"We control what we look at. Start looking at what you can control."

-Brook Noel
           
Good morning! 

We are approaching the 5 year anniversary of our Good Morning
newsletter. I wanted to take a brief pause this week to send a few
of my favorite Good Mornings for all of our recent subscribers. 
Something great is going to happen again this year and I can't wait 
to see what it is!

From January 20:

Often when we desire change in our lives it is at a time when we
feel completely OVERWHELMED! Because we feel overwhelmed with life,
we desire change. It is a catch-22 since the change we desire is
hard to reach because we feel so overwhelmed. Welcome to the number
one reason that people start to change, and also the number one
reason most people fall off the wagon.

That is why the MTM program begins with SELF. It begins with the
GOOD MORNING, the positive messages. We begin with steps that build
"us up" versus tear us down.

There is a great story in Level Six Performance by Stephen Long
about how a hammer isn't actually a tool until someone picks it up.
Until that point it is just a funny looking shape; may as well be
an art object. The hammer doesn't derive purpose as a tool until
someone uses it. I have heard a similar analogy with the postage
stamp. Until you put it on something, it is just a little square
piece of paper. We can buy all the tools in the world, look at
them, study them, but they don't actually become tools until we
start USING them.

Now, to keep going with our hammer analogy... Imagine that you had
never properly used a hammer before, so you sign up for a building
class. Your first assignment is to go build a house. How do you
think that would work?

I don't think it would work real well. Why? Well, not only do you
not have any practice with the hammer, a house would also require
many other tools that you likely don't have experience with. So now
you have to master the hammer--and more! I don't know about you - I
mean I am a persistent gal, but I think even I would drop out of
that class.

But what are many of us trying to do? We are trying to BUILD HOUSES
without first mastering one tool! I hope when you look at it in
this perspective it gives you a fresh point of view.

We need to stop overwhelming our selves by looking at the whole
picture. On any given day, if any of us were to look at the whole
picture of life, surely it is overwhelming. So why look at it? It
only paralyzes us and stops us from making any progress in the only
place where we can be effective -- today -- right now!
 
Your Turn:
Instead of looking at the whole picture, focus in on a single area.
Ask: WHAT CAN I DO RIGHT NOW THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE? And then take
that little step, and another little step, and another little step.
There will always be things that aren't done - but today we both
have 24 hours (less sleep time) to do what matters. Let's get it
done.

Your Affirmation: 
Today I focus my attention and energies on what matters and where I
do the most good.