Inspiration for the Mind, Body & Soul
A BLOG DEVOTED TO SHARING POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING MESSAGES FOR THE HUNGRY HEART
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
― Napoleon Hill
Defeat does not mean game over. It doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel and give up your dream. Defeat only means that your plans weren’t sound and so you need to go back to the drawing board, regroup and rebuild those plans. And then go after your goals once more with a firmer set of plans meant to survive the roughest weather.
“I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life.”
― Paulo Coelho
Life is all about the lens you choose to view it from. You can choose to internalize all the pain and suffering life has to offer and allow yourself to be the victim. Or, you can choose to stand up and fight to find the rainbow in the storm. For you cannot control what life throws at you, but you can control how you react to it.
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Yes, life is chaotic. And we often find ourselves scrambling to complete a never ending to do list. It has become so easy to say there isn’t enough time to reach out to a friend or a loved one to simply say I care. But this is nothing more than an excuse. You have to eventually decide to stop making excuses and start making time for the things that matter because tomorrow may never come.
“In a sense, discouragement does not have to exist. Allow it to be rather the encouragement to honestly reconsider all the options, then, as necessary, shine on.”
― Criss Jami
Life is all about perspective. When you encounter obstacles and setbacks, don’t succumb to frustration; rather, use it as an opportunity to reevaluate your life and the path you are on. If you need to change course, then don’t be afraid to turn and blaze a new trail. The key is not allowing yourself to become stuck. Keep.moving.forward.
“If you don’t have peace, it isn’t because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.”
― John C. Maxwell
The only person you can control is yourself and how you react to your environment. This is a mantra I have on repeat in my head. We so often allow ourselves to get frustrated and disappointed in others for their behavior and often their unwillingness to change and grow. We allow our external environment and situation to rob us of our inner peace and calm. And this should never happen because you are in control of your inner peace and you only ever lose it if you give it away and allow someone else to have that kind of control. So, at any point in your life – no matter how dark the night – you have the power to restore peace to your mind, body and soul.
“You can start to change your luck today. Begin believing that you can have what you desire and superior things will arrive.”
― Steve Backley
I believe firmly in the law of attraction. If you put out positive energy, you will receive positive energy in return. Likewise, if you radiate negative energy, you will draw negative energy to yourself. So to, if you desire something in life, you must first believe it’s possible. Don’t have low expectations. Because when you truly believe something can happen, you open yourself to a life full of limitless possibilities.
“No one ever said your life would be easy. The nature of being human makes life for all of us a challenge. The most important thing to consider here is this. Your life is only as challenging as you think it is. Think of challenge as a teacher and yourself the student. It’s up to you to figure out what the lesson is to be learned. To learn that lesson and build the strength and courage to face other challenges….”
― James A. Murphy
Life is only as hard as you make it. If you freak out about every little bump in the road, then every challenge you face becomes an insurmountable mountain. But if you calmly and courageous face each storm that comes your way, you not only fortify your strength to endure but you allow yourself to grow…which is the whole point of life.
It was only a glad “Good Morning”
As she passed along the way;
But it spread the morning’s glory
Over the livelong day.
-Carlotta Perry
One smile can change the world. How you choose to greet the day sets the course of how it is going to unfold. If you start the day in a bad mood with negative thoughts – guess what? You’re most likely going to have a bad day. Instead, if you choose to greet the day with a smile and a little optimism that today is going to be a good day, you will open yourself up to embrace the good that exists in every day. You are better equipped to handle the hiccups that come your way and take it in stride not letting the small things ruin your day. Attitude is everything. . .so, as we begin a new week, choose to embrace the glory in each day and let no one and nothing steal your sunshine.
“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.”
― Henry David Thoreau
Life is filled with good times and bad times. It is filled with extreme highs and unimaginable lows. And there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Pain is as much a part of life as joy. Because of this, we must all focus on embracing the unedited version of life. Love your life. . .for you get but one chance to live it!
I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. Nothing in life is easy. But that’s no reason to give up. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. After all, you only have one life, so you should try to make the most of it.
― Louis Sachar
As you begin a new week, it is important to remind yourself that it is a chance to start anew and make different, better choices. Remember anything you want is possible if you dream it. So, no matter what happened yesterday, don’t let that discourage you from trying again today.