Inner Strength – Page 9 – Inspiration for the Mind, Body & Soul

A Beautiful Life

It’s a Beautiful Life

by Sandra Futter

Oh, it’s a beautiful morning.
Today’s gonna be a great day.

I’ve got that wonderful feeling,
That everything’s going my way.

No matter if the skies be stormy
And the wind’s blowing things in my way.

That doesn’t worry me any,
I know everything’s gonna be ok.

The obstacles don’t even slow me,
I pass by each one in my way.

The messes prove just to grow me.
I get stronger each and every day.

Life is truly all about how you approach it. If you start your day off in the mindset that no matter what it’s going to be a good day, you will be amazed by how the small things don’t faze you. And even when things don’t quite go your way or when things go sideways, you are able to handle it much better and your mood isn’t ruined. Attitude means everything. Never underestimate the power of your mind. So, when you wake up tomorrow, before you get out of bed, say out loud “Today will be a good day and if obstacles come my way, I’ll deal with it and move on, for nothing will dampen my spirit today.”

I Can

Equipment

by Edgar Albert Guest

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say ‘I can.’

Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes,
The world considers them brave and smart.
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if only you will,
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen, great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go.
How much you will study the truth to know,
God has equipped you for life, But He
Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win,
So figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began.
Get hold of yourself, and say: ‘I can.’

In this life, anything is possible. The only person who can limit you is you. If you dream it, you can achieve it. So, you should always approach life with an “I can” attitude. And never hold back – go after your goals with hard work and determination . . .for you will only regret the chances you were too scared to take.

The Steps We Take

Poem by LeKeisha Suggs

In life, things rarely go as planned
And it seems like one disappointment after another
You soon realize that maybe reality isn’t so grand
But you must accept, life is a unique journey like no other

And with this comes many ups and downs
So, stop overthinking every step you take
And focus on enjoying the sights and sounds
For you will learn, the privilege of life is worth every ache

Here is a poem I wrote after a tough couple of days. I hope each of you are able to connect with my words and my message. I invite you to comment and share your thoughts!

Infinite Hope

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the surface, this quote may seem deceptively simple. However, when you really take a moment to think about each word, the true power of Dr. King’s statement resonates with your very being. In this life, each of us will face unimaginable disappointments and setbacks. But, you cannot allow for these obstacles to destroy your hope that things can and will get better. In these times of great difficulty, you must rely more than ever on your faith in humanity, in people, in this world and in God that no matter how long the night, the dawn will break.

The Journey

By Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

This is a beautiful poem about forging your own path and finding your own voice. Because often in life, we let other people’s voices overshadow our own. It seems that there is always someone – whether it be family, friends, coworkers, stranger in line at Starbucks, etc. – who has an opinion on how you should live your life. In the broad sense, there is nothing wrong with someone giving advice or their opinion on a matter (as long as it isn’t unsolicited. . .ahem. . .), but at the end of the day, it’s Your Life. And, the most important voice is your own. So, don’t let the world silence you. Learn to be a lion and don’t be afraid to Roar!

Count Your Blessings

~ Author Unknown

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;
Love your neighbor as much as yourself.

This poem is a great reminder to focus on seeing the glass as being half full instead of half empty. It is so easy to focus on the negative and all the bad things that happen every single day. But, it takes a courageous soul to instead see the good in every situation you encounter in life. Always remember that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

When the cards are stacked against you, will you choose to “show up”? No one person was meant to live a small, bleak life. Every single person is capable of great things and should settle for no less. Whether it be rain or sunshine, you should strive to always “show up” for every moment of your life. You get but one chance at life, so make it count!

Still I Rise

By Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

This poem speaks to empowerment, courage and an unwavering conviction to never give up. When the world knocks you on your ass, you need to search within yourself and find the strength to rise again. No matter what adversity or uphill battle you face, you must carry within you a fire that cannot be extinguished and the courage to carry on when all else falls away.

Hope

A Poem of Hope

By: Catherine Pulsifer

When life is getting you down,
And you need a little hope.
Look deep down inside yourself,
And you’ll find the way to cope.

When life is getting you down,
And you need a little love.
Go to the person whom you are the closest,
As the rest they are above.

When life is getting you down,
And all you need is a laugh.
Find the friend that makes you smile,
They may even be your staff.

When life is getting you down,
Don’t allow it so.
Change the way you think of life,
And life will be better, you know.

When life is getting you down,
Take time to pray
Don’t allow yourself to frown
God will help you see the blessings of the day.

Sometimes life gets you down. Things don’t work out the way you planned − be it a job, relationship or some other aspect of life. It is at these times that you have to dig deep within yourself and find the strength to have faith and hope that things will get better. Don’t let life’s many upsets change you and your outlook on life.

The Man Who Thinks He Can

~ Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t;
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will,
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outcasted, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Where there is a will, there is a way. When you have faith in yourself, you will succeed in reaching your goals. It may not happen overnight and there may be a hundred no’s along the way. But when you believe that no mountain is insurmountable, you will succeed in making your dreams a reality no matter what curveballs life may throw your way.