Month: April 2016

Spread Your Wings & Soar

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

– Henry Ford

      Sometimes it seems that you can’t catch a break.  Everyone and everything is against you. . .you find yourself caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.  It is at these moments that you need to take time to remember that to experience some of the most beautiful things in life, you have to fight an uphill battle.  I mean, one of our greatest achievement – flight – occurs in spite of having all the cards stacked against it.  Never forget that even a plane has to battle against mother nature to achieve unimaginable heights.  And just like a plane, you too must first battle the winds before you can soar.

Just Enjoy the Ride

“Life should NOT
be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive
and well preserved body,
but rather to
skid in sideways,
chocolate in one hand,
martini in the other,
body thoroughly used up, totally worn out
and screaming
WOO HOO what a ride!”

~ Unknown

          I absolutely love this quote (and all variations).  I am a firm believer that it is our journey through life that matters and not the destination.  I like to compare life’s journey to a really long road trip.  For those of us who have been fortunate to go on a road trip – or unfortunate depending on how you look at (can I say food poisoning on a 7 hour road trip back from the Mall of America in Minnesota or coming down with the flu at the very beginning of a 20 hour road trip to Florida) – it is the stories about getting to our destination that often overshadow the destination itself.  Life’s journey is no different.  When it’s done and over, you will remember every stumble and triumph, every smile and tear, every success and failure.  You will remember each and every pit stop, roadblock and fork in the road because these are the moments that define who we are.  The journey is what makes life worthwhile.

          So, when I reach the finish line, I want to slide into home base with holes in my pants, dirt on my face and with a megawatt smile panting “Woo Hoo. . . what a ride!”

Leave the City of Your Comfort

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.”

~Alan Alda

          In this life, we often get comfortable and complacent.  We begin to fear change.  But when you get to this place, you need to push yourself to go beyond your comfort zone.  Because when you “leave the city of your comfort,” you truly begin to discover the amazing treasures this world has to offer – the greatest one being a deeper understanding of who you are.

Take Control of Your Life

“Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do anything to make it happen.”

– Unknown

       If you are unhappy with any aspect of your life, don’t sit around waiting for things to get better or worse.  Get off your butt and do something.   And yes, there is always something you can do.  You want that nice vacation, then figure out how much it will cost and how much you can afford to put away from each check – even if it takes you two years to save up for that trip, it’s worth it.  It’s about not sitting around waiting for the problem to solve itself or for the situation to magically change.  That’s not how life works.  To have anything worth something, you have to bust your butt for it and go after it yourself.  It’s not easy and there may be a lot of doors closed in your face or several no’s before you get that one yes, but that’s just a part of life.   So, get up and go after the life you crave – no more excuses!