“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” C. W. Leadbeater

jdurham

 

 

It is so easy to assume that what we see with our eyes or hear with our ears is all that there is. The Bible tells us, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2. It is the renewing of your mind that allows you see beyond the physical realities around you and into the infinite possibilities your life holds.

 

Get in the habit of looking beyond what is before you to seek out opportunities and possibilities that are hidden from sight. Don't settle for false limits your senses impose.

 

For today, consider that what you see as the limit to what you can do may be an illusion and that beyond the veil lies infinite possibilities and opportunities.

 

Today, I am grateful the storm has passed and left in it wake white, fluffy snow that envelopes the world, once again. I am grateful for bright sunshine, blue skies and the promise of a new day.

I am grateful for mild air that replaces the blowing winds, gentle birds that flit from tree to tree and sing out in joy, and for the untouched beauty of rolling mounds of clean white snow.

I am grateful for family that shares my life, for words that encourage me and lift me up and for new challenges to overcome--for surely they make me strong.

I am grateful for new opportunities that flow into my life, for the ability to see beyond the "here and now" and for the promise of all good things to come.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you transform your thinking by the renewing of your mind today, as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.

Playing the Hand You are Dealt

Photo by Chelle

Life is not a matter of having good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. Robert Louis Stevenson

So often people fall prey to thinking that they can't accomplish their heart's desires, can't be prosperous or can't be successful because they simply were not born into the right family or haven't been handed the family money. For others it takes the form of believing they are not attractive enough, not smart enough or simply not worthy of success and happiness. They believe the hand they have been dealt is flawed.


This self-defeating trap holds hundreds of thousands--perhaps millions--of people in its grip rendering them powerless to change their lives and find joy and happiness. 


But life isn't about the hand you have been dealt by the world. Its about learning to play your hand well and succeed despite the circumstances. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The key, it seems is the renewing of your mind, not only towards God, but towards life itself. When we accept the warped view the outside world paints for us, we fall victim to comparing ourselves to some fictional image of success. When we are unable to attain it, we then internalize our failure believing that we are flawed.

Let go of the image of your flawed self and the notion that you must live the faulty hand you were dealt, today. Renew your mind by focusing on all that is good and just in your life, give gratitude for what you have and get on with the business of playing your hand well.

Today, I am grateful to live in America where my choices are many and my opportunities are great. I am grateful for the ability to look beyond what others believe and the world expects and see where I must go.


I am grateful for crystal clear skies and brilliant night stars that bid me good morning, for puffs of smoke that streams from chimneys and the occasional bark of a far-away dog.


I am grateful for the flow of ideas, the courage to listen to them and the desire to make a difference in my world.


I am grateful for family and friends who fill my life with laughter and good times, for strangers who carry on with their lives with courage and strength and those who spend their lives uplifting others. 

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you rise above the hand you were dealt, renew your mind to all that is good and just in the world and play your hand well.

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain...

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.”
- Harold B Melchart



Photo by kananaskis_country


Sometimes, we become so focused on where we want to go that we forget to enjoy and appreciate everything around us. This is particularly true when our goals involve making money or paying the bills.Although keeping your goals in sight and maintaining focus on ways to achieve them is important to success, don't forget that without gratitude for what we already have, the journey is incomplete.

Take the time to look around you today, and learn to express your gratitude for all that is good and just in the world. You may not have reached your goals, yet--but there is great beauty and goodness around you, if you but take the time to look.

Resist the urge to think that you'll be happy when you attain your goals. As we learned in "Happy for No Reason" by Marci Schimoff, if we can't experience happiness where we are, we will not experience it by attaining more money or material things. Happiness comes from within when we appreciate what we have already been given. Only then, can we go forth with confidence to attain our goals.


Today, I am grateful for new fallen snow that envelops the world in white, for Christmas lights that twinkle into the night and for the stars in the heavens that perform their own light show. I am grateful for gentle music, purring cats and the sound of the wind.

I am grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear and a mouth to speak. I am grateful for the natural energy to do the things I love, for words that flow easily from my soul and and the ability to change negative thoughts to positive by simply changing my focus.
 
I am grateful for family, for friends, and for neighbors who keep my world secure, promise a bright future and share my life. I am grateful for opportunities to help others as they meet obstacles in their lives, to share their joy in celebrating their successes and to encourage them when times are tough.
 
And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you celebrate all that is good and pleasing in your life today as you work toward your goals.

We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them. ~Elbert Hubbard

Photo by kakisky



It's easy to believe that our attitude would be different, that our lives would be more enjoyable or that we would be better able to reach our goals if those around us would simply get with the program and change their attitudes towards life.

If you are like most people, you have probably experienced days when everything runs smoothly, everyone you meet is in a happy and uplifting mood and life simply flows. You've probably also experienced days when everything goes wrong and those around you are in sour or depressed moods.

You might even be guilty of saying that the moods of others are getting you down.

Consider that your attitude, your mood, your approach toward the day may actually be the attitude that starts it all.  Guard your attitudes and outlook carefully today. Consider not how others effect you. Consider how you effect them.

Today, I am grateful for the beginning of a new week, for the energy and commitment to meet my goals. I am grateful for gray skies that remind me that winter will come, for changing seasons that add beauty to our world and for frozen puddles that crackle and pop with my step.


I am grateful for time to complete daily tasks, for cozy evenings to read good books and for the infinite expanse of the Internet filled with wonderful uplifting stories of those who overcome all odds to meet their goals. I am grateful for the ability to filter what I feed my mind, the insight to seek out that which is uplifting and the wisdom to make the right choices.


Am grateful for the people in my life that I call family. For friends who offer support and all the  lives that my words touch today. 

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you guard your attitude well, today and make a positive difference in the world.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”~ Willie Nelson

Many of us confuse the cause and effect of our attitude-- thinking that what happens in our lives determines our attitude, when in reality our attitudes often dictate what happens in our lives.

Cultivating a positive attitude towards life, and towards ourselves, doesn't eliminate all the negatives in the world, but it does effect how well we deal with them and how much joy we find in our lives.

If you find that difficult to believe, consider for a moment how an entire day can be filled with joyous uplifting experiences while another seems doomed to bad experiences from the moment you awake in the morning.

It's no coincidence that whatever you set your mind upon follows you through your day. You are conditioning your mind to seek out more of the same. You give the directions and your mind dutifully obeys.

If you are a religious person, you already know that God instructs us to renew our minds.  "And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2.


Isn't it time you renew your mind today and place on focus on all that is good and just in the world?

Today, I am grateful for food to eat, clothes to wear and a home to live in. I am grateful for books to read, words of wisdom and laughter that makes my heart light. I am grateful for giving hearts and caring souls that populate our earth. 

I am grateful for new opportunities within my grasp, for the courage and strength to pursue them and the wisdom to discern their worth.


I am grateful for family, for wonderful children who both make me proud, for siblings that make me strong and a life mate that shares my life. I am grateful for my small rural community that keeps me safe, for rolling hills and majestic mountains that beautify the world and ladybugs.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your mind be renewed as you go forward toward your dreams, today.










Photo by  where_ever_i_am