Daily Gratitude: Take a look at how this quote has played out in your life. If fear, for instance, has presented itself, has it then become a way of life for you? You fear that same thing over and over. Or, have you pushed that boulder out of the way and courage or progressive action has become your way? It pays to look at your life and see how it’s been sculpted by your behaviors. Once you’ve done one behavior, it’s so much easier to do the same thing again and again. This works for the easy and the hard behaviors. My “fear” of making telephone calls is an example. Once I force myself to make a call (that I’ve been putting off forever), it feels freeing and makes the next time easier. I’m still not excited about doing it and can still feel the fear inside but at least I know that my world didn’t explode when i dialed the phone and actually had to talk to someone. That is a baby step but it is exactly the kind of steps i need to keep that massive rock of fear out of my path. Take a moment to examine your path and see if it’s been clear or if it’s been rocky.

Daily Gratitude: Do you know people who live this way? They may not even start doing anything because they are afraid they won’t be good at it. Of course they won’t be good at it if they’ve never tried it before. And the majority of people won’t be good at “it” for quite awhile – until they’ve practiced enough. Maybe we should eliminate the concept of winning and losing. Then we would just do things because we liked them n it would eliminate comparison (a deadly sin). It might also eliminate or at least limit competition and that you might say would be bad. Why? Is competition what gets people to practice and improve? I don’t think so – at least not when you really want to improve. You don’t need to be pitted against another person to improve. Every year when I walk across Tennessee, I am not competing with another human being. I am competing with myself and trying to improve. I don’t need to know who’s way up front winning the race to be learning things. I always “lose” this race by typical competition standards. But….i always win the race by improvement and self discovery standards. Let’s start having more fun learning how to do new things without worrying about how well you do (winning). Be alive and enjoy life as you do whatever brings you pleasure.

Daily Gratitude: I love this. It’s a corollary to the Golden Rule. Can you think of people you miss and why you miss them? What qualities did they have that made you feel something positive – loving , caring, attentive, intelligent, listening, fun, always knowing the right thing to say, etc? If you miss them, it would behoove you to figure out why and then try to emulate them abd these virtues in your every day life. Make a list of their qualities and characteristics. Check off the ones you already have and then focus on the ones that are left and figure out how to develop them in you. Keep working at it because although it’s simple it’s not easy.