Thanks for sharing this!! It really is SOO much about attitude!

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

This powerful moment

There is enormous power in this moment. The more fully you experience what is here right now, the more that power is available to you.

Are you angry or bitter, disappointed or resentful about what has happened in the past? Then much of the power of this moment will be out of your reach.

Are you anxious and worried about something that may or may not happen in the future? Then you will miss out on the opportunity to create real and lasting value from this powerful moment you are in.

Imagine that everything you are, everything you know, everything you care about, is focused into this very moment. And feel the enormous power of what you can, right here and now, do with it all.

Rise above the murky fog of what could have been and what someday might or might not come to pass. Focus the whole of your being on what is, and on the overflowing abundant opportunities this moment presents to you.

There is great and wonderful power in this very moment, in who you are, in where you are right now. See it, be it, and let yourself live it fully.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Give life to your dreams

How many times have you told yourself that you can't? How many times have you put your most treasured dreams aside and sought refuge in flimsy excuses?

You deserve much better. Your dreams are yours for a very good reason and they deserve to be given life.

Yes, you do have those dreams, though you may have chosen to hide them even from yourself. And yes, you can make them real.

Stop being so busy posing for the world and take a moment to remember the things that are truly important to you. Those things point, clearly and directly, to your most valuable dreams.

Is it frivolous and selfish to follow those dreams? No, what is truly selfish would be to keep them forever hidden from life.

There is so very much you have to give by being the best of who you are. And the more of it you give, the more real fulfillment you will know.

Give life to your dreams. And give your dreams to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Face life

Fear is often much more destructive than that which is feared. Anxiety can often be far more harmful than those things about which you are anxious.

Avoiding effort can be more difficult and time-consuming than the effort itself. Worrying about a negative situation is usually more prolonged and painful than experiencing the situation itself.

Life is best when you face it directly. Your efforts are far more effective when they don't have to push through layers of denial, avoidance and anxiety.

When something must be said, stand up and say it. When something needs to be done, get busy and do it.

It can be tempting to put tasks off until later, or to think that problems will just go away, or to hope that some magical occurrence will fulfill your desires. Yet the truth is that the real fulfillment in life comes from putting all of yourself into the living of it.

So go ahead and face that fear, make that effort, move forward into new territory and fully live the grand possibilities with which you're blessed. Boldly face life, and you'll find it to be better than you ever imagined.

-- Ralph Marston

Friday, September 16, 2005

A purpose that is you

With a clear and meaningful purpose will come the motivation and the energy to follow that purpose. When you're sure of the what and the why, you'll find everything necessary to handle the how.

Do you have trouble staying motivated, or keeping yourself focused, or following through on your commitments? With a compelling purpose, those troubles disappear.

Are you worried and anxious about how you'll do what you need to do? With a deep sense of purpose, those worries and anxieties give way to valuable, positive ideas and effective action.

There is a purpose, there is a why, that can bring every aspect of your life to higher and higher levels of performance and experience. You've glimpsed that purpose in moments of pure joy, those times when everything in life just seemed to be flowing perfectly.

Dive deep into who you are and connect yourself to a purpose that is uniquely and overwhelmingly you. Seek to know and live a purpose so positive, powerful and compelling that you cannot let go of it.

Already you have seen bits and pieces of that purpose at times, even if somewhat dimly. Just imagine what you could do if you were to include that powerful purpose in every moment.

Imagine it, and then let yourself make it so. Your highest and best purpose is ready to be lived.

-- Ralph Marston

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Quality of your thoughts

With your thoughts you can open your eyes. What you see in front of you is a function of the thoughts you nourish inside of you.

Have you ever thought about a person whom you haven't heard from in a long time, and then that person suddenly appears again in your life? It may seem magical or supernatural but it's not.

For your thoughts did not magically cause that person to appear. Instead, your thoughts opened you up to connect with that person who was there all the time.

There are vast expanses of reality that you have never even considered. Your thoughts can open you up to experience all sorts of valuable and wondrous things.

Life becomes available to you to the extent that your thoughts allow. And the quality of life that you experience is very closely connected to the quality of your thoughts.

Your thoughts are the filter through which you connect with the world where you live. With your thoughts you can choose to experience the best of life's countless possibilities.

-- Ralph Marston

Monday, September 19, 2005

Bright spots

Look closely, and you will see the bright spots in this day. Give your attention, your thoughts and your efforts to those bright spots, and they will grow even brighter.

Look closely, and you will see the positive possibilities in this moment, in this situation. Focus your energy on the good and valuable things you can do now, and the best of those possibilities will become real.

Though many circumstances may not be perfect, there are perfectly good, positive, life-affirming responses available to you. Respond to life from a perspective of love, and your response will have real, lasting power.

Life is rich and complicated, ever-changing and coming at you from every direction. You always have the opportunity to make the very most of it all.

You can grab on to those bright spots and nurture them toward magnificent proportions. In the midst of all the noise and confusion, you can take a glimmer of hope and build it into a dominant force.

Whatever may be going on in your life, there are bright spots that you can find and build upon and utilize to create great value. Even now those bright spots are there, ready for you to develop into something truly special.

-- Ralph Marston

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Always in you

You cannot hold on to any moment, for as soon as you know it is here it will be gone. What you can do, though, is to live each moment fully so its value will always be with you.

You cannot bring back the fondly remembered circumstances of the past. Yet what you can do is take the joy from those times still living in your heart and express it again and again in new and creative ways.

Though life is constantly and relentlessly changing, the true goodness you experience is never left behind. The more fully and authentically you live each moment, the more your life will be filled with value that you cannot lose.

The joys you have gathered were not the result of any particular circumstance. They came to you because you opened yourself up to life's goodness, and they are still with you even though many things may have changed.

Though you cannot hold on to this beautiful moment, there really is no reason to do so. For when you see, appreciate and fully experience its beauty, that beauty, that joy will always be in you.

Let go of the need to cling to any fleeting thing or circumstance. And make room for joy to grow in your life with each passing moment.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

A good time

Now is a good time to finally accomplish some of those things you've been meaning to do. Now is a good time to be thankful for all that you have and for all the positive possibilities open to you.

Now is a good time to set yourself free from the limiting thoughts that may be holding you back. Now is a good time to open your eyes and to more fully realize how very much you can do.

Now is a good time to connect with your highest vision of how good life can be. Now is a good time to focus yourself on making that vision come true.

Now is a good time to sincerely show others, with your words, your actions, your life, how much you care. Now is a good time to take the best of who you can be and use it to create real, lasting value for your world.

Now is a good time to pause and reflect on who you are and on the unique gifts that you have to give. Now is a good time to experience the real joy that comes from making a positive difference.

What makes now such a good time for all these things? Because it is here and it is yours to fully live, now.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Yes

Say yes to what is. Say yes to what can be. Say yes to beauty. Say yes to truth.

You won't accomplish anything by striving against reality. The fastest way to grow stronger and more effective is by acceptance of what is.

There is overwhelming goodness and richness in life if you will just see it. There is fulfillment and joy in every direction if you will just let it be.

By all means, take an active role in life. And let that active role begin with saying yes.

Say yes to this day, to this moment, to this very situation as it now is. And you will unlock a real and abiding value that pulls you ever upward.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Friday, September 23, 2005

Decide and do

Life can be unfair, confusing, discouraging, and filled with all sorts of unexpected factors. Yet even in the most difficult situations, achievements of every kind are most assuredly within your reach.

Decide what you intend to do, and get clear on the specifics of what that involves. Then get going, and don't stop until you're there.

Even when you're discouraged, you can still put one foot in front of another. Even when distractions beg for your attention, you can choose to remain focused on the task at hand.

Even when setbacks come, there is a way to keep going. Even when you make a mistake, or a whole series of them, you can learn from what you've done and go forward from there.

Anything can provide you with a good excuse to give up. Yet nothing can stop you when you choose to keep going.

What do you truly want in your life right now? Decide what you intend to do, and know that you can make it happen.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Imagine this

What if, instead of demanding that life were different, you simply set out to make it better by virtue of your own attitude and actions? What if, instead of placing limitations on your happiness, and holding it hostage until certain conditions were met, you simply let that happiness happen?

Imagine how life would be if you didn't have to worry about getting things or losing them. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could spend your time free of anger, frustration, and regret.

Think of all the places you could go if you didn't have to first ask permission from your own ego. Consider how much energy you would have if you were free from every anxiety.

Such a life is possible, and it is closer than you may think. In fact, the very act of visualizing it begins to make it happen.

Because your ego, your attitude, your anxieties, your frustrations, angers and regrets are all creatures of your own making. And you can choose just exactly how they will be.

Visualize a life of freedom, fulfillment, meaning and richness. Hold on to that vision and you will begin to make it be.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Monday, September 26, 2005

Judgment and understanding

On occasion, it is useful and necessary to make judgments about what other people do and say. Much of the time, though, it can be a waste of your time and energy.

In fact, one of the biggest obstacles to effective listening is the habit of continually and immediately making judgments about what is being said. When the mind is so preoccupied with judging and criticizing, it has no space left for learning and understanding.

Different people have different approaches to life and different opinions. In that diversity there is much value.

Yet when you are too quick to pass judgment, you can miss much of that value. When you become too focused on showing how clever you are or proving your point, you can pass up the opportunity to gain real wisdom.

Certainly it is appropriate and wise that you exercise judgment to prevent others from harming you or taking advantage of you. Remember, though, to balance that judgment with understanding and acceptance.

Relax your judgment and you'll increase your awareness. The more often you practice acceptance, the more wisdom and understanding you'll gain.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Space to live

When you proclaim and promote your own bitterness, you do far more harm to yourself than anyone else could ever do to you. When you blame others for all your troubles, you give them control of your life.

When you expect and demand to be taken care of, you give up the freedom and responsibility that account for so much meaning in life. When you become obsessed with revenge and retribution for an injury you have suffered, you prolong and expand that injury far beyond its original scope.

By contrast, the more of your life you accept responsibility for, the more power you have to control your own destiny. The more quickly and completely you can forgive, the sooner you can get back up and get moving forward again.

Do you truly want to live a life of meaning, fulfillment and joy? Then you must set out each day to create that meaning, to build that fulfillment, and to live that joy through the vehicle of your own life.

No other person can provide you with what really matters, and no one can take it away. Because what really matters is what you choose to freely and lovingly give to life.

Bitterness, anger, blame and retribution will bring nothing of value into your life. Let go of their false promises, and give yourself space to truly and magnificently live.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Your destiny

Go ahead and imagine the most wonderful, fulfilling life that you can. Jump in your mind past the current obstacles and limitations to the fulfillment of every form of richness that you know life can hold.

Dare to visualize a world in which your most treasured dreams have become true. Let your mind see every detail of your own special version of the very best that life can be.

If you could make the world exactly to your liking, consider very specifically just how that world would be. If you could spend your time doing precisely what you wish, how would the moments of your life be lived?

The more closely you get in touch with your dreams, the more able you are to make them real. The more vividly you consider how you want your world to be, the more real and effective tools you will have for making it so.

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful.

Your life is always moving toward something. Make it something that's absolutely great.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Give yourself a goal

Do yourself a favor and give yourself a goal. There is nothing that can give you the same positive, satisfying feeling as deciding to do something and then getting it done.

Give yourself a goal, and make it one that's truly meaningful to you. Experience the joy of creating exactly what you would like to have.

When you give yourself a goal, you give your actions a purpose. With a real and meaningful purpose behind them, those actions become vastly more effective.

When you are following a meaningful goal, it feels so right that once the goal is reached you'll want to have another. So do yourself an even bigger favor and get in the habit of creating and achieving goals for yourself on a regular basis.

The more goals you reach, the more enthusiastic you'll be to devise new ones. Even when you start with just a tiny, modest goal, you'll find yourself easily and naturally progressing to bigger, more ambitious ones.

Give yourself a goal, and the benefits will go far beyond you. You'll be making your world a more valuable and fulfilling place to live.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Friday, September 30, 2005

Value the minutes

Value the minutes, for they are where life happens. When you put the best of yourself into each and every minute, those minutes will quickly build on each other into something great.

Value the minutes, for in them is everything you have with which to work. Make the most of each minute as it comes along, and you'll find all that you need to do whatever you desire.

Value the minutes, for in every single one there is opportunity. Use that opportunity as it comes to you, and through your efforts you can create value that will continue on long after the moment has passed.

Value the minutes, for they are the realm in which you work and love and live. Value the minutes, for they are your classroom, your theater, your experience and your expression.

If you neglect and disrespect the minutes, thinking they are too small to matter, they will pass by all too quickly and leave you nothing. Yet when you truly value the minutes, you'll have enough of them available to accomplish whatever you choose.

Value the minutes, for they are what will make or break you. Value the minutes, for they are truly where you live.

-- Ralph Marston

 

Saturday, October 1, 2005

Richest treasures

In this day there is real and lasting treasure. Somewhere in the circumstances, the people, the moments, the experiences of today there is a unique and valuable gem that can bring much richness to your life.

If you set out with the goal of just getting through today, you'll likely pass that treasure by without even seeing it. If you spend your energy on anger, envy, worry or gloominess, your eyes will be blinded to the goodness and value that could otherwise be yours.

For today is a day when you can make positive, creative and beautiful things happen, if you will. Today is a day when you can add much meaning and substance to your world, if you choose.

Like precious diamonds that are hidden beneath the ground, the most valuable treasures of this day are not immediately evident. Yet the more love, creativity and effort you put into life on this day, the more real value you will uncover.

The most valuable treasures won't be found in those things from which you attempt to take. The real treasures will be in those things to which you give the best of who you are.

Choose now to do more than simply get through this day. Choose to discover and to live its richest treasures.

-- Ralph Marston

 

 

Monday, October 3, 2005

Action and consequence

The actions you take have consequences, and some of those consequences can be painful. Yet life would be hopelessly more painful if there were no consequences.

If actions had no consequences, there would be no reliable way to achieve anything. There would be no way for you to direct or control the circumstances of your life.

As it is, you can choose the consequences you experience by choosing the actions that bring about those consequences. You are able, in large part, to avoid the consequences you don't want and to create the consequences you desire.

By taking responsibility for the consequences in your life, you gain the power to determine what those consequences will be. By accepting and embracing responsibility for the outcomes of your actions, you are able to bring about the outcomes you prefer.

In each moment, with each choice you make, consider what that choice will bring. You have the power to create your own results.

Choose your actions with care and positive intent, and you'll like the consequences they bring.

-- Ralph Marston