Get creative

There's more than one way to reach the goal. There's more than one way to solve the problem.

When you seem to be stuck, get creative. When the possibilities aren't to your liking, open your mind and make some more.

There's no reason why you must do things the same way they've always been done. Certainly you can learn much from past experience, yet you can also improve upon it.

Today is a new day and you're more knowledgeable than ever. Get creative and develop some new strategies for going forward.

Creativity is not limited to artistic or literary pursuits. Creativity can be successfully applied to any undertaking.

Make each effort fun and interesting by applying some delightful creativity to it. Get creative, and enjoy more success than ever before.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Continued success

When momentum is on your side, use it. When you're going strong, keep going and become even stronger.

Don't let your success stop you from continuing to succeed. Before the goal is accomplished, have another goal ready and waiting to take its place.

Each accomplishment opens the door to many more opportunities. Each success paves the way for even greater success.

When the job is done, celebrate the victory by setting your sights even higher. You've firmly established a positive pattern, so keep it going and improve upon it.

The value you've just created can now be put to productive use. Just imagine what is now possible.

Great accomplishments are built from small successes. Keep the momentum going, and there's no limit to what you can achieve.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Purposeful focus

Is there something that's distracting you and keeping you from staying focused? There will always be some distraction or another, but you never have to give in to those distractions.

The way to focus on anything is to make it important. If you need more focus, then make the object of your focus more personally meaningful.

Make a conscious connection between whatever you're doing and your deepest reason for doing it. Clearly know why, and the focus will be strong.

When you feel your focus begin to slip, reaffirm and reconnect to your purpose. Maintain the focus by maintaining the meaning that's behind it.

When your desire is strong enough, no event or circumstance will have the power to distract you. Give your efforts a reason why, and you give yourself a reason to persist.

Live with authentic purpose. And you'll act with powerful focus.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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 like it

Those mornings when you're reluctant to get out of bed are the very days when you'll gain the most by going ahead, getting up and getting started. The challenges you've been avoiding are the very ones that will compel you to make the most progress.

Step eagerly forward and do the hard stuff. Jump in and tackle the difficult challenges.

Life is about making a difference. The bigger the challenge is, the more of a positive difference you can make.

Don't focus on the discomfort you may have to endure. Instead, go ahead and feel the extreme sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that come from moving forward and doing what must be done.

Instead of forever regretting the missed opportunities, wake up and seize those opportunities. Make full and productive use of the priceless moment that is right here in front of you.

If you don't feel like it, choose to make yourself feel like it. By the time the day is done, you'll truly be glad you did.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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 promise

Make a promise to yourself and keep it. There's something that you've always desired, and now is the time to make it real.

You are fully capable of reaching whatever you decide to reach. Promise yourself something wonderful, and then do what it takes to fulfill that promise.

Stop groaning about how unfair life is. Start making life into something grand and joyful.

Every problem is an opportunity to make an improvement. Pick a particularly vexing problem and promise yourself that you'll get triumphantly beyond it.

Find a dream that positively inspires you and promise yourself that you'll reach it. Make a serious commitment to the richness of your own life, and follow through on that commitment.

You can do it if you'll simply choose to do it. Make a promise to yourself, and make it happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

In an instant

In an instant, you can go from discouraged to joyful. In an instant, you can change from lazy to ambitious.

In the blink of an eye, your whole outlook on life can profoundly improve. In one small moment, disappointment can be transformed into positive resolve and commitment.

When you are ready to change, and willing to change for the better, you can do it just like that. Are you ready?

In an instant, you can improve your attitude. And that change of attitude will affect your whole world.

A moment ago, you may have been discouraged, or resentful, or frustrated, or miserable. Now, you can be whatever way you choose to be.

Choose now to be positive, productive, effective, ambitious, and filled with enthusiasm for all the great things life has to offer. Feel the power of this positive instant, and keep it going strong.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Keep building

If it were quick and easy you would have already done it. The fact that it is difficult and time-consuming means you're doing something truly worthwhile.

The value of any achievement is built with the time and effort you put into it. Keep going, keep building, keep at it and you'll truly have something of great value.

It is often difficult to stay positively focused. And it is always worth the trouble.

Sure, it would be much easier to do nothing. Yet by doing nothing, you create nothing.

Instead, step forward and do the difficult work that must be done. With each effort, you are adding more value and substance to the achievement.

Feel the satisfaction as you continue the difficult and rewarding work of building that achievement. Know that the value has already started coming to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

From the inside out

When you feel the urge to be critical of someone else, look first within yourself. The weaknesses and shortcomings you perceive in another may very well be pointing to improvements you can make in your own life.

Instead of depending on others to change, or attempting to force them to do so, look for positive changes that you can make. You'll always have much more success controlling your own life than you will have controlling others.

If you wish to live in a positive world, be a positive person. If you desire peace, then be completely at peace with yourself.

Life is a mirror that reflects your most authentic self back to you. It flows from the inside out.

The values and priorities that you live by will greatly influence the world that you live in. The thoughts and feelings you hold most consistently on the inside will determine how life unfolds for you on the outside.

Allow peace, love, joy and fulfillment to flow from the inside out. Make your world the best it can be.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Standard of living

Your standard of living has very little to do with how much money you make or how many possessions you have. It depends primarily on the way you choose to live your life in each moment.

Your standard of living is not decided by where you came from. It is determined by where you choose to go.

You don't need anyone's permission or assistance to raise your standard of living. You simply must decide to make the very best of who you are and what you have.

Do you wish to live a magnificent life that's overflowing with joy and fulfillment? You can most certainly do that, right here and now, by choosing your attitude, your perceptions, your thoughts and your actions.

Raise your standard of living in every moment by doing something to make your world a more beautiful place. Achieve the very highest standard of living by faithfully following the purpose that lives at your core.

There is always something you can do to improve the quality of your life. Continually seize those opportunities for improvement, and enjoy a rich, rewarding standard of living all the time.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Assumptions

Base your decisions on thought and perception rather than assumptions. Don't get trapped by assuming what is no longer true.

Be careful not to use your assumptions as excuses for avoiding action. Question and challenge those assumptions, and focus on what you wish to accomplish.

The world changes with every moment. What you once assumed to be true may no longer be true, and may never have actually been true in the first place.

Look at the world in front of you with eyes free of judgment. Consider all the possibilities, especially those that seem particularly outrageous.

Instead of assuming that you can't, feel the confidence that comes from knowing you can. Hiding behind every assumption there are new opportunities ready to be explored.

Let go of the assumptions that may be holding you back. And discover how very much you can do.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Root out the problems

Beware of quick-fix solutions that end up being worse than the problems they are intended to solve. There's nothing to be gained from a cure that is worse than the disease.

And there's certainly nothing to be gained from a solution that merely masks or delays the problem without addressing the underlying cause. When there's a problem in your life, get to work rooting out the core of that problem.

Facing a challenge requires effort, and yet that effort is necessary only for a relatively short time. Running from the challenge requires ever-increasing effort that has no end.

The sooner you start working through a problem, the more quickly you'll have that problem behind you. The earlier you deal with the root cause of the problem, the more effective your efforts will be.

Truly eliminating the cause of the problem does indeed take more work than quickly fixing the symptoms. Yet once the difficult work is done to remove the problem, it's gone for good.

Do the work to root out each problem at its core. And your efforts will bring lasting rewards.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Reach beyond yourself

The higher you aim, the higher you will go. Push yourself a little bit past what you know you can do, and you'll discover new skills and abilities.

If it seems that you don't ever get much done, maybe it's because you're not giving yourself enough to do. Make your dreams and ambitions big enough to be positively compelling.

Be genuinely thankful for how far you've already come, but don't rest on your previous accomplishments. Honor and appreciate those accomplishments by using them as a starting point for even greater success.

You are intelligent, adaptable, creative, flexible and effective at getting things done. Fulfill your destiny and satisfy your purpose by giving yourself plenty of valuable, worthwhile things to do.

Delight in discovering how much more you can accomplish. Thrill to the challenge of moving successfully through new, uncharted territory.

Continue to reach beyond yourself. Know the joy and confidence that come from growing ever stronger.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Great fortune

Remind yourself often of how fortunate you are. The more you realize and recall your good fortune, the more good and valuable things you can do with it.

Your true fortune has little to do with the size of your bank account or your material assets. The greatest fortune you have is life itself, and the opportunity to live each moment with awareness and effectiveness.

There is endless fortune in your ability to choose what to do with each moment. There is limitless fortune in your capacity to feel love, awe, compassion, gratitude and pure joy.

Spend some time each day thinking about how truly fortunate you are. Let the warm feeling of that magnificent fortune permeate your awareness.

Your very existence has such great and irreplaceable value that it's impossible to even imagine the full extent of it. Resolve today to make good use of all that value.

The great fortune of your life is here and now. Live it with joy and meaning.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Create the best

Calm your thoughts and be peaceful. Know that all is well, all the time.

This moment is already the best it can be, and is everything it can be. Accept it and move forward.

Do not fear the worst, for your thoughts of fear give great power to whatever it is you fear. Instead, sincerely expect the best and you create the best.

Know that the positive possibilities are always present, and your eyes will be opened to them. Everything that is, can be put to good use in moving toward your highest vision for life.

As life unfolds in each moment, new opportunities are being born. No matter what has already happened, choose to create the very best you can imagine.

This is the day that you have to work with. Live with peaceful purpose, and use it to create a magnificent world.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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 yourself heard

Make progress instead of promises. You are not known by the promises you make, but rather by the value you create.

Actions do indeed speak louder than words. Every positive, productive action builds your credibility and polishes your reputation.

The way to be impressive is to do impressive and valuable things. Instead of wasting your time posing as a successful person, get busy with the real and persistent efforts that will truly make you successful.

True accomplishment is infinitely better than the mere appearance of accomplishment. The way to gain the sincere respect and admiration of others is to make positive and valuable things happen.

Those who shout loudly and yet do nothing will eventually be ignored or laughed at. Those who work quietly and consistently end up gaining the greatest influence.

Instead of just talking about it, step forward and do it. Without saying a word, you can make yourself heard with the quality of your actions.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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 power of feelings

You can feel good for no reason at all. In fact, you can choose to feel any way you wish at any time and in any situation.

Whatever you desire, you desire because of the way you think it will make you feel. Whatever you avoid, you avoid because you don't wish to experience the feelings that you assume it will bring.

Yet the fact is that your feelings are not controlled by your circumstances. Those feelings are determined by how you choose to respond to various situations and events.

Your feelings in any moment are yours to choose. You can choose to feel the wonderful reality of your most treasured dreams long before those dreams have been fully achieved.

And when you do, you put yourself in a positive, powerful place from which you can surely make those dreams real. When you feel good for no reason, you immediately begin to create the reasons.

Choose each day to feel the way you wish to feel, no matter what is going on around you. And let your feelings pull you toward the fulfillment of your destiny.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Choose a destination

In order to make progress, you must know exactly where you intend to go. Choose a clear and specific destination, and then you can get busy going there.

Having a vague idea of where you want to go is not going to do you any good. Know exactly where you desire to be and you're already well on your way there.

The dreams that are compelling are the dreams that will motivate you to take whatever action is necessary. And the most compelling dreams are the ones with rich and meaningful details.

The goals you will achieve are the goals you can fully describe. Give real life and substance to your goals and you'll quickly begin to realize them.

You can choose any destination you wish for your life. So choose one that thrills you and compels you to be the best you can be.

Delight in the rich details of where you are headed. And you'll work your way steadily there.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Over and over

The actions, thoughts and words that become a permanent part of you are the ones you choose to repeat over and over again. Doing something once will certainly bring some kind of result, and doing it repeatedly will multiply its power many times over.

You cannot lift a thousand pounds all at once. Yet you can lift one pound a thousand times.

In the repetition of your thoughts and actions, there is great power. Choose to make complete and purposeful use of that power.

Add immense leverage to what you do by doing it again and again. Give great strength to your actions by persistently repeating them.

Nothing of value is ever accomplished in an instant. No skill is ever fully developed in a single day.

Take the time to make the effort over and over again. That time and those efforts will bring great rewards.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Use what you have

Don't waste a lot of time making judgments about what you have. Instead, put it to use.

Stop complaining that it's not enough or that it's not fair. Just get busy and make the most of it.

Fighting against what already is, will only slow you down. Instead, make good and productive use of what is, whatever it may be, and you'll find many ways to move forward.

If you wait until things are perfect before taking action, that day will never come. Use what you have, as flawed and imperfect as it may seem, and you'll soon be making massive improvements to it all.

Don't worry about comparing what you have to what others may or may not have. Just concern yourself with doing the best you can do.

Start from where you are, with what you have, and persistently do what you know you must do. There is no limit to where you can go.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

How good life is

Value and appreciate the good times that you've known and the good things that you have. But don't worry about holding on to them so much that you miss the opportunity to fully live.

Keep the treasured memories safe and secure in the attic of your life. But don't pile them up so deeply that you cannot get out the door.

Every day presents you with new opportunities to make more beautiful memories. Every moment is your chance for a fresh and original experience of life's treasure.

It's great when you can remember how good life has been. It's even better to know, again and again in every moment, how truly good life is.

Life's abundance does not run out. In fact, the more good things you experience, the more good things there are to be experienced.

You cannot lose the joy and beauty that you've already known. So move confidently forward and experience even more.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Something wonderful

Something wonderful will come from this. Something of great value is already taking shape.

In every disappointment, there are fertile seeds of accomplishment. In times of pain, there are opportunities arising for magnificent joy.

When you are making your way through the dark and lonely valley, keep going. Keep going and you'll soon reach the place where you begin to climb out and up toward the mountaintop.

Allow your difficulties the opportunity to give you strength. Let the tough times make the good times much more rewarding than they otherwise would have been.

Be truly thankful for each opportunity to more fully appreciate life's goodness. And be confident that the goodness is always there.

Know that something wonderful will come from this. And it will.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Opportunity is everywhere

There's no need to spend a lot of time looking for opportunity. It is everywhere, and every day more opportunities are being created.

There is always work to be done. There is always value to be created.

Instead of waiting for a new opportunity or searching for the perfect opportunity, go ahead and get to work. Make the most of some of the opportunities that are already here and now.

There is great value that can be created on this very day. There are problems that can be solved, processes that can be improved upon, and endless ways to be purposefully creative.

Opportunities are worthless unless they are acted upon. Choose to take the actions that will turn the best opportunities into real and lasting achievements.

Opportunity is everywhere, already, right now. Step forward and put it to work.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Take an interest

Take an interest in life and you'll find it to be an infinite source of richness and value. Become fascinated with certain aspects of this world and you'll find an endless source of treasure and possibility.

There is nothing in life that's boring. There are only people who choose to see things as boring.

In fact, wherever you are and whatever you're doing can be truly fascinating when you decide to make it so. Life in any moment is as interesting as you wish to make it.

When you're truly interested in what you're doing, you'll do it much more effectively. When you choose to take an interest, you'll discover whole new worlds of opportunity.

You are immersed in a truly amazing and fascinating universe. With just the slightest spark of interest, you can begin to travel a path of discovery that will lead to beautiful places you cannot now imagine.

Instead of complaining about how dull life is, truly take an interest, and follow that interest with passion. There is no limit to how far it will take you.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Don't worry

Don't worry about how long it will take, or what others will think of you, or how difficult it will be. Just get busy and do it.

Instead of wasting your time and energy on worry, use that time and energy for action. Instead of visualizing what you don't want, create what you do want.

Of course there will be challenges, painful mistakes, embarrassing moments and difficult efforts. But instead of worrying about them and making them worse, just go ahead, work your way through them and get them over with.

Worry fills you with doubt, and doubt eats away at your dreams. Choose instead to take action, with so much relentless determination and intensity that there's no room for worry.

Even though there will always be problems, you are truly capable of greatness. Imagine yourself fulfilling that greatness, starting right now from where you are with what you have.

Then jump enthusiastically into the journey. Forget the worries, and bring your best possibilities to life.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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 joy

Can you feel the joy in life today? It is wherever you choose to let it be.

Do you see the joy in each new person you meet? Look for the joy that others may be hiding, and make it your job to bring it out in the open.

There is joy to be found in every direction and in each new situation. For no matter how life may unfold, it is always a privilege to experience and explore.

Expect to find joy, and you will indeed find it. Choose to feel the joy, and you will know it.

There's no need to spend time searching for joy in one place or another. Joy exists anywhere and everywhere you allow it to be.

Make life rich and make life wonderful. Feel the joy, spread the joy and live the joy that is always yours to choose.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.

Reservoir of strength

Many of your greatest blessings can stay buried for years under layers of comfort and complacency. Often, you realize the full value of those blessings only when difficulties come along.

Life's most serious challenges do not arrive so as to punish you. Rather, they serve to shine a light on what is truly meaningful and valuable.

You have strengths and skills that you may never know about until a crisis compels you to uncover them and put them to use. In times of great difficulty, you are forced to call upon a reservoir of strength you may have never before known you had.

When life throws great challenges at you, that's not the time to give up on the values and dreams that mean the most to you. In fact, that's the ideal time to reconnect with the very best that is within you.

Within your most treasured values you will find your greatest motivation, inspiration, creativity, effectiveness and strength. With each challenge, you have a new opportunity to discover new dimensions of your skills and strengths.

When the difficulties arise, be true to the authentic dreams and values you hold dear. Tap into your reservoir of strength, and rise above each challenge to a higher level of true fulfillment.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2009 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.