Chapter 8, Page 31, Book 20

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein

August 31st - look for the opportunities

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently

Henry Ford 

Most of us have all tried and failed at something and had to start all over again.  That is how we learn to do things correctly and it often takes lots of practice before we get it right.

When you have the ability to recognize opportunity, you know how to identify promising changes unfolding around you, and you act to take advantage of them.  We’re not going to find them if we don’t look for them.

You investigate and incorporate new technology into your ideas and create something that will function better than it did.

If we gain a wide variety of experience, the more we’ll be able to see patterns that will enable you to identify and seize promising opportunities.  Looking for opportunities is not always easy and requires some work on our part if we want to succeed.

View problems through a new lens.  They are actually an opportunity to fix the error and make an improvement . 

Each time you encounter a problem, practice seeing it as a chance to make something better.

Opportunities are every where but are often disguised as hard work. 

Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.

Napoleon Hill

Chapter 8, Page 30, Book 20

When you give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.

Maya Angelou

August 30th - thankful Sunday

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

Jean Baptiste Massieu

Thankfully another Sunday has rolled around and here at my house, all is well.  All my family made it through another week untouched by the coronavirus. So did I.  We had some much needed rain and the grass is still growing.  Things are looking  bright and clear for the week ahead

The grand babes are growing and thriving and most of them are ready to start school again.  The teachers are working harder than ever to make sure every one has a good year.  They put in a lot of work out of the classroom to make sure the classrooms are ready for students, whether in person or virtually.  So I’m thankful for all our teachers and the work they do.  

I’m thankful too for the farmers who are beginning their harvests to make sure we all get fed.  I’m thankful for the food I have to eat.  

I’m thankful for another summer to help get me over the hump of winter when days will grow cold and windy.  Warm memories help.

There is so much right in my world that I tend to overlook all that’s not right at the present. And I’m thankful for all those trying to make it a better place to live. 

My list could go on and on but I think you’ll get the idea that I’m a thankful person.  I hope you too will count your blessings today and think about all those things there are in the world you are thankful for.  It definite puts your attitude in line.  

Our favorite attitude should be gratitude.

Zig Ziglar

Chapter 8, Page 29, Book 20

Just keep swimming.

Finding Nemo

August 29th - sink or swim

It’s hard to swim against the current

Old Proverb 

Sometimes when faced with a difficult situation, we feel like we’re either going to sink or swim.  It’s a matter of fortitude.  We can either kick and do whatever it takes to get us back to safety or sink to the bottom and give up.  It’s a choice we all make at times.

We cannot always expect someone to come to our rescue when we are overwhelmed, we should not let our dreams scare us and keep us stagnant in the water, when it comes to hard times don’t let your situations take over. It’s in our DNA to survive and get what we want in life, even if life is throwing curve balls our way.

It’s up to each of us as to whether we’re going to sink or swim.  Challenges are always going to come our way. But we have to remember to keep moving forward, keep swimming, every day.Just remember even though the past didn’t turn out like you wanted it to, is no reason why the future cannot be better.

How we cope with life often depends on our attitude, whether we have a sink of swim mentality.  I’m a swimmer, always have gone against the flow.  I try to keep positive no matter what’s going on and somehow that keeps me afloat.  

Don’t wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it.  

Author Unknown

Chapter 8, Page 28, Book 20

Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures.

Lovelle Drachman

August 28 - there is no such thing as a stupid question

Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.

Vernon Howard

Being curious is an adventure in itself.  The best things are hidden waiting to be found. They are off the beaten path waiting for us to find them.

 

Asking questions is a way to learn.  If you don’t ask the question, you’ll never know the answer.  There is no way we’ll ever know all the answers but that’s no reason not to ask them.  

Don’t ever stop questioning things and being curious about life, that is where all the adventures are. I think life was meant to be an adventure for us to enjoy. We should explore it and enjoy one adventure as it comes. You don’t have to travel around the world to be adventurous.  Just do what makes you happy and don’t hold back. 

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on the next moment.  These moments are our life.

If we did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

Thomas Alva Edison.

Chapter 8, Page 27, Book 20

Believe you can and you’re half way there.

Theodore Roosevelt

August 27th - don’t stop believing

Believe in your infinite potential..  Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.

Roy T. Bennett

Believing is the first step to Achieving. Without it you’ll be second guessing and doubting your skills to take the necessary actions that will make you achieve.

Dreams and goals can be very ambitious and will demand a lot from you, if you don’t believe you can achieve them you won’’t take the first step.  Therefore the only way to actually do it is to believe you can do it.  

By believing that you can will also make others believe in you and invest in your skills.Our minds have tricky ways and will hurt you if you don’t do something about it.  Get a clear picture of who you are and what you have achieved so far and this will boost your confidence and you’ll start to believe you can.

When you believe that you can, you start to put things in motion.  You know your capable of doing it, so there is no second guessing, action will be the next step for sure. Not only will you be halfway there, but you will make it all the way.

When your halfway there, and you believe you can, you won’t quit and go back, you’ll keep going until you reach your goal.

It’s what you choose to believe that makes you the person you are.

Karen Marie Moning

Chapter 8, Page 26, Book 20

The best way out is always through.

Robert Frost

August 26th - Life goes on

Tough times never last, but tough people do.

Robert Schuller

Truth, life keeps going on and we have a lot of things we have to get through before its done.  We need to keep on going.  

I don’t know how many times I’ve said, I just have to get through this, and I’ll be ok.  And once it’s over, I am ok and got through just fine.  If we’ve got some hard things to go through, we just have to keep going, one step at a time.  We’ll eventually get out of them. 

Keep the faith and keep on keeping on.  The best way to get out of something difficult is to get through it.  Sooner or later you’ll come out on the other side.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel but to get to it, you need to walk through the dark tunnel.

Don’t ignore or pretend hard situations don’t exist.  Remember the way out is always through.  Although it’s not easy if you keep going, the way out, will lead you to the light on the other side.

Tomorrow is another day.

Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

John Wooden

Chapter 8, Page 25, Book 20

When you forgive,  you in no way change the past , but you sure do change the future.

Bernard Meltzer 

August 25th - forgive and forget

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Tony Robbins

Forgiving someone for what they said or did isn’t always easy, it can be one of the harder things one can do, but it can also set you free and be something you need to do for no one but yourself to be able to move on with your life.

We always have a choice.  When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold onto resentment and thoughts of revenge or embrace forgiveness and move forward.  But the truth is, if you don’t forgive, you might be the one that pays dearly.  Forgiveness can lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

It doesn’t mean forgetting or excusing the harm done , it brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life. If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment , vengeance and hostility can take root.  If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness and sense of injustice.

If you let go of grudges, you’ll no longer define your life by how you’ve been hurt, You might even find compassion and understanding.

To err is human, to forgive, divine.

Alexander Pope

Getting another person to change his or her actions, behavior or words isn’t the point of forgiveness.  Think of it more as how it changes your own life, by bringing you peace.  

Life is just too short to live in anger and hostility, so I always think Forgiveness is the answer. Not so much for them as it is for me.

Forgiveness is a funny thing.  It warms the heart and cools the sting.

William Arthur Ward

Chapter 8, Page 24, Book 20

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Walt Disney

August 24th - believe in yourself

The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.

Tom Bradley

A dream is what it takes to make things happen.  Everything we do begins with a dream .  No matter how crazy it may seem, what the minds conceives , it achieves.    If we think we can do something, we can.

We need to couple our dreams with action.  so they will lead to where our hearts aspire.  You can make your dreams come true if you whole heartedly work at them.  

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying where there seemed to be no hope at all.

Dale Carnegie

Don’t be afraid to dream.  If you put hard work towards something, anything is possible.  Our determination makes the difference. We have to believe that we can do something, in order to achieve it.  

To have a dream and not do anything about it, is to fail before we’ve even started.  Dream it.  Wish it.  Do it.  In the end, it’s something we must do for ourselves. If we want to make our dreams come true, it all starts with us.  We are the ones that must decide if a dream is worth pursuing. 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Chapter 8, Page 23, Book 20

Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.

Zig Ziglar 

August 23rd - always grateful 

A grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude.

Aesop

It’s become my habit to use my Sunday posts to reflect on what I’m grateful for and to express my thankfulness.  If your heart is full of gratefulness, you are content to be just who you are.  Thankful hearts are able to move beyond the past and look forward to the future.

A grateful heart will strengthen you against the many wounds and insecurities that drag people down and damage their relationships.  It produces a rich environment for us to live in.

You cannot be fearful and grateful at the same time.  

This has been another good week here at my house.  My family and friends remain healthy and happy.  I’ve had pleasant days filled with lots of rest and summertime relaxation.  Everything is working just fine, including me. I’ve no complaints whatsoever, only lots and lots of thankfulness. 

Let the grateful heart sweep through the day that it may recognize in every hour some sweet blessing.

Henry Ward Beecher

Chapter 8, Page 22, Book 20

We worry about tomorrow like its promised

Author Unknown

August 22nd - tomorrow doesn't have a guarantee.

Let’s save tomorrow’s troubles for tomorrow 

Patricia Briggs

We only have today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.  We need to greet each day as it comes and be thankful for it.  Enjoy it to the fullest while it’s here !  No one knows how many days they’ll have to live.  That’s the exciting part of life… to wake up and see you’re alive for another day!

There are some that worry about what the future holds and miss out on the sweet blessings of the present moment. The secret to being content is learning to appreciate the moments and truly live them.

Negative thinking and complaining are toxic., they rob one of joy and create a sense of anxiety and dread. Instead, learn to appreciate the minutes, both the good and the bad and use a setback as an opportunity for growth. 

You can’t control people, places and things and you can’t control exterior circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them. The old advice is true — don’t sweat the small stuff.  They chips will fall where they will.  None of us has any idea what tomorrow will hold. So relax and enjoy the moment.

Live today !  Don’t allow your spirit to be softened or your happiness  to be limited by a day you cannot have back or aay that doesn’t exist.  

Steve Maraboli