Daily Gratitude: I find this so very cute as well as true. I always think of a little child on the edge of his seat, so to speak, at first terrified of the dragon but then gradually coming to believe that the hero will slay that big ole beast. And then the joy in their expression when, indeed, that happens.

It’s too bad we can’t remember this when we’re frightened. Most of the dragons we’re up against are the ones inside us. What if we could muster the courage of our childhood fairy tale heroes and stand up to those “meanies”.

David was sure he could beat Goliath because he had a bigger target and he knew he could hit it with his slingshot. But he also knew that because he was small, he could perform more evasive maneuvers than Goliath. That’s confidence as well as original thinking.

Think about your Goliath and come up with ways you could beat that monster. Be creative even if you think it’s stupid. Do it anyway and see what you come up with.

Daily Gratitude: How true this is. Yet all too often we allow our brain to direct our feet to run right smack into a wall. Then, instead of looking around or moving our feet around a bit to the left or a bit to the right, we stay there knocking our heads against the wall

If we took a moment and looked around instead of straight ahead, perhaps we’d spot the window or the door just a bit away.

Our brains are trying to protect us and as such, they will generally send us in the direction they are used to because they know that direction to be safe.

Our brains don’t want to look around and explore. That might be dangerous. Remember that their primary function and goal is to keep us away from danger.

When you hit a wall, don’t think “this is the end”. Instead think “ok I’ve hit this wall. Let’s take a look and see if I can find some other exit”. Don’t think of it as an escape because that implies danger and your brain will resist. Make it a game and fun so your brain goes along with it.

Take charge and direct your brain to move those feet “to the right” or “to the left”. Or start simple and have your eyes move to see what you can find.

Your brain will yield to you once you let it know what you want. You do not have to be enslaved by it.

Daily Gratitude: So many of us fall into this trap. We think that “making a living” is our life. It can be but all too often it becomes a “work around”. We’re too busy making that “living” to actually enjoy or even know what life is all about.

I know I spent decades just making a living. I didn’t know what life was supposed to be or entail. It wasn’t until I was stationed here in San Antonio in the 80s that I found out there was more to life than medicine and the military. The time was perfect and I was ripe for a change.

Have you experienced that? Look back over your life and see if you’ve had the “awakening”. Have you reorganized your priorities so you could enjoy what you’re doing all day every day.

That’s what “making a living” should be – just an extension of the activities you love. It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re happy doing it. If you’re not happy, make it a top goal to change that situation.

You may not be able to change your job right now but can you change the way you look at it or the people you work with so that you’re not spending 10 or more hours of your life miserable. Take this one goal and see if you can brainstorm it to make yourself happier.