Too precious to waste

This is your life, so don't settle for a cheap imitation. Live each moment of it with substance.

Life is too precious to waste even a little bit of it on meaningless junk. Give your time, your attention, your efforts and your energy to what really matters.

If something doesn't concern you, don't let it consume you. If something doesn't really matter, then let it go.

There are only so many hours in this day. Choose to spend every one of those hours in the service of what truly matters.

Your priorities are based not on what you say or intend, but on what you actually do with your time. Choose positive, meaningful priorities by spending your time in positive, meaningful ways.

Devote yourself to what truly matters. And add more richness to your world with each passing moment.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Right where you are

Start where you are, and do what you can. Make use of what you have, in the time available to you, and there's much you can get done.

Don't waste your time waiting for conditions to be perfect, for they will never be. Go ahead, with things as they are, and begin making real progress.

The place to aim is as high as you can imagine. Yet the place to start is right where you are.

Let go of any concerns about not having enough time, or money, resources or anything else. Focus instead on the great value and potential of what you do have and of what you can do right now.

See the real treasure that exists in your opportunity and ability to make good, effective use of this moment. Claim that treasure by going ahead and putting forth your very best effort.

Today is your day to achieve and to make your world a better place. Start where you are, and get yourself solidly on the way to wherever you wish to be.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Worry is a waste

Worry is a waste. Find something better to do.

Worry achieves nothing, and it eats up your precious time. Let go of the worry, and use the time to create some real, meaningful value in your world.

Instead of worrying that the worst things will happen, work to make sure the best things happen. Instead of worrying about whether someone will give you a break, work to put yourself in a position where you don't need a break.

It's smart to act on your concerns, but foolish to simply worry about them. The best way out of worry is action, so find something positive you can do instead of letting the worry build.

You have the wonderful ability to act and to make a difference. As such, it makes absolutely no sense to worry.

The next time you feel worry, stop it immediately and start taking action. Whatever may or may not happen, you can turn it into something great.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Live proactively

The best time to solve a problem is before it becomes a problem. Get out in front of life and live it proactively, and you'll be free to set your own agenda.

When you earn money before you spend it, you'll avoid debt and make yourself financially secure. In the same way, when you do what must be done before it must be done, you avoid having to play catch up and can spend your time doing what matters.

Every moment gives you the opportunity to get ahead of life's demands. The more wisely and productively you use each moment, the more you'll be in control of your own destiny.

It feels good to take it easy and do nothing. It feels much, much better, though, to take it easy when this month's work and next month's work are already done.

It's great to be able to deal a problem when it arises. What's even better, though, is to already have the solution in place before the problem ever comes.

Look ahead, plan ahead, and work ahead. Live proactively by valuing every moment for the opportunity it is, and feel how great it feels to truly get ahead.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Life without limits

There is no limit to how much you can love. So give your love every opportunity you get.

There is no limit to how high you can aim. So aim for the highest, most meaningful goals, and your achievements will be amazing.

There is no limit to what you can imagine. So imagine and expect the very best for your life and your world, and let what you imagine inspire you to make it so.

Limits are only for those who fear their own strength. Let go of your fear, let go of the limits, and discover how truly strong and effective you can be.

Step boldly outside the comfort of your self-imposed limitations. You have many good and worthy things to do, so put all your focus on making them happen.

Live your life without limits. And fulfill the beautiful, unique purpose that is you.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Living more fully

Life is precious, beautiful, wondrous, joyful, overflowing with positive possibilities, and yours right here and now. On this Christmas Day of joy and giving, commit yourself to living life more fully, richly and lovingly than ever before.

No, things are not perfect and there are plenty of difficult problems and painful circumstances. Yet even when there are all kinds of reasons for despair, there is always a more effective and affirmative choice.

That choice is to see, appreciate, celebrate and support life's inherent goodness. Feel the reality that it is truly good to be alive, and choose to live the best possibilities that spring from that reality.

Just imagine the difference you can make when you see each moment as a blessing, no matter what it may hold. Then go beyond imagining and experience the joy of making it happen.

This is a great day to pause and reflect on what truly matters at the deepest level of your existence. This is a great day to choose a life that is true to all you hold so dear.

Look around, and see the goodness. Make the choice to make much more of it with the way your life is lived.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Positive experiences

Positive experiences create positive momentum. And positive momentum brings even more positive experiences.

Give yourself the gift of a genuine, meaningful positive experience. The benefits of that time will continue long after the experience has ended.

Be good to yourself and it will be great for your life. Truly enjoy the world around you and you'll see opportunities that were previously invisible.

Joy is always possible. Allow a little joy to flow out from your life right now.

Being good to yourself is not selfish. Because the more fulfillment you experience, the more value you have to give to others.

Have fun with what you have and enjoy where you are. Life's great abundance is yours when you can truly feel that it's there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

When success happens

When and where do success and achievement always happen? They always happen here and now.

This is the moment when you can choose to either work toward your dreams or to let them fade away. Now is when you take the specific actions that create the reality of your life.

Successful achievement is not some far off, future concept that might happen someday. Achievement is very real, and comes about as a result of what you do now.

You will not ever get anything done if you keep scheduling it for someday. What you do with right now is what truly makes a difference in your life.

Your future consequences are determined right here, right now, based on what you do with this day. This is when you can put real life and substance into your dreams.

Delight in this moment and give your very best to it. For in this moment is when you are creating your life, and in this moment is when success happens.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Taste the goodness

Relax, let go, be thankful and live this beautiful life that is yours right now. Feel the goodness that is your nature, and let that goodness fill your awareness.

Be where you love to be by loving where you are. Enjoy life by enjoying the moment you're in.

See the beauty that is all around you, in even the most ordinary of things. Feel the truly astounding miracle that is your existence on this day, in this place.

Allow yourself to be filled with wonder and appreciation for all that is. Know that there is unique positive value to be discovered in every turn of events, and choose to make the most of that value.

There is every reason to expect the best of yourself and your world right now. There is every reason to live this moment with passion, purpose and love.

Open yourself fully to life, and see how truly good it is, right now. Taste the goodness, and let it grow more abundant within you.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Something good in it

What appears to be a problem is not just a problem. It is an invitation to explore new positive possibilities.

What seems impossible is not entirely impossible. It is challenging you to look at the situation from a different perspective.

The obstacles that block you are also doing you a favor. They are guiding you to become more creative, more innovative, more determined and purposeful.

Each negative thing has a positive element. That's because you have the amazing ability to learn, to adapt, to create and to transform life according to your unique, positive vision.

There's really no need to worry about what might or might not come. For no matter what may come, there's a way for you to create more goodness and richness from it.

Enthusiastically embrace each moment with open arms. There's something good in it, waiting for you to bring it to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Joyful world

Put some real joy into what you're doing, and what you're doing changes for the better. Put some genuine joy into the situation, and new, positive possibilities come clearly into focus.

Instead of assuming that you cannot possibly enjoy what you're doing, find ways to add your own joy to it. Instead of expecting joy to be given to you, make as much of your own joy as you can.

Energize your moments by living them joyfully and enthusiastically. You can choose the way you relate to life, so choose to do it with joy.

Don't poison your attitude by compiling a list of things that get you down. Commit yourself to lifting life up no matter what kinds of things might be going on.

By all means, live in the real world, and live with authentic joy. Be realistic and joyful at the same time, and your reality will get better and better.

This is a day, this is a moment, this is a life that could benefit from some real joy. Give some joy now, and as often as you can, and live in a more joyful world.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Offer encouragement

You cannot force other people to do the right thing. What you can do, and what is extremely effective, is to encourage them.

If you offer threats, intimidation and low expectations, you'll get resentment and poor performance. When you assume and expect the worst of others, you're very likely to get it.

A better choice is to expect the best, and to offer opportunities for those expectations to be met. Though it's true that people won't always live up to your positive expectations, it's also true that most people would prefer to do what's best for everyone concerned.

Just about everyone responds positively to positive, genuine encouragement. Let others know, clearly, precisely and in positive terms, what you expect, and let them know you have faith that they'll meet those expectations.

Instead of looking for ways to control, look for opportunities to support and encourage. Instead of conducting detached transactions, seek to build ongoing relationships.

Offer the encouragement to do what is right, what is good, what is valuable and positive. Expect the best, in a supportive way, and it is much more likely to happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Making hope real

It's good to hope for the best. Yet it's infinitely more effective to put your thoughts, actions, commitment and genuine love into actually bringing about the best in life.

Hoping, wishing and dreaming can be very positive experiences. It is important to remember, though, that such experiences are starting points, not ultimate destinations.

You can very realistically experience what you hope for. The way to do so is to go beyond mere hope, and to put your life into making that hope real.

Hope can matter very much, and have an extremely positive impact. The way to make it matter is to do something about it.

Give time, effort and substance to your hope, to your dreams, wishes and visions for life. If something is important enough to hope for, it is absolutely important enough to work for.

Experience how good it can be to feel the hope. Then experience how very much better it feels when you put your life into making the hope real.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Better than ever

If you're in a pattern that's taking you nowhere, it's time to create a new pattern. That's not nearly as difficult as it might initially sound.

You are the person who is keeping yourself stuck in an unproductive pattern. You are the person who can move quickly, decisively and permanently to something much better.

Stop and take an honest, objective look at what you're doing. If you had a good friend who was doing the same kinds of things, think of the advice you would give that friend.

One big reason you keep doing what doesn't work is because it feels comfortable. So remind yourself that continuing in a negative, unproductive and unfulfilling pattern will make you extremely uncomfortable in the long run.

Comfort feels nice, and yet fulfillment and meaningful achievement feel thousands of times better. Your life is meant to be filled with the richness of new experiences, not just the comfort of familiar routines.

Get yourself out of that same old pattern and get yourself on a path that will resonate with your passion. You owe it to yourself, and to all of life, to continue becoming better than ever.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Unwelcome interruptions

You have great plans, and yet life is always getting in the way. You intensely wish to move forward, but all sorts of things seem to constantly interrupt and impede that movement.

But do those unexpected and unwelcome interruptions really have to hold you back? The fact is, you don't have to let them.

Sure, you must regularly deal with the urgent, pressing matters that come your way. But that doesn't mean those unwelcome interruptions have to take over your life.

Instead of seeing those interruptions as negative, distracting influences, you can just as realistically choose to see them as positive, empowering opportunities. Just because they weren't in your plans doesn't mean they have to upset your plans.

Decide that there's something positive to be found, and you'll find something positive in anything. Decide that the interruptions won't really interrupt you, but will in fact provide you with additional ways to move forward, and that's exactly what will happen.

Learn to welcome, embrace and empower yourself with the unexpected interruptions. They're always going to come, so make the choice to make them work in your favor.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Clear direction

Decide where you will go, and then go there. When you live by intention, there is no limit to the rich rewards that life can bring.

To get somewhere, you must first know precisely where that is. To achieve, you must zero in on the specific details of your intended achievement.

Whether it is for an hour, a day, a month, five years or five decades, clear and purposeful direction makes a profound difference. The highest level of fulfillment comes to those who can envision precisely what that fulfillment looks like.

Yes, it's difficult to hone your scattered ideas and desires into a positive, coherent direction. Yet you most certainly can do it, and each time you do the results will be amazing.

Give yourself a clear direction for this day, for this week, for this beautiful and unique life of yours. Give yourself a clear direction and you'll have a workable path to your own special greatness.

In whatever you're doing, choose a direction that will express your highest, most treasured values. Give yourself a direction, and give your very best gifts to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Give care

If all you care about is what's in it for you, there won't be much in it for you. If all you care about is what other people think of you, people won't think very highly of you.

What you care about has a powerful impact on the way your life unfolds. So instead of caring so much about what you think you need, put your energy into caring for all that you have.

You have life, and great possibilities, and other people with whom to enjoy it all. You have a universe filled with beauty and wonder, and the opportunity to create new meaning and value.

Give loving care, attention, gratitude and support to the abundance with which your world is filled. Take good care of the good things, and they will grow even more beneficial.

Give care, focused thought, attention and awareness to whatever you're doing, and whatever you're doing will bring meaningful, valuable results. Give your care to making a difference, and continually put that care into action.

Lift up life by caring for it. Give true care, and the rewards are immense.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Think highly of yourself

Very often, your biggest limitations are the limitations you put on yourself. What you expect has a profound effect on what you actually get.

If you think of yourself as too old, too inexperienced, uninformed, dull or ordinary, those negative expectations influence the way you live. When you think of yourself as creative, passionate, interesting, valuable, unique and genuine, those positive expectations will be expressed in your life.

Thinking highly of yourself doesn't mean you have to be arrogant or elitist. When you truly think highly of yourself, you'll end up living your life so as to genuinely prove those thoughts accurate.

You can be held back by your expectations, or encouraged forward by your expectations. Make the choice to be encouraged, inspired, motivated and compelled by the positive things you expect of yourself.

Sure, there are many difficult challenges you'll face in living a fulfilled, successful life. Don't add your own negative expectations to those challenges.

Instead, expect the best of yourself in every moment and in every situation. And ride those expectations forward to a life of true fulfillment.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Do yourself a big favor

You don't have to beg or wish or hope for favors from others. You can do yourself a big favor today.

You can use the moments of this day, the moments available to you right now, to create value. You can choose to take the specific actions that will bring new, meaningful richness to your world.

Even though you may be burdened with challenges, obligations, limitations, frustrations and other factors pushing against you, still you can move forward. You can choose to achieve something valuable in spite of whatever might be working against you.

What really matters is not your situation, but your attitude, your intentions and your commitment to make positive things happen. When you're truly committed to making progress, you will find a way.

Reach into your most sincere, authentic self and connect with what matters most to you. Have the courage to admit what you love, and to do something about it.

Do yourself a big favor and live this day with purpose, intention, passion and relentless energy. You can do it, and you'll feel amazing when you do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Start the ball rolling

Motivation leads to action, and action leads to more motivation. If you're not motivated to do anything, do a little something anyway and start the ball rolling.

Even the smallest positive step can begin to create positive momentum. Take that small step, feel the tiny wisp of motivation and momentum, and let it carry you to the next modest step.

Even if it doesn't seem to accomplish anything, a small, initial positive action does in fact achieve something of great consequence. It gets you going.

Once you're in motion, you're much more likely to stay in motion. The longer you stay in motion, the more likely you are to keep going.

The best thing to do when you don't feel like doing anything, is to do something. Remind yourself that although you may be severely unmotivated, you can take a small action anyway.

No matter what your situation or level of motivation may be, there's some little something you can do. Do it now, get the ball rolling, and let the power of positive momentum push you forward.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Who to blame

When a law has been broken or a contract violated, it is important to determine who is to blame. For most other things in life, however, being concerned about blame is largely a waste of time and effort.

Yes, it matters who is to blame. Yet there are plenty of other things that matter much, much more.

Punishing those who are to blame does not undo what they have done. Time and effort put into assigning blame take time and effort away from moving forward.

Let go of the need to blame. Embrace the freedom and the opportunity that forgiveness can bring.

It is better to make new progress than it is to fight battles from the past. Instead of becoming obsessed about who is to blame, become passionate about the good things you can now do.

Your best options are found by looking forward, not back. Make the choice to make the best of what has happened, starting now.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Live smart

Don't just think about how great life can be. Live those thoughts.

In your own unique way, you are incredibly smart. So use the opportunity of this day to live smart.

Your best ideas deserve much more than to be stuck in your mind. Bring those ideas to life.

You intuitively understand what it will take to make a positive difference in the world. So go ahead, and actually do what it takes.

Put your thinking into action and truly experience how great life can be. Translate your intelligent thoughts into effective, rewarding efforts.

You're smart enough to know what it takes to create the fulfillment you desire. Put that great intelligence to use, today, and make it happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

The moment when you can

Now is the most important time in your life, because now is the time you can do something about. Now is your most powerful moment, because now is when you can exercise the power of your intention.

Don't waste this powerful moment complaining about the past or worrying about the future. Invest your time, this time right now, in living with purpose, passion, creativity, effectiveness and joy.

This is not a time to be timid or vengeful, angry or disappointed. This is your time to find sweet fulfillment in using your wisdom and your efforts to make a difference.

It doesn't really matter what's been happening lately, or whether you've been falling behind or speeding ahead. Now is a valuable new moment, filled with new possibilities, ready for you to live with all you have.

Now is jam-packed full of great opportunity. Grab some of that opportunity, right here, right now, and do something beautiful and meaningful with it.

You are here, this moment is here, the possibilities are here, and you can immediately start to transform those possibilities into fulfilling reality. This is the moment when you can, so do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Give purpose to this day

To get the most out of this day, give it a purpose. Instead of just taking whatever comes, experience this day the way you choose to experience it.

If this day has no clear purpose, then you're likely to be tossed around by all the random things that happen. Yet when you've made a firm commitment to a specific result, your focused direction will enable you to rise above the distractions and diversions.

If you're standing still, wondering what to do next, the obstacles will push you back. Yet when you're already moving forward and you encounter obstacles, your momentum will help carry you through them.

Give this day a purpose that will excite you, motivate you, ignite your passion and compel you to get moving. Give yourself something good and meaningful to show for the time you spend living this day.

When the next step is clear, you're much more likely to take it. When you've decided exactly what is to be done, you're much more likely to do it.

There is enormous positive potential in this very day. Give this day a purpose, and claim some of the great value it offers.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Choose a positive response

No matter what happens, you can respond in whatever way you choose. So make your response the most positive one for every person it affects.

There's nothing to be gained by adding more negativity on top of negativity. You have the opportunity to break the pattern.

Instead of responding to anger with more anger, challenge yourself to respond with understanding and compassion. When you're tempted to respond with frustration, make the more positive choice to respond with patience.

For your world to be a more positive place, you must take responsibility for putting more positive energy into it. Though a positive response may be the more difficult one, it is also the more valuable choice in the long run.

Rather than choosing a response based on what has happened, choose your response based on the direction you wish to go. Even when life has let you down, your best choice is a positive response that creates a more positive future.

Each response to life is an opportunity to make progress. Choose a positive response, again and again, and create a much more positive world.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Build great strength

Don't run from failure or hide from failure or avoid the possibility of failure. Use failure to improve.

If you're not willing to fail, you won't be able to grow. To become stronger and more capable, you must push yourself beyond what you already know you can do.

It is only by lifting more weight than you've lifted before that you strengthen your muscles. It is by experiencing failure that you discover new ways to succeed.

Failure and disappointment can serve as powerful steps along the path to magnificent achievement. In dealing with the difficult times, you build great strength with which to create good, meaningful, satisfying and fulfilling value in your world.

Success means nothing if it is not earned. Failure is an important part of earning success.

The road to achievement will constantly test you. Be willing to take those tests, and to work through those tests, and achievement is yours.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Temporary condition

What you are experiencing right now is a temporary condition. Things will soon be different, so act accordingly.

If life is going well, make the very most of your good fortune. Work to transform it into even more good things.

If life is not going so well, you can take steps right now to change that. Change will most certainly come, so work to make those changes positive, meaningful and enriching.

The way your life is now is not the way your life will always be. Fully enjoy all the good things about this moment while also working to create a positive future.

As good as things are right now, you can make them better. As difficult as things are right now, you can make them better.

This day, this moment, this experience will eventually pass. Give it your best while it is here, and then move forward to something even better.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Easier said than done

Everything is easier said than done. But just because something is difficult to do, doesn't mean it is impossible.

In fact, the more difficult something is, the more valuable it is when you do in fact get it done. Instead of complaining that it's easier said than done, put your energy into making it happen.

On the other side of great challenge is great reward. Work through the challenge, and get yourself to the reward.

Yes, that will take time, effort, commitment, decisiveness and persistence. And it will be worth all that and more.

The way to get it done is to start where you are, to keep going forward, and to constantly remind yourself why. Though it's certainly not as easy as just saying you will, it is absolutely within your ability to make good and valuable things happen.

Act in accordance with the way you wish your life to be. Though it's easy to say, it's much, much better to do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

A day to be thankful

Every day is a day to be thankful. Life is a miracle, and there is no end to the possibilities for joy, fulfillment, meaning and value.

Every day is a day to be thankful, and the more we remember to do so, the more we have for which to be thankful. Life's blessings multiply when they are fully realized and put to good use.

Be thankful today and every day, not because you're supposed to be, but because you can. Experience the warm sensation of true gratitude just because it feels so good.

Keep yourself aware of your good fortune, and through that awareness, your good fortune grows. Focus on the good things, and you make them even better.

Remind yourself how good life can be, and suddenly you see new ways to expand that goodness. Your life and your world become what you hold in your thoughts most persistently, so hold all the good things there with your thankfulness for them.

Today is a day to be sincerely and overwhelmingly thankful. Seize that great opportunity now, with all the richness it brings.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Pay the price

Success has a price, and today you have the golden opportunity to pay that price. Choose to do so, and valuable, unique, new fulfilling success is yours.

Though the price you must pay for success is significant, it is never a burden. Willingly, joyfully and enthusiastically pay that price, and true success will fill your life.

To pay the price of success, you must engage your effort, your creativity, your resourcefulness and a whole lot of other strengths, skills and abilities. What's truly beautiful is that when you pay the price of success, it actually ends up paying you back many, many times over.

If you're trying to avoid paying the price of success, you're running away from your best possibilities. Stop, turn around, step up, do what must be done, and taste the sweet fulfillment that's waiting for you.

Success has a very steep price, and one of life's greatest joys is the experience of paying that price. Don't ever cheat yourself out of the opportunity to feel that joy.

Success has many benefits, and one big benefit is in the price you must pay. Pay that price, every chance you get, and enjoy the immense rewards of doing so.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Inner state of being

Anxiety is not created by your situation, or by what you must do about your situation. Anxiety is the result of your attitude and your perspective on the situation.

To be free of anxiety, you don't necessarily have to change the situation or avoid doing anything about it. What you can do is change your attitude, your perspective and your expectations.

In fact, your attitude ultimately is not dependent on your circumstances. Your attitude is whatever you choose it to be.

As surely as you have learned to react to certain things with anxiety, you can teach yourself to respond instead with peaceful confidence. That response is just as realistic, and much more positive, healthy and enriching.

Keep in mind that it is because of your choice that you become annoyed, frustrated, angry, fearful and filled with anxiety. Keep in mind that you always have another, more positive choice.

Make it your intention to choose peace, positive purpose, confidence and generous, effective action. Your inner state of being is always your choice, so always make it the very best, most empowering one.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Outstanding feeling

When you meet up with resistance, that means you're making progress. The more resistance you work yourself through, the more value you'll create.

Achievement is difficult, and that's a good thing. For that's what enables achievement to make you stronger.

The difficulties can get you discouraged if you let them. The good news is, you don't have to let them.

Take a deep breath, and feel the power of your own purpose and your own intention. You are here to achieve, and to successfully deal with whatever challenges are in your path, so step boldly forward and do it.

Feel your strength grow as you work through each new challenge. Feel your resolve and determination increase as you find new ways to move forward no matter what.

Achievement feels so good because of what it takes to get there. Give what it takes, as often as necessary, and experience the outstanding feeling that your own achievements bring.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

More than you must

It is by doing more than you must that you make life exceptionally good. It is by exercising each small opportunity to go the extra mile that you create an incredibly beautiful journey.

When you're making a difference, and you have some good momentum, keep going. When you've finished what you must do, keep going and discover the great value in what you can choose to do.

Even a small extra effort can make a big difference. A little bit bigger extra effort may just change the world.

Instead of fighting against the effort, enjoy it and celebrate the opportunity you have to make it. Instead of resenting what you must do, be delighted about all the great things you're able to do.

Feel how good it feels to be effective, creative and productive. Keep that feeling alive even longer by making an extra effort.

Grab each opportunity to do more than you must. You'll end up with treasures that go beyond anything you could have imagined.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Helping others

Helping others helps you, at the very deepest level. Giving real value serves to create real value in your own life.

By providing encouragement, you receive encouragement. When you teach, you learn.

Each day is rich with opportunities for you to make a positive difference in the lives of those around you. And it is through genuinely enriching the lives of others that you find true richness in your own.

Right here, right now, there is a beautiful way to give of yourself, and to make the world a better place. Choose to do so, and immediately feel the benefits begin to manifest.

You have the chance today to change lives for the better. It's difficult to imagine anything that could be more fulfilling than that.

Reach out, give a hand, make a difference, and offer a kindness. The lives you lift will most certainly include your own.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Positive approach

Conflict can be interesting and enticing, but is not particularly useful. Rather than giving in to the drama of conflict, choose to be genuinely helpful and cheerful, and make yourself much more effective.

Sure, you can get attention by being negative. But you can get much more done by taking a positive approach.

Instead of focusing on what's wrong, offer some workable options for setting things right. When you feel like giving criticism, find a way to give it in the form of encouragement.

You don't have to be nice just to be nice. Be nice, helpful, positive, upbeat and encouraging because that's how you, and everyone else, will make the most progress.

You'll never be able to get back the time and energy you waste on conflict. Yet when you invest your time and energy in being a positive influence, the rewards for doing so will expand exponentially as time goes on.

Your most effective, productive, profitable, compassionate and intelligent choice is to be positive in your interactions with others. It's a choice that lifts the lives of everyone involved.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Creating fulfillment

Your fulfillment does not depend on getting others to think or act in certain ways. Your fulfillment does not depend on being impressive or successful in the eyes of the world.

Your fulfillment depends on you. It depends on how much of yourself you genuinely give and authentically express.

Governments, corporations, interest groups and institutions cannot give you fulfillment or keep you from it. Regardless of your situation, you are responsible for the fulfillment you experience.

People have all sorts of different abilities, resources, challenges, opportunities and circumstances. Yet every person, in his or her own way, has the possibility for true fulfillment at any time.

Don't waste your time begging for help, assigning blame, or wishing that things could be different. Wisely use every bit of your time joyfully and gratefully creating the special fulfillment that is yours to create.

Stop imagining excuses and start experiencing the satisfaction of bringing real fulfillment to every day. Now is your moment, so fill it with delightful meaning.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Energized by the possibilities

Acknowledge and accept what is, but don't settle for it. You can take what is, whatever it may be, and add great value to it.

If you've allowed yourself to fall behind, or if events beyond your control have held you back, you don't have to stay behind. You can fully embrace where you are, and then begin to step solidly forward.

It is never too late to experience the true fulfillment of making a real difference in life. No circumstance is ever too burdensome to separate you from your authentic purpose.

Don't let yourself get caught up in judgments or comparisons. Instead, let yourself be energized by the positive possibilities of right now.

Whatever has happened, has happened, and now the thing to do is move forward with renewed energy. You can do it, not because of where you've been or what you have, but because of who you are deep inside.

Take this day, this moment, this unique place and time, and give it the best you have. There is greatness within you, so let it come flowing forth right now.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Taking action

You can plan and prepare and talk about it for weeks or months or years, but that's never enough. Action is what will make it happen.

A verbal commitment is good and a written commitment can be powerful. Yet there is no true, effective, life-changing commitment until there is action.

When you take action, there is no guarantee of success. Yet when you do not take action, there absolutely is the guarantee of failure.

Act early, act often, act intelligently, act with persistence, and be willing to adjust your actions based on the results they bring. The only way to achieve the goal is to get in the game and make the effort.

Right now you have the time in this day. Fill it with effective, directed, focused, positive, purposeful action, and you'll always be thankful you did.

Action will take you from here to there, from nothing to something, from dream to reality. Get up, get going, take action and make your reality the best you can envision.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Worth every moment

Some days will be joyful and other days will be painful. Through it all, life is worth every moment.

Some experiences will be frustrating and others will be exhilarating. Choose to see the positive value in all those experiences, and to grow stronger with each one.

On some days the sunshine will feel delightfully warm and on other days the wind will be bitterly cold. Yet every day, each feeling can make you feel more richly alive.

The future may at times appear bright and at other times seem to be deeply troubling. Whatever the case, you can always make the very best of the time you have, as it comes.

Life will always have its ups and downs. Instead of making a judgment about every experience, make the choice to embrace it all.

See each day as an opportunity to grow stronger, more capable and more thankful for life's limitless possibilities. Use each day to bring the best of those possibilities into being in new, unique and meaningful ways.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Real, fulfilling life

Life gives to you what you give to life. The way you experience life depends on the way you choose to live it.

If you act according to your own greed, you will suffer from the greed of others. If you live with hatred you will be the recipient of hatred.

When you live out of a sense of authentic love, you will receive love from others. Live with true respect, and you will be truly respected.

You cannot possibly get the good things you do not wish to give. You cannot possibly avoid receiving in return whatever it is you offer to life.

A puzzle that is solved for you is really not any fun. A life that is lived for you is no life at all.

Make your own way, shoulder your own burdens, and give your very best in every moment. That is real, fulfilling life, and it is priceless.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Beyond the good life

Sometimes fear doesn't really feel like fear. Sometimes it feels very comfortable.

Sometimes the desire to remain comfortably where you are can prevent you from being the best you can be. Sometimes you might live with unacceptable pain just so you don't have to make any changes.

Sometimes it is useful to remind yourself that there is more to life than just being comfortable. Sometimes a change, though it may be intimidating, can do you a whole lot of good.

It's great to appreciate and value where you are. Yet life will surely and eventually insist that you continue to move forward.

So make the choice to get a little bit beyond what you're comfortable with. Feel true gratitude and appreciation for life's richness, and know that there is even more beyond the horizon.

Don't let your comfort shield you from your best possibilities. Go beyond the good life, and make it even better.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Beautiful reality

Act not out of judgment, but out of love. Live not from a position of fear, but from a perspective of joy.

Let go of the need to prove how good you are. Live in such a way that real goodness, joy and generosity flow naturally from all you do.

Instead of seeking to gain more advantage, discover new ways to give more value. Instead of worrying about what might be, live the immense treasure of what already is.

Don't waste your time looking for happiness in this thing or that. Let happiness always find you right where you are, doing whatever you are doing.

See life not as a contest where some must lose in order for others to win. See it as an opportunity to lift yourself higher by lifting many, many others through your unique gifts.

Let go of the illusion that you must struggle. And let in the beautiful reality of how very good life can be.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Embrace responsibility

Don't blame others, don't blame the situation, and don't blame yourself. Instead of wasting your energy on assigning blame, empower yourself by accepting responsibility.

The way you experience life is no one's fault. It is your choice.

Fully accept and embrace responsibility for all that surrounds you, and something amazing happens. You gain the power to make a positive difference.

If you run from the troubles, they grow stronger and chase you more and more relentlessly. Yet the moment you take responsibility for those troubles, you begin to have some control over them.

If you merely wish for your dreams to come true, they won't. Yet when you step up and take responsibility for bringing those dreams to life, they begin to take on real form and substance.

Responsibility is the key that gives you access to all the best life has to offer. Embrace responsibility in all things, and unlock the great value that is yours to live.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Experience the richness

You put a lot of energy and effort into living. So on a regular basis, take time to fully experience your life and the world in which you live.

Spend some time that has no purpose other than to take in all the richness of which you're a part. Let go, for a while, of the need to analyze, to criticize, to judge and react.

Allow your thoughts to be still. Feel the wonder, the goodness, the beauty of simply being, and knowing that you are.

Experience life, not in order to gain any advantage or to impress someone. Experience life because the depth of its richness has no limit.

The more fully you experience and appreciate life, the more you'll find yourself needing less and having more. Experience life, and you'll clearly see how truly rich you already are.

Life is a gift so precious that it has no equal. Experience life, and give that gift to yourself and others.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Success is not a secret

Success is not a secret. It is a choice, a choice that is made over and over again.

The choice that brings success and achievement is more than a one-time event. It is a choice that is integrated into every moment of life.

It's one thing to decide upon a course of action and then leave it at that. Such a strategy will leave you with nothing but empty wishes and good intentions.

Real achievement comes from choosing to achieve, again and again, moment after moment, until the goal is attained. Real achievement comes from choosing to achieve, and then continually reaffirming that choice with action.

Choosing success is really quite easy. To actually reach that success, just keep on choosing it.

Keep on choosing, and acting on that choice, for as long as necessary. And anything is within your reach.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Highest vision

Look up from what you're doing and look around for a minute. See what a beautiful world you're in.

Take your mind off the problems for a moment, and focus on the positive possibilities. Consider how very much you are able to do.

Turn your attention for a while away from the worries and anxieties. Remind yourself of all your many blessings.

The direction of your focus is the direction your life will move. Let yourself move toward what is good, valuable, strong and true.

The things that fill your awareness are the things that will fill your life and your world. So expand your awareness beyond your own concerns and toward the best of what can be.

Look up and look confidently toward the highest vision you can imagine. The moment you do, you're on your way there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Forever thankful

Do you remember anything special that you did exactly one week ago, or one month ago today? What can you do today that will make today a day to fondly remember for a long time to come?

This day is an entire day of your life. You have the opportunity to live this day in such a way that it will make a positive difference for years to come.

You can express your love in a new and unique way. You can begin an ambitious project that you've been meaning to start for a long time.

You could take the time and make the effort to learn a new skill that will add value to every day of your life. You could visit a place you've never been to before, or re-connect with an old and dear friend.

You can thoughtfully re-commit yourself to your highest priorities. And then you can take real, effective action that will bring those priorities to life.

You can live this day in such a way that you'll be forever thankful for what you've made of it. Get started now, and make it one to remember.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Carefully listen

Stop worrying so much about what you're trying to say, and listen for a while. Though it may seem strange, one very effective way to express yourself is by listening.

Listen, carefully, lovingly and attentively to the world around you. Listen to others and listen to life.

Let go of your assumptions about what you expect to hear. Listen not only with your ears, but also with your heart and spirit.

Pay attention to what life has to say to you. There is no end to the valuable lessons you can learn.

When you think you know it all, you deny yourself the opportunity to learn new things. When you interact with others only to impress them with how much you know, they'll soon understand that you know very little.

The more you listen, observe and learn, the more powerfully you'll be able to express yourself. Take heed of what life has to say, and what you learn will carry you far.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Fully there

Wherever you are, be there fully. For where you are is where you can most effectively act and live.

If you're constantly wishing that you were somewhere else, you diminish the opportunities for where you are now. When your thoughts are in another place or time, your actions lose much of their effectiveness.

It's great to dream, to plan, to aspire, to reach for new and improved circumstances. And yet the way to successfully do that is by being the best you can be in the place where you now find yourself.

It's great to keep yourself focused on an ambitious goal. And that focus is the most effective when it is crafted from the perspective of where you are now.

To successfully travel the path from here to there, you must start with being fully here. The more you give your attention and your energy to making the most of where you are, the more quickly you'll move along that path.

There is much to be accomplished, much to be lived in every place and in every moment. Be there fully for all of them, and life will be rich indeed.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Too valuable to waste

Consider what a truly great day you have today. Think of all the magnificent possibilities that are yours right now.

You can fill the next hour with sixty minutes of focused, purposeful, effective effort. You can bring new and meaningful value to your work, your home, your family, your community and your dreams.

On this day you can learn, experience, work, feel, love and play. You can make creative use of whatever you have to move in the direction of whatever you desire.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. So let yourself imagine something wonderful, and then enjoy the wonderful experience of making it happen.

Though it might seem easier and more comfortable to just do nothing, that's really not the case. If you waste the great possibilities of this day, you will very soon come to regret it.

So avoid that regret and jump into action. Today is much too valuable to waste.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Goodness in return

If you have been disappointed, take heart. For you are also in a great place from which to start.

When you've made the effort and failed to get the desired result, see it as the blessing it is. You have just discovered what doesn't work and that will help you figure out what does work.

When people are critical of you, sincerely thank them. They have just given you a valuable perspective which can help you to become even more effective.

In the moments when frustration comes, feel the intense energy that comes with it. Transform that energy into determination, and make it a powerful, positive force.

Even when there are good reasons to feel sorry for yourself, don't. Those very same reasons can be reasons to move forward with more commitment than ever before.

Whatever life may give you, choose to give goodness in return. And nothing will be able to hold you back from the sweet fulfillment you deserve.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Get life going your way

Don't wait for life to go your way. Get your own thoughts and actions going your way and the other things in life will reliably follow along.

Step forward and take a positive, active role in creating your own future. Instead of worrying about what might or might not happen, work to make what does happen the best you can imagine.

With every moment and every choice, you have an influence on the way your life unfolds. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, find ways to utilize each circumstance for meaningful, positive purposes.

Though you cannot control every influence in your life, you absolutely can control what you make of those various influences. Make the choice, again and again, to make the best of them.

Take what comes, whatever it may be, with gratitude and positive expectations. Do what you must to make something good out of it.

There is always a way forward, so take it. There is always something useful, valuable and positive you can do, so do it, and get life going your way.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Richness flowing out

If you cannot fully value and appreciate what you have, you might as well not have it. Life's richness is valuable precisely to the extent that you make it valuable.

The way to make it valuable is to be thankful. The way to be truly thankful for what you have is to make good and meaningful use of it.

This moment is an opportunity to do just that. This situation, whatever else it may be, is your chance to create new value and richness.

Look at what you have right now, but not as a static scorecard. Look at what you have and see the possibilities for moving forward.

Your highest fulfillment will come not from accumulating possessions. It will come from creating and expressing new value in your own unique way.

Be truly and immensely thankful for this moment and for what's in it. Then live it in such a way that new richness comes flowing out.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Focus on the good things

Your mind is astonishingly powerful. Focus that power on the good things.

Your thoughts create the landscape in which you experience life. Make that landscape empowering in a positive and fulfilling way.

Even if something is very small, you can make it enormous in your life by choosing to intensely focus your thoughts upon it. So focus on what you wish to make bigger, and not on what you want to avoid.

Let your thoughts center around all that you love, respect, admire and treasure. Give positive power to each of your moments by giving positive focus to your thoughts.

Sure, there are plenty of negative things that can quickly capture your attention. That's why it is important to be able to just as quickly put yourself back into a positive perspective.

By all means deal with the bad things as necessary, while keeping your primary focus on the good things. Make the best use of the mental power that is yours by keeping it pointed in a positive direction.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Your great potential

To build something beautiful and wonderful takes time and effort. Make good use of every moment you have.

You can go a long, long way. To do so, you must be going on that way every chance you get.

What you can accomplish is truly amazing. So work on it with persistence and commitment, and bring all that great value to life.

The minutes and hours of this day will quickly pass no matter what you do with them. Choose to do the highest and best with each of them, and to fulfill your great potential.

Rather than dwelling on the excuses, focus intently on the possibilities. Find great joy in the fact that you can make a difference, and make that difference again and again.

You can do great things. Feel that potential, then get busy and fulfill it.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

New level of courage

It is comfortable to stay where you are. But soon, that comfort will turn into boredom, frustration and regret.

It is uncomfortable to take on a challenge and to venture along a new path. Yet that is precisely what makes you stronger, more interesting, more capable and more fully alive.

Go ahead and do what makes you feel slightly apprehensive. That is also what makes you grow.

Feel the fear and apprehension. Learn from it all and let it prepare you.

Then, step boldly forward. Experience the new level of courage you have just attained.

Make good, purposeful use of that courage so that it grows ever stronger. And let it lead you forward into the true greatness that is your destiny.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Right here and now

If you wish to have it done, begin to do it now. If you wish to experience life, then fully live it today.

The future is not certain and the past is out of reach. Now is where your possibilities dwell, and now is when you must live them.

Don't waste your wish on what might never be, or long for what is finished. Invest your energy in the magnificent life that is right here and now.

Yes, by all means work toward a meaningful purpose. And as you do, find richness and joy in the portion of the journey that is happening now.

Everything that is, is now, and it is more than enough. Let go of any sense of lack or need, and open yourself to the unique wonder of this moment.

There is limitless value to be lived right here and now. This is when you can experience life at its best, so do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Enjoy being the real you

Fear is the enemy of creativity. If you are anxious and worried about what you are creating, then what you are creating will not be worth very much.

Let go of your attachment to getting it right. Allow yourself to enjoy the experience of simply letting it flow.

When you are truly having fun you can create magnificent things. When you stop worrying about whether people will like it, people will love it.

The way to be great is to be authentic. The way to be authentic is to enjoy who you truly are and what you truly love.

Don't waste a lot of time trying to guess what might matter to someone else. Put your love and effort and energy into what matters to you, and many others will benefit.

In order to give of yourself you must fully be yourself. Enjoy being the real you, and bring great value to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Vast abundance

You have much more than you can ever possibly realize. Life is a process of connecting with deeper and deeper levels of value that have always been there, and always will.

Does it ever seem that the world has passed you by, or that there are just no opportunities for you? Then it's time to move to a more profound and fulfilling level.

You are capable of much more than you have yet attempted. Fill your heart with goodness, make the commitment to express that goodness, and there will be a way.

The reason you get stuck is not because you have too little. It is because you expect too little.

The way to expect more, at your deepest level, is to make the commitment to give more goodness to life. Make that commitment, and suddenly new, exciting possibilities come into view.

Think for a moment, and realize that always, there is something good you can give. In that simple thought you know without a doubt that life's vast abundance is always available to you.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Something for something

Plenty of people will promise you something for nothing, yet those are always empty promises. Even when you can manage to get something for nothing, it does not bring any real joy to your life.

The point of life is not to figure out how to get something for nothing. The real fulfillment in life comes not from merely consuming, but from creating.

You cannot be truly rich simply by having a certain set of material possessions. The richness that matters is genuine inner richness, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you're making a positive difference in life.

Don't waste your time wishing, hoping, demanding or begging to get something for nothing. Joyfully put your energy into creating new, useful and beautiful value out of the unique abundance with which you've been blessed.

The great thing about being alive is that you can, through your creative endeavors, transform whatever you have into whatever you desire. That amazing, limitless opportunity presents itself every moment of every day.

If you wish to have something of value, then work to create something of even greater value. That's the reliable way to be truly rich in all matters small and large.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Energy and drive

Just about any technique, process or system can lead to success or to failure. What matters most is not the technique, but the energy and drive you put into it.

If you feel you're stuck in a hopeless situation, you'll remain stuck as long as you feel that way. As soon as you become enthusiastic about the opportunities for improvement, you'll begin to make those improvements.

In every kind of endeavor, there are those who succeed spectacularly and those who barely get by. The difference is not in the occupation, but in attitude, commitment and level of energy.

There are people who make it their business to make a positive difference in life. Choosing each day to be one of those people will give you a continuing supply of amazingly effective energy.

Even though you may not be in an ideal situation, you can create an ideal outcome. Use the day, use the moment, use the encounter, use the circumstance to lift the world higher.

With an attitude of generosity and a commitment to excellence, every day can be a great day. Decide to give real, meaningful value to life right now, and feel the positive energy begin to flow.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Widen your view

If you're having trouble finding an answer, it's probably because you're continuing to look where you've already looked. If it seems that the problems have no good solutions, widen your view.

The answers and the opportunities are most certainly out there. In order to discover them you must let go of some assumptions and open yourself to new possibilities.

Conditions change, people change, and the whole world can change quickly. If you continue to see things exactly the way you did yesterday, you're missing a whole lot of new opportunities.

It's great to stay firmly anchored in your long-held, most treasured values. Yet it's also vitally important to live and express those values in new, creative and updated ways.

There are countless ways to enrich your life and your world that you've never even considered. Step out of your routine, step back from your assumptions, widen your view and see some of those possibilities.

Make the choice to venture beyond what you're comfortable with, beyond what you already know and assume. Great new treasures are waiting for you there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Persistent positive perspective

If you are resentful about the interruptions, you make those interruptions last even longer. When you get angry about being hurt, you prolong the pain.

Negativity wastes your time and your life. In return, it brings you nothing desirable.

Negativity causes you to see and experience troubles that otherwise would not be there. Negativity blinds you to the goodness that is all around you, and separates you from much of life's richness.

When you feel resentment, anger, envy, despair, anxiety or any other negative feeling coming on, quickly let it go. Make the choice to not allow a negative perspective to drain value from your life.

It can be very easy to be negative in response to life's various occurrences. Yet it becomes extremely difficult to live with the consequences of all that negativity.

It is actually just as easy to let the negativity go. Make that choice, and fill your life with the real treasures that come from a persistent positive perspective.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Choose to feel

When you don't feel like smiling, that's when a smile will absolutely do the most good. When you don't feel like laughter, that's when a laugh can completely change your whole outlook.

You do not have to live at the mercy of your feelings. You can choose to be the master of those feelings and the master of your actions.

It doesn't matter whether it is easy or hard, reasonable or unreasonable to choose the way you act and feel. You can do it anyway.

Don't use your feelings as an easy excuse to do the wrong thing. Use them as a well-informed guide for doing what is good and right.

Pay attention to your feelings, learn from them, experience, enjoy and appreciate them. But don't let them enslave you.

Go ahead, feel life intensely. And make the choice to be in control and to live with intelligent, positively focused purpose.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Make it great

It is nearly impossible for one person to quickly achieve great things. Yet it is within any person's reach to do small things, again and again, until they add up to great results.

If you attempt to jump across a wide chasm in a single bound, you'll fall helplessly to the bottom. However, when you walk carefully down one side, then across the floor and back up again, you'll make it successfully to the other side.

What is it you seek to do, or have, or become, or experience? Work on it steadily, in challenging yet achievable steps, beginning right now.

Those who greedily want it all immediately end up with nothing but frustration. Those who persist, and then persist some more with one step after another, can reach whatever level they choose to reach.

The only way to truly enjoy the reward is to also enjoy the journey that brings you to it. Every moment, every obstacle, every advance and setback, every twist and turn is part of that journey.

Have faith, patience, purpose and unstoppable persistence. You'll get there, and will indeed make it great.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Stronger than the problems

Do not seek to be free of the problems. Work to be stronger than the problems.

A life with no problems would be a life with no opportunities for growth or achievement. That's not what you want, and it is certainly not realistic.

In the real world there are difficult problems, and there will always be. Yet there are also countless possibilities for progress and true fulfillment.

Don't waste your time fantasizing about a life free of problems. Instead, use your imagination and your efforts to transform those problems into positive value.

Embrace each situation as it is, along with all the problems. Accept that the problems exist, and you can then begin to successfully work through them.

Life will always be challenging in one way or another. So rise to the challenges and use your unique set of abilities to make life great.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Good things you deserve

Living richly isn't just for someone else. You deserve a life that's filled with richness and joy, and you deserve to be the person who makes it happen.

Good fortune isn't just for someone else. You deserve to have good fortune, and you deserve the experience of creating that good fortune with your attitude and your efforts.

You deserve to have a lucky break. So get busy and do what it takes to give yourself one.

Let today be the day you stop waiting for something good to come along. Get up, get going, and make something good, valuable and meaningful out of what you already have.

Go ahead and give yourself all the good things you deserve. Feel how great it feels to be positive, focused, helpful, compassionate, caring, productive and joyful.

You deserve the best in life precisely because you're fully capable of making it happen. Your opportunity to live richly is here and now, so put it to outstanding use without another moment's delay.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Your best day yet

You are here, on this day, with dreams, desires, challenges, opportunities, and the ability to successfully deal with it all. So give this day a solid, meaningful, positive purpose and claim the great value it offers.

Make the choice to make some progress in a direction of your choosing. Instead of merely letting the time pass, put life and love, substance and experience into that time.

Think of what a great opportunity you have with each day that comes your way. You have the opportunity to make a difference, to truly change the world, and to live your precious life in new and joyful ways.

Look back and recall the best day you've ever experienced, and make the choice to make this one even better. The quality of each day depends on what you put into it, so start right now to put your best into this day that you have.

Instead of merely wishing for what could be or complaining about what has been, you can do something much more powerful. You can act, right here and now, to significantly raise the quality of your life experience.

Today is happening, so take an active and positively supportive role. Feel your authentic purpose, live this day with that purpose, and make it the best day yet.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

See the goodness

What if you could eagerly look forward to the things you now resent and avoid? What if you could find genuine enjoyment in the things that now frustrate you?

The fact is, you can do all that and more. Because you are in control of the way you see each and every part of your life.

Just imagine the power and freedom of not being intimidated by those things that now intimidate you. Just imagine not being blinded by fear, frustration, resentment or envy.

Such a powerful, effective state is well within your reach, right now. It's just a matter of making the choice to see each thing in life from a more positive perspective.

Instead of fighting against what you must do, you can be enjoying and benefiting from it. Instead of living in a world that resists you, you can be living in a world that supports you.

The quality of your life is driven by the quality of your perspective. See the goodness, and that goodness will most certainly fill your world.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Relaxing peace

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is relax. Constantly worrying about being more effective is not what makes you more effective.

What makes you more effective is living with authenticity. What makes you more effective is staying focused on a meaningful purpose.

Give yourself the time and space to remember the best of who you are and what you truly care about. Give yourself the benefit of a peaceful, relaxed perspective.

Much of what is urgent is not particularly important. Step back from the noisy, breathless confusion and fall gently into a feeling of real peace.

Take time to breathe deeply and calmly, to experience, to wonder, to love, and to live. Take time to see the goodness, and to make a little more of it.

Within you is the potential for healing, relaxing peace. Let it come and let it be.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Energy of intention

Life can often leave you feeling stuck or trapped in an undesirable position. Yet no matter how confining your situation may be, there is always a positive way forward.

Even though your options may be very limited, you do still have some powerful choices. Even in a difficult, highly challenging situation, there are real and present possibilities for great improvement.

The first thing to do is to refuse to see yourself as a victim. By taking full responsibility for your situation, you give yourself the power to change it for the better.

Next, instead of fretting about the way things are, develop a clear and compelling vision of how you want your life to be. Somewhere within the realm of possibility is a realistic goal that will make things much better for you.

Find that goal, focus on it, refine it, and make it so desirable that you cannot help but move toward it. Fill your awareness with your vision of a positive outcome, working enthusiastically and relentlessly to find and follow the way.

You've spent your entire life making things happen. Take control of the energy of your intention, and get yourself where you choose to be.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Richer and richer

The way to be rich is to realize how rich you are. The way to be rich is to express and to live the unique abundance that is yours.

It's not what you get that makes you rich. It's what you do with all you have.

The way to be truly rich is to make good, meaningful use of what you have. The way to be exceptionally rich is to be generous with all that you are.

The abundance of the universe is literally everywhere. What transforms that abundance into real richness is your choice to make purposeful, loving use of it.

Each day is overflowing with possibilities for new richness. See the best possibilities, act on them, and find true delight in making life richer and richer.

Make joyful use of each moment, and sincerely give the best of who you are. Live a life that is rich indeed.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Looking happy and being happy

Happiness is not based on the way you appear. Happiness is an authentic state of being that you can choose.

When you are truly happy, people around you will no doubt see it. Yet there's so much more to being happy than merely looking happy.

If you're striving to impress others with how happy you are, you're not happy at all. Let go of the striving and the needs, and allow happiness.

You can be happy doing nothing. You can be happy doing anything.

Happiness does not come from the situation the person is in. Happiness comes from the person who is in the situation.

Be the person to allow happiness. And you can experience it at any and every time and place.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.

Love this day

Love this day and it will be good to you. Treasure this opportunity to experience life, and the experience will be beautiful.

The progress you seek does not always come in the ways you thought it would. Yet when you seek, and persist, and expect it, that progress does always come.

Don't let yourself become too troubled by the troubles. Remind yourself to take it all in stride, and you will find great value and richness along the way.

Go forward with clear and positive intentions, seeking to make a beneficial difference for all. In whatever may happen, you will discover new ways to further your authentic purpose.

In its every aspect, life is predominately the way you consider it to be. Consider it to be unique, precious, miraculous, filled with opportunity and abundance, and give each moment of your reality a positive flavor.

Make the decision to love this day, this place, this moment, this special experience of life with the people around you. And there will be so very much to love.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2013 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.