BEWARE OF THE DANGER BUT RECOGNIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.”

― John F. Kennedy

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

ENABLED BY FREEDOM

Enabled by Freedom

Freedom gives us the opportunity to succeed, and also to fail. Freedom allows us to make our own way in life, and insists that we accept responsibility for doing so.

Freedom and responsibility simply cannot exist apart from each other. You can remain free only by being fully responsible for your life, your actions, and your role in a free society.

Though millions have died for it, and most would choose freedom over any alternative, freedom can at times be frightening. It often imposes difficult decisions, and requires valiant effort to maintain.

Though freedom is the best course, it is seldom the easiest. Yet freedom is worth the effort, for it is a human catalyst that has no equal.

The best way to celebrate freedom is to use it wisely. The best way to protect freedom is to make sure as many people as possible benefit from it.

Freedom enables you to do great things. Today, and every day, take freedom up on the offer.


— Ralph Marston

WHEN THE TRUTH HURTS

When The Truth Hurts

When the truth hurts, that’s when you better pay attention. In each painful truth is opportunity for new strength.

Those who agree when they know you are wrong are doing you no favor. Listen instead to those who care enough to tell the truth even when you don’t want to hear it.

If you run from the truth it will soon overwhelm you. If you fight against the truth, you will lose.

Choose instead to face the truth. Learn from it, do what you must to align yourself with it, and grow stronger.

When it hurts to hear the truth, be thankful. Because you’ve been given the opportunity to avoid much more pain later on.

Get yourself on the side of truth, whatever it may be. The more the truth hurts, the more it can help you.


— Ralph Marston

CHOOSE WELL

Choose Well

Doing what’s best is not that difficult. It’s just a matter of making the choice.

Focus, discipline, commitment and persistence are all within reach. You just have to continue choosing them.

Even when the situation is disappointing or frustrating, you can take positive, effective action. All you have to do is make the choice, and follow through.

You can choose a life of quality and achievement. You can choose the most beneficial path rather than the path of least resistance.

There are people you love, ideals you value, dreams you treasure. Support them all with the choices you make every moment of your life.

Each time you’re faced with a choice, remind yourself of your opportunity and your obligation to make it the best one. Choose well, and let all of life benefit from the good choices you make.

— Ralph Marston

CHOOSING YOUR THOUGHTS

Choose Your Thoughts

What are you saying to yourself with your thoughts? Does your self-talk keep you stuck where you are, or does it push you forward?

You can choose each of the thousands of thoughts passing through your mind every day. You can choose thoughts to encourage, inspire, enable and energize yourself.

Every moment you have the opportunity to say something beneficial to yourself with your own thoughts. Whatever the situation, you can make use of that opportunity.

Moment by moment, what you do and the way you do it flow directly from what you think. Positive, empowering thoughts lead to effective actions and valuable results.

What you think does not have to be an impulsive reaction. Instead, make it an intentional choice.

Your thoughts have great power. Remember always that you have the ability to decide what they will be.

— Ralph Marston

SEEING WHERE IT IS

Seeing Where It Is

Persist, and you will find what you seek. But don’t expect it to be where you thought it would be.

There is a way to reach your goal, a way to get past your troubles. To see it, you must move beyond old assumptions.

If you keep looking where you’ve always looked, you’ll find only what you’ve already found. To create new, improved results, embrace a new, improved perspective.

Your past assumptions may have served you well, or not so well. In any case, on this new day, you have the opportunity to look at life in a new, more positive and empowering way.

Be thankful you don’t already know everything there is to know. That opens you to learn what you need to learn, to discover an effective way forward.

The rewarding path you seek is absolutely there. Stop thinking you know where it might be, and you’ll start seeing where it actually is.


— Ralph Marston