Embrace chance, change and challenge...

Why not go out on a limb? That’s where all the fruit is”—Will Rogers Good morning! Take a moment to think about the times in your life when you felt the most esteemed, proud, excited, and fulfilled. What happened to create those feelings? Were you going through your day on auto-pilot and just doing the same-old, same-old? Or was something different? I am going to take a wild guess that something was different. I am going to guess that when you felt that way, it was because you had reached further, discovered something new, challenged yourself, or taken a chance. And...

Flipping the Facts...

Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored.”—Aldous Huxley Good morning! When Donna submitted this quote, I knew it would have to be the subject of one of our Good Mornings. I think this quote speaks to one of the core issues many self-improvement programs miss. We can’t “ignore the facts” as we strive to create a better life. While positive thinking is a great tool, if we ignore the facts, we set ourselves up for disappointment. To change our lives for the better, we must methodically work through our  “life clutter” while maintaining a...

Learn– then let go...

When you make a mistake, don’t look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.—Hugh White Good morning! When I was about sixteen, I had one of those “light-bulb” moments. As a teen, I battled Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (and still do today), but at that point I had not yet been diagnosed and my thoughts and emotions were all over the board. I often felt discouraged, would beat myself up, or feel guilty—many times for things that...

Costly Comparisons...

Your life is what you make it.—Nana Messler Good morning! I had an interesting conversation with a girlfriend the other day. She was telling me about this woman who “has it all.” My friend perceives this woman as having the perfect and caring husband; beautiful, talented and respectful children; a well-kept and beautiful home; and the woman herself is beautiful with a great attitude. The description concluded with an exclamation like: “I just hate her!” (said tongue-in-cheek). I started laughing. She asked me what was so funny. I posed this question: “If this...

Stones in our paths…...

If God sends us stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes.—Alexander Maclaren Good morning! I don’t know about you, but I have certainly had my share of days when I felt tested to the max. Sometimes it can be hard to keep “a chin up” when so many things are weighing us down. I have found that on those tough and stressful days, I am continually taught the art of letting go, and the art of faith. We can’t control everything—and when we try to do so, life gets heavy quickly. This simple quote is one of my favorite reminders. We are equipped to handle what...