The Daily Motivator: August 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Essence of beauty

There are so many different aspects of life that you cannot ever experience them all. And therein lies the beauty of being.

With each dawning day comes a fresh new set of possibilities. The more you choose to experience, the more there is remaining to experience.

As you contemplate all that you know, you create new avenues of contemplation. The more intensely you explore, the more new territory you open up for further exploration.

There is no end to that territory of experience. For each possibility leads surely to a whole new universe of possibilities.

Within you is life that ever yearns to know itself more fully. Every moment is an opportunity for new and unique expression.

The essence of beauty is that there is no limit to the way that beauty can be, no limit to the form that beauty can take. Now is the moment to experience beauty in a way that it has never been known before.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2008 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 3,000 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Balancing comfort

Being comfortable can be nice and pleasant. Yet too much comfort can softly and steadily erode your sense of purpose and even your most treasured dreams.

Being too attached to comfort can prevent you from venturing forth and fulfilling your best possibilities. In order to maintain your level of comfort, you may well be tempted to compromise the values you hold dear.

Enjoy the comfort that you have attained, while being careful not to let that comfort become a prison. As nice as comfort can be, so much of life's richness lies outside the boundaries of your comfort zone.

As with most things in life, comfort is best when it is experienced in moderation and balance. Even comfort loses its desirability when it is the only thing you ever experience.

Enjoy and be truly thankful for the comforts in your life. At the same time, balance those comforts with real and demanding challenges.

Maintain a comfortable place in your world from which you can regularly emerge to take on the risks and challenges that will add so much richness to life. Outside your comfort zone, there are always new dreams waiting to be lived.

-- Ralph Marston

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Step forward

A thousand disappointments in the past cannot equal the power of one positive action right now. Go ahead and go for it.

If you've previously told yourself that it can't be done, this is the moment to change your assumption. When you can dream it, imagine it and visualize it, you can do it.

Instead of making excuses, make some progress. Instead of looking back with regret, step forward with enthusiasm.

Choose to define yourself based on the person you know you can become. Choose to see your life in terms of the best of what is possible.

If you focus too much on the past, you'll be held back by limitations that may no longer even exist. Instead, look forward with positive expectation, and you'll find yourself quickly moving in a forward direction.

A new, fulfilling reality is calling to you. Step forward right now, and begin to make it happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Momentum

When you've gone a little ways, keep going a little ways more. When you've made some progress, use that progress to make some more.

Multiply the power of your actions with momentum. Once you get yourself going, follow through on the commitment and keep yourself going.

Often, the most difficult part of a task is the act of getting started. The fewer times you have to go through that process of starting yourself back up, the more you can get accomplished.

When you've enjoyed one success, that's the best time to start working on another success. Once you have momentum on your side, take full advantage of it.

One of the biggest benefits of achievement is that it opens up the door for greater achievement. Even a small success is a big deal, because of where it can lead.

Get yourself going and then keep yourself going. And from there, you can go anywhere.

-- Ralph Marston

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

So very much good

Be slow to take offense if indeed you ever take offense at all. For being offended gains you nothing and can cost you much.

Have patience with the mistakes and follies of others. Instead of harsh criticism, offer genuinely helpful feedback so that everyone benefits.

Forgive early and forgive often. Set yourself free from the heavy burden of resentment, and move quickly beyond the pain.

Learn from your regrets, yet do not punish yourself with them. Today is a new day with more possibilities than ever before.

Be truly thankful for all that is, and for your opportunity to experience it. You'll discover great stores of goodness and value when you simply have faith that they're there.

Live beyond the petty, fleeting concerns, and focus on the profound and beautiful substance of your life. There is so very much good that you can always do with it.

-- Ralph Marston

Monday, August 25, 2008

What you say

Truth has little need of elaborate explanation. The fewer words you can use, the more meaning they have.

Speak what you know to be true. And there will be no need to hide your thoughts behind your words.

Words have little meaning if there is no conviction to support them. When your words come directly from who you most sincerely are, they carry with them great power.

Do not make the mistake of attempting to deceive others with what you say. For once your words are found to be insincere, you will have great difficulty being taken seriously again.

Words are easy to say. Yet for those words to have any meaning or power, they must closely match the reality of your actions and your being.

Speak clearly, truthfully, with respect and humility. From the truth of who you are, comes the best of what you say.

-- Ralph Marston

Life is now

No matter how much joy you've known, there is always more joy to be experienced. Each moment brings new possibilities for adding richness to life.

The best days of your life are never behind you, unless you choose to see them as such. For no matter how life has been, there will always be opportunities to experience more goodness.

Everything you know about has already happened, so it can be very easy to view life as nothing more than what is receding into the past. Yet life is infinitely more, because life is now.

By all means, hold firmly to the goodness you've already known and carry it forever in your heart. At the same time, open yourself fully to the positive possibilities that are yours right now.

Now is the moment to live. Now is the time for all that can be.

The sun is just now rising on the bright golden possibilities of this day. Life's great and beautiful promise is now.

-- Ralph Marston

Breathing room

Look back on your life up to this point and you'll quickly see that many of your worries and concerns were completely unfounded. So why do you still insist on cranking out those worries at every turn of events?

How many times have you looked back on an occasion with the regret that you didn't simply enjoy yourself? There's nothing you can do about those past regrets, but there's plenty you can do about right now.

It's ridiculously easy to enjoy life, no matter what the situation. It's just a matter of letting go.

Let go of the worry and anxiety, of the anger and envy, of the need to be right and the need to control everyone else. Let go of the need to have everything your way.

Underneath all those layers of need and worry and negativity, there is pure joy. When you simply accept what is, and choose to enjoy the goodness in it, life can be wonderfully rich and beautiful.

Stop worrying and fighting so much, and start enjoying a little more. Give joy some breathing room and it will flourish in your life.

-- Ralph Marston

Truly care

Sincerely care about what you do. Give your full attention and respect to the task at hand.

There are those who depend on the work you are doing. Put yourself in their shoes, and look at the world from their perspective.

You have within you the potential for excellence. That excellence will be realized in your work when you truly care about each thing you do.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that some particular task is somehow beneath you. Instead, seek to raise up the significance of that task by giving your very best to it.

Each effort is an opportunity to express your highest, most treasured values. Each job is a chance to transform your vision of what life can be into something real and concrete.

The greatest, most valuable achievements are those built with genuine passion. Put passion and sincere care into the work you do, and the results can be astounding.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Destined to achieve

You are a natural-born achiever. That's why focused effort feels so good and so right.

Trees grow toward the sky because that's what trees are meant to do. Storm clouds drop rain across the land because that's what clouds do.

You create new value and solve problems because that is what you are born to do. You make valuable use of opportunities to achieve because achievement is part of who you are.

Whatever else you may possess, you also have a diverse and powerful set of tools for achievement. You can observe, interpret, adjust, respond, prioritize, and imagine.

You can learn valuable lessons in one situation and put them to effective use in another, completely different arena. You can build and teach and cooperate and integrate the best of what has been into a vision of what can be.

In short, you are destined to achieve. Get your excuses, fears and doubts out of the way and allow that destiny to fully unfold.

-- Ralph Marston

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

In every experience

Every choice is an opportunity to make the best choice. Every difficult decision serves as an occasion to firmly reinforce, with your actions, your most deeply held values.

From every mistake, there is much you can learn. In every setback, there are seeds of a more determined, purposeful and effective life.

Every disagreement is an opportunity to more fully understand. Every disappointment helps to shine a light on what you truly value most.

Whatever this day holds, somewhere in it there is positive value. Each moment is filled with possibilities for adding to the richness of life.

If you're determined to make negative judgments and criticisms, you'll find plenty of ways to do so. But what will that accomplish?

Instead, let your life and your awareness resonate with the magnificent abundance that is present in each moment. And you'll find real, useful, enriching value in every experience.

-- Ralph Marston

Monday, August 18, 2008

Choose discipline

Discipline is a decision you make, over and over again. Discipline is choosing to do what you know must be done, as often and as long as necessary.

With discipline, you can make smart and advantageous use of the time and resources available to you. With discipline, you can create great value for yourself and your world.

The most powerful way to put discipline into your life is to understand and remind yourself of what it can do for you. Once you truly decide to live with it, the power of discipline is yours.

If you do not choose to discipline yourself, you will eventually be subject to the harsh, inescapable discipline imposed upon you by life's realities. It is far more desirable to choose your own discipline and to deal with those realities on your own terms.

Self discipline opens up a world of choices and opportunities which otherwise would not be available to you. Whatever goal you set your sights upon, discipline is the most reliable way to reach it.

Choose, early and often, to use the powerful tool of discipline. And always achieve maximum results from your time and your actions.

-- Ralph Marston

Saturday, August 16, 2008

You can

Though the task is one of great difficulty, the capabilities you bring are even greater. For not only is there much you can do, you can learn and grow to do much more.

When the situation changes, you can adapt. When a new problem arises, you can discover the fresh opportunities that come along with it.

You can call upon the wisdom inside you that grows more extensive with each new experience. You can listen to your heart, where there is valuable truth that goes beyond what your mind can explain.

You can draw great strength from the connection you have with others. You can align yourself with the beauty and goodness that reside firmly and persistently in every corner of life.

In the darkest darkness, you can shine a light. In the most difficult circumstances, you can act to make a profound and positive difference.

You can know, you can understand, and you can live in the service of a purpose that becomes more powerful and refined with each passing moment. Choose to do what you can, and there is no limit to what you're able to achieve.

-- Ralph Marston

Friday, August 15, 2008

Reasons to succeed

Surround yourself with reminders of the reasons you have chosen to do the work you do. Keep the thoughts of those reasons foremost in your mind.

Achievement never happens for its own sake. Achievement is built when there are solid, meaningful reasons behind it.

The only enduring impediment to success is the lack of a reason for that success. Connect with a good reason, keep that connection strong, and you will find your way through whatever challenges you encounter.

When you have a reason, you have a stake in the outcome. When you have a reason, you're able to summon the discipline, commitment, persistence and creativity necessary to get the job done.

The best motivation is not to be found in some sophisticated secret technique or procedure. The best motivation is to constantly keep yourself in contact with your reasons.

Give yourself plenty of reasons to succeed. And you most assuredly will.

-- Ralph Marston

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Just because

Be joyful, just because you can. Spread genuine joy to others, just because it feels so grand.

Generously give of yourself just because it's your own special way to make a difference. Smile, just because it is so easy and pleasant to do.

Follow your dreams just because they call so vividly and persistently to you. Live your deepest purpose just because it feels so very right.

Always speak the truth just because you understand its far-reaching power. Act with integrity just because it keeps you on the path to true fulfillment.

Offer a kind word just because it can have such a positive impact. Lift up those around you just because you feel connected to all that is.

Life can be quite complex, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Live each moment richly and fully, just because you are.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Thoughts lead the way

Your thoughts have great influence on your life. So get them working in your favor.

Those things you've convinced yourself you cannot do, you will not do. By the same token, whatever you're absolutely certain that you can accomplish, you will indeed accomplish.

Your thoughts directly and persistently control your actions. And through your actions, you create much of the reality of your life.

Every achievement begins with a thought. And every achievement is supported all along the way by a continuous flow of positive, empowering thoughts.

You won't make something happen just by thinking about it. Yet the things you do cause to happen are those things upon which your thoughts are steadily focused.

Fill your mind with thoughts of positive purpose, joy, and meaningful achievement. Let your thoughts lead the way to the life of your dreams.

-- Ralph Marston

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The road to accomplishment

When the challenges are great, so are the possibilities for making real progress. Accept that those challenges exist, and yet do not be resigned to them.

Be clear and honest about where you are. Then begin moving boldly toward where you wish to go.

Look realistically at the difficulties you face. In every single one of them, there is opportunity.

No one is better positioned than you to make the most of those unique and meaningful opportunities. For you know exactly where you are, where you intend to be, and what you have to work with.

The road to real accomplishment leads directly through the challenges. Right now, you have what it takes to begin moving forward on that road.

You know what must be done, and more importantly, you know why you must do it. Step confidently into the challenges, and keep going until you reach the success that is on the other side.

-- Ralph Marston

Monday, August 11, 2008

Be kind to yourself

Be kind to yourself. The better you feel, the more value you can create for your world.

Learn from your mistakes, but don't hound yourself relentlessly with them. Build for the future, but don't withhold from yourself the joys that you can live right now.

Delight in life's pleasures without sinking into meaningless excess. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you as it resonates with the beauty that is within you.

Find genuine satisfaction in productive, meaningful effort. Give the best that you have, and discover the real, lasting treasures you receive from doing so.

Provide yourself with the energy, commitment and determination to do much. And regularly give yourself some peaceful, relaxing time to do nothing.

Treat yourself with kindness, courtesy, respect and the highest of expectations. For life is as good as you choose to make it.

-- Ralph Marston

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Start small

Even the smallest accomplishment has great value. Because it sets in motion a positive momentum.

Once you begin to create value, you easily and naturally move toward creating even more value. The best thing about success is that it provides greater opportunity for even more success.

Go ahead and start small, and if you're unable to start small, then start tiny. The point is, do whatever you can with whatever you have, and that will be plenty to get you moving in a positive, productive direction.

There is always something you can do. There is always some small step forward that you can make right now.

Your ability to accomplish does not get used up. In fact, the more you use it, the more powerful it grows.

Create a little bit of success, and experience how great it feels. From that positive, empowered place, there's no limit to where you can go.

-- Ralph Marston

Friday, August 8, 2008

Where you will soon be

A small effort now can make a big difference later. You can dramatically increase the effectiveness of your actions simply by taking them sooner.

As you go through the moments of this day, you are creating many of the circumstances in which you will live tomorrow. A few small, positive actions right now can bring great value as you move forward.

You cannot change where you already are. Yet you can have a significant and dramatic effect on where you will soon be.

Live this moment with joy, with purpose and with passion. And use this moment to inject into your life and your world the kind of substance and value that can last a lifetime.

You cannot instantly change your circumstances. You can, however, instantly change the direction in which you're headed.

Point yourself firmly and resolutely in the direction of your dreams. For where you choose right now to go, is where you will soon be.

-- Ralph Marston

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The life that you have

There will be times when you find yourself in extremely difficult circumstances. When those times come, it's important to put things in perspective.

Whatever else may be going on, always remember that you have been blessed with life and the ability to live it as you choose. Think of how completely awesome that is.

The idea that you are a victim of any particular circumstance is simply not accurate. For when you look at the big picture, you're not a victim at all.

You are a very fortunate beneficiary of the greatest circumstance that you could possibly imagine -- being alive and able to direct your own life. All other circumstances pale in comparison.

The transitory ups and downs are merely tiny threads in the overall fabric of your life. Each one ultimately adds to the richness of your experience.

The quality of that experience is up to you, and the fact that you're aware and able to think and act confers on you an incalculable wealth. See it, value and appreciate it, and spend each day being truly worthy of the unique, precious life that you have.

-- Ralph Marston

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Change for the better

Fighting against what you don't want will not create what you do want. Punishing those who have caused you pain will not do anything to lessen that pain.

Knowing clearly what you don't want can give you a powerful sense of determination. Yet for that determination to be of any real value, you must apply it toward creating the things you do want.

When you're in a difficult situation, the prospect of making a change can be very appealing. However, if all you seek is change for the sake of change, you could very well end up being worse off than you were before.

Do not focus on what you are running away from. Give your awareness, attention and energy to what you are working toward.

When you use your time and resources to make a change, be sure it's a change that will not only get you away from where you are, but will also benefit your life. Give your attention not to the negativity of the past, but to the positive possibilities that you can now follow.

When you make a change, use the opportunity to make it a change for the better. Make your choice a positive, meaningful one that brings new richness and value to your life.

-- Ralph Marston

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Begin with gratitude

A day that begins with gratitude is a day that you'll be able to fill with positive progress. When you're sincerely appreciative of where you are and what you have, you'll greatly expand your own possibilities.

Begin with a thankful thought. And connect yourself with the abundance that is all around you.

There is always something for which you can be sincerely thankful. And the simple act of being thankful ignites a productive momentum in your world.

By focusing your thoughts on the positive aspects of your life, you cause their influence to grow. Be grateful, and your gratitude happily creates even more things in your life for which you can be grateful.

The appreciation for what you have gives more value to all that you are. The blessings you enjoy are blessings precisely because you see them as such.

Tap into the great reservoir of real value that is already available to you. Live with gratitude, and you'll create even more reasons to be thankful.

-- Ralph Marston

Monday, August 4, 2008

Truly desire

Let go of the goals that don't mean anything. And you'll have plenty of energy and resources available for the goals that do have real meaning.

Stop wasting your time on merely keeping up the appearance of having a successful life. Put your moment-by-moment focus on actually living a joyous, fulfilling life.

Reach higher, not because it looks good to do so. Reach higher toward the accomplishments that will genuinely fulfill your purpose.

You have the power to attain what you truly desire. The key is that you do indeed truly desire it.

For it is authentic desire, and the deep purpose behind it, that will motivate you to sustain the effort. Authentic desire gives birth to focus, discipline, resourcefulness, effectiveness and persistence.

Take the time and do the work to fully understand what you truly desire. The more clearly you know what it is, the more surely you can make it real.

-- Ralph Marston

Saturday, August 2, 2008

In their place

There is a quick and easy technique that can vastly improve your effectiveness when dealing with other people. It can make you a better parent, spouse, friend, coach, negotiator, marketer or leader.

What is this technique? It is simply to imagine yourself in the other person's place.

By so doing, you can quickly create valuable and genuine rapport with others. You can significantly improve your ability to understand, to persuade and to motivate.

You'll find that you can work through difficult, conflict-filled situations in such a way that everyone emerges a winner. You'll discover countless ways in which you can contribute real value and make a positive difference.

Everyone desires to be more fully understood. By imagining yourself in another person's situation, you greatly improve both your understanding and your ability to be understood.

Each individual is blessed with a unique, one-of-a-kind perspective. By seeking to know perspectives other than your own, you can accomplish many wonderful and useful things.

-- Ralph Marston

Friday, August 1, 2008

The full distance

What a shame it would be if the results you have worked to achieve required just a little longer to arrive than you were willing to wait. How sad it would be for your ship to finally come in just a few minutes after you had given up and left the dock.

Success is built upon effort and commitment. Success also requires persistence and patience.

It is of little use to work for years toward a goal if you give up just a few days before the goal is reached. There is no point in working through hundreds of obstacles if you allow the very last obstacle to stop you.

Go ahead, close the deal, finish the work and get yourself all the way to the goal you've chosen. Take those last remaining steps so that you'll hold the prize firmly in your hands.

Rest when you are weary but do not quit. Achievement belongs to those who can go the full distance.

If it's important enough to start, it's important enough to finish. Be sure to always take the next step, for it could very well be the one that finally gets you there.

-- Ralph Marston

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