ABLE TO GIVE

Able To Give

If you don’t give value in return for value, your life gets out of balance. If all you do is take, that takes a big toll on you.

Getting something for nothing is not something you want. It may seem good on the outside, but it will tear you up on the inside.

Tokens of achievement are a poor substitute for being a person who does the achieving. The goodies alone will not fulfill your deep-seated desire to make a difference.

Take a continuing, active role in your own fulfillment. Anything less is not true fulfillment at all.

Jump at the opportunities to create value. Get away from people who promise or who seek something for nothing.

Your heart wants to be able to give. Do yourself a favor, and let it.

— Ralph Marston

HIDDEN SKILLS

Hidden Skills

You have skills you don’t know about. Take on a challenge, and you’ll find what those skills are.

In the process of living life, from moment to moment, from day to day, you’ve been doing much. What you’ve already been doing has prepared you to do much more.

Don’t let your hidden skills remain hidden. Force them out into the open where you can exercise them to create value.

There are plenty of people, things, values and concepts you care about. So consider what you care about, and commit yourself to do something about it.

Launch the whole of your being into purposeful action. Discover levels of wisdom, resourcefulness, skill and effectiveness you never knew you had.

Set off on a meaningful journey. Skills and capabilities will rise from within to power you forward.

— Ralph Marston

PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT

Peace in the midst of Conflict

To be peaceful in the midst of conflict,
you must create respect
for everyone’s ideas and experiences.

That creates emotional and physical safety
so that people know that they won’t be attacked
when they express themselves honestly.

When people are committed
to equality and mutual respect
disagreements do not result in separation,

but in dialogue and increased understanding.

From Everyday Wisdom by Paul Ferrini
www.paulferrini.com

I DREAM MY PAINTING AND I PAINT MY DREAM

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” 

― Vincent van Gogh

START WITH JOY

Start With Joy

It’s great to have joyful memories. Yet as good as those memories may be, you don’t have to lock away your joy in the past.

Sometimes the memories are not so joyful. Yet that doesn’t prevent you from choosing joy on this day, on any day.

Joy does not require any specific condition. In fact, joy is what creates fondly remembered circumstances.

If you seek a joyful situation, start with joy. Keep giving and feeling joy, and the situation will unfold accordingly.

Stop trying to manufacture joy by arranging external conditions. Just let your joy flow out from the inside.

Start with joy, and live with joy. Add joy to each day, no matter what.

— Ralph Marston

GET THE WORK DONE

Get The Work Done

Every effort you make, makes the goal feel more achievable. Celebrate each small victory by immediately going to work on the next one.

Every step you take creates more motivation to take the next step. If you don’t feel motivated to work, the very best thing you can do is get to work.

You are in control of what you do from moment to moment. Choose over and over again to exercise that control wisely.

Benefit your life by putting effective effort into it. Expand the richness of your whole world by giving your time, your thought, your focus, your action to make a difference.

Feel your feelings, enjoy them, learn from them, but don’t let them imprison you in complacency. Whether you feel like it or not, it’s in your best interest to make the effort.

Decide not to let the distractions, setbacks or excuses stop you. Get going, get the work done, and discover again how great it feels.


— Ralph Marston

WALKING THROUGH CLOSED DOORS

Walking through Closed Doors

Even if you don't know why a door is closed,
at least respect the fact that it is closed
and don't struggle with the doorknob.

If the door was open, you would know it.
Wanting it to be open does not make it open.

Much of the pain in your life happens
when you attempt to walk through closed doors
or try to put square pegs into round holes.

You try to hold onto someone who is ready to go,
or you try to get somebody to do something
before s/he is ready.

Instead of accepting what is and working with it,
you interfere with it and try to manipulate it
to meet your perceived needs.

Obviously, this doesn't work.
It just creates strife for yourself and others.

From Everyday Wisdom by Paul Ferrini
www.paulferrini.com

NEW VALUE TO CREATE

New Value To Create

Don’t let a few problems stop you. Don’t let a few obstacles stand in your way.

Instead of running from the problems, step boldly toward them. Instead of using them as an excuse to quit, use them to develop a path for moving forward.

With each problem, you can choose to either work through it or to work around it. What you don’t want to do is back away from it.

The value of any achievement comes from the problems that must be addressed to reach that achievement. Diamonds are more difficult to mine than gravel, and so are worth much more.

When you’re good at solving problems, you’re good at creating value. When you’re willing to deal with problems, you’re able to achieve great things.

In this life there will always be problems. And so, there will always be new value to create.

— Ralph Marston

DO A LITTLE MORE

Do A Little More

When you’ve done all that needs to be done, you’ve earned the opportunity to go above and beyond. Instead of stopping when you’re finished, you can take advantage of the momentum you’ve created.

When you do just what’s needed, just what’s expected, you’ll always manage to get by. Yet by adding a little extra effort, you can exceed expectations and move into the realm of greatness.

When you’ve given the task all you can, consider giving a little more. That extra effort will magnify the value of what you’ve already done.

In a 14-minute, 5000 meter footrace, the difference between first and second place is often just a few hundredths of a second. Just a fraction of a percent of extra effort, of extra speed, wins the race.

Extra effort transforms mediocrity into excellence. Extra effort leverages what you’ve already done, sometimes increasing the reward by orders of magnitude.
If you’ve done enough, do a little more. Discover what a big difference it can make.


— Ralph Marston

KICK IT UP A NOTCH!

Kick it up a notch! In order to reach your goals, pay off your bills, get unstuck or get rid of that toxic relationship, it will require a commitment on your part to kick it up a notch. It will take more work, more diligence and a greater commitment to create a life that you can be proud of and feel good about. Kick it up a notch!

Focus on recharging your batteries, and clearing out all of the things in your life that no longer fit or do not represent who you are. Move with a sense of urgency to create a space that allows you to become centered, grounded and connected with your mental, emotional and spiritual power. Kick it up a notch! You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

SAVE YOUR TIME, ENERGY & WORDS

Do not give advice to people who have a history of not listening. Save your time, energy and words. Some people may complain about their life, but they have no intention of changing. STOP!! You can not change others - only yourself.


Love and/or pray for others and release them to their own life journey. Put your main focus and energy in creating greater movement and impact in your own life. You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

LET GO OR BE DRAGGED

LET GO...or be dragged!! Decide to release the hold on what you have been hanging on to that has kept you stuck, frozen, ashamed, or indecisive. Let go of the clutter in your life, and decide not to do harm to yourself in your own mind. Give yourself permission to release any memories of experiences that keep you from creating your GREATEST life.

Look around the spaces of your life, and take the time to clean up, clear out, and throw out what does not serve you. Do you own the stuff in your life...or does it own you? Learn to live with less. The more you release...physically and mentally, the more space you will create for new energy, new relationships and friendships, and brand new perspectives on life. Sometimes ~ less is more! Free yourself to live a life you love! You Deserve!

LES BROWN

NOW IT'S TIME FOR A RADICAL CHANGE

You have something special. You have greatness within you. I recently had a close encounter with death. For several weeks I did not know who I was or where I was. During that time, my children and grandchildren prayed over me and around me. While fighting the medication that made me groggy I called friends to pray for me to get me through this experience. As I was going in and out of consciousness I had a glimpse of my past and my future.

This year I turned 72, they say seven and two equals nine which means a new chapter. I don't know about you but here is what I do know.... I'm creating a new chapter in my life. I don't know you, but here is what I know about you, based upon my own experience. I'm convinced that there is a presence and hunger in you that causes you to seek out the messages I post because they are in your heart. These messages speak to your soul, urging you to live the life that is awaiting you.

You have an assignment on your life to hold the vision you have in your heart. Don't look to the right or to the left. Turn a deaf ear to those who doubt you and criticize you. Separate yourself from the toxic relationships that compromise your power. You are here for a reason and your life has meaning and purpose. Now it is time for a radical change in your life. It might be people, circumstances, or going to another city, as I did, I don't know.

You don't have forever. We are only here for a limited amount of time. If you don't have the insight, courage, or desire to fulfill your earthly assignment, there will be consequences. Life will move on you as it did me because I was out of alignment with my purpose. I almost died and I am struggling to get out of a wheelchair I use every day. When just a few weeks ago, I was walking and speaking on stages all around the world, I now struggle with pain on a regular basis. God didn't slow me down, he stopped me. 

Take it from me, it is no accident that you are reading this. Take the time every day to discipline yourself to create a deep spiritual connection if you haven't. Go within, shut the world out, get still, and listen to the small voice within. Commit yourself to live full and die empty. You have something special. You have GREATNESS within you! That's my story and I am sticking to it.


LES BROWN

MORALITY AND SEX

Morality and Sex

There are only two kinds of sex that create suffering:
non-consensual sex (rape or sex with a minor)
and sex without love.

Non-consensual sex is and should be a felony.
Sex without love is unsatisfactory and addictive.

More will always be needed.
More sex, more partners, more stimulation.
But more is never enough.

When you engage in non-consensual sex
or sex without love,
you dishonor yourself and the other person.

This is true even if the person is your spouse.
These types of discordant sexual activity
fragment the energy of your union,
destroy trust and exacerbate emotional wounds.


From Everyday Wisdom by Paul Ferrini
www.paulferrini.com

EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE IS REAL

“Everything you can imagine is real.”

― Pablo Picasso

LIVE YOUR LEGACY IN ORDER TO LEAVE A LEGACY

How you live your life is as a result of the story you believe about yourself. Do your thoughts, actions, inner and outer conversations, and associations speak to the value that you place on your own life story?

Write an unforgettably powerful epic life story with your own pen....worthy of a Pulitzer prize...an Oscar....or perhaps a Nobel Prize. Choose to see your life as an amazing discovery and adventure into the extraordinary versions of you! You must live your legacy....in order to leave a legacy! Live full out!! You have something special. You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

CREATING YOURSELF

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

― George Bernard Shaw

YOUR LIFE MATTERS

You are important to life. Take time to shut out the world and take care of you. Initiate a process to become grounded. Create a ritual where you go within yourself to create a space of joy, peace, and healing as a process of centering yourself. Leave behind the worry, anxiety and stresses of life, if only for a minute, around finances, work, family, health, and relationships.

Focus on things that build a stronger and more courageous you and that help you to get a good night's sleep. These may include mindfulness, chanting, meditation, deep breathing, laughter, prayer, enjoying silence and stillness. Read something inspiring, stretch and exercise your body and mind and practice gratitude. Your life matters. You have something special. You have GREATNESS within you!

LES BROWN

STAY AWAY FROM EASY

Stay Away From Easy

Let go of any wish or expectation for life to be easy. You deserve far more than easy.

Easy bores you, does not fulfill you. Easy wastes your time, erodes your strengths and skills.

Sure, by all means employ technology and other tools to make your efforts more effective. But don’t expect even the most powerful tools and systems to create original value without your continuing input.

Nothing of value comes from easy. Keep in mind that value is a measure of the difficulty necessary to create it.

Physical, social, and financial comfort can all be empowering, as long as they don’t make you complacent. Enjoy fully the good, pleasurable things, letting them inspire you to seek higher challenges.

Stay away from too much easy. You have so many better things to do.

— Ralph Marston