Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for a great year. It is a big commitment to write a daily blog, one that I am motivated, and encouraged to keep because of all your love and support. The Thought distribution travels far and wide and it is because of your support that it reaches so many. The Thoughts are written with an intention of giving you something to think about, never to tell you what to think. They are written with love and kindness, in the hopes that they will start a ripple that makes its way around the world, introducing hope, faith, and a little serendipity in its message. So thank you for being a part of that ripple.
As we know life has a way of bringing us both pain and joy on our journey. And there is no doubt that there is a huge amount of individual and global change right now. Our task is to keep our heart centred on the direction we are heading, because, you can’t deliver the goods if your heart is heavier than the load. One of the easiest ways to stay focused is to count your blessings; instead of thinking your blessings don’t count, or that the bad days are the summary of your life experience. Nothing we do gets accomplished without hope, confidence, or enthusiasm. Your personal level of enthusiasm reflects your reserves, your unexploited resources, and perhaps your future output.
So as we approach the end of 2014 and look forward to a new year. It is a time to reflect, to gather the lessons from the year, and to make peace with the old as you turn your attention to the new. It is our chance to help create a world where we can love and accept each other, where we can express who we are, and be loved and accepted by the people around us without judgement, criticism, or prejudice. It is our opportunity to fall in love with ourselves all over again. Because when we love ourselves, when we love who we are, then we will not hurt ourselves, and we will not hurt anyone else. The goal is not tolerance, that implies we put up with each other, the goal is acceptance, that in a truly free society, we have the right to believe what we choose to, and so does everyone else.
There is much that we can learn from the masters of Thought Leadership……but nothing is more powerful than knowing that you have the power to choose for yourself each day. You alone decide how you go out into the world……how you meet the day, and how you show up. You get to choose whether you will share a bad mood or whether you will shift your thinking, and share love and kindness instead. Your expectations determine what you see and experience. If you anticipate problems then that is what you will focus on. If you look forward to success then, being attuned to those possibilities, you will find them. Your expectations are the steering wheel that determines your direction in life.
Your heart knows what your mind, cannot or will not accept, and yet we must overcome the pain that sometimes resides there to do better and be better. Throughout our lives we will meet people not by chance but for a purpose. Some of those people will be with us for a life time, some for a season, and others for a reason. Each one will write on the slate of who we become and how we choose to live our lives. It is up to us to carefully get the lessons and when we know better, to do better. With this knowledge we can choose to approach each day with the Thought that everyone deserves the best, that all people have some greatness inside of them, and when we acknowledge and expect wonderful things in others, that is what we see.
You are as strong as any human being who’s ever lived, and a bright outlook is very powerful. Anticipate good things for today and beyond, and as you contemplate the end of this year and the beginning of the new one……..be present with those you love, savour your family traditions and beliefs, feel the power and the joy that comes to you when you are at peace with those you love. And….. send love to those who cannot be with you in person, but have given you love lessons to cherish….and memories to make you smile. Wishing each and every one of you, peace, joy, love and a refreshing and revitalizing holiday season. Be ready for new and glorious experiences in 2015!
Robin Sharma said “One of the most wonderful things about time is the fact that you cannot waste it in advance. No matter how much time you have squandered in the past, the next hour that comes your way will be perfect, unspoiled, and ready for you to make the very best of it. No matter what has happened to you in the past, your future is spotless. Realize that every dawn brings with it the corresponding opportunity to begin a completely new life. If you so choose, tomorrow can be the day that you start getting up earlier, reading more, exercising, eating well, and worrying less. No one is stopping you from opening your journal and, on a blank page, rewriting the story of your life. The only question is will you choose to do so? Remember it is never too late to become the person you always wanted to be.”