changing thoughts

Change your thoughts and you change your world. ...Norman Vincent Peale

this quote often confounds me, but tonight it worked!  i was crying over the 15th frustrating thing to happen to me.  i stopped for a second and asked myself, 'do i want to spend my time being angry or do i want to enjoy myself?'  the tears stopped abruptly and i looked at facebook to see how my friends are.  i've stopped to write this, then i've got bills to pay before i can look for more fun.  but the anger, frustration and sadness are gone!  at least for this moment my world feels okay, and living in the moment is what keeps me going.  i hope i can change my thoughts easily every time, but i think it will take practice.

give it a try!  see what you think.  best wishes and happy holidays!

my goals

Let your light shine. Be a source of strength and courage. Share your wisdom. Radiate love.
– Wilferd Peterson

i came across this quote today and was amazed by how succinctly it describes my goals - for life, through this blog and in the book i'm beginning to write. for a moment i thought, 'this guy has said everything already. will my book be any different?' then i read again - share your wisdom. so i will continue. my wisdom is bound to be unique to me.

and you? will you let your light shine? if you haven't discovered yours yet, keep looking. i believe we all have one, whether or not we acknowledge or abide by it.

will you be a source of strength and courage? i didn't realize how strong i was until i faced life-altering struggles. i read somewhere that courage is moving forward when you're afraid. we can admit to our fears and still show strength.

will you share your wisdom? no two people have the exact same thoughts. no two people experience the same situation in the exact same way. your wisdom is as important as mine or anyone's - it's a matter of where it applies.

will you radiate love? this may be the most difficult. how do we do it? i try with my smile and using kind words. i hope that my love for people is conveyed. i intend that love for every person, in varying degrees. of course my love for family and friends is different than my love for someone i've never met. it is there nonetheless. even for criminals to an extent. they must have lacked love to do such awful things. for them i have sympathy. i hope that every person, good or bad, will see or feel love radiate from me.

so, do what you can, big or small. you do make a difference in the world!