room, and a family that followed later.

I came home one night to another empty room. My daughter didn't move with us this time. She was on her own. My son was home, but he didn't greet me. He wanted to be alone to deal with his feelings. Georgia died the week before.

I faced an empty room. I never understood what empty was. There were many empty rooms I cried in, but not one compared to the room Georgia never filled again.

A year later, I opened the door, and there was Ginny. Her arms reached out and pulled me close. Her lips met mine. Her loved soothed me. Ginny and I have been apart for a month or more a few times. She's had to help her children in other states. I'd enter an empty room when I came home from work and hear my footsteps echo off the walls - the sound of alone. I was sad she wasn't there, but I knew she'd be back.

Ginny knows an empty room. Her husband, Harvey, passed on and left her in one too. We keep those rooms behind closed doors. They remain empty. Like a photo album, we only go there when we want to remember the past.

Ginny and I live in the present room - the room filled.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Smith lives in Idaho with his beautiful wife Ginny. Michael writes inspirational stories in his spare time and works full time in the telecommunications industry. To sign up for Michael's stories go to:http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101828445578&p=oi

To read more of Michael's stories, go to http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

Think about..........

Age may wrinkle the face, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

~Danish Proverb 

On getting older...

(Author Unknown)

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4 am, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's, 60's and 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

YOU ARE AMAZING! (And I Can Prove It)

By Michael Murphy

Has anyone told you lately that you are truly amazing? Probably not unless you are one of the very blessed few who have at least one powerful encourager in your life that truly does care about you.

I was 6 feet tall when I was in the 7th grade. I weighed all of 140 lbs. Skinny doesn't begin to describe it. Toothpick would come a little closer. With the unruly and wiry hair that I tried to grow long and fight to keep straight, most of my friends called me 'Q-tip.' You can imagine how that did wonders for my self esteem. Yeah, not much.

I was reminded by my father that I wasn't planned when I was born. I guess not. Three kids in LESS THAN three years. My brother was 2 years old, about to turn 3. My sister was 1 year old, 9 days before she turned 2.

My father suffered most of his life with what we now know as bi-polar disorder. Major moods swings and a plethora of attitudes that did not serve in my best interest (or anyone else's for that matter.) He constantly reminded me that I was an "accident" and with the constant psychological abuse that he put on me, I felt more like an intruder on this planet than a little boy.

As I got older and begin to discover personal development and what it could do for me to heal my past and create my future, I begin to develop new beliefs about myself. What I discovered changed my life. I discovered that the facts proved that I was not an "accident", but indeed, my life was/is a miracle.

I discovered through reading personal development books that the chances that I was ever conceived to begin with were tens of millions to one.

In fact, I learned that I had beaten out somewhere between 10 and 90 million other 'seeds' that were all vying to fertilize one egg. Tens of millions of potential suitors and only one was going to get a date. In fact, the others were going to die. It wasn't just a race and competition for affection. It was a battle for life.

Stop and think about this. If any other seed had fertilized that one egg, neither you nor I would be here right now. Ever wonder why you've always felt ''special''? Maybe you felt ''lucky''? Well, you gained access into the inner sanctum to fertilize the egg and millions others died off who didn't make it.

I don't know about you, but that fact alone makes me feel pretty amazing! Now I'm not asking to you believe in some kind of esoteric, metaphysical or spiritual concept. I'm sharing this as an established fact. Go check out these stats with a medical doctor. Now, if those odds haven't made you feel as amazing as they make me feel, then think about this.

Go back 5 generations in your family. That would be to a great-great-great grandparent. Having extensive genealogy records for my family, I know whomy great-great-great grandfather was and where he was born.

He was born in 1795 in Kentucky. Just 18 years after our country declared its independence. He met his wife by some set of circumstances, which I'm not aware of. Nonetheless, just imagine your own experience, or perhaps that of your parents (or grandparents) and know that the odds weren't good that he and this particular woman got together.

Now add to the equation that the odds that they ever conceived and had the particular child that they had, were also in the 1 in several millions odds. Now, THAT child grew up and met someone else and the process goes on and on.

My point? Imagine the odds that you ever arrived here on this planet. Trillions to one. Your life is amazing. You may not feel like it. You may feel the lowest emotions that a human can feel. Nonetheless, the FACT remains that YOU ARE A MIRACLE!!!

Perhaps in another article, I'll get into to the amazing biological, skeletal/muscular make up of your body (which is itself a miracle.) For right now, just allow yourself to consider and deeply think about, how YOU got HERE.

You, my dear friend, are no accident. You are amazing! You were a miracle the day you began your existence on this planet. And, you still are. Most people are never taught to love themselves.

Most people are never taught to really understand how awesome they really are. Through a lot of emotional and psychological damage that we get from very ill informed sources in this world, we never face the REALITY of who and what we really are.

I'm here, telling you, YOU ARE AMAZING! I know it. You have talents, skills, intelligence and heart to do miracles in your own life. You have potential that you haven't even begun to tap into its power.

You've likely either forgotten or, you never knew how the facts that supports you as being a phenomenal being. Take some time today and think about what I've shared with you here. Think about the dreams, hopes, desires and incredible vision inside of your mind. I'm not asking you to ''believe'' anything.

I'm just giving you the FACTS. You are amazing! You can do, be and have more than you've ever dreamed possible. Let yourself awakened to the TRUTH about you. Get your dreams off of the shelf and dust them off. Let them live again in your heart, soul and mind.

Keep believing that you can and will accomplish them. Then, expect them and watch your awesome life unfold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Murphy is an author, speaker and coach. His mission in this world is to encourage others to live their dreams and live their potential. His books, "Powerful Attitudes" and "Powerfirmations" have been acclaimed, praised and promoted by best selling authors and personal development superstars. You can go visit his website at http://www.positiveattitudes.com and see YOUR NAME in his book for free.

An NYC Taxi Driver wrote:

Author Unknown
from a forwarded e-mail also seen posted on facebook

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Think about.......

Knowledge comes by taking things apart: analysis.
But wisdom comes by putting things together.

 

- John A. Morrison 

A JOYFUL LIFE

by Miles Patrick Yohnke

I've never seen a u-haul behind a hearse. The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind. We are slapped when we come into this world and they shovel dirt on us in the end. This is our life. Everyone's life. These are the bookends of life. But what really matters is what goes on in the middle. That we are passionate people. That we are caring people. That we LIVE!

The people I've been privileged to watch succeed have intensity about them. They demand everything from themselves. They show up everyday, in fact every moment, and they are accountable to themselves. Everything they do has a hard statement, and they know when to stop. Very impressive.

Real beauty is found in oneself. That's the tranquil beach. The beautiful sunset. It's not a location, the location is you. To travel is to travel inward. That's the ultimate vacation.

Turn your weaknesses into your strengths. Success is failure turned inside out. We need to find a deeper meaning in life. Our duty, as artists, is to tap into those notes that resonate in us all. Not to sleep walk through life, like an outpatient program; but to strike a chord.

We can't catch kindness in a net or a gun. When kindness is given to you, it's by choice. One must adopt an attitude of gratitude.

We can become prisoners of self. One must dig tunnels; escape one's own mind. We get just this one life. We have to stop doing time. But live lives like we planned in our youth. No matter where we are, how old, we can always reach our dreams.

All your life you're going to be judged, what matters is keeping your soul intact and making work that matters. We have to stop telling people what we are going to do, what we have not yet accomplished, and tell them instead what we have accomplished. Only in this way can we be accountable for our actions. I am not accountable for achievements I have not yet reached, but I am what I have accomplished.

It's when we stop forcing it ... trying to impress, that we really shine through; we start having strong people like us, just fall into our laps - and those that are weak are empowered by the tone of our voice. Get off your knees and do. Words without action is death. One has to stop sitting in the back, waiting. Come to the front. The front row of life. A joyful life.

My mother told me at a very young age, "Miles, we are placed on this planet to help others. Go out and help others." So, it is by her words that I try to shape and reshape my life. Yes, each day we will be challenged by indifferent people and for the most part it isn't their fault. We are just so conditioned by life (media, society) to live like caveman or barbarians (non-contemplating spoon-fed society). To live like the subjects in mindless beer commercials. Their ideals perhaps "you deserve better, more than another, you are the most important."

After a while we believe it. Brainwashed. Let's have "fun." Fun? Fun is a limiting word. Why would one limit their existence to only this? Is that all we appreciate for the life we've been given?

Life is a 24/7 celebration of the word itself (existence). So maybe one needs to replace the word "fun" (a word created by media to keep you down, to bait you, to sell you things, tell you what you need) to the word "joyful."

Maybe we could be way happier if we lived a life that from each waking day till sleep time is joyful. You get but one life. We are each only given one shot at getting it right in the long run. Find a job you love and you'll start to bring joy to yourself and all others in your life.

Words are either negative or positive. Could it be that all this time "fun" is really a negative word and "joy" a positive one? Perhaps a little rethinking is in order.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Widely recognized and award-nominated engineer, producer, writer, poet and founder and C.E.O. of 5 Star Productions, Miles Patrick Yohnke brings many years of experience to the music industry; including many awards in sales and marketing. Miles can be reached directly at

miles [at] 5-starproductions.com

Think about.....

Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy.

~Florence Shinn 

Think about............

Quit questioning our God and start trusting Him.  You must learn to trust God’s timing. God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life, your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you suffer. He will never give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself. - Kevin Tibi

The Daffodil Principle

~Anonymous~

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

 

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. 

 

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk

Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching. 
If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special. 

I just did!

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

 
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Think about........

It is the mind that makes one wise or ignorant, bound or emancipated.

~Sri Ramakrishna

A PASSION FOR FREEDOM

By Carl Morris

When freedom is your passion and compassion is your guide

The greatness of our nation is just welling up inside

Whether singing of our anthem or reciting of our pledge

You know the flames still burning, though we teetered on the edge.

The torch has been passed for generations, as freedoms been fought for 'round the world

Making us the envy of all other nations and the dreams of every boy and girl.

We have often taken for granted the blessings and choices we've been given each day

People gave their lives for our freedom, yet complacency had become our way

Well, no war is ever over, till the last person lays down his gun

No day has ever ended, without the setting of the sun.

So our choices are there to be taken and with compassion and work we'll survive

When we're willing to fight for our freedom, our country will continue to thrive.

So, commit to your plan of action, to make our nation a better place to live

Go out and touch the lives of other people, your dreams will be fulfilled when you give.

Don't think, "I'm just one person, what can I do" or " I don't have any time left to give"

Freedom is our obligation to the future, so the dreams of our children will live.

We can do nothing and accept what we're given or expect nothing and get all that we earn

So do something and develop a habit, by which generations of nations can learn

We're a nation that was born out of values, by founding fathers whose purpose was pure

When we help one another regain what's important, we're a nation who will always endure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carl Morris has a lovely wife Sally of 31 years, two grown children and a two-year-old grandson. He enjoys spending time with his family, their animals (cats, dogs, horses) and writing. He believes this poem was a gift from God and a call to all Americans to remember the values and principles on which our country was founded. Carl can be reached atcarl.morris@verizon.net

14 Action Inducing Lessons from Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer (often using a pseudonym), publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

His inventions included the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin stove. Franklin was responsible for establishing the first public library, organizing fire fighters in Philadelphia, was one of the early supporters of mutual insurance and crossed the Atlantic eight times. Self-development was a constant endeavor throughout his incredible life.

Benjamin Franklin was clearly a man who knew how to get things done.

14 Action Inducing Lessons

• Less Talk, More Action 
  
  

  “Well done is better than well said.”

  
  Talk is cheap. Talking about a project won't get it completed. We all know people who constantly talk about the things they are going to do but rarely ever take that first step. Eventually people begin to question their credibility. Taking action and seeing the task through to completion is the only way to get the job done.


• Don’t Procrastinate 
  
  

  “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”

  
  This is probably one of the first quotes I remember hearing as a teenager. With an impressive list of achievements to his credit, Benjamin Franklin was not a man hung up on procrastination. He was a man with clear measurable goals who worked hard to turn his vision into reality. What are you putting off till tomorrow that could make a difference in your life today?


• Be Prepared 
  
  

  “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

  
  You need a plan to accomplish your goals. Charging in without giving any thought to the end result and how to achieve it, is a sure way to fall flat on your face. Think like a boy scout. Have a realistic plan of attack and a systematic approach for getting where you need to be.


• Don’t Fight Change 
  
  

  “When you're finished changing, you're finished.”

  
  Whilst many of us don’t like change, others thrive on it. Either way change is inevitable. The stronger we fight against it, the more time and energy it consumes. Give up the fight. Focus on proactively making positive changes, instead of having change merely thrust upon you. Wherever possible, try to view change as a positive instead of a negative.


• Get Moving 
  
  

  “All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.”

  
  There’s a reason we use the expression, movers and shakers. Movers are the ones who take action, the people who get things done, while the immovable are sitting around scratching their heads wondering how others could possibly be so successful. Which group do you want to belong to?


• Avoid Busywork 
  
  

  “Never confuse motion with action.”

  
  We are always running around doing things. We rush from one meeting or event to the next, sometimes without achieving a great deal. At the end of the day, how much of our busywork are we proud of? How much of that running around improves anyone’s life (including ours) for the better? Make your motion mean something.


• Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes 
  
  

  “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”

  
  If we fear making mistakes, we become scared to try new things. Fear leaves us nestled in our comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone rarely leads to greatness. Taking risks and giving yourself permission to make mistakes, will ultimately lead you to whatever your version of success may be.


• Act Quickly on Opportunities 
  
  

  “To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”

  
  Opportunities are everywhere. The trick is being quick enough and smart enough to seize them when they arise. Instead of jumping to the conclusion that something won’t work or can’t be done, allow yourself the freedom to ask what if?


• Continue to Grow 
  
  

  “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

  
  We all have vices of some description. The key is to keep them under control or preferably eradicate them entirely. Be kind to those around you, whether they are neighbors, family, co-workers or friends. Never accept that you have finished growing as a person.


• Keep Going 
  
  

  “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

  
  Have you ever looked at a successful entrepreneur or business person and thought how lucky they are? Most of the time, luck has nothing to do with it. Hard work and sacrifice on the other hand have everything to do with it. Successful people deal with failure. They tackle their demons head on. They pick themselves up and keep going.


• Know Yourself 
  
  

  “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.”

  
  Understanding ourselves is not easy. Sometimes we just don’t want to see ourselves for who we really are. It’s much easier to hold onto a romanticized version of ourselves or to simply view ourselves through other people’s eyes. Start by being brutally honest with yourself. Follow through with understanding, compassion and acceptance.


• Don’t Self-Sabotage 
  
  

  “Who had deceived thee so often as thyself?”

  
  We spend so much time worrying about other people hurting us, yet fail to comprehend the damage we inflict on ourselves. If you are using negative self-talk, lying to yourself or indulging in addictive behavior you are self-sabotaging. Life can dish up enough challenges without us adding to the mix. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like you would a best friend.


• Don’t Give Up 
  
  

  “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

  
  Achieving our goals can be downright exhausting. There will be days when you want to give up. There will be times when your energy levels flatline and you wonder why you bother getting out of bed. Yet you push forward, day after day because you believe in yourself and you have the determination and strength to back up that belief.


• Wise Up 
  
  

  “Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”

  
  Benjamin was definitely onto something with this one. Who hasn’t had the thought - I wish I could know then, what I know now? Unfortunately there is no time machine; there is no going back. The key is to wise up as early as you can to start forging a life of purpose, achievement and happiness.

Written on 4/29/2012 by Thea Easterby. Thea Easterby is a freelance writer, blogger and keen traveller. Her blog www.writechangegrow.com offers inspiring tips on writing, career change and personal development.