“Make sure you visualize what you really want, not what someone else wants for you.”~ Gerry Gillies

Sometimes, visualizing what you want in life gets clouded by what other people want or what other people think you should do. Although it is a good practice to take advantage of the opinions of those you trust, guard against the tendency to accept those opinions as your own without careful consideration.

There are many paths in life and it is up to each of us to choose our own way, to aim for our dreams and to visualize our future.

Develop a vision of where you want to go, today, and hold that vision in your mind.

Today, I am grateful for a day of rest that allows me to gather my thoughts and refine my goals. I am grateful for my children who both have a strong vision of who they are and where they want to go. I am grateful for family that I can count on, for friends who lend a helping hand and for coffee.


I am grateful to stay inside on an icy day, for the knowledge that spring will come eventually and for gentle birds that feed eagerly at my feeder.


I am grateful for good books, soft music and inspiring photography that add new dimensions to my life. I am grateful for those who challenge my thinking, for great thinkers who have gone before me and the vastness of the Universe.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you visualize what you really want as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.

With vision there is no room to be frightened. No reason for intimidation. It's time to march forward! Let's be confident and positive! Charles R. Swindoll

By dtl

It's amazing how easy it is to go forth with confidence once you get a clear vision of where you want to go. Consider your dreams and goals today and create a detailed image of what you really want -- then get busy taking the steps required to reach your goal.

Remember the words of W. Clement Stone, "If you can conceive it... you can achieve it." Often times we fail to reach our goals because we have not taken the time to visualize what we really want to achieve. We want more. We want to be better. We want to be happy. But to achieve those things we must be more specific. 

Get specific with your goals and dreams today. Add the details and create a vision that is worth striving for.

Today, I am grateful for snow tires, snow plows and the knowledge that we will not need them much longer. I am grateful for blue skies and puffy white clouds that bring rest to the soul. 

I am grateful for the mighty moose that roams the forest, for the whitetail deer that seeks out food and for the cotton tail rabbit that nibbles bark from the trees. 

I am grateful for birds who fill the air with song, add bright color to the world and flit happily from branch to branch. I am grateful for trees that provide shelter and stand strong against the wind. 

I am grateful for family, for friends and for neighbors.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your vision be clear as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. Dr. Joyce Brothers

by lisasolonynko

The ancient Egyptians didn't waste time thinking of themselves as failures. With faith and hard work they accomplished some of the greatest feats known to man. Consider the mighty pyramids and the vision required to bring them to reality.

We are no less than the ancient Egyptians. When we begin to see ourselves as successful, only then can we begin the journey to bring our dreams to pass.

Focus on your dreams today and visualize yourself completing them. See yourself as a success and then go forward and claim your dreams.

Today, I am grateful for  the technology to reach an audience across the globe, to enter homes of people I will never meet and touch lives in unseen ways. I am grateful for the ability to share my thoughts and trust that they will bring to pass great success in the lives of others, for the unseen force that guides my hand and for the power to choose that lies inside all of us.


I am grateful for the mound of snow that waits outside my door for it provides water for the earth in spring, insulates the frozen earth below and beckons to children as they awake.


I am grateful for the tinge of light that warms the horizon as it promises the arrival of the sun, for knowledge that spring will return when it is time and the joy of changing seasons.


I am grateful for a clear sound mind that holds the ability to choose my thoughts, to set my goals and go forward in the direction of my dreams.

I am grateful for family that shares my life and children who are ever present in my heart even when miles away.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you see yourself as a success today and go forward to claim your dreams.

Photo by Nerian 

"It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away." Kenich Ohmae

Consider your view of the world today. What lens are you viewing it through? How would it change if you viewed it through a new set of lenses? Take a risk today and try out a new set of lenses with which to view the world.

I often hear pessimists proclaim that they are not pessimists, They claim they simply see the world the way it is. How sad that they cannot comprehend that we all choose how we see the world. There is no "how it is". How it is changes with our perspective, with our life experiences and with our state of mind. 

If you want to see a better world today, change your lenses.

Today, I am grateful for kittens, for puppies and for baby birds as they begin their journey into life. I am grateful for gardens brimming with fruit, for soil rich in nutrients and for room for roots to grow. I am grateful for buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies.

I am grateful for the changing of seasons that brings great beauty to the landscape. I am grateful for  babbling brooks and mighty rivers. I am grateful for family and friends who share my life and bring me joy.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you go forward with boldness as you risk the changing of your lenses today. May your vision be sharp and your heart be full.

When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you
are the creator. (quote from The Secret)

photo by xandert


Just as the artist needs vision that he brings to life on the canvas, we need vision to bring to life in our lives.


In the beginning, it may be difficult to hold onto images and bring them to pass, but with practice and belief, it will happen. 


The artist doesn't begin his journey with a full-sized mural expecting to paint a masterpiece. He begins with a vision of what he wants to express and lets the vision guide his hand.


Consider the artist today. Create a vision of yourself living in abundance. Feel the joy of knowing it will come to pass. Let the vision guide your action today as you work towards filling the canvas of your life with brilliant color.


Today, I am grateful for quiet time to think, for the gentle spring breeze and for trees as they begin to awake for spring. I am grateful for laughter and the kitten's purr. I am grateful for the brilliant color that God paints the sky when the sun is done, for the soft blue hues of the mountain as night beckons and the purity of snow-covered peaks. 


I am grateful for the people who touch my life and bring unbridled joy, for family that gives me  a solid foundation and for those I have yet to meet who have much to teach me.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your visions be bright and you way be clear today.

The Greatest Discovery

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.  ~William James
Photo by  Paul Everett

I've always had a passion for hot air balloons and imagine myself soaring above the earth in the clear blue sky looking down and seeing cool green pastures, lush green foliage and meandering brooks. 

I can feel the cool crisp breeze on my face that fills my lungs with fresh clean air and rejuvenates my life.

Visualizing my future should be no different. 

Today, I challenge you to find that magical feeling of your youth when visualizing what you wanted most in life was easy -- the time when you could feel the very fabric of your future. Grasp onto that and transform it to fit your current goals. 

Remove the boundaries today and let yourself imagine your future without fear or concern. Dare to dream the big dreams and let go of whatever it is that holds you back. Share your dreams, if you can -- or dream in secret if you must -- but find the courage today to dream and then follow that dream wherever it may lead.

You'll find me soaring over the tree tops and taking in the view. 

Today, I am grateful for new opportunities, for recognizing new paths and for renewed courage. I am grateful for the emergence of spring and the promise of new growth around me. I am grateful for  perfect health and strength to complete the tasks I wish to complete. I am grateful for the sun as it peaks above the horizon promising a new day.


I am grateful for family, old friends who brighten my path and for new friends I have yet to meet. I am grateful for quiet moments, laughter and sunshine. I am grateful for living in the country, birds on wing and stars that light the night.


And, I am grateful for you dear reader as you stop to join my day. May your day be filled with joy as you continue your journey to change your life one thought at a time.