Daily Mood Quote - August 24, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 113 – August 24, 2011

“Throw back the shoulders, let the heart sing, let the eyes flash, let the mind be lifted up, look upward and say to yourself...Nothing is impossible!”

~Norman Vincent Peale

Everyday is a new opportunity to make the impossible possible, to make a dream come true, to be a part of something you only ever dreamed about. Take a chance, soar, believe you can and achieve the impossible.

Norman Vincent Peale also said, “Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities – always see them, for they're always there.” All we need to do is look. I have been writing ever since I was a little girl. I kept a diary and my first journal entry was around the age of nine and it was about my mom and how I wished she could love me. She had her problems and apparently I was one of them. But that's all right, because she did manage to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I suppose that's all she was able to do, at least where I was concerned. She never “saw” the possibilities only the problems and realities of “the here and now” and even those in the worst possible light. I'm not sure how or why and perhaps that is best left unexplored. But it did impact the possibilities that we all saw. It's amazing how much impact a parent's mindset has on children and how long that effect can last.

Anyway... those days are past, but some of the echos remain. I love to write, but find myself at a point of ambivalence. I want to write and I love it, but those darned “possibilities” give me pause. I see them but I must admit to being shocked, because I'm just not use to looking for them in daily life. So, when they begin to “bloom” right in front of me, I am caught off guard. Paul Simon sang, “When something goes right, Well its likely to loose me, Its apt to confuse me. Its such an unusual sight.” Its just a matter of how one looks at life and the situation they are in. I wasn't working when I started this blog, but it gave me time to start writing again. I needed to begin to rekindle my life’s ambition. Since then, life has tried to dampen that kindling, but the internal fire is restarted and I wont let it fade out again.

So here's what I have learned about problems, opportunities and possibilities: We all have problems and “possibilities.” Our possibilities depend on how we view things. Even if we have put them on hold, for whatever reason, we have only to begin, in order to rekindle their potential. And, only when we explore and develop those possibilities can we feel our lives well lived. Even if it scares us silly. By action we build confidence, in confidence we form a foundation and on that foundation success is built. At least I hope. Michael Jordan said, “I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

In the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, Christopher Gardner (played by Will Smith) said, “You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.” Michael Jordan did, and so did many others. Nothing is impossible!!!

What "possibilities" will you see today?

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Daily Mood Quote

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 80 – July 22, 2011

“One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.”

~Napoleon Hill

One of the things in my life that has changed me is the understanding that there is no such thing as instant gratification. Like “normal” it is a cultural myth and it really can damage ones view of themselves and the world. So many in our culture are looking for that promotion, that pay raise, instant success without putting in the time. They want a job without a degree, raises without merit, acknowledgment without effort, respect without earning it and when they don't get it, they quit. They want it all and they want it now (thank you Queen). I wonder, has patience become a causality of our digital lifestyle, or did it start sooner with the advent of credit cards? I'm not sure, but it is an epidemic in our culture. You can fire up the computer and do book research in minutes, that once took hours and days, plus many trips to the library. You can publish that book instantly online for the world to see. The problem is; just because you can put it out there fast, doesn't mean it's any good, or that anyone will care. Doing, or getting anything of true value takes time; usually more than the majority care to allot to the effort. So, many are left wanting and wondering why they do not have the things they desire or success they seek.

Unfortunately, this behavior begs the question: Have we forgotten how to have patience and wait for something worth waiting for? Or, do we give up because it didn't happen fast enough for us? I believe it's a cultural side effect of our addiction to digital and media immediacy. The 24/7 news cycles and the “instant” online buzz doesn't permit us time to practice and develop successful skills. TNK IM KDDG U?.. we don't even use vowels anymore!

In the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the point is made over and over that it is the persistence that delivers the goods and nothing can take it's place. Napoleon Hill's book is old (published in 1937) but the insight timeless. In his book, Mr. Hill tells the story of his uncle R.U. Darby who quit his gold mining operation three feet short of a major vein of gold, which was subsequently found by a scrap dealer who had bought his equipment. Mr. Darby learned a painful lesson, but, he used that defeat to turn it into a habit of "not quitting", which ultimately lead to his success. Even genuine talent like Michael Jordan's, who practiced diligently after being cut from his high school's varsity basketball team, needs work and time to become noteworthy. Michael's words -"I think that not making the Varsity team drove me to really work at my game, and also taught me that if you set goals, and work hard to achieve them—the hard work can pay off."

In the movie, Angels in the Outfield, Danny Glover as California Angels (a pro baseball team in the 1990s-now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...I'm not kidding) Manager George Knox relates a simple but powerful truth: “You oughtta know how one incident can change the course of events.” But, if you quit that incident will not have the opportunity to happen. Persistence through adversity is the key to real and lasting success.

How will you view a temporary defeat today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 14, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 41 – June14, 2011

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. ~Dale Carnegie

A very long time ago, nearly 27 years now, a supervisor said to me, “The worst thing that could happen is they say no” and continued with “so what are you afraid of?”

Everyone has that moment in their life that stops them short, or begins the growth of confidence. This was my moment. I turned to him and ask the question, “What if they say no, then what?” I got a simple answer, “You find another way to get to yes.” “Life doesn't end because someone said no, it just means you have to work harder, find a different direction, change the way you do things.” “Your a smart girl, figure it out.” My first task was to figure out why and what I was afraid of. When you are twenty years old, without an education and many unanswered questions about life, every new experience has something to gain and something to lose. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” I did live through it and gained much confidence and courage. I lost only my self-doubt and fear of rejection lost it's hold on me. Thanks Master Chief.

In the movie, Back to the Future, Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) says in fear and worry, “What if I take the tape in and they don't like it, what if they say I'm no good, what if they say "Get out of here kid. You've got no future." I just don't think I can handle that kind of rejection.” Words like that can sting but, they are just words, the worst thing they could say is no. I understand words can hurt, especially if those words are from someone you respect. However, if we let those words stop us, then we never give confidence or ourselves for that matter, a chance to grow. Confidence is gained by doing, no matter what you are trying to do in life, there will always be naysayers. There will certainly always be that someone who says; “You can't do that” or “what if you fail?” I say; So what if you fail... get up, dust yourself off and find a way to get to yes. The confidence you gain is another building block for life, that lets you see higher and farther. Everybody who has ever attained anything of value and substance has failed at one point or another. Just look at the lives of Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, or Michael Jordan. Confidence gained by trying is the catalyst that propels us forward, after those failures and what ultimately helps us achieve our own success.

What will you do to "build your confidence" today?

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