Wednesday, January 21, 2015

No longer updated

I am writing this on January 21, 2015. For seven years, as a convenience to those who wish to read it this way, I have published a copy of each day's Daily Motivator message on this blog.

However, I have just discovered that these postings are being sent to people who do not wish to receive them and I do not want that to happen. Because of that, this blog will no longer be updated, and this is the final posting.

The good news is that you can continue to read The Daily Motivator each and every day at its original location, The Daily Motivator website at www.greatday.com

If you prefer, you can read the messages on our Facebook page as well (if you Like the page the messages will appear in your timeline).

If you wish to contact me with any comments, suggestions or other feedback, please use the contact form on The Daily Motivator website.

Thank you very much for your interest and support. I hope you have found The Daily Motivator messages helpful here and that you'll continue to enjoy them at The Daily Motivator website.

Ralph Marston
Author and Publisher - The Daily Motivator

Work on it

If there's a problem, work on it. Instead of wishing there was no problem, or complaining, feeling sorry for yourself, or running away from the problem, work on it.

Sooner or later you're going to have to work on it. So make it sooner, and get the problem behind you.

If there's something you would like to create in your life, work on it. Work on it, and bring it out of the realm of fantasy into the living reality of your world.

Any situation can be improved when you work on it. Though it does indeed seem simple and obvious, you always benefit by reminding yourself to work on it.

You don't have to remain stuck, or frustrated, discouraged or ineffective. Work on it, and feel the unique joy of making real progress.

Life is a blessing, and in countless ways you can make it even more so. Work on it, and discover again and again how much good you can do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Skip the outrage

Expressing outrage is a very poor way to show how much you care. In fact, too many people use the dramatic expression of outrage as a substitute for actual caring and commitment.

The way to truly care is not with loud, abrasive outrage. It is with beneficial, sustained effort.

Nobody really benefits from anyone else being offended and outraged. What people benefit from are quiet acts of kindness, encouragement, support, respect and generosity.

Instead of loudly proclaiming your values, consider all the many ways you can live them. Instead of putting on a show, put forth some real, sustained, helpful effort.

Lashing out is a sure sign of weakness. Living with goodness, quiet determination and generosity is evidence of true strength.

Be strong, and skip the outrage. Be strong, and make the necessary effort, again and again, to make the world a better place.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Monday, January 19, 2015

When you choose

You will be miserable when you choose to be miserable. You will be happy when you choose to be happy.

You don't need a certain job or activity, or a certain collection of possessions, or a specific set of circumstances in order to enjoy life. You must simply choose to enjoy life.

You can choose in any situation to feel whatever way you wish to feel. When you choose to feel empowered, fulfilled and positively purposeful, you are.

Do you wish to be old, young, rich, poor, smart, foolish, useless or highly effective? It is all in the way you look at life, and all in the way you choose.

Yes, there are solid objective realities about which you cannot do very much. What matters to you, though, is your subjective viewpoint, which is always yours to choose.

You are the way you choose to be. Choose your own unique greatness, and your choice makes life greater with each passing day.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Fulfilling your potential

You have a large amount of unrealized potential. Choose today, right now, to begin fulfilling more of that great potential.

Don't let the best of your beauty, your unique value, your possibilities stay locked up inside you. Give yourself the enjoyment and satisfaction of living to do all you know you can do, and more.

Give all of life the gift of your very best efforts. Instead of merely having the capability for achievement, create the reality of achievement.

You can do so much more with your days than merely getting through them. With your focused and purposeful effort, you can transform fleeting moments into lasting value.

Let this world know, in the best possible way, that you are here to make a difference. Make this day count, through all you do, for things that are good and right and meaningful.

Leave the excuses, the insecurities and the doubts behind. You know how very much you can do, and how much of a difference you can create, so get busy and make it all happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Give nourishment

Every part of life requires regular nourishment. If anything in your life seems to be going downhill, it is probably not receiving enough good, solid nourishment and positive attention.

You cannot eat one big meal and expect it to last for a week. Not only physical, but also mental and spiritual nourishment must come in continuing portions to support a healthy, fulfilling life.

Nourishment must also be of good quality in order to be beneficial. Just as you can't expect to live well on junk food, you can't expect to live a good life in a mentally or spiritually toxic environment.

Nourish your mind, nourish your body and nourish your spirit with quality substance. All that you do on a moment-by-moment basis combines to influence the way your life unfolds.

Every experience, every situation, every tick of the clock is an opportunity to nourish some part of your life. As you go through each day, keep that in mind, and provide your life with good, positive nourishment all along the way.

Good nourishment makes what is good, better, and what is strong, stronger. Give good nourishment to your life, your values, your thoughts and your dreams, and enjoy as it all grows richer, brighter and stronger.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Live real

Life is messy, uncertain, difficult, inconvenient, and wonderful. Live the real wonder, and not just an imitation.

Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, and do something for the sheer joy of it. Unplug from the so-called conventional wisdom and serve yourself up some delicious original thoughts.

Take the most stimulating, interesting, thought-provoking and enjoyable route, not merely the quickest one. Stop along the way, and discover something you had no idea was there.

Fill your time with activities for which there is no sanitized, diluted, pre-programmed app. You are a unique, original spirit, so live up to that glorious potential.

Feel the texture of life in all its diversity. Stop comparing yourself to what others have done and start expressing the singular beauty of what it means to be you.

There's no joy in living as one of a million copies. Live real, live rich, and live the unique joy that only you can create.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Humility is smart

The smartest people are those who don't feel the need to tell you all they know. The most accomplished people are those who don't feel the need to talk about all they've done.

Build on what you know rather than smugly sitting on it and talking about it. Listen, truly listen, and you will learn.

Make good and generous use of your achievements and you won't have to announce them. Find fulfillment not in seeking praise but in working to have a meaningful, positive affect on the world.

Be smarter, richer, more satisfied and more at peace with life by being genuinely humble. Get your ego out of the way of your ability to bring great value to life.

Genuine humility is smart. Genuine humility is powerful in a way that benefits all of life.

Be smart, and powerful, and a creator of great value. Get beyond the confines of your ego and, with true humility, live a life that lifts up all the world.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Do what is right

It is really not that difficult to do what is right. And doing what is right can make all the difference in the world.

Don't settle merely for what is convenient or popular or glamorous. Insist on doing what is right.

This is your life and it is worth more than you can ever imagine. Honor and fulfill that awesome potential by doing what is right.

Do what is right, not to impress or gain favor. Do what is right simply, and powerfully, because it is right.

Would you like to live in a world where people are driven by their highest ideals and best instincts? Then let that world begin with you, today.

Do what is right, and you'll have no lasting regrets. Do what is right, and put yourself on the side of truth, goodness, and the best of life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Now is your chance

Now is your chance to make life better. Now is your chance to do something that will make a positive difference.

Now is your chance, so take it, live it, give yourself to it and transform this fleeting moment into lasting value. Step boldly and decisively past any hesitation, and create new richness in this precious life of yours.

Life is always challenging in all sorts of ways, and you can choose to see that as a good thing. Accept the unique challenges of this day, put your positive energy into working through them, and you'll quickly realize what a great opportunity you've been given.

You've known how beautiful love can be, and now is your chance to give it. You've felt how great it feels to build, to create, to achieve, and now is your chance to do more.

This is not a time for complaints, for excuses, or for turning a blind eye to your best possibilities. This is your time to fill your whole self with a zest for living and to fulfill those great possibilities.

Now is your chance to be the best expression of yourself that you've ever been. Feel the abundance, feel the immense opportunity, and live it, now.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Changing the story

It's not really so hard to get up and get going. It's mainly a matter of changing the story you tell yourself.

Every day you're strengthening your habits and assumptions with the things you do and the things you tell yourself. Every moment you have the opportunity to become more energetic, more focused, more purposeful and successful.

If you sit around telling yourself that you're too tired and that life is unfair, guess what? You're creating a reality with your inaction and with those negative, self-defeating thoughts.

Instead, get up, move around, do something useful and caring, being thankful all the while. Remind yourself of life's best possibilities and jump at every opportunity to have a positive impact.

Is the story you're telling yourself holding you back, keeping you inactive and unmotivated? If so, it's time for a new, improved story, and you can start telling yourself that story right now.

You deserve the best, so remind yourself to get busy and create it in every moment. Fill your days with positive thoughts and actions, and live the very best story you can imagine.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Make your next step positive

In ways large and small, life can often be disappointing. Yet in every case, you don't have to let the disappointing events keep you disappointed or discouraged.

For as disappointing as life can be, there is always something positive you can do. What you do next is what truly matters, and you can choose a positive step no matter what.

In each disappointment there is a priceless gift. That gift is the opportunity you get to become more determined and purposeful and positively motivated.

Each time, choose to accept that gift, to take that opportunity and to embrace its great value. Quickly use it to transform the energy of disappointment into the energy of achievement.

When you think about it, the choice is actually an easy one. Would you rather waste your life and crush your spirit with resentment and retribution, or do you want to feel great about making a positive difference?

Make the choice to honor your life, to honor all of life, by making your next step a positive one. Seize your great opportunity and enjoy the treasure it brings, each and every time.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Privilege

When you see your work as a burden, you're not going to do it very well, and you'll make yourself miserable in the bargain. When you can instead see your work as a privilege, you completely change things for the better.

When you see your work as a privilege, your effectiveness and your satisfaction skyrocket. You experience a dramatic improvement in your creativity and level of commitment.

Just because there are burdensome elements to your work is no reason to see the work itself as a burden. Most likely, you can find a way to eliminate or make improvements to those troubling components.

It's important to make that distinction, between what you're seeking to accomplish and the tasks and procedures you must undertake to get there. It enables you to be fully committed to and enthusiastic about the goal, while being flexible about the way you achieve it.

The opportunity to make a difference is indeed a privilege. Although the path may at times be frustrating and uncomfortable, the destination remains highly desirable.

If there's something about your work that continues to trouble you, find a way to fix it. Get to the point where you can see your work as a privilege, and raise yourself to a whole new level of achievement.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Give yourself a reason

When you have a good enough reason, you can figure out a way. Give yourself a reason, and give yourself the energy necessary to move forward.

Without a good reason, any excuse or distraction will be enough to stop you cold. Without a good reason, you're prone to complaining and questioning your work, rather than doing it.

So give yourself a reason. If you can't come up with a powerful and inspiring reason, then consider doing something else, something that will have a solid reason behind it.

When you know what the reward is, and when that reward is something you really desire, nothing can stop you. Connect with the reason, connect with the reward, connect with the purpose, and you'll naturally move toward it no matter what.

Everything you do has consequences. Remind yourself, again and again, of the positive consequences of your efforts, and you'll find the most effective way be persistent in making those efforts.

Give yourself a reason, and you'll give yourself a way. Give yourself a good enough reason, and it will happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Positive in the negative

When you're going through a negative experience, it takes real work to see the positive in it. Yet when you can do that work, there's no limit to the difference you can make.

Great achievements very often grow out of great difficulties. Those who see the opportunity, and act on it, truly move the world forward.

When you're buried in trouble, disappointment, frustration and confusion, it seems like you can't possibly see anything good in it. Yet that good is there, those positive possibilities are there, and when you have the strength and the foresight to look, you'll begin to see them.

One big key is to not take the difficult times personally, even though they may feel extremely personal. Step back, give yourself some objectivity, and you'll start to see the situation differently.

Instead of worrying, complaining or feeling sorry for yourself, adopt a counterintuitive strategy of being thankful. Be thankful for the goodness that will come out of your troubles, and you'll be able to bring that goodness to life.

When you're knocked down by life's troubles, the best thing you can do is to look for the best thing you can do, and do it. See the positive in the negative, and as soon as you do, you'll start to leave the trouble behind.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Walk your talk

Rarely can you make an effective argument just by talking. The way to convince people of your point of view is to live that point of view.

Live what you believe, day in and day out. No amount of scolding or cajoling or persuasive rhetoric can equal that.

If you have trouble getting people to believe you or take you seriously, it's probably because your actions don't completely agree with your words. Do what you say, consistently, without fail, and your credibility will grow.

Rather than explain how much you care, show how much you care. Connect with others on a personal level, and be of genuine service.

The most persuasive way to talk, is to walk your talk. Let your actions and the way you live your life demonstrate who you are.

What you say can make a big difference, but only if it is fully supported by what you do. Walk your talk, and both your walking and your talking will get great things done.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Not too seriously

Don't take yourself too seriously. Be responsible, reliable, dependable and level-headed, but don't get all bent out of shape when you stumble, or when the world knocks you around.

It's foolish to ignore the problems and hope they'll go away. Yet it can also be powerful to laugh at your troubles and to know that you'll eventually get yourself far beyond them.

Be ambitious, focused and diligent, but don't beat yourself up when you occasionally wander off track. When it happens, just see what's there to see, have some new experiences, gain some new wisdom, and calmly move yourself back in your intended direction.

Do less complaining and judging. Do more laughing and sharing.

Plan well, and work your plan, but don't act like it's the end of the world if things occasionally don't go according to the plan. Make some adjustments, remember to smile, and you'll be just fine.

Much of life is indeed serious business, but being uptight about it doesn't add any value. Loosen up, enjoy the moment you're in, and you'll be better able to deal with whatever comes your way.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Friday, January 2, 2015

It is tempting

It is tempting to think you can cheat, and receive more out of life than you give. It's tempting to think you can shortcut the process of achievement, and create great, meaningful value with little or no effort.

Even the wisest, most sophisticated, experienced achievers can be tempted by the promise of something for nothing. The problem is, that promise is never fulfilled.

Yes, it may seem that you're able to cheat life for a while. However, whatever you might manage to gain by doing so will ultimately have no value to you.

That's because the real value of life is in the doing, in the creating, in the work, not merely in the possessing. The real value is in making a difference, and there's no way you can cheat your way to that.

In fact, giving in to the temptation of something for nothing will actually put more distance between you and the fulfillment you seek. Though the temptation can be highly enticing, it helps to remember that it will always set you back.

What you really want is not to have the trinkets of success, but to have the experience of creating success. Let go of the illusion of something for nothing, get busy, and enjoy working your way steadily there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2015 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.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New You

As the New Year begins, take the opportunity to create a new beginning of your own. This is the perfect time to let go of what's not working and to more fully embrace all that truly matters to you.

If there's anything you've been doing, or failing to do, that's holding you back, now is the time to change. Beginning today, free yourself to move quickly forward and to live life according to your highest vision.

The past has had its ups and downs, and now it is over. Now, as a new year begins, you can take the best of what you've learned and experienced, and make new, positive use of it all.

Give yourself permission to be a new, more purposeful, more effective, more loving, compassionate, curious and creative version of the you that you've always been. Allow yourself to let go of the limitations you've imagined and supported, and to soar higher than ever.

There's no need to abandon what you love about your life. Yet there's every opportunity to bring new richness into the world.

Let this day be the beginning of a happy new you. Imagine how great life can be, and live the greatness you know is there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2014 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.