Your Actions

Copyright 2014 Artisans Workshop Designs

 

Active natures are rarely melancholy. Activity and melancholy are incompatible.—Christian N. Bovee, American Author

 

Today, as you reflect on your week, keep the above quote in mind.

You must take action in order to achieve your dreams. Every day do at least a little something that will take you one tiny step closer to your dream. That’s why it’s important to break your dream into a series of goals and then break those into steps—actions that need to be taken to achieve the goals. Break those steps into pieces and even break those into tiny bits.

The point to all this breaking of things is to make the tiny increments of forward movement small enough to (1) fly under the radar of your resistance—for those days when you need this—and (2) have tiny things you can do that will fit into the nooks and crannies of time that we all have in our day. You may not have time to devote an hour to working toward your dreams, but you can find 5, 10, or 15 minutes. So, what can you do in that time that will move you forward? Breaking steps into tiny bits will give you this answer.

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Your homework today is to think about what you can do in the upcoming week that will move you forward toward your goals and dreams. Think in terms of small steps, tiny bits, and teensy increments.

Make sure you keep a list or some type of notation of the bits and pieces you’ve accomplished. When making tiny movements forward, you probably won’t see the progress—or what you see has the potential to be disappointingly small. So, don’t do that—don’t rely on seeing your progress! Instead, look to a list, or what have you, where you can see that you have five chunks of ten minute activities crossed off and another three chunks of five minutes each completed. This will help keep your momentum and enthusiasm up and will keep discouragement at bay.

You can do it, I know you can!

Of course the last piece of your homework is to CELEBRATE the successes you’ve had and the forward movement you’ve made this week. Have fun with this!

WooHoo! Go you!!

I’m so proud of you and how you’re sticking with this. You are awesome!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

PS The quote today can be found on www.gutenberg.org and comes from the book Many Thoughts of Many Minds: A Treasury of Quotations from the Literature of Every Land and Every Age compiled by Louis Klopsch

Work in Progress

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There is no such thing as the perfect plan. No matter how beautiful the picture of your dream is in your mind or how well you plan out your journey to it, reality is always a little bit different. This is nothing to worry about. All it means is that your path to your dreams is a work in progress.

It’s actually a good thing that your path is a work in progress because it gives you elbow room to change things as better ideas come to you. And, as you keep taking steps, you may discover that what you thought was an alleyway off your path might turn out to be a wide avenue that is actually your true path to your dreams.

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Your homework today is to not get too wrapped up in preparing, working out every tiny detail, and coming up with contingency plans and contingency plans for the contingency plans…. Instead, think of your journey as a work in progress with plenty of opportunity to tweak it as you go.

Then take the first—or the next—step!

You can do it!

I’m so proud of you for taking the first step—and the one after that—on the path to your dreams. You’re awesome!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Living Below Your Potential

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Does anyone tell you that you’re living below your potential? It probably comes as a surprise because you’re enjoying your work and making steady progress toward your dreams.

But your well-meaning friend or family member points out to you that you have gifts and talents you’re not using, such as in music, athletics, or intellectual pursuits. To you, though, the gift is something you enjoy as a hobby but it doesn’t ignite The Fire within you. You’ve found your passion and it isn’t where your outspoken friend or family member thinks it is.

Recognize that this isn’t about you; it’s about the other person. Something within your gift is striking a chord in your friend or family member. They don’t understand that this resonance means that they actually have some variation of that gift. Perhaps it isn’t as fully realized as yours, but they still have it.

What do you do in a case like this?

You gently point out to that person that they, too, have some version of that same gift with in them. Encourage them to pursue it—become an enthusiastic cheerleader for them. They’ll need it because they probably think your gift is so awesome that it’s hard for them to believe that they, too, have a similar gift.

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Your homework today is two parts. The first is to take the next step on the journey to your dreams. Enjoy the passion and excitement of moving toward them.

The second part is to use some of that passion and excitement to encourage your friend or family member to follow their dreams.

You can do it!

I’m so proud of you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

What Now?

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What do you do when you’ve achieved your dream? Start on another dream.

But what if your dream didn’t work out, what then? Start on another dream.

What if you crashed and burned with your dream? Pick yourself up and start on another dream.

How about, though, if you made a mistake by listening to someone else and you didn’t try for your dream and now it’s too late? Pinky-swear promise yourself that you will never ever not try for your dreams because someone else has a different idea about what you should and should not do, and then start on another dream.

What if, though, you made a fool of yourself when you started toward your dream? Look around you and you’ll see that not everyone is laughing at you. These are your true friends and supporters. Thank Team You for sticking by you, turn your back on the others, and start on another dream.

What if the dream you’ve already achieved is so big and so amazingly awesome that you’re afraid you’ll never come close to topping it; what do you do then? Recognize that achieving your dreams is not a competition. The whole point of achieving your dreams is to fully express the beauty that is you. In so doing, you live your destiny and the world truly is a better place for having you in it. Spend time in quiet contemplation letting your brightest passion reveal itself to you. Then, to manifest this new passion, start on another dream!

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Your homework today is to power through to completion with your current dream, celebrate fully and completely, and then start on another dream!

You can do it! You have what it takes!

I’m so very proud of you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Floating on a Lazy River

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Whenever I’m feeling harried, confused, or unsure what to do next, I imagine myself floating down a lazy river on an inner tube. This reminds me to lean back, relax, and let Life take me where it wants me to go.

When I do this, I realize that I’ve been fighting and struggling and pushing to have my way. Sometimes—and here comes a shocker—my way isn’t always the best way. Go figure! 😉

As I release my tension, frustrations, and confusion, I’m more aware of the sounds, aromas, sights, textures, and other sensations in the here and now. As I open to the gift and wisdom of the moment, sometimes I am rewarded with an insight that then leads me to the next step. I’ve also found that repeating the words “lazy river” to myself helps me stay calm when things are going haywire at work or at home.

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Your homework today is to take your time imagining floating down a lazy river. Get a solid picture of it in your mind complete with the sounds of the water gently lapping at the shore and perhaps a few birds chirping in trees beside the river. Is the scent of flowers filling the air? Is a slight breeze playfully tousling your hair?

Imagine the scene with as many of your senses as possible. Make this lazy river your own! Use this image as often as you need to when you’re feeling stressed.

Now take the next step!

You can do it!

I’m proud of you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Thank You.

Copyright 2014 Artisans Workshop Designs

 

Thank you, Uncle Johnny, and all of our service women and men .  Your devotion and sacrifice will always be remembered and humbly appreciated.

Homework today is to give a thought of thanks to those service women and men—be they family members or those you’ll never know—for loving this country enough to defend Her with their lives.

Thank you.

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Some Favorite Things

 

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Respite from the slings and arrows of life, as well as all the rush and hubbub;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My local library where all are welcome, no question is too silly or too hard, and whatever you need—help, adventure, wisdom—is between the covers of a good book;

 

 

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Mother’s Day Tulips—‘nuff said;  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Still having my parents and still being able to go home;

 

 

 

 

 

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In spite of things looking bleak and that there’s no hope, the sun breaking through the storm clouds and inspiring me to take one more step;

 

 

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Beauty and inspiration;

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Valuable work that contributes— even in a small way—to the goodness in the world.

 

 

 

 

Your homework today is to make a list of your favorite things and then make sure you take time for them each day.

You can do it!

Feel free to post in the comments section some of your favorite things.

I’m proud of you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren