Daily Mood Quote

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 75 – July 17, 2011

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”

~Tim Robbins

There was a time in my life when I planned out everything. What I was going to wear, what I was going to eat, to the activities I did day-to-day. Many of my friends called me rigid, and they were right, I was. Every night before I went to sleep, I would make a list, a to-do-list of all the things to be completed the next day. I followed that list to the letter, never changing it, never adding or subtracting from the list. I also found I got upset when I couldn't complete the list. How sad is that?

Life has a way a making us change, not necessarily who we are, (it"s good to have a foundation), just the way we do things. That could be the hardest change to make. There is a phrase, “set in your ways” and many of us are. We tend to fall back on what we are comfortable with, what we know, and what we  think we know works. There is nothing wrong with that, except when we fail to make progress and grow in our lives. The popular definition of insanity includes: "doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results"(Rita May Brown, 1983).

In the movie Evan Almighty, Congressman Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carell) has an encounter with God (Morgan Freeman), who asks Evan, “How about it, feel like living on the edge?” Shortly after, Evan makes God laugh when he tells him, “This whole building an ARK thing, isn't really part of my plans here, I got to settle into my house, I've got to make a good impression at work...” God says while laughing, “Your plans, thats...” and begins laughing harder at Evan. The fact is, life doesn't really care what our “plans” are. Things change and we have to change with it, like it or not. We as a family, no longer stick strictly to Plan A, although we try, but often we follow Plan B, Plan C and even Plan D.... Section II, paragraph three, line five... which simply reads; "Forget your plans and go with the flow.” I have learned to be flexible, because everyday is a new day and since I wasn't born with a crystal ball, visions of tomorrow, like Nostradamus, or even 10 minutes from now, I've learned to be more flexible than Gumby, the green, animated character from the 1950's and popularly portrayed on Saturday Night Live by Eddie Murphy. Is it sometimes frustrating? You Bettcha! But, it does keep things interesting! By the way, I still plan what I am going to eat and wear, the rest...well, there is always Plan B.

How will you be “flexible” in your schedule today?

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Daily Mood Quote - July 8, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 65 – July 8, 2011

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.

~Wayne Dyer

Yesterday, I expressed frustration and disappointment regarding others attitude towards my disability. Today, I will make a conscious effort to no longer allow others to dictate my successes. How we approach our lives is a choice. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best, when she said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” OK world, you no longer have my consent to make me feel bad about something that is out of my control.

In return, I will not make others feel bad for being ignorant or judgmental...There is another great phrase, “sh*% happens” and guess what, it really does. It happens to everyone. Some a little less severe than others, but I guarantee you, it does happen to everyone at some point in their life. You have a choice, be miserable about it and sing the song, “Woe is me” or get motivated and move on. In the movie Trading Places, Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Aykroyd) said to Billy Ray Valentine (played by Eddie Murphy) “Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat....” as they were determined to undermine the nefarious efforts of Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche) at the New York Stock Exchange, as they tried to corner the orange juice market. Well, I'm not going for the throat, I'm just not that kind of person, instead I will be me. An individual with a better place and a better purpose in the world.

Individuality...when it comes down to the basics, that's one thing that will remain when all else has been stripped away by the erosive forces of life and random chance. “We are who we choose to be...” (thanks Iron Giant). And when we gaze deep into the mirror, even with fading eyesight, we find the building blocks that we can use to become who and what we most need to be. Notice, I said need, not want. Want is a willy-nilly word, it implies lack of commitment and conviction. Need has conviction built in. Sometimes who we "need" to be is a far better person than what we “want” to be. We don't need to wait for things to be better, or for fair winds to blow our way. Rig the sail in anticipation and paddle if you need to. To get “there” we all need to start from where we are. Today, I will start anew.

What will the mirror tell you today?

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Daily Mood Quote - July 1, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 58 – July 1, 2011

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.

~Thomas Jefferson

I can remember a number of times when I was a child, the words “you can't” and “your not smart enough for that” and of course that infamous phrase “no, you can never do that!” All in the context of what I wanted to do when I grew up. Remember, Day 8, May 12, I wanted to be a nun? Like many before me and many after me, I asked questions in order to find out who I was. When we are children we believe our parents know best, or at least know us best. Boy, was I wrong.

There is a song “Teach your children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and in the song there is a phrase that goes, “and you of tender years can't know the fears that your elders grew by.” When is the last time fear made a good decision about who you are? Sometimes, inadvertently or without information, we tend to make decisions for and push identities onto the next generation. Occasionally, those attitudes can be based on bad experiences, our own failures and even our own successes. Let's face it, we only want the best for our children and ourselves. Unfortunately, we forget that mistakes have to happen in order to learn. It's the job of us “who are on the road” to “teach them well,” not tell them who they are or what they can't become. No two people are alike, even when they come from the same family. For me, it took many years to come out of my shell and be true to myself.

In the movie Daddy Day Care, Becca (played by Hailey Noelle Johnson) said to Charlie Hinton (played by Eddie Murphy) “We need more learning about things! Yes, We're at a very critical age. You have to feed our minds!” We are always at a “critical age,” learning doesn't stop just because we graduate, or because we age. It is a continual journey. We learn whether we want to or not, so why not make the best of it? Learning who we are and what we can do is a life long adventure. I believe if we are open to that, we will never cease to surprise ourselves at our capacity to become a newer better version of ourselves... everyday. Take the action to learn, grow and define yourself anew everyday.

What "actions" will define you today?

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