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In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Continue reading “The Obstacle in Our Path”

 

Remembering the time that I stopped at every brilliantly colored tree I passed to collect a few leaves… I had a long forgotten creative project in mind that never materialized beyond pressing the leaves.

The colors are preserved in my closet, my jewelry and other accessories, my home, and my soul.

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.
~From The Wonder Years

Take a moment to reflect on a favorite memory. In what ways are you preserving your memory?

 

We know: Work weeks can be rough.

In fact, each day seems to present a different challenge. On Monday, you’re looking for a jolt to start the week. On Wednesday, you need some help to get over the hump. And on the weekends, you need to get rejuvenated for the week ahead. Sometimes, all it takes is a little reminder to boost your spirits and refocus your day.

 

There was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly. Right behind him, there was another person who couldn’t understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, “What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?” This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, “It makes a difference to this one.”

 

Encouragement goes straight to the heart. In fact, the word itself comes from a combination of the prefix en which means “to put into” and the Latin root cor which means “heart”. Knowing what a big difference encouragement makes in your own life, what can you do to help others to take heart when the going gets tough and the way feels long?

  1. Tell people how they’ve encouraged you! Learn individuals’ “love languages,” the special ways in which they feel most valued. In his book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman explains that not everyone’s emotional needs are met in the same way and that it’s important to learn to speak others’ love languages. The five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
  2. Continue reading “Take Heart When the Going Gets Tough”

It’s never been easier to find ways to be disappointed in our performance. You can compare your output, your income, your success rate to a billion people around the globe… many of whom are happy to exaggerate to make you even more disappointed.

Comparing yourself to others is a trap! It’s hardly worth your trouble.

The exception is the dissatisfaction that is based on a legitimate comparison, one that gives you insight on how to improve and motivates you to get better. Continue reading “Do you compare yourself to others?”