Daily Motivation

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Wed, Aug 7 2019 5:54 PM

  Wednesday, August 7, 2019

  Clear purpose

  What is the goal behind the goal? What is the fundamental desire that undergirds all other desires?

  In order to achieve what you truly desire, you must know clearly what it is. Seeking a vague, generic objective can never produce satisfying results.

  It’s easy, for example, to assume you want a lot of money. Yet in order to reach that goal you must be clear about why, precise about what you wish to do with that money.

  Just because everybody else wants it, just because it sounds good, is not sufficiently motivating. Achievement requires long, difficult personal effort that must be driven by a well-defined personal purpose.

  Understanding that purpose takes hard work, which leads in turn to even more hard work. It’s a serious investment, and can bring spectacular results when you give it ample respect and commitment.

  Be clear about what you care about, what you love and value at the deepest level. Give yourself to it, filling each moment with purpose and filling your world with meaningful achievement.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Thu, Aug 8 2019 8:59 AM

  Thursday, August 8, 2019

  Existing value

  In your zeal to make improvements, be careful not to destroy the value that’s already there. Though things are not perfect, that doesn’t mean they should be completely destroyed.

  It can be quite useful to be dissatisfied with the way things are. Just don’t let your dissatisfaction obscure all the existing goodness that’s worthy of preserving and defending.

  You and countless others have worked long and hard to get to this point. All that effort obligates you to move carefully forward, not to arrogantly stumble backwards.

  Move ahead with respect and gratitude for what is, even though it is not perfect. Refine your ambition with a healthy sense of humility, with appreciation for the progress that’s already been made.

  Yes, sometimes you have to risk or tear down what’s already built in order to build something better. When that’s the case, make sure the value of the improvement is well worth the potential loss.

  Despite the flaws, remind yourself of how good you have it before you set out to make changes. Then build on what you have, and make it even better.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2019 11:15 AM

  Saturday, August 10, 2019

  Deep richness

  You keep up to the millisecond on every news item, every opinion, every cultural micro trend. But do you have any concept of what it all means?

  You’re highly connected to servers, routers, networks, and data. How deeply connected are you staying to the people in your life?

  You can instantly express momentary whims using hundreds of clever emojis. When was the last time you wrote a long, heartfelt letter offering a glimpse into the yearnings of your soul?

  It’s nice, exciting, useful to go far and wide. Yet that breadth is of little value if it is not accompanied by depth.

  Seeing everything, knowing everything, having everything, going everywhere, will not provide the fulfillment you seek. That requires a sustained investment of your time, your effort, your focus, your love.

  Information is powerful, sensation is compelling, yet you are capable of, and hungry for, so much more. Set aside time to think, to consider, to focus, to discuss at length, to give deep richness and meaning to the life you live.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• DoctorLarry 4,312 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2019 4:21 PM

  Missed you Friday!

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2019 4:37 PM

  DoctorLarry:

  Missed you Friday!

  Ahhhh, sorry I got busy with yard work and totally forgot to post. 

  Thanks for noticing!

   

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2019 11:37 AM

  Monday, August 12, 2019

  Live the miracle

  Fill your day with meaningful activity. That way you won’t be tempted to waste time being less than you can be.

  When you’re not engaged in climbing higher, it’s all too easy to slide into negativity. When you’re not clear on what you intend to do, you won’t do anything of much use.

  You have so many capabilities and opportunities, it’s nothing short of miraculous. Live the miracle.

  Feel the wonder of being, as you come fully alive in the service of a useful purpose. Know the joy, the satisfaction, the power of living this day on your own highest terms.

  Allow yourself to be powerfully pushed in a positive direction by your natural desire to make a difference. Marvel at the abundance that surrounds you, as you transform it into value and fulfillment.

  This whole day, this whole existence, is yours now. Now, make it count for something great.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2019 7:33 AM

  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

  Love for life

  Don’t let your earnest desire to save the world end up poisoning it. Step back, dial down your ego, be sure your own house is in good order.

  Take full responsibility for you, before you allow yourself to even have an opinion on how anyone else should live. Be quick to offer generosity, compassion, understanding, and slow to direct judgment.

  No one person has all the answers. That includes you, me, each and every leader, philosopher, commentator.

  History is massive and your perspective is miniscule. If looking at life doesn’t fill you with humility and gratitude, look again.

  There is much good you can do, right here, right now. Just don’t compromise your potential achievement by the need to prove a point.

  Live life well, and let live. Love, and let your love for life and all who live it guide your every choice.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Wed, Aug 14 2019 8:27 AM

  Wednesday, August 14, 2019

  Live the adventure

  Great adventures never happen in times and places where everything is perfect. The very essence of adventure is in dealing with confusing, imperfect conditions.

  Let the adventure unfold in all its imperfection and let it draw out the best in you. After all, that’s what adventures are for.

  Expect to confront ignorance, irresponsibility, hostility, and apathy. See each such encounter not as a personal insult but as an invigorating, empowering challenge.

  Insert yourself willingly into the gap between the flawed way things are and the better way you know they can be. Live the adventure by working tirelessly to bridge that divide.

  Make sense of the nonsensical, push forward on the twisting, uneven path. Watch as the adventure grows, along with your strength, your effectiveness, your level of achievement.

  No setback, no inconsiderate person, no interruption or frustration can stop you. For you have chosen to transform it all into a positive, rewarding adventure.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Thu, Aug 15 2019 9:07 AM

  Thursday, August 15, 2019

  Even better

  You are doing a lot of things well. And you can do even better.

  You have made significant progress. And you can make even more.

  Sure, you’ve made mistakes, and you’ve learned from them. Yes, you’ve lived through difficulties and disappointments, and grown stronger, more resilient.

  Now you’ve arrived at a time and place where you can put all your strength and experience to good use. Now you are greeted with multiple possibilities for making life even better.

  Pause for a moment and consider all that you can be thankful for. Then remind yourself that the most powerful form of gratitude is to make full use of the good things you have.

  Life has been good in many ways, and still can be good, and is good. Now, make the commitment, do the work, to make it even better.

   

  — Ralph Marston

• Ladychipper 23,071 Posts

  Fri, Aug 16 2019 11:57 AM

  Friday, August 16, 2019

  Currency of life

  Time is the currency of life. Spend it wisely.

  You wouldn’t waste your money, dollar after dollar after dollar, on useless, meaningless purchases. Take care not to waste your time in a similar fashion.

  Demand, from yourself, a meaningful and valuable return on the investment of your time. Choose to make every moment accrue to the benefit of what matters most.

  You are surrounded by a world that’s eager to steal your time, and that’s very skilled at doing so. Make the decision not to let it, and support that decision with your passion, your discipline, your love.

  With the intentional, focused use of your time, you can create an amazing and beautiful day, year, life. Do what it takes, inside, outside, with your thoughts, your actions, your choices, to do that.

  Fall so deeply in love with your highest possibilities that nothing can steal your time away from them. Make time work for you by working to fill it all with what really matters.

   

  — Ralph Marston