Daily Motivator - December
 

December 1

Simply do it

Think of how much more you could get done if you would simply do it. Decide right now to empower yourself by allowing yourself, each time you can make the effort, to simply do it.

Yes you have doubts, but you also have the power to let go of those doubts. Simply do it.

Though the effort will be complicated and inconvenient, the reward will be worth the trouble. Go ahead and simply do it.

Though you may not get it perfect, you can get it done. Make the commitment to do your best, and simply do it.

Don’t sit idly by and let today’s opportunities become tomorrow’s regrets. Now, while you still can, transform those opportunities into achievements.

Life is ready for you to take action, to create value, to add new richness and experience. You know you can do all that and more, so go ahead and simply do it.

Ralph S. Marston

December 2

Life at its finest

Ego holds you back. Love nudges you forward.

Focusing solely on yourself keeps you stuck. Directing your energy, awareness and efforts outward will open all kinds of new possibilities.

Making everything all about you creates a narrow perspective that restricts every aspect of your life. Choose instead to listen, understand, empathize, forgive, cooperate.

You won’t get anything worthwhile if you seek only to take. True richness is the realm of those who give freely and generously of themselves.

Embrace the positive value in opinions that differ from yours. Grow in wisdom and competence by letting go of the notion that you already have everything figured out.

Escape the confinement of your ego by living with humility, generosity, and love. Live and give beyond yourself, and enjoy life at its finest.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 3

Adventure calls

Shake off the dust that has settled on your sense of adventure. Today is your chance to inject new energy into life.

Venture a few steps away from what’s comfortable and familiar. Remind yourself you can handle it, then venture out a little bit more.

You really don’t want to waste this once-in-a-lifetime day by living it just like all the others. Whatever your situation may be, you have countless ways to add new, challenging, interesting substance.

Turn down a road where you’ve never gone. Listen with curiosity and respect to a viewpoint that’s thoroughly different than your own.

Reconnect with someone you haven’t talked to in years. Form a new friendship with someone decades older or younger than you.

Don’t let yourself take this unique day for granted. Now, while you can, put some delicious adventure into it.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 4

Countless possibilities

Let go of your inclination to find something wrong. Give yourself the intention to see what is good, what is beautiful, useful and valuable.

Acknowledge the problems and deal with them. Then let them go.

Stop imagining the world has something against you. Start reminding yourself more often of the countless possibilities open to you.

Allow yourself to be satisfied in this moment. Allow the peace that is always within you to fill your awareness.

Free your thoughts from the distracting echoes of events that are long past. Focus on the new beauty you can create now.

Draw fresh strength from the wondrous existence in which you're immersed. Take that strength, invest it in now, and make rich, meaningful experience with it.

Ralph S. Marston

December 5

Air of possibility

Let each failure lead you toward success. Let each weakness propel you into strength.

From every disappointment, gather more determination. Seize the opportunity when things go wrong to learn how you can do it right.

Find new wisdom, understanding, and value in those who disagree with you. Discover what’s truly meaningful to you each time you feel frustration.

Take what others would discard and turn it into gold. Step out into a gray, dreary day and make it the brightest, most successful one yet.

Remind yourself over and over again that what matters is never what you’ve been dealt. You can handle any turn of events when you’re willing to give your best.

Whatever comes your way today is loaded with good fortune. Breathe in the sweet, fresh air of possibility, and do the work to make that fortune yours.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 6

What you really want

What is it you really want? Do you want to sit around doing nothing, or do you want to make a difference?

Do you want to be trapped by the empty comfort and convenience of self-indulgence? Or do you want to have something to show for your life?

Do you want to sit on a lofty, lonely perch, looking down on others with disdain? Or do you want the profound satisfaction of joining in to make life better for all the people around you?

Do you want everything done for you, without having to learn, think, decide or commit? Or would you prefer to grow in wisdom, confidence, skill and competence by taking full responsibility for life?

Your life is filled with so much promise and possibility. You can transform it all into deep regret, or into beautiful, meaningful achievement.

Each moment when choosing how to proceed, remember this. Your life is what you make it, so make it into what you really want.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 7

Give substance to your vision

Don’t let your best thoughts, ideas, values and feelings remain stuck within you. Give expression, action and fulfillment to them.

You have experiences, perspectives, opinions and insights that are unique to you. Expand their value by sharing them with the world.

Do more than just thinking about the situations, problems, opportunities of life. Get busy doing something about them.

Improve your ideas by putting them out in the world where they can be honed and strengthened by the challenges of real life. Give substance to your vision by transforming it into specific expressions.

Thinking, speculating, analyzing are all highly valuable pursuits. For their value to be realized they must travel beyond your mind and be applied in the real world.

Put great care into what you think. Then put your great thoughts into all you do.

-Ralph S. Marston,

December 8

Push forward anyway

Ideal conditions are nice, but not necessary. You can get good work done no matter what the situation.

A less than perfect environment does not excuse you from responsibility. Yes, things may be difficult, but you can push forward anyway.

Stop making a mental list of reasons why you can’t, and start making progress. Let the difficult circumstances inspire you to take action.

Yes, your time and energy are limited. So don’t waste them fighting against your own possibilities.

Instead, put your time and energy into getting good work done. Take every opportunity to do so, even if those opportunities are far from perfect.

Don’t wait or wish for troubles to leave you alone. Push forward anyway, and the troubles will no longer trouble you.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 9

Positive potential

In fear is the potential for courage. In weakness is the potential for strength.

In ignorance is the potential for wisdom. In frustration is the potential for competence and effectiveness.

Embrace the shortcomings, admit them, understand them. Then get to work flipping them into advantages.

Don’t waste energy wishing or begging for things to be better. Improve the situation by improving yourself and your attitude.

You can face your fears, work to enhance your skills, and learn what you do not know. Your intention, commitment and persistence will transform problems into opportunities.

In every negative situation is positive potential. Do the work and bring it to life.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 10

Broaden your perspective

Is it really so important that you get your way? Is it really so important that you prove your point?

Life is about more than making an impressive appearance. Life is about more than getting the last word.

The things that matter are not the things that boost your ego. A fulfilling life is impossible if you value yourself above all else.

By all means assert yourself when the situation calls for it. Remember though, that most situations, most interactions do not call for it.

Value is built through understanding, and understanding arises from respectfulness. Achievement requires cooperation, and it is humility, not pride, not vanity, that brings about that cooperation.

Let go of the narrow, superficial concerns that create unnecessary barriers, that hold you back. Broaden your perspective and get much more from life than merely getting your way.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 11

Involved and inspired

Get yourself moving, speaking, writing, listening, building and creating, and the inspiration you seek will come. Raise your energy level and you'll attract inspiration like a magnet.

The times when you are most inspired are the times when you are most involved in life. Get involved and you will be inspired.

Speak, and you will find your voice. Dance, and you will find your rhythm.

Work, and you will find a worthy and fulfilling purpose. Step forward, set forth on the journey, and you will find the path.

A ship sailing across the sea is guided by its rudder only when it is in motion. In the same way, inspiration will guide and enhance your life to the extent you make yourself an active participant.

Waiting for inspiration is nothing more than an excuse to avoid effort. Stop waiting, start moving, and live a truly inspired life.

Ralph S. Marston

December 12

The magic of generosity

Do you want to immediately add richness to your life? Do it with generosity.

No one is going to stop you or disparage you when you live and act with sincere generosity toward others. Generosity gives you free rein to make a positive and meaningful difference.

You don’t need money or material wealth to be generous. You can be generous with your time, your attention, your opinion, your knowledge and expertise.

Today you’ll have opportunities to give comfort, encouragement, joy, reassurance, assistance and wisdom. Generously embrace those opportunities, and transform them into living goodness.

Generosity gives you the power to be a positive force in the world. Feel that power, and lovingly put it to use.

One act of generosity enriches the lives of at least two people, and often many, many more. Spread the magic of your own generosity everywhere you go.

-Ralph S. Marston,

December 13

Busy with what matters

Being busy feels good, and that’s great. Yet it can feel so good that being busy becomes a goal in itself, which can be a problem.

Even worse, you can busy yourself with meaningless efforts in order to avoid more difficult, more important jobs. Being busy can be an excuse to waste a lot of time.

Plenty of tasks can occupy your time. Figuring out something, anything to keep you busy is all too easy.

The challenge is to spend your time in a way that enriches life. The challenge is to act in a way that serves and advances all you love and care about.

Hold yourself to a high standard, and make sure when you’re busy you’re working on meaningful things. Not only is that approach more satisfying, it is much more rewarding.

Your time and effort have the potential to create great value. Always invest them in what really matters.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 14

Transformation

The past cannot be changed. But you can change.

The mistakes, disappointments, and poor choices have occurred, and cannot be undone. Yet they can teach you, motivate you, make you more determined and purposeful.

Today you have the opportunity to transform negative experience into positive power. Today you can take whatever has happened and make it into whatever you want.

The future does not equal the past, and you stand right here in the present, able to create that future. No matter how far you’ve strayed from the path, you can turn right now in the direction of your choice.

Today, positive, purposeful action will push you past the regrets, beyond the frustrations, away from previous mistakes. Look forward, with your goal firmly in mind, and go for it.

All the ups and downs of the past have brought you here. Now, make of it the very best you can imagine.

Ralph S. Marston

December 15

Loosen up

It’s good to have a specific objective, and to follow that objective. Yet it can also be good to absorb life in all its richness with no particular goal in mind.

Sometimes, not always, a waste of time is a great use of time. Sometimes, when you’re not sure what you’re doing, you can do some very creative things.

With focused effort you can achieve great things. With play and relaxation you can experience great insights.

What you strive for can elude you as long as you continue striving. Loosen up a little, give life’s goodness and abundance time to sink in.

Living with purpose is serious business, but you don’t have to get all somber and stressed about it. Put more joy and playfulness in your days, in your efforts, in your heart.

You can be purposeful, determined, focused, while also being cheerful, relaxed and open to new experiences. Loosen up, refuse to take yourself too seriously, and add richness and effectiveness to all you do.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 16

Choosing your thoughts

The rudder does not move the ship, yet it determines precisely which direction the ship will go. In the same way, your thoughts don’t make anything happen on their own, yet they absolutely determine what you cause to happen.

You’ll find it almost impossible to think one thing and do another. If your thoughts are in any way opposed to your actions, those actions will not be effective.

When you seek to be creative, productive, prosperous, successful, align your thoughts with what you seek. Fill your mind with thoughts of abundance, of possibilities, of achievement, and your actions will create that achievement.

Your thoughts set the course for your day, your year, your life. Your thoughts tell you what to do next, and what to do after that, and after that.

No, your thoughts cannot short-circuit the laws of physics to make a brand-new car appear in your driveway. However, your thoughts can most certainly keep you positively focused and directed enough to reach the goals you’re willing to work toward.

You are constantly choosing your thoughts, and those thoughts are always pointing the way forward. So think love, think fulfillment, think possibilities, think achievement, think positive and think yourself into the best world you can imagine.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 17

The benefit of your action

Escape the stale confinement of wishing, waiting, wondering. Refresh your day with action.

Shake off the excuses and rationalizations, the second guesses, regrets and indecisiveness. Energize your life with action.

Not every action will bring the results you desire. Yet the more you take action, the more effective you become at achieving what you choose.

Every time you act you create valuable experience. Besides producing results, that experience builds on itself, boosting your confidence and competence.

Is there something you wish you had done sooner? Or is there something you’ve been trying to decide how to start?

Give your attitude, your life, your world the benefit of your action. Do yourself a favor today, and get it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 18

Live the wonder

Live in awe of this day, of this existence, of this magical time and place you call now. Breathe in the ever fresh air of possibility and let it fill you with inspiration.

Delight in the biggest of wonders that exist within the smallest of details. Experience joy just because you choose to.

Look around, with eyes wide open, and see the magnificent realm in which you are immersed. Reflect, consider, dream, imagine, and feel the exhilarating spark of new possibilities as they fill your awareness.

Go forth in a state of awe and gratitude. Be inspired to the core by what is, and determined to make something good out of it today.

You are alive, aware, unique and capable. Remind yourself of the immense opportunity that exists right now and of your responsibility to do something beautiful and meaningful with it.

See the true wonder in all there is and in all you can do. Live the wonder, now and always.

Ralph S. Marston

December 19

Positive example

Don’t let someone else’s negativity become yours. These moments that are your life are too valuable to waste on that.

When another person is rude, thoughtless, disrespectful or worse, don’t react by sinking to that level yourself. Instead, let it motivate you to be even more understanding, thoughtful, and kind.

Reflecting negativity back at others does not teach them a lesson. A far more influential choice is to serve as a positive example.

Certainly you don’t want to allow others to take advantage of you. But neither do you want them to turn you against your highest, treasured values.

The best way to win is not by fighting. The best way to win is by being so strong, so positively purposeful that a fight never starts in the first place.

The petty negativity of others does not have to get to you. Because you can choose, in a loving, generous, amiable way, to live beyond it.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 20

Privilege

You have the privilege of living this day. You have the privilege of doing something good with it.

If there’s any task you consider a chore, a bother, a nuisance, step back and reconsider. What it is really, is a privilege.

When you fight against what you must do, all you do is make it harder on yourself. So do yourself a big favor, embrace the work, be thankful for it.

In fact, see if you can actually enjoy it. Chances are, you can.

There are those who would give anything to be able to do things you take for granted. Remind yourself how fortunate you are, and put that good fortune into action.

Honor the privilege with joy and gratitude. Take the actions, do the work, and feel life’s goodness as it flows through you.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 21

From here to there

Accept where you are, then decide where you wish to go. Know that there is a path from one to the other.

Take the first step on that path. The next step will then come into sharper focus, so go ahead and take that step too.

Wishing for conditions to be better will only make things worse. Put all your energy into actually making progress with your thoughts, your actions, your attitude.

You can get from here to there. You can carry yourself from the vision to the achievement.

It’s not a matter of wishing, begging, complaining. It’s a matter of accepting responsibility, and following through.

Today it is time for you to achieve, to make a difference, to do what you’ve always known you can do, what you’ve always desired. From right where you are, step forward and begin.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 22

Discomfort

Discomfort is by definition not pleasant. It is, however, powerful.

A person who never experiences discomfort will not know the full extent of life’s richness. That’s not an arbitrary judgment, but a fact proven over thousands of years.

Discomfort teaches what nothing else can. Discomfort pushes you to grow in a way that cannot be replicated.

Comfort is enjoyable and makes you soft, weak, puts you out of touch. Discomfort hardens, energizes, fills you with determination.

Muscles that have never experienced discomfort are feeble. Going through discomfort creates resilience, robustness, firmness, strength.

Go ahead, take on a challenge that makes you uncomfortable. You’ll get through it, and it will make you a whole lot better.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 23

Excessive information

Don’t let excessive information be the enemy of imagination. Dial back the data flowing in from outside, and strengthen your own inner vision.

Yes, it’s good to be informed, nice to be entertained. It’s also important to think for yourself.

Do yourself a favor and see how long you can resist the urge to check your news feed again. Discover the joy of allowing unique, compelling stories to arise in your imagination.

The latest buzz is not any different than the previous buzz, and is mostly meaningless noise. Let it go, and let yourself enjoy the deep pleasure of quiet contemplation or extended conversation.

What good is having the latest update if all you do is replace it with the next update? Make real, meaningful use of information instead of making it into an addiction.

Don’t let your mind go flabby by consuming more information than you can digest. Take the time, make the effort to process information into wisdom, richness and fulfillment.

-Ralph S. Marston,

December 24

Allow peace to be

Let go of the troubles and let peace into this moment. Allow peace to be, and let your life give new life to it.

Breathe in the fresh air of possibility. Feel the energy of love deep within you.

See that most of the things that seem so urgent are not really that important. Choose right now to focus your life, your awareness, on what truly matters.

In this moment, there is no stress, no conflict, nothing you need. For you are here, aware, experiencing the beauty, wonder, goodness of existence.

Stay for a little while and feel the part of you that is always you. Feel how your essence transcends time and circumstance.

Sink deeper into the peaceful presence and absorb its positive power. Then, step forward and share that peace with all of life.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 25

Joy of giving

To live at your highest level is to give of yourself. To live fully is to make a difference in the lives of others.

Look away from your problems, complaints, and dissatisfactions. Look toward ways you can be of service.

Life at its richest is life at its most helpful. There is always much you can do.

Seek only to take, and you will have nothing of value. Seek to give of yourself, and you can have everything that matters.

The joy of Christmas is the joy of a gift given in grace and pure love. Such joy has no logical reason, yet it fills countless lives.

Let your life be enriched by the joy of giving, today and every day. Give, and discover, in giving of yourself, all that you do best.

Ralph S. Marston

December 26

Everything is an opportunity

Whatever happens, you can make the best of it. Whether others might judge it to be good, or bad, inspiring, or debilitating, you can move positively ahead because of it.

Events and circumstances matter, but not nearly as much as what you do with them. When you so choose, everything is an opportunity.

You don’t have to wait for life to deliver inspiration. You can be the inspiration, right now, right here, any time, any place.

Instead of responding to a disagreement as a conflict, you can respond to it as an opportunity for understanding. Instead of responding to a setback as a tragedy, you can respond to it as an opportunity for massive progress.

Yes, you can, because you are able to focus your attention in whatever direction you choose. You’ve done it all your life.

Your attention is your choice and ultimately, your attention is what matters. Choose wisely, deliberately, and choose a great, fulfilling life.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 27

Push worry aside

To stop worrying, start focusing. To stop being distracted, get yourself fully immersed and fascinated in meaningful work.

Like everyone else, you have concerns regarding issues you cannot do anything about. If you let them, these concerns can overwhelm and disable you with negativity.

But you don’t have to let that happen. Because you can push those concerns completely out of your awareness.

To do that, focus fully on what you can control. Focus fully on the good, useful, meaningful goals you can accomplish.

An idle mind can quickly be filled with despair. By contrast, a focused, determined, purposeful mind puts you on course to achieve great things.

Worry is a waste, and you can literally put it out of your mind. Concentrate on doing the good you can do, and keep your mind happily occupied.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 28

Make it mean something

You have one chance to live this day. Make it mean something.

You have one chance to transform the fleeting moments of this day into lasting value. Make those moments count, in a way you’ll always be thankful for.

Today, you can enjoy adding meaning, substance, value to the world. Today, you can experience the deep satisfaction of knowing you’re making a difference.

It’s a grand opportunity, upon you right now. Seize it, go for it, jump with enthusiasm into it.

Even if you’re not quite sure where to start, go ahead, start. With a firm commitment to get good, meaningful work done, and with rock-solid persistence, you’ll find a way.

Life is your playing field today, and upon that field your efforts will change the world. Make those changes wonderful, and make this day one you’ll be happy to have lived.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 29

Choose the best consequences

Each thing you do has a consequence. Much of your life is the result of choices you have made, actions you have taken.

The things you do either erode the quality of your life or they enrich your life. Your actions either make your world a better place or they litter your world with despair, regret, and fear.

You can choose your consequences by choosing your actions. Even the small actions can have great consequence, because they are so often repeated.

This moment, this day affords you great power. For you can decide on the consequences that will be visited upon you tomorrow.

Are you about to do something that will cause regret and frustration later? Now is your chance to make a more positive choice, something for which you can always be thankful.

This moment is a choice, and you can be sure it will have consequences. Make the choice that will make life richer and more fulfilling for all.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 30

Keep at it

If you haven’t achieved the results you seek, you haven’t kept at it long enough. Keep at it, longer, smarter, more focused, more purposeful.

With each attempt you learn, you improve, you get closer. You’re making progress, so keep at it.

If you feel like quitting, remind yourself you’re closer than ever before. Remind yourself, and keep at it.

Apply what you’ve learned, adjust based on the experience you’ve earned. And keep at it.

Keep at it, and take another step in the direction of achievement. Keep at it, and create new value with each action.

Your dreams, your goals, your life all deserve your persistence. Keep at it, and bring your own unique goodness to the world.

-Ralph S. Marston

December 31

Extraordinary purpose

Live the ordinary days with extraordinary purpose, and you achieve great things. Remember often enough where you intend to go, and you absolutely will get there.

A New Year is upon you, filled with days, with moments, with opportunities. Commit yourself right now to take those opportunities, to live the upcoming days with positive purpose, with enthusiastic energy, with the highest expectations.

You deserve to live a life that’s rich with meaningful experience, a life that matters, that makes a difference. And you deserve to be the person who makes that life unfold in your own unique way.

You have skills you don’t yet know you have, and resources you don’t even realize are available to you. The way to discover all the great things you can do is to constantly push yourself to act, to constantly be reminded of your best possibilities.

Imagine what will happen this coming year when you funnel all your energy, feelings, joys, passions, dreams into purposeful action. Imagine how great you’ll feel, knowing you’ve made full and loving use of all the moments available to you.

Imagine it, then make the choice to make it happen. The New Year awaits, and you’ve already begun to live it with extraordinary purpose.

-Ralph S. Marston

Thank you for ur service work this year and passing the message to me and my friends. I luv the positive message of perspective Ralph brings.