#6: Leave It Better Than You Found It

Do you leave people and places better than you found them? If we all were able to leave things better than we found them, this world would surely function a whole lot better. It doesn't take much to leave things better than you found them, and it will give you a lot of happiness while doing so. This has been a big goal for me. Am I successful all the time? No. But my intent is to be successful. And I do all I can to be successful. A simple smile is all it takes to leave people better than you found them. A kind hello, or even just acknowledging that they are alive makes all the difference for people. To leave this world a better place, try doing something such as picking up garbage when you see it on the street, have respect for nature, and other similar things make a huge difference. Imagine what this world would be like if we all picked up after ourselves. I try to leave every situation, every place, and every person better than I found it, including myself. Even when I think that there is nothing I can do to help in a certain situation, all I can do is just give my live. So ask yourself this question daily...What can I do today to leave things better than I found them?

#5: Take Risks

~RISKS~

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose your feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, or live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited his freedom.

#4: My Personal Bill of Rights

1. I have the right to ask for what I want.
2. I have the right to say no to requests or demands I can't meet.
3. I have the right to express all of my feelings, positive or negative.
4. I have the right to change my mind.
5. I have the right to make mistakes and not have to be perfect.
6. I have the right to follow my own values and standards.
7. I have the right to say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe, or it violates my values.
8. I have the right to determine my own priorities.
9. I have the right not to be responsible for others' behavior, actions, feelings, or problems.
10. I have the right to expect honesty from others.
11. I have the right to be angry at someone I love.
12. I have the right to be uniquely myself.
13. I have the right to feel scared and say "I'm scared."
14. I have the right to say "I don't know."
15. I have the right not to give excuses or reasons for my behavior.
    
16. I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings.
17. I have the right to my own needs for personal space and time.
18. I have the right to be playful and frivolous.
19. I have the right to be healthier than those around me.
20. I have the right to be in a non-abusive environment.
21. I have the right to make friends and be comfortable around people.
22. I have the right to change and grow.
23. I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others.
24. I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
25. I have the right to be happy.

#3: Forget About the Past

"There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So don't worry about people from your past. There is a reason they didn't make it to your future."

~Author Unknown

I love this quote. It used to be a challenge for me to let go of people that have hurt me in the past. There were even some things that took me years to finally decide to let go of. And when I finally did, suddenly my life went in a far different direction. One that was positive. It's kind of like how you can't drive by always looking in the rearview mirror. Occasionally it's ok to glance behind you, it can remind us to continue working for what we do want, but imagine what would happen if that's what you always did. It would not be pretty. So let's live in the present. It's a much nicer place :)

#2: Courage vs Fear

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

~Mark Twain

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as: "Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." Wikiquotes.com says, "Courage, also known as fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation." Both of these are excellent descriptions of the word courage. I used to be one of those people who believed that in order to have courage, I had to have absolutely no fear. I wore myself into the ground trying to "be brave", trying to have no fear. And then I suffered because there were just some things that plain scared me, no matter how much I tried to work through that fear. That's when I started researching what it really means to have courage. I love how Mark Twain says that courage is the mastery of fear. It's just putting yourself in charge of how the fear effects you, it's ok to be afraid once in a while. Courage comes when you say to yourself, "I feel afraid when certain events happen in my life, and it's ok." It's all about learning how to manage your fear.

One of the greatest teachers I had in college, Judie Erickson, once said to me that fear is nothing more than:

False

Events

Appearing

Real

Fear can actually save us from harmful situations. It keeps us safe. One of the best books I have ever read is called The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. He talks about how the feeling of fear warns us when we are about to find ourselves in a dangerous situation. It sparks something within us that causes us to think twice about the next step we make. Thinking back on some of the most difficult situations in my past, the feeling of fear was an excellent prediction of what was to come. And although I wasn't as in tune with my feelings then as I am now, I at least realized later how to recognize those feelings. And since then I have averted many potentially harmful situations. The most important thing is to face your fears, but only those fears that will strengthen you as a person. And just the act of facing your fears will be enough to call yourself courageous.

#1: Adversity

"Every adversity has within it the seeds of an equal or greater benefit."

~Napoleon Hill

This is absolutely one of my most favorite quotes in life, and one that has motivated me to make some of the greatest and most critical changes in my life. When you find yourself in the midst of great pain, discouragement, or heartbreak, remember that not all hope is lost. In those times, make it your goal to make something wonderful come out of that experience. Something good can ALWAYS come from an adversity. However, it is up to us to decide what that good thing is. Sometimes it will be immediately apparent, and sometimes it will take much searching and pondering before you are able to decipher what the benefit is. But be continuously looking, for it will be there. The key word is that every adversity has within it the seeds of an equal or greater benefit. A seed must be planted, and much care taken before it will blossom into something meaningful. You must do the work to gain the benefit.

New Goal for Posting

I have realized over the past few months that I just do not have the time to post on my blogs the way I had anticipated. This blog in particular was meant to be a motivational blog, to be a place for people to turn to when they need encouragement, or a new way of looking at life. I have several journals that I was planning on digging out, and copying down my mountain of information onto my blog. Well that plan is going to have to wait, because it just isn't a priority in my life right now with work and everything. SO....for the time being, I will start on my next idea for this blog. Sharing a book I have been wanting to write. Not a fancy book by any means, but a special book. I have been looking for a way to share information with Hayden for when he is older, sort of like a life lessons book. There is a lot of simple things I wish I would have thought of as a teenager and a young adult. Things that would have saved me from a mountain of trials. I just want it to have little tidbits of info, nothing too in depth, but things that he can ponder on. And things that are funny also, so he can get a good laugh. So back to my goal....I'm going to post something every day, a quote or bit of information that will hopefully encourage, inspire, and make you just plain laugh.