A year from now

Where will you be a year from now? Where would you most like to be?

There is so much you've learned and experienced on your journey to this day. Imagine what you can now do with it all.

This new year is a grand opportunity, filled with promise and possibilities. Choose now the very best of those possibilities, and know that you have the power to bring them to life.

You will spend this coming year moving in one direction or another. Commit now to making that direction the one that will take you toward what you sincerely desire.

Life in each moment is influenced by your presence and participation. As this new year unfolds, continue to make that influence a positive and fulfilling one.

Consider today where you would like to be a year from now. For now is the beginning of the year in which you can truly make it happen.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Time flows on

The passage of time does not matter to you. It only matters to the body you inhabit and the material artifacts with which you surround yourself.

Wisdom grows upon itself in an ever-expanding manner. There is always room for more, and there always will be.

Beauty becomes more beautiful as you connect more intensely to it. Life increases in fulfillment as it is lived.

Time does not add or subtract or create or destroy anything on its own. Time merely spaces out your perception of what is always real, and gives you the opportunity to experience it all to the fullest extent.

As quickly as the old times flow away from you, new times flow toward you. Each new moment brings even more possibilities than the moment that has just passed.

Time flows on. And as it does, you can continue to fill your world with the best that life can be.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Now is your moment

It is now, and now is different. Even though you may have experienced an overwhelming amount of disappointment in the past, the past is over.

Perhaps you've failed again and again. Now is different.

That was then and this is now. Now you have the opportunity to move forward.

Now you can do what you've never been able to do before. Now you can follow through on the things you've been unable or unwilling to do in the past.

Now is your moment to live. Now is the time to act.

Now is when you can truly make a difference. Stand up, step forward and live.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Powerful or desperate?

You can either be desperate or you can be powerful. How would you prefer to be?

You can ignore your responsibilities and continue to let yourself fall more and more behind, until you have no choice but to desperately take action. Or, you can push yourself a little bit more each day, grabbing every opportunity to make progress, and put yourself firmly in control of your own circumstances.

Use time as it comes, to be productive and creative and effective. The more wisely you use your time, the more control you'll have over all the aspects of your life.

Get in the habit of doing what is best instead of merely what is easiest. In fact, seek out the difficult challenges and deal with them on your own terms rather than waiting until they find you.

If you wish, you can come up with plenty of excuses for not taking action. But those excuses will add nothing of value to your life.

Instead, go ahead and do what must be done, then take the initiative and do even more. Live life on the highest level by working your way upward each chance you get.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Live in truth

What is true will persevere. What is false will eventually be consumed in its own contradictions.

It may seem easier and more convenient in the short term to disregard or to hide from what you know to be true. Yet you cannot really hide from the truth.

Instead of striving in vain to deny or to fight against what is true, put yourself on the side of truth. By fully acknowledging and accepting what is true, you can put that truth to work to achieve whatever you wish.

Whether it is deceiving yourself or deceiving others, deception requires much time and energy. And because deception never really achieves anything of value, it is a great waste of your precious life and resources.

Instead, put that time and energy into successfully dealing with the truth. After all, you'll have to deal with it eventually, and the sooner you begin the more you'll be able to accomplish.

Live every moment in truth. Align yourself fully with the truth, and bring great power to your purpose.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Begin

Begin today to live without limitations. Know that there is a way to get beyond anything that might seem to be holding you back.

Take those feelings of regret for what you haven't done and turn them into passion for what you are now able to do. This moment is yours and you can make so very much of it.

Stop repeating to yourself the reasons why you can't. Begin reminding yourself, again and again, of all the powerful, meaningful reasons why you must.

Life is full of uncertainty, injustice and unfairness. Yet in each and every turn of events, there is opportunity for achievement, for fulfillment, and for genuine greatness.

Begin today to accept every rich detail of life as it comes, and to transform those details into outstanding success. Pay close attention to the gentle, genuine voice inside of you that knows how beautiful life can be.

Do the work, make the effort, persist through every circumstance, and delight in the rich rewards that your passion creates. Begin today, for you know you can.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The joy of giving

What a blessing it is on this Christmas Day, and every day, to be able to give. For it is through giving that life's greatest joys are created.

Sincerely give of yourself today, with no agenda other than to celebrate the pure spirit of giving. And truly experience life in all its richness.

When you give, you open your heart to life and allow great measures of abundance to come pouring in. What could possibly bring more meaning and fulfillment to life than making a difference in the lives of others?

Giving is more than merely offering objects. When you give, give your time, your attention, your love, compassion, consideration, patience and respect.

Give a part of yourself, and you will not ever lose it. That part of you takes on greater influence and value as it touches other lives beyond your own.

On this day, simply give because you can. And know the unmatched joy that giving brings to life.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Silent reflection

For just a while, calm your thoughts. In this moment, simply be.

There is much in your life, and there is much more to come. Yet you have always been, and you always are, more than enough.

For a moment, let go of the way you appear and the things you've done. Feel the truth and power of who you are.

In silence, there is much you can know. Beyond thought, there is much you can understand.

Touch the person who always lives inside the person you are. Be immersed in the beauty and wonder of being.

Feel the strength that is always there. And know that whatever may come, all is well.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Top yourself

When you've done well, set your sights on doing even better. If you've successfully reached high, reach even higher.

Make it your business to top yourself. Make it your goal to exceed your own best efforts.

As great as it has been, what you've already finished achieving will not drive you forward. Before you reach each goal, be ready with another one.

The possibilities for growth and achievement have no limit. When you're going strong, there are plenty of ways to get even stronger.

One of the very best things about success is that it serves as the basis for greater success. Don't let your success go to waste by simply sitting on it.

Find a way to top yourself. You've done great so far, and now you can do even better.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Enjoy the achieving

Consistent achievers enjoy more than just the achievement. They also enjoy the process of achieving.

Those who attain the biggest rewards do not merely seek those rewards. They also crave the challenges that they must go through in order to reach those rewards.

Winners understand that the goal, as valuable as it may be, is only a small part of the overall achievement. They know that the real substance of the achievement is in the achieving.

In fact, you cannot truly benefit from the reward unless you have worked through the challenging process to attain it. To truly enjoy the achievement, you must also enjoy the achieving of it.

Sure, that process of achieving will have its unpleasant and disagreeable aspects. Yet think of how great it will feel when you purposefully transcend them all.

Let go of your judgment about what's pleasant, what's comfortable, and what's not. Sincerely enjoy the journey of achievement, and you'll surely reach the goal.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Positive direction

The magnitude of your next step does not matter nearly so much. What really matters is the direction.

To turn your life around, you must first turn your focus around. To move toward your goals, you must first be facing them.

Just a small step in a positive direction is a step nonetheless. Just one small positive thought has the power to turn you away from years of negative actions.

Every moment is a choice. And every moment you can choose to orient your life in a positive direction.

You don't have to take big strides, for the small steps will get you there just as reliably. Just make sure that each thought, each action, each feeling, however insignificant it might seem, points toward where you desire to go.

Maintain a positive direction, and no matter what else happens, you'll always be making progress. Keep yourself pointed in the direction of your dreams, and every day will bring you closer.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Higher expectations

When you discover that you've exceeded your own best expectations, don't be frightened. Be curious, and get a little more ambitious.

After all, you've done something you never expected you could do. Think of what else you could now do that you would have never before considered.

Though it's great to succeed beyond your expectations, it can also be very uncomfortable. And that discomfort can pull you back down, getting you to underperform in order to compensate for your recent spectacular performance.

Instead of giving in to that need for comfort, get excited about what you've just accomplished. Instead of bowing to your previous expectations, choose to raise your expectations even higher.

No, you didn't just get lucky. You took the actions necessary to accomplish even more than you had expected.

Now you have the outstanding opportunity to build on that accomplishment. Step boldly forward, don't look back, and continue amazing yourself with all that you can do.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Connection

Conflict is not your nature. Peace is your true home.

When you choose to see yourself as apart from others, you separate yourself from your greatest possibilities. Feel the connection with all that is, and naturally know the peaceful power and effectiveness that is yours.

Improve the lives of others, and your own life benefits greatly. The more joy you give away, the more joy you experience.

You can never truly gain at another person's expense. Yet you always receive when you work to sincerely give.

Live each day with awareness and respect for your ever-present connection with everything that is. Work to enrich every little corner of your world, and you will experience the abundance of that richness.

Let the peace that lives deep within you influence each thought and deed. And make the whole world a more beautiful place.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Everything you have

There is so very much available to you. In reaching for your dreams, make use of everything you have.

Don't be dismayed or embarrassed by what you have to work with. Instead, work with whatever you have and it will grow more useful and effective with each effort.

Don't place a judgment on your abilities before you even put them to use. Go ahead, get to work, and see how quickly your skills increase.

Look back at the good things you've accomplished in the past. That power of accomplishment is still with you, so choose now to put it to use again for even more exciting and compelling purposes.

Think of all the great ideas you've had but have never followed through on. Now is when you can make the best of them come to life.

The challenges are great and yet the value that flows through your life is far greater. Use everything you can, and you can accomplish anything you choose.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Experience today

Today you have the opportunity for a great experience. Today you have the undeniable chance to really live.

It is up to you to take advantage of that opportunity. It is up to you to make the most of this day, and to live the great, unique experience this day offers.

Perhaps you'll conclude that there are too many problems keeping you from experiencing a great day, yet that would be an unfortunate mistake. For even in the face of overwhelming problems and obstacles, today can be a truly unique and positive experience.

In fact, those problems can play a very positive role in the great experience of this day. By working your way through whatever may come along, you build a greater appreciation for all the goodness that surrounds you.

You also build your confidence, strength and effectiveness to higher and higher levels. And that opens the doors to vast new areas of opportunity and achievement.

Today is here now, so go ahead and jump into it with everything you have. Experience the richness of this day, and you'll carry its unique value with you always.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Into action

When you don't feel like doing what you know you must, that's the best time to go ahead and do it anyway. That's when you can break through your old habit patterns to a new level of focus, performance and achievement.

That first step will require you to go against your natural tendency to put it off until later and to stay comfortably where you are. So how do you get beyond that?

Use your power of visualization to do two things. First, use your thoughts to make it even more uncomfortable, even more painful for you not to take action.

Next, visualize in great detail all the positive and desirable rewards you'll create by going ahead and getting it done. In your mind, make it so compelling to take action that you cannot avoid doing so.

Many times in the past, you've successfully avoided action by telling yourself why you can't or why you won't. Now, choose to use that same power to tell yourself why you can and why you will.

You control the awesome power of your thoughts. And with your thoughts you can successfully visualize yourself into action every time.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Your sincere best

If reality isn't working for you, change it. If there are limitations that hold you back, transcend them.

Reality is what you make of it. Life is the way you choose to live it.

Gently accept the way things are. And then put the energy of your focus on exactly how you would like for things to be.

Everything in your world happens for a reason. Get yourself some good, meaningful, compelling reasons and use them to drive events forward.

You don't have to settle for anything less than the absolute best for yourself and your world. For you can act in every moment with the positive, purposeful energy of your own unique life.

Give your sincere best in every moment, at every opportunity. And make the reality of life as outstandingly beautiful as you know it can be.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Unfair

You won't become successful by complaining that life is unfair. Certainly there are many injustices in the world, yet you won't get anywhere by using those injustices as excuses.

Your best response is to work over, under, around and through them. Accept the fact that life is unfair, and choose to experience outstanding success anyway.

It is admirable to fight against injustice. But fighting against injustice may very well make that injustice even stronger.

A better way to end injustice is to make it irrelevant. When you create ways for yourself and others to succeed in spite of unfair circumstances, then you render those circumstances powerless.

The world is filled with inequity and unfairness. And yet, there are always plenty of workable and creative ways to rise above those negative circumstances.

When something in life is unfair, choose to succeed anyway. And make that unfairness so small and insignificant it won't even matter.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A little bit

Making a little bit of progress is much better than making no progress at all. Even though the going may be slow, keep going.

Moving slowly toward your goal is much better than not moving at all. Do what you can, when you can, with what you have.

Time will work in your favor when you use that time for positive purpose. Over time, even the small efforts bring big results.

If you waste your time wishing you could do more, you end up doing less. Cheerfully use your time as it comes to do the best you can.

Even when you're not able to take a major step forward, you can always take a small step forward. Keep taking those small steps, and the opportunity to take that big step will surely come.

A little bit here and a little bit there will soon add up to a lot of progress. Even when you can't do much, you can always keep yourself actively headed in a positive direction.

-- Ralph Marston

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

No more resistance

Allowing the best of life involves nothing more than becoming aware of your resistance to it. Shine the light of awareness on your resistance, and that resistance dissolves into nothing.

Allow life's richness to be, and it flows freely into your experience. See your pain and frustration for the resistance that they are, and suddenly they are no more.

If you focus on the concerns of your ego, the resistance builds up. Realize that you are not your ego, and suddenly the resistance has no basis.

Resisting the limitless abundance of life is your own choice. As soon as you understand you've made that choice, you can quickly let it go.

Imagine what will happen when you simply stop judging, criticizing, and resenting yourself and others. You open yourself to a whole new world of beautiful possibilities.

Feel the resistance that you've created within your own life, and know that you can choose to peacefully let it go. Let it go, and come fully to life.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Closer than ever

Failure does not prevent success. In fact, failure is what leads to success.

There is no failure, no disappointment, no mistake in your past that can stop you from taking a positive step forward right now. No matter how many times you may have fallen short of the mark before, success is closer than ever.

Each time you get it wrong, you learn more about how to get it right. Keep putting that growing knowledge and experience to use, and you'll reach your goal.

Every disappointment you've ever known is now in the past. The past is over and cannot hold you back.

Now is when you're able to move forward. Today you can take the valuable lessons you've learned and transform them into effective action.

Every step you've taken, whether it seemed to work or not, has brought you closer to success. Now go ahead and take the additional steps that will bring you all the way there.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Attempt more

If you wish to achieve more, then attempt more. Push yourself beyond what you already know you're able to do.

Get out of the rut of going through the same motions and ending up with the same results. Put some additional time, energy, thought and creativity into your actions.

Take on challenges that make you a little bit uncomfortable. Stretch your abilities and watch them grow.

Decide to reach higher and you'll find many new ways to move higher. Raise your expectations and you'll improve your performance.

Keep on learning, keep on growing, and keep on venturing beyond what you already know. Give yourself the gift of increasingly ambitious goals.

Enjoy and appreciate how far you've already come. Then jump back in and make it even better.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Disillusionment

If you often find yourself feeling disillusioned, that's a strong indication that you're hungry for a greater level of challenge in your life. Disillusionment can be your way of telling yourself that there's a valuable contribution you know you must make to life.

Go ahead and feel that disillusion fully, then ask yourself this question. What specifically would make the disillusion end?

Somewhere within you is a vision that is being stifled. Dig it out, and find a positive way to make it come to life.

Instead of being drained by disillusion, become energized by the vision that you long to express. Transform the reason that you're feeling down into a positive purpose that drives you forward.

Discover the meaningful challenge that you're aching to take on. Experience true fulfillment as you steadily work through that challenge.

Feel the disillusion, learn what it is telling you, and then you can leave it behind. For from that disillusion you can step forward to a new and higher level of accomplishment.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Your thoughts show

Thoughts can feel like they are private and hidden deep inside of you. Yet they have an influence that extends far beyond you.

What if others could know what you were thinking? Would it change the content of your thoughts?

In many ways, other people can and do know what you are thinking. Because your thoughts are faithfully expressed by the life you lead.

If you're constantly thinking negative, limiting thoughts, people will be able to tell just by looking at you and your life's conditions. In the same way, when you fill your mind with positive, empowering thoughts, that will be wonderfully obvious.

You might be able to hide the specific details of your thoughts. Yet you cannot hide the true nature of those thoughts.

Your thoughts, whatever they may be, are expressed in every aspect of your life. Continually guide those thoughts to positive places, and your whole world will follow.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Get it done

Stop waiting for the task to get easier. Waiting will only make it more difficult.

Go ahead and get it done. Then you can move on to something even better.

The effort may indeed be difficult and painful. So it's best to have that effort behind you rather than in front of you.

Imagine how great it will feel to have it done. Imagine being free of that little voice in the back of your mind that keeps nagging you about it.

You cannot avoid the pain of effort. You can either prolong that pain by procrastinating, or you can get it done and get it over with.

Start right now to get it done, and soon you'll have it finished. Get it done, and delight in the glorious feeling of freedom and accomplishment.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Make a difference

Your time is never wasted when you're truly making a difference. Every productive effort adds value to your world.

Don't worry about what's in it for you. If you're making a difference, if you're making a positive contribution to life, there's always something in it for you.

Though there may not seem to be any direct or immediate rewards, your efforts will most certainly be rewarded. The longer you're willing to wait for those rewards, the bigger they will be.

Many times your efforts will pay off in ways you could not have foreseen. Keep being creative, keep being productive, keep being effective, and keep being your best.

It may sometimes seem that no one appreciates the work you're doing. When you feel that way, then raise your efforts to an even higher level, for at some point someone will definitely take notice.

Be sincere in your efforts and in your desire to make a valuable, meaningful positive difference. And know that the rewards will always come.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Dream and do

There's a time to dream, without effort or constraint. And there's a time to do the work that will bring those dreams to life in the real world.

Visualize your ideal life. In your thoughts, experience that life in rich detail through all of your senses.

Dream big, rich empowering dreams that resonate with your very core. Explore joyful and creative ways to express your own unique purpose.

Then get busy and make the dreams happen. Allow them to drive you, to push you forward.

Feel the excitement and the sense of accomplishment as your very own efforts bring about the fulfillment of your dreams, step by step. Grow stronger, more capable, more experienced as you work your way through each challenge.

Set yourself free to dream, and then discipline yourself to do the dream. Be the dream and be the achievement of the dream that is uniquely yours.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The best of who you are

You can make a real difference just by being you. You can change the world for the better simply by being your authentic best.

You don't need flowery, sophisticated wording to add value to the discussion. By simply and sincerely saying what's on your mind, you can contribute profound truth.

The dreams that you have are yours because they give you a reason to perform at your best. In so doing, you add your own splendid threads to the rich fabric of life.

There is no one else who sees the world in exactly the same way as you. Express your opinions, express your perspective, express your vision and you'll offer great, unique value.

You'll never be satisfied following someone else's dream. Real fulfillment comes from accomplishing the things that are most meaningful to you.

In your unique perspective you'll find a lifetime of value. Be the best of who you are, and raise your whole world higher.

-- Ralph Marston

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

As you dance with life

What is it about this day that you love? What is it about this moment that you treasure?

There is something within your life that compels you to know and experience even more of life. What is it, at the heart of things, that drives you so?

What makes it so wonderful to float peacefully on a calm sea under the warm sun? Why does the beauty of a distant mountain peak touch your heart so profoundly?

There is a reason why you have opinions about a wide range of matters large, small and in between. There is a guiding purpose at the heart of each sincere choice you make.

As you dance with life each day, your steps follow a rhythm that stays true to the genuine person inside, no matter what else may or may not happen. Though you interact intimately with all that is around you, something within you is apart from it all, relishing the experience.

Breathe deeply the sweet, fresh air of being. And keep dancing, as each unfolding moment brings a brand new verse of the song you've always known.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Deeper desires

What you think you want is usually not really what you want. Most of the time, what you think you want is merely a clue, a hint, a pointer to what you truly desire.

Every purpose within you has countless avenues for expression. There's no need to abandon the purpose if just one or two of the many possible expressions don't work out.

When you feel that you want something, challenge yourself to find the deeper desire that's responsible. Ask yourself why, and be completely honest with your answer.

If you pursue life's fleeting, superficial wants, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, even when you get what you want. Instead, take the time to understand your deeper desires, and you'll find countless ways to bring real, meaningful and lasting value to life.

The more deeply you connect to a desire, the more options you'll have for fulfilling that desire. When your conscious desires align with your true purpose, you will always find a way.

When there's something you want, ask why, again and again until you uncover a purpose so authentic that it cannot be denied. And when you do, you'll also see that your desire has already begun to be fulfilled.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Thankful for it all

Think today of how good life can be. And you'll see that life's true goodness comes not from what you have, but from how much you value and appreciate it.

There is no end to the possibilities for richness and fulfillment in your life. There is no limit to what you can make of whatever you have.

Consider what you are able to be thankful for, and you'll discover something wonderful and empowering. You can be thankful for it all.

Look back and you'll see that the pleasures and the pains have both pushed you forward and given you countless opportunities for real growth. You've been supported by the good things you do have and inspired to reach for those things you do not yet have.

The triumphs have given you joy and the disappointments have strengthened your determination. All of it has enabled you to more richly fulfill the beautiful, genuine person you are.

Treasure all that is around you, whatever it may be, and open yourself to the positive possibilities. Be truly thankful for it all, and every day is even more rich and fulfilling than the day before.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Decide and commit

Be truly decisive by acting on your decisions. Decide what you will do and then get started on it right away.

The sooner you take action the more you'll accomplish. Once you decide to do it, begin immediately.

Commitment is more than just a mental exercise. It's not a commitment until you back it up with action.

Once you have invested some effort, the goal is no longer a vague, far-away concept. You have begun to make it real.

When you start by immediately taking action, you're naturally going to continue taking action. Put momentum on your side right away, and you immediately have a powerful ally.

Make your decisions real and present in your life, and give them the energy they deserve. Act on them right away, and truly make them happen.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A grand adventure

Don't back away from life just because it gets difficult. Instead, jump into it more fully.

Don't slow down just because the road upward becomes steep. Speed up and get that extra momentum to carry you forward.

There's no good reason to let the challenges get you down. Choose instead to be energized and motivated by them.

Life is a grand adventure. You wouldn't want it to come too easily.

You have all sorts of wonderful skills and abilities. Relish the opportunities to put them to the test and to make them even stronger.

Live with passion and purpose and the resolve to handle whatever may come your way. Never stop discovering how much more you're able to do.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Head start

Don't worry that someone has a head start or other advantage on you. Just let it be, and make it an even greater reason to push forward.

Instead of comparing your position or performance to others, put your energy into improving what you do. Instead of worrying about what you don't have, make the very most of what you do have.

For what you do have is plenty. Because you can find a way to make effective and creative and productive use of it.

Some people have certain advantages, and other people have other advantages. That's what makes life rich and interesting.

Find your own advantages and make full use of them. Even what seems to be a disadvantage can be a true advantage when you look at it from a positive perspective.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Why you must

If you wish to get something done, stop telling yourself why you can't. Begin telling yourself why you must.

Of course there are obstacles to every achievement. Yet you can work through any obstacle when you have a clear and compelling reason to do so.

Zero in on that reason. Make it your priority to keep that reason ever present in your thoughts.

Though the challenges may be powerful, you can always make your purpose even more powerful. Keep telling yourself, again and again, why you must.

Make a solid connection between your actions and your purpose. That will cause your effectiveness to soar.

Remember always why you must. And you will.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Catch yourself

The moment you feel yourself slipping, take action right away to get back on track. If you catch yourself quickly, you won't fall very far.

It's great when you can stay disciplined and focused for long periods of time. At some point though, you'll get distracted and stray a little bit off course.

That's not the end of the world. Don't beat yourself up just because you've momentarily lost your focus.

Instead, give genuine thanks for how far you've already come. And then step right back on to the path you've set for yourself.

Being disciplined doesn't mean being perfect. Remember that what really matters is what you choose to do right now.

Even if you slip back one step for every two steps you take forward, you'll still be moving steadily ahead. Catch yourself, get back up, keep going and you'll get there.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Let life flow

Life will flow easily and gracefully when you simply allow it. Choose right now to simply allow it.

Allow the problems to come and then allow them to go just as quickly. Peacefully accept the disappointments and you'll have no trouble with peacefully letting them go.

Accept the joys without worrying about clinging to them. They will always be with you if you simply let them be.

Stop fighting against what is, and you'll clearly see how to make the most of it. Welcome each new experience and you'll quickly find the value it brings.

Leave the worries and anxieties behind, for they add nothing to your life. Be at peace, and you will feel the fullness of your power.

Allow the rich abundance to flow naturally and unhindered through your life. And delight in the fulfillment that is yours to create.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A small adjustment

A small adjustment in your approach can make a big difference in your results. Explore your alternatives and you'll discover a path to improved performance.

Sometimes, doing a task at a different time of the day can cause a major improvement in your effectiveness. Or perhaps doing things in a slightly different sequence will make the rewards more rewarding.

If you're already getting it ninety-nine percent right, work on that other one percent. It can make all the difference in the world.

No failure is permanent and no failure is a complete failure. Learn from the portion of the effort that went wrong, change it, and recombine it with the part that went right.

Rarely is it necessary to throw out everything you're doing. Instead, look for ways to fine-tune your efforts until you get the results you desire.

Be curious, be objective, be creative and be flexible. A little bit of change can put you over the top.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A higher standard

If things are not working well for you where you are, raise yourself to a higher place. Choose to raise your standards.

Consistently expect more of yourself and you will get it. The quality of your life is driven by the quality of your standards.

Are your efforts not bringing the results you seek? Then find a way to improve, enhance and expand those efforts.

Yes, you can do it. There's always room for improvement, and with each little improvement you raise your standards and become more effective.

Don't fall into the trap of blaming the economy, the weather, other people, or cruel fate. Step up from where you are to a higher place, and commit to making a better life for all those around you.

Align yourself with your highest, most authentic purpose. Life will always meet your standards, so raise those standards high.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Conditions change

Conditions change all the time. What you could depend on yesterday, might very well be gone today.

What once worked so well for you, will eventually fail to bring the results you seek. So when conditions change, you have the valuable opportunity to change along with them.

Life by its very definition is always changing. People who make the most of life are those who expect the changes, welcome them, and find the positive possibilities in each one.

When you see changes occurring, instead of making a judgment make a careful observation. You cannot stop the changes that are already taking place, so your best strategy is to find the opportunities that are embedded within them.

And those positive opportunities are most certainly there. Rather than being fearful of the changes, be curious, and you'll see the hidden value in those changes.

You can count on the fact that the world will continue to change. And you can always choose to take the actions that will make those changes be for the better.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Exactly

Don't just generalize about what you wish to achieve. Don't just have a vague idea about where you would like to go.

Tell yourself exactly what you expect of yourself. Make your goals vivid, clear and precise.

Whether you are traveling around the block or across the ocean, your destination is always a single, specific point. The only way you can reach that point is by clearly and unambiguously defining where it is.

The same is true for every destination you seek to reach, whether it is a place, a person, an object or a set of conditions. When the goal is clear and specific, filled in your mind with all the color, the texture, the sounds and the feelings, you'll surely be able to work your way there.

Success is largely a matter of deciding upon every little detail of what you wish to achieve. For each detail you envision provides you with an additional pathway to your goal.

Know what you seek, and know it with richness and precision. For that's exactly what you'll achieve.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Get on with life

Some people are not going to like you no matter what you do or what you say. Get over it and get on with life.

Some of your efforts are not going to bring the results you were after. Accept it and find another approach.

Occasionally you'll be distracted and knocked off course for a while. On a regular basis, life will have its disappointments.

Those disappointments and distractions do not have to stop you. In fact, you can choose to let them inspire you and to push you forward.

No matter what has just happened, you are free in this moment to act with positive purpose. Whether the past has worked in your favor or not, the future is yours to create as you wish.

Life is too important to waste it feeling sorry for yourself or beating yourself up. Get up and get on with life, and make it match your highest expectations.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Today's purpose

What is your purpose for this day? What have you chosen to do with the minutes and hours of this day, a day that is already flowing into your life?

When you give each day a specific purpose, at the end of each day you'll have a specific accomplishment. In addition to having a day that you can look back upon, you'll also have real, lasting value that you can carry forward.

Today is full of countless possibilities. Giving the day a purpose will enable you to fulfill the exact possibilities that align with that purpose.

This day is rich in energy. With a clear purpose, you can harness that powerful energy and channel it into something that will make a difference for your world.

There are dreams that you long to achieve. Today is your opportunity to move solidly toward them.

Give today a purpose -- a rich, wonderful, meaningful purpose. And live life at its best.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Substance of success

The fruits of success are often displayed out in the open for everyone to see. The real work of success, however, takes place behind the scenes.

It's easy to think of a successful person as being lucky. Yet good luck comes to those who work day after day to make it so.

Behind every magnificent accomplishment, there is real, difficult, sustained effort. Behind every so-called overnight success, are thousands of late-night hours spent honing a craft or skill or profession.

Instead of seeing the fruits of success and being envious, look beyond to all the work that has taken place behind the scenes. See the work of success and be joyous, for the opportunity to make a difference is available to you, too.

A life of success is not about having the outer rewards, for they are little more than tokens. The substance of success is in the effort, and anyone can choose to make any amount of effort.

The desire for a particular goal is really the desire to go through the process of making that goal real. Give in to that deeper desire, and make success a part of you.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The path to true happiness

What is the path to true happiness? How far must you go to find happiness?

You need not go very far at all. For happiness is always inside you, ready whenever you are.

No object, no person, no circumstance will make you happy. You are always happy when you decide to be.

The good things in life do not cause happiness. It is precisely the other way around.

Allow happiness to flow out from you, and the good things in life will surround you and fill your world. Choose to be happy, with no conditions imposed upon that happiness, and you'll create the ideal conditions for your life.

Happiness is a beautiful gift you can give yourself no matter what. Give it freely and it will change your world.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Lift up

Do you want to experience a burst of energy that nothing can take away from you? Then lift up someone else.

Focus on helping another person, and your eyes will open to new and powerful possibilities. Give of yourself to others, and you'll end up with even more to give.

Every great achievement goes far beyond the achiever. In fact, the value of any achievement is based on how many people it positively affects.

Get in the habit of making a difference for others. Every day provides you with ample opportunities to do so.

Every person has real and unique value. Respect and celebrate that value by connecting with the goodness of each person you encounter.

Lift up others and you lift up your world. Lift up your world, and you'll find it a wonderful place to be.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Amaze yourself

Once you're up and running, keep going. Once you've worked to establish some momentum, make the most of it.

Don't stop when you've done just enough. With a little extra effort, you can achieve so much more.

You've spent a lot of time and effort getting to where you are. If you stop now you'll have to put even more effort into getting started again.

Keep going until you've far surpassed what you expected to do. Surprise and delight yourself with how much more you can get accomplished.

When you've already done what's good enough, that puts you in a great position. It's more effective to reach higher when you're already moving higher.

Momentum is an unstoppable force. Once you've got it, keep using it, and keep going until you're amazed at what you've done.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The little annoyances

When you let the little problems get you down, then you give the big problems the power to overwhelm you. When you constantly complain about things that don't really matter, you compromise your ability to successfully handle the things that do matter.

Whenever your day gets interrupted by an unexpected annoyance, you have a choice to make. You can let it poison your whole attitude, or you can actually use it to make you more positive and powerful.

Decide to laugh at the little problems, and to see each one as an opportunity for growth. Every minor annoyance that you quickly and successfully handle will strengthen your confidence.

That strong confidence will be extremely valuable when a major problem comes along. Even more importantly, that same confidence enables you to reach whatever goals you set for yourself.

If you're already in the habit of moving forward through the little challenges, that momentum will serve you well when the big challenges arrive. Every small problem provides you with a way to increase your positive momentum.

A day that is filled with little annoyances is a day that is rich with opportunities for real and lasting growth. Welcome those opportunities with a smile, and one by one they will make you stronger.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Work and enjoy

You never have to choose between work and enjoyment. You can do both.

You can choose to do work that you enjoy. You can also choose to enjoy whatever work you do.

The work you do enables you to create value. The work you do while enjoying yourself enables you to create immense and highly meaningful value.

There is a reason why you have chosen to do the work you do. Explore that reason, connect it with your deepest purpose, and you'll find a way to enjoy whatever the task may be.

One of your most persistent driving desires is to make a difference. Enjoy the fact that you have the opportunity to work at things that will indeed make a difference.

Work with enjoyment and gratitude. Not only will your work bring rewards, you'll also find that your work is itself a great reward.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Give yourself a deadline

Give your goal a feature that will vastly improve its chances of being fulfilled. Give your goal a deadline.

A deadline provides a firm boundary for your efforts, yet it does not limit or constrain those efforts. On the contrary, a deadline will focus your efforts toward a single point, giving them more power and practical effectiveness.

Without a deadline you can exhaust yourself and still not arrive at any meaningful accomplishment. A deadline compels you to prioritize and to expend your best efforts in the most meaningful direction.

With a deadline, you are constantly reminded of how valuable and precious your time is. You're able to see resources and opportunities that would otherwise remain hidden.

A deadline encourages you to do the best you can with what you have. And that's a skill that reliably leads to great accomplishment again and again.

Give yourself a deadline. And get the job done sooner rather than never.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Leadership

The most effective form of leadership is born out of the sincere desire and proven ability to make a positive contribution. Those who lead best are those for whom leadership itself is not the primary aim.

True leadership is not embodied in a position or title. True leadership arises from an exemplary life of making positive, valuable contributions that inspire others to do the same.

The most successful leaders have no interest in telling others what to do. Successful leaders are those who promote and support conditions in which each person can act with effectiveness and experience fulfillment in his or her own special way.

Great leaders are not those who claim to have all the answers or to solve every problem. Great leaders lead by example rather than by proclamation.

To be a leader, be a shining example. Do precisely that which you would lead others to do, and do it spectacularly.

Leadership at its best enlarges upon the sincere and productive efforts of the leader. Make those efforts the best they can be, and they'll result in true, effective leadership.

-- Ralph Marston

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

State of focus

To be highly effective in what you do, enter a special state of being that you can create with your own intention. Enter a state of focus.

In this state, trivial outside events do not have the power to distract or annoy you. You simply accept them, move past them, and continue working on what's truly important to you.

In your focused state, there is no hesitation or worry about getting it wrong. You move ahead with steady, persistent efforts, knowing that even the mistakes will lead to learning and improvements.

Always with you in your state of focus is a clear and authentic sense of purpose. The energy to keep going and to keep focused comes from remembering why.

When you are focused you are curious, flexible, and open to new ways of creating value. At the same time, you're able to keep yourself solidly on track toward the specific goals you have chosen.

Enter a peaceful, powerful focused state. And make good things happen for your whole world.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A new world

Today you have the chance to create a new world. For life is constantly changing, and in those changes there is always great opportunity.

Think carefully about exactly how you would like your life and your world to be. Create a dream that is authentically you.

Feel the reality of that dream in the depth of your spirit. Then feel the energy with which you will make it real.

Change is always happening, so choose to make change your friend. Hold tightly to the steady values that have always meant so much to you, while finding new and fulfilling ways to express those values.

Do not rely on others to change your life for the better, because you are the person who knows what you value most and who is best able to make it happen. Commit yourself to seeing the positive possibilities in every turn of events, and then do the work necessary to make those possibilities real.

Life is filled with much goodness and you can make it even better. Every up, every down, every new development is your opportunity to positively change the world.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Whatever may come

What can you do when the situation gets worse? You can improve.

Life throws many challenges at you. And you always can respond in a positive, effective way.

It is wise to plan for the future and to prepare for the future. Yet there is no need to worry about the future.

Because whatever the future may bring, you will find an answer for it. Whatever events may transpire, you can craft a powerful and successful response that will move your life forward.

It may indeed be very difficult. And in transcending that difficulty, you have the opportunity to find great fulfillment.

Dream big dreams that resonate perfectly with who you are, and know that you will reach them. For whatever may come, you can make it work for you.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Explore the possibilities

From the questions that have answers there is much you can learn. And from those questions that have no answers you can learn even more.

For the questions that have no answers put you into the realm of possibilities. Those possibilities will take you as far as you dare to go.

Whole new worlds are there to be created when you set out to explore the possibilities. By opening yourself to new possibilities, you're able to escape old limitations.

There is never any reason to remain stuck in an undesirable situation. For there are always possibilities waiting to lead you to a better place.

Just beneath the surface of what is, you'll find a universe of possibilities for what can be. Look beyond the concerns of the moment, and dare to imagine the best life you can envision.

Being fully alive means being open to the countless possibilities that grow more abundant with each passing moment. Among all those possibilities are the ones that will take you exactly where you wish to go.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Get to work

Hard work is easy compared to the alternative. For the alternative is a life without meaningful accomplishment or fulfillment.

Effort can be difficult, time consuming and inconvenient. And yet, the rewards created by diligent, focused effort make all that effort well worth the trouble.

Effort brings lasting value out of troublesome situations. Effort puts your dreams into action and makes them real.

When you're wondering how to get what you want, the answer is usually simple. Get to work.

Life is always overflowing with abundance. Through your efforts you express that abundance in personally meaningful ways.

There is always work to be done for those who are willing to do it. Be willing, get to work, and enjoy the immense value that your efforts create.

-- Ralph Marston

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

A thankful heart

When you feel the impulse to be judgmental, let that be a cue for you to first be thankful. When you discover that you're focusing on what's wrong, use that as a reminder of all the many things that are right.

Immediately upon waking each morning, think of ten things you are grateful for at the moment. As you fall asleep at the end of the day, fill your thoughts with thankfulness for the good and valuable blessings in your life.

Give the power of your thoughts to the positive influences in your world, and they will become more influential. Remind yourself often of what works well, and you'll naturally find ways to make many other things work well.

The way to enjoy success is not to study failure. The way to experience success is to extend and expand the success you already know.

Gratitude is so powerful because it makes you so powerful. Gratitude puts you in a positive frame of reference within which many more positive things can happen.

Begin each day, end each day, and live each day with a sincerely thankful heart. And as each day passes, you'll have more and more for which to be thankful.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Patience

Patience saves you money. Patience saves time, reduces stress, and improves your relationships.

With patience, you have the ability to achieve things that are simply not possible without it. Using patience, you can more fully understand and be understood.

Looking at life with patience, you can uncover and experience rich treasures that you otherwise never would have known about. Living with patience, you develop the persistence to create great and valuable things.

Patience does not mean sitting back and doing nothing. On the contrary, patience means always doing the very best you can do, while understanding that the results you seek will not come immediately.

Patience is the acknowledgement that the quality of life is much more important than the quantity of things with which you fill it. Patience is the willingness to accept what is, for right now, while putting all you have into creating the best that can be.

Make the most of the many opportunities life provides for you to practice patience. With patience is your life fully and richly lived.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Empowering passion

Is there something you desperately need? Your sense of desperation and your need will work against you, and will make it even more difficult to attain what you're after.

By very definition, whatever you need you do not have. When you continually reinforce the idea that you do not have something, you continually push that thing away from yourself.

Replace your desperate need with a passionate desire. That will frame your situation in a much more positive, powerful perspective.

With desperation, you feel like giving up. With passion, on the other hand, you create the energy to move decisively forward.

With need, you feel an emptiness that drains your every moment. With desire, you constantly motivate yourself to create fulfillment.

Let go of your needs, for they will only keep you needy. Replace them with positive desires, and feel the empowering passion that will make those desires happen.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Energy source

The way to get more energy in your life is to use it. Get yourself started, and you'll get the energy flowing.

The most powerful and sustainable energy does not come from outside sources. The energy you use to effectively get things done comes from the purpose that is inside you.

When you're engaged in something truly meaningful, there's no need to search for the energy to do it. That energy is with you in great abundance.

To plug any activity into your energy source, connect it to your authentic purpose. When you know without a doubt why it is important, you'll find everything necessary to get it done.

The more useful and valuable things you do with your life, the more energy you'll have available for even greater accomplishments. Take a small step forward, and you make a bigger step possible.

Put the energy you have into meaningful pursuits. And you'll soon be making even more.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Bigger than you

Waves crash endlessly upon the shore. The heat of summer is relieved by the cool winds of autumn, then winter, then spring and summer again and again in an ever-repeating cycle.

The forces that make it all happen and keep it all going are truly awesome. Though they can be explained and understood to a degree, they are impossible to fully comprehend.

In this life there is much that you can influence, much that you can do, and much that you can accomplish. Even so, there are many other things about which you can do nothing but accept, experience and stand in awe.

Sometimes the best thing to do with life is allow yourself to feel its wonder and beauty. Sometimes it is helpful and even comforting to remember that there are things you can never change.

For by acknowledging what you cannot do, you more fully appreciate and utilize those things you can do. By accepting and valuing that life is bigger than you, your own perspective is greatly enhanced.

Life is rich and varied and awesome beyond anything you can ever imagine. So go ahead and accomplish all you can imagine, for when you're done there's always room for more.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Your own special life

You are who you are. There's no need to be ashamed of your one-of-a-kind uniqueness or to apologize for it.

Sure, you've made some mistakes along the way. So has everyone else.

What matters most is that you're here now and ready to be the best you can be. You have a definite purpose, plus you have the desire and the means to express that purpose in many wonderful ways.

Forget about chasing fame or fortune or the approval of others merely for the sake of having them. The best things in life are those things that resonate with who you truly are.

By acknowledging and following your deepest purpose, you bring those good and valuable things to light. And in so doing, you bring them to your life and your world.

The most valuable thing you can ever have, you already have, for it is your own special life. Allow it to unfold, in each moment, in all its beauty and wonder, and be the real living fulfillment of who you are.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Feel the accomplishment

Give your attention to what you're doing while giving your passion to where you're headed. Although the process of achievement can be tedious and challenging, there's no reason why you have to let it get you down.

You have what it takes to do what must be done. Simply stop fighting against the efforts, stop imagining and complaining about how hard it is, and just do it.

Don't let your emotions be negatively influenced by the difficulty of the task at hand. Instead, base your feelings on the positive outcome you'll achieve once that task is done.

In your mind, fully enjoy the successful achievement while you're working to make it happen with your actions. Feel the joy of accomplishment even as you are creating that accomplishment.

The work you're doing has a purpose that means something to you. As you do the work, feel the purpose.

You can work your way cheerfully through any obstacle as long as there's something truly desirable on the other side. Feel the satisfaction of accomplishment and let that feeling pull you toward it.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Plenty of time

You have time. It is now.

Think of something that is truly a priority for you. And know, without a doubt, that you can find the time to get it done.

Of course you're busy, and your time is valuable. That's why it is so important to make sure you use your time to achieve the outcomes you desire.

Simply being busy won't really get you anywhere. Being effective, in a way that's meaningful, is what will take you places.

Achievement takes time and you have the time. As each moment passes, grab the immense value that's in it by using it to move your world forward.

There is plenty of time in this day to take action. Choose right now to stop making excuses and to start making progress.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Free yourself

To be free of your burdens, do something about them. The sweetest freedom is the freedom you have earned through your own efforts.

Unresolved problems can be a constant drain on all you do. Yet when you solve even one lingering problem, you increase the effectiveness of everything else you do.

Some of the problems facing you may take a good bit of time to solve. That's all the more reason for you to get started working on them right now.

Instead of wasting your energy on worry, invest your energy in effort. Instead of being burdened by the problems, choose to be inspired by them.

Take useful and effective action to make your whole life and your whole world better. The moment you begin to act, you suddenly start to feel more confident, more powerful, and more in control of your own destiny.

Think of how great it feels when you finally take care of a situation that has needed your attention for a long time. Then enable yourself to truly feel that freedom by getting the problem solved.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The reward is closer

What can you do when there seems to be no hope? You can keep going.

What's the best option when you feel like giving up? The best option is to keep going.

How can you respond when circumstances are acting against you? The most effective response is to continue working your way forward no matter what other factors may be present.

All that you know is based on past experience, and yet the future does not equal the past. For right now you can take action to determine that future and to change the way things will be.

Though it can be easy to give up, remember this. When you're at the point of giving up, you're also at the point where maximum value can be created.

If you feel like giving up, then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by continuing to push forward. Keep going, for the reward is closer with every step you take.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Actually do

The results you achieve are not based on what you plan to do or what you say you'll do. Your results come from what you actually do.

The rationalizations and excuses you make will not add any value or quality to your life. Your actions are what truly make a difference.

To get where you wish to go requires more than just talking about it. To get where you wish to go requires focused, sustained effort.

And the great thing is, you're perfectly capable of making whatever effort is necessary. You must simply choose to actually do it.

No one can reach real fulfillment on your behalf. The life you experience is the life you create for yourself.

There are so many possibilities to choose from, and so many opportunities to make life great through the actions you take. Now is the moment to actually do it.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Missed opportunity

It's frustrating when you realize you've missed a big opportunity. Though you cannot go back and change the past, there is something you can do.

You can choose to transform that regret for a missed opportunity into enthusiasm and commitment for seizing a new, even better opportunity. You can decide to look forward, realizing the importance of what you missed, determined to find another path to the same kind of fulfillment.

Don't be envious of those who had the foresight to grab hold of the opportunity that you missed. Instead, be positively inspired by the success they have enjoyed.

Now it is your time to move toward a similar success. Whatever may have or have not happened in the past, now is the time to act.

Specific opportunities will come and go. And new opportunities are always available to those who are willing to do the difficult and challenging work they demand.

Choose to make your own best opportunity from the way things are right now. With your focused commitment, truly great things are possible.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Today

Of all the days that have ever been and of all the days to come, today is the one you now have. Though it may not be perfect, it is here, it is now, and it is the one day that is available to you.

On this day you live in a world filled with beauty. Take the opportunity to see and appreciate some of that beauty.

On this day there are precious moments ready to be filled with joy and meaning. Live today's moments so as to add real and lasting value to your life and your world.

Spend some time focusing your thoughts on what's right with this day. Allow yourself to genuinely feel the goodness that is present right now.

Remind yourself of all that you have to be thankful for on this day. In the heart of your gratitude, you will touch today's limitless source of abundance.

Possibility, opportunity, value, goodness, love and fulfillment are all here and now on this day. Bring them to life today in your own special way.

-- Ralph Marston

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

The value inside

At the heart of all value in your life is the purpose of your life. No person, no group, no situation, no series of events can take that purpose away from you.

Everything to which you assign value, has that value because it expresses or resonates with your purpose in some way. The value that lives at the core of all value in your life, grows ever stronger no matter what.

If it feels like something valuable has been lost from your life, that is only because you have become too focused on outside events and conditions. Calmly and confidently let go of what does not really matter, and reconnect with your authentic living purpose.

The momentary expressions can indeed be wonderful and beautiful. Yet they will always come and go, clearing the way for your true purpose to be more richly fulfilled.

Without purpose, you could have all the material riches of the world and they would mean nothing. With purpose, you can create value, meaning and sweet fulfillment out of even the most challenging circumstances.

When you are driven by true purpose, anything is always possible. Whatever may be happening on the outside, let the value from inside lift your world ever higher.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Beyond dissatisfaction

Things will begin to get better when you define precisely what better means to you. The pains and frustrations will start to ease when you have something solid and positive with which to replace them.

To successfully move away from an undesirable situation, decide exactly where you wish to go. Create a powerful intention for yourself, and feed that intention with the energy that's in your desire for change.

It is not enough to complain about how things are. That can get the ball rolling, and yet it won't take you very far.

Move quickly to create a vision of how the world can be. Give yourself a compelling goal to move toward.

Enthusiasm is a key ingredient of success. And you'll always have a more productive kind of enthusiasm when you're focused on a positive future.

Go beyond your dissatisfaction with what is, and put your energy into imagining the best of what can be. Clearly know where you wish to go, and you'll naturally make the effort that gets you there.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Fill your time

Do you ever wonder where the time has gone? In fact, it has not gone anywhere.

Time keeps coming in an endless procession, and as soon as one moment is finished, another one begins. The problem is not that time has gone away, for it has not.

The problem is that you haven't made full use of it. Fortunately, that is a situation you can change right now.

When you find yourself wondering where the time has gone, understand that thought for what it truly is. It is your way of reminding yourself of how very much you can do if you simply make the commitment to do it.

Don't waste another minute regretting all the time you've wasted in the past. Resolve in this moment to put the time you now have to meaningful and rewarding use.

Fill your time with action, with love, with meaning, with purpose, with richness and with life. Instead of wondering where the time has gone, be delighted with where it takes you.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Living possibility

Set your life in motion by reaching deep inside. Touch your most wonderful feeling and peacefully surrender as it fills your awareness.

Life originates in this moment and it flows from the most honest and authentic experience of who you are. Whatever drives you at the deepest level is what enables you to move forward.

Think your best thoughts and feel your most intense feelings of how beautiful and fulfilling life can be. Rise above the meaningless distractions and choose to heed your very purpose.

The thoughts you have, turn into actions, and the actions turn into accomplishments. Now is when you begin to make it happen.

The world you envision is longing for you to bring it to life. Breathe in, right now, all the goodness you have ever known, and see clearly that anything is possible.

Reveal more fully in every moment the living possibility that is you. And fill your world with the best life you can imagine.

-- Ralph Marston

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

New joys to be lived

There's more to life than everything you already know. As each day unfolds, feel what it is to be alive more profoundly than you have ever felt it before.

There are wonderful ways you are capable of feeling, that you've never experienced before. Make use of the powerful creativity that is yours, and discover new corners of life's richness that you've never seen before.

Get out of the comfortable rut. There is so much more to life than comfort and predictability.

Somewhere within the possibilities of this moment, you will find beautiful and fulfilling new experiences. Life's abundance is waiting to be expressed in ways you have not yet known or even imagined.

The world changes constantly, and change can often be frightening. Yet it also continually brings forth new and positive possibilities.

Make good use of what you already know, and let it successfully guide you into valuable new realms. There are always new joys to be lived.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Looking at opportunity

Wherever there is work to be done, there is opportunity. And there is always work to be done everywhere.

When there are challenges to be overcome, there are ways to create great value. And the world is filled with challenges.

If there are problems that must be solved, there are countless avenues that lead to lasting success. And there is no shortage of problems waiting to be addressed.

When you see obstacles piled on top of problems, and when there seems to be no end to the work that must be done, what are you really seeing? You're looking at great opportunity.

You're looking at a world in which you can truly make a positive difference. You're looking at an environment in which you can reach great heights by lifting up the lives of others.

Take a good look at all the work to be done, then step forward and get busy adding your own unique value. When you're looking at opportunity, be the person who transforms it into success.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Ease your burdens

Don't make life's difficulties even more difficult by filling your mind with resentment. Instead, ease your burdens by choosing to be truly thankful for them.

If you feel resentment starting to take hold, stop and consider this. There's nothing to be gained by bringing yourself down over what has already happened.

Use the occasion to remember all the things for which you can be thankful. Rise to the challenge of seeing the positive aspects that are surely there within any troubling situation.

Holding on to resentment will drain valuable energy away from you. Gratitude, on the other hand, can fill you with fresh, new positive energy.

Choose to see the value in your situation. Choose to look forward with confidence instead of looking backward with resentment.

Right now, there is much for which to be thankful. Focus on the positive possibilities, and find real joy in steadily bringing them to life.

-- Ralph Marston

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

One small thing

One good thing naturally leads to another. So go ahead, right now, and do one good thing.

Just one simple positive step is enough to create some solid momentum. Go ahead and take that small step.

The challenges of life may seem overwhelming. Get yourself moving, just a little bit at first, in a positive direction, and those challenges will suddenly feel a lot smaller.

You don't get to the top of the mountain in one enormous leap. You get there one small step at a time, and from the moment you begin the view just keeps getting better and better.

What one small thing could you choose to set the tone for the rest of this day, or even for the rest of your life? There are so many possibilities available to you.

Move just a little bit in the direction that you know is good and right for you. Once you get going, you won't want to stop.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Let your enthusiasm show

Enthusiasm costs you absolutely nothing and requires no special skills. It is yours the moment you choose to embrace it.

When you do, your world changes. The problems turn into opportunities and the challenges become fields upon which you can create new value.

Enthusiasm infuses you with a heightened sense of purpose. Enthusiasm provides you with a beneficial immunity against any setbacks that may come.

Enthusiasm is contagious and it draws other people to you. Because when you're wrapped up in enthusiasm, it feels great.

Somewhere inside you there is an authentic sense of enthusiasm, eager to come to life. Let it out and let it show.

Allow enthusiasm to infect your attitude, and spread it to those around you. Delight in the feeling as it pushes you forward.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Do something about it

When something is troubling you, make the commitment to change it. Then begin to act on that decision right away.

Some of the influences in your life are under your control, and many of those influences are outside your control. Yet you can always decide upon and put into action a positive response to anything.

Don't sit around being amazed at how miserable you are and at how unfairly life is treating you. Instead, be amazed at how quickly and effectively you can do something about it.

Don't complain to others about how tough it is for you. Instead, inspire them with your positive and enthusiastic attitude and actions.

When the world feels all wrong, that's a valuable signal. It's your way of telling yourself to get going and make a difference.

You have plenty of good options if you'll simply make the effort to find them. Pick the best one, get busy putting it into action, and take positive control of your world.

-- Ralph Marston

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

Still to come

Be thankful for what is. And be thankful also for what has not yet come to you.

For that is where the possibilities are. And those possibilities have no limit.

Value what you already know, and also value the countless things you don't yet know. For in what you do not know, there is the joy of learning and discoveries to come.

Find peace in the thought that you cannot ever have it all or know it all. For if you did, there would be nothing more to experience.

The best is yet to come. For you have the opportunity to choose it all from the boundless field of possibilities.

There is great value in where you have been, in what you have done, and in all that you now have. And always, so very much more is still to come.

-- Ralph Marston

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