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Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude: I’m certainly NOT a minimalist but maybe this quote is trying to encourage me to head that way (it is better for it to be a process, not an overnight wonder so to speak. It will “stick” more).

I used to be like a little kid (yes, there’s my protectors again) and was attracted to all those bright shiny objects. And maybe i still am to a certain degree. But the problem was that after awhile they would lose their shine….and I would lose interest.

I was looking for something else. Was it comfort? Was it love? Was it companionship? Was it even a feeling of belonging? I don’t know. Maybe it was a combination of all of them.

But, now that I understand mySelf and my family (my parts) I’m not so addicted. I can find peace and love and belonging in the right places, not in an inanimate object. It becomes easier to let go. I said “easier”. I’m not totally there yet.

Last week I was able to let go of something very hard for me. I released two cars – one I’d had for over 30 years and the other for over 20. My parts were in a frenzy but we’re working on it. I should have prepared them first. Now I know better.

This has created space in my garage and in my life. Now my task is to keep that space from immediately filling back up. It’s a step in the slow method of becoming content with less. I don’t know if I could ever get to “little” as this quote says but it’s worth aiming for. In fact it is going to be on my 2026 goal list.

What about you? Can you be content with little. Content doesn’t mean begrudgingly accepting it. It means being happy with your life.

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Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude: Why talk about goals now? Because it’s just about 6 weeks to the first of the year and most people procrastinate on starting a new goal until 1 January although there is absolutely nothing magic about that number. It’s just a number.

If you have a goal that you have to figure out how to procrastinate on m, is it really a goal? A goal should be something you really want. And it it’s something you really want, then you should be chomping at the bit to start on it. Not saying “ok I can wait another 6 weeks. That tells me that it’s not really something that you have a burning passion for.

Start now!

And don’t ever say “I’m too old” (that’s my line). You aren’t. Maybe you won’t complete it but maybe you will. And remember that it’s the journey, the process that matters most. What you will learn by doing however much you get done will enrich your life more than you know.

Remember that I was 70 when I tried to walk across the US. No, I didn’t finish so technically I didn’t achieve my goal but man, what I learned and experienced in the part I did do was beyond belief.

Start thinking now and then start working on your next goal. Don’t wait

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Daily Hotline Message

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Message #313

Emmet Fox wrote this in one of his books called Stake Your Claim:
“To trust in God with one part of your mind and harbor fear in the other part, is to be a house divided against itself.”

This is probably one of the most important statements that will help you understand what’s going on in your life. Or better yet, what’s NOT going on in your life.

Have you ever wondered why some people who have talent just seem to go nowhere?

I think it’s because they are living in that house divided. It’s hard to move forward when one side of you (or part if you use IFS language) says you’re no good, don’t bother and another side tries to encourage you to keep going. It’s the internal push pull effect which is often compounded by those self-fulfilling prophecies.

It’s interesting that IFS wasn’t a “thing” when Emmet was writing but much of his work mirrors it. What this quote is describing is at least two parts in people – one (and usually more) that is fearful and another group of parts that believe in themselves inner wisdom and the power of the universe. When they are at odds with each other, it’s what we call polarization. The interesting thing is that both parts (or sets of parts) want the same thing. They want to protect you. It’s just that depending on when they appeared in your life, they developed different protective mechanisms.

Here’s what I recommend:
-Hopefully you’re starting on an inventory or review of this past year (and you can include significant things that have happened at other points in your life. Turning points is a good way to look at them.
List things that have both pushed you onward and upward as well as the things that have held you back.

-After doing this fairly quick list, take more time and delve into why the successful things happened and your interpretations of why the others didn’t happen

-You can create an enthusiasm scale to see how you felt doing each one of the items on your list

-You can also create a fear scale. Maybe some fears weren’t that obvious at the time but now that you’re separated from the emotional response maybe you can see some. In my experience this is the major reason people don’t get what they want or worse yet they’ve stopped to early.
Remember how much I harp on outlining. Use this review to see if that might be what you’ve done

-Can you identify any trends or things you can change? Maybe make 2026 the year you move even further outside your comfort zone

Can also make 2026 a diamond year?