Daily Motivator - January
 

January 1

Begin

Gather together all the wisdom you have gained, and resolve to put it to good use. Wrap your thoughts around all that matters in life, and begin.

For the first time, for the tenth time, for the two thousand and sixteenth time, begin to do what you know you must do. Climb over the obstacles, sit astride the challenges, harness the power of passion, and go forward into the future.

Things are not perfect, but that has never stopped you. Life can be confusing, yet as you step confidently ahead you know you can figure out what to do next.

Your dreams call to you, and your goals for this day, this month, this year urge you on. Begin, quickly, decisively, and give yourself the advantage of putting time in your favor.

By now you've officially outgrown the flimsy excuses and shiny distractions. Be strong, and begin.

You've seen time pass and you know what you can do with it. Begin, and make the time ahead the best time ever.

Ralph S. Marston

January 2

Much to be done

There’s much to be done and that’s great. Because in everything that must be done is opportunity.

If it all has you feeling overwhelmed, keep this in mind. You can choose to change that feeling.

Focus on taking one initial action, now. Do something, make a little progress, and feel empowered instead of overwhelmed.

Write the first sentence, make the first call, film the first scene, lay the first stone. Go ahead with the effort, and let yourself be enthusiastic about the possibilities.

There is no equal to the feeling of making a difference. That’s a feeling you can have right now, a feeling you can continue to sustain.

The days ahead are filled with opportunity. Feel the joy, the value, the substance you can create, and get started getting it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 3

No more excuses

Don’t let yourself make any more lame excuses. This is your life, and it is worth the absolute best you can give it.

Every day you face choices, choices, and more choices. Each time you make a choice, don’t allow yourself to take the easy way out.

Instead, make the choices that create value, that make a difference, that improve life. Put out the effort, tolerate the inconvenience to follow through on those choices.

You deserve your highest level of performance, of achievement. And so does this beautiful world where you live.

Excuses bring you nothing but regret. Action, commitment, persistence, integrity, on the other hand, bring the best you can imagine.

Opportunity pervades every moment you enter, so grab it and go with it. Do everyone a favor, including yourself, by filling life with purpose and passion every step of the way.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 4

Positive habits

Here’s your assignment for the day. Find a habit or long-held assumption that’s holding you back and replace it with a habit that empowers you.

Is there something you do just because it’s comfortable and familiar, that’s not beneficial, or is even harmful? Challenge yourself to think of a more positive replacement.

As you go through the activities of this day, ask yourself about each one. Is it adding richness to your life or is it wasting your precious time?

There is plenty of time available for you to do amazing things. With positive habits, you can train yourself to make the best use of each moment.

There’s no need to be judgmental or regretful about what you’ve been doing. Just pick one thing at a time that hasn’t been serving you, and insert a positive replacement.

Make the choice to program yourself for expanding success in everything you do. Give your life some fresh positive habits, and enjoy the great richness they bring.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 5

Precisely what you seek

If you want to get something valuable done, you have to be specific. Achievement is a nice concept, yet the achievement that actually gets done is the one with every detail filled in.

What time, which color, how much, who is the audience, where is it located? Specifics provide the framework upon which you lay your efforts.

You’re capable of just about anything you choose to do. To engage that capability you must define precisely what you seek.

Are you not getting the results you want? Then be more clear about exactly what those desired results are.

No, it’s not always easy to figure out precisely what you wish to do, or have, or say, or be. It is, however, always essential if you wish to reliably create fulfillment.

Get clear, get specific, get focused on exactly what you intend to do. Then your efforts will take you precisely there.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 6

Enjoy the goodness

Elevate, celebrate, praise and enjoy the goodness in life, in your day, in your world. The negativity gets way too much attention, so make it your business to balance that out.

It’s easy to complain and commiserate about what’s wrong. Yet it is far better to support, invest in and expand what’s right.

Tragedy spills out of news headlines, and makes the world seem very dark. However, that tragedy is news precisely because it is so rare.

By all means, work to right the wrongs. But don’t forget to also give energy to everything that’s been good and right and beneficial all along.

On this very day, billions of people are successfully tending to their lives. Many are even finding chances for a little joy, peace, satisfaction, fulfillment.

See and enjoy the goodness of now. And send that goodness on the wings of your joy to spread throughout all of life.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 7

Act your commitment

How do you extract rock-solid commitment from yourself? Start, and don’t stop.

Commitment is not built just with goals or affirmations. Commitment is constructed with action.

The more effort you put into the endeavor, the more commitment you have. To get real commitment, get going, and keep going.

Commitment is more than just making a promise. Commitment is honoring that promise by investing your time and effort.

What does real commitment feel like? It is the experience of watching yourself take action in the service of a meaningful purpose.

The power of commitment is yours when you take the first step forward, and the next, and the next. Act your commitment into being, feel the power, and reap the rewards.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 8

Let now be now

Just let now be now. Just let the world amaze you and delight you.

Worry and regret have nothing to do with this moment. Whatever has been, whatever may come, this is where your life is, now, so put it to good use.

Share your smile, share your joy, share your laughter and your love. Discard the pretenses and excuses, and enjoy the miracle of being you.

Find satisfaction in making a difference, now, when you can. Appreciate the goodness, the beauty, and all the great things you have in life, now, when they are here.

There's very little you need, for you already have now, with abundance that stretches far past anything you can imagine. And the less you need, the richer you are.

You've invested your life to get to now. So live it, now, with all the love, attention and excellence your life in this moment deserves.

Ralph S. Marston

January 9

Live it well

Live to experience, not to impress. Live to give, not to need.

Live to wonder, to learn, to teach. Live to accept, improve, create, not to complain.

Live to make a positive difference wherever you go, not to get by with the least you can offer. Live with gratitude for each moment, enjoying all the beauty and making full use of the abundance.

Live with enthusiastic energy, with caring and purpose. Live with acceptance, ambition, generosity and kindness.

Live with the highest expectations. Live such that you’ll have no regrets.

This is a whole, unique day you have the privilege to live. Live it with love, with authenticity, and live it well.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 10

Honor your choice

Don’t become overwhelmed by all the possible choices. Consider the options, pick one, and go with it.

The possibilities do not create their own fulfillment. That’s your job, and it’s a great one, though necessarily difficult at times.

When the challenges come, don’t slide into the trap of wishing you had chosen differently. Push on ahead, stick to the road you’re on, and build the value you’ve decided to build.

Every achievement worth achieving takes effort, sacrifice, time and resources. Every possibility worth bringing to life will demand the best of you.

Instead of wishing for an easier ride, reaffirm your commitment with new action, a smarter strategy, a more positive attitude. Honor your choice by seeing it through.

Possibilities have value only to the degree you act upon them. Choose the best, give your best, and live the unmatched experience of bringing great value into being.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 11

You deserve the richness

Listen to what you don’t want to hear, and learn. Do what you don’t want to do, and grow stronger.

Venture into where you are uncomfortable, and boost your confidence. Allow your views to be challenged, and elevate your wisdom.

Your life is worth all you can invest in it, and more. Do the hard stuff, because you deserve the richness it will bring.

Free yourself from the comfortable emptiness of trivial distractions. Immerse yourself in what challenges, what strengthens, what matters.

Say no to things that have no substance. Give a strong and hearty yes to the things that do.

Let your purpose emerge in moments large and small. Feel its power as it gives great benefit to all your world.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 12

Above distraction

You cannot avoid the distractions, the noisy confusion. You can, however, rise above them.

Solitude is nice, but not always possible and certainly not always desirable. Yet even when you have no solitude, you can achieve focus.

Your mind always filters whatever your senses perceive. You can choose what to notice and what to ignore, and that choice is driven by your values, your priorities.

When you are operating with a strong, solid, specific intention, the distractions will not distract you. The cacophony of confusion will not entice you into its bewildering spell.

Decide precisely what you intend to do today. And just as importantly, know why it matters so much, what it means to you.

Give yourself a clear sense of purpose today, that’s connected to all you value. And put yourself where the distractions cannot reach you.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 13

Remain on course

Today will feature some surprises, things you didn’t anticipate. Instead of judging them, or fighting them, or running from them, choose to harness them.

You cannot control or know in advance everything that happens. You can, however, precisely control what you think and do about everything that happens.

Even to the most negative situation, you can offer a useful, beneficial response. Though circumstances change, you can continue to follow your purpose.

Every sailor knows that the wind will vary its direction. Yet by changing the set of its sails, the ship can remain on course.

The energy of life arrives in many different forms. You can take that energy, whatever it is, and apply it in the direction of your choosing.

Decide what you will do with this day, with this life, and know that you can always live true to that choice. Find the way to do so, to remain on course, no matter what.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 14

Learn through challenge

You can do plenty, and yet you are not superhuman. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do.

It is by recognizing your limitations that you begin to transcend them. It is by admitting your weaknesses that you find ways to overcome them.

Being fully aware of your strengths is just as important. It enables you to engage those strengths, to build on them and add to them.

How do you know what you can and cannot do, what your strengths and weaknesses truly are? You learn all this and more by encountering challenge.

Challenge puts you to the test. Challenge shines a bright light on your advantages and shows you exactly where you can use improvement.

The more you challenge yourself, the more you know yourself. And that is an extremely valuable thing to know.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 15

Joy in whatever may be

Find life's richness in the grand, impressive vistas as well as in the quiet, subtle details. Let yourself enjoy what's not considered enjoyable along with all that is considered enjoyable.

Live every experience from a perspective of unrestrained gratitude, curiosity, wonder and awe. You don't have to make judgments about others or apologies for yourself.

Whatever you have in this life, make the most of it by being authentic. Though it may cause problems and discomforts in the short run, you'll never end up regretting your honesty about who you are.

Right now you are living your life, and that's a big deal. Look around, and remind yourself of your good fortune.

Drop all the conditions you've imposed on the enjoyment of this moment. Realize the powerful truth that you can find joy in whatever may be.

Embrace that joy, live it now, and pass it along with love and good cheer. As soon as this beautiful, unique moment is gone, another one has already arrived, ready to be enjoyed.

Ralph S. Marston

January 16

Each moment makes a difference

The person you become, the life you live, the results you get are a direct result of the way you spend your time. How do you intend to spend your time today?

Every person alive will have the same number of hours in this day. Yet the value obtained in those hours will vary remarkably.

You have time, and with it, opportunity. Decide right now to put it to its highest use.

As you travel through the day, remind yourself that each moment makes a difference. The way you live it determines what that difference will be.

You know that the difference between speeding forward and standing still is made in each moment. As the moments arrive, keep reminding yourself of their opportunity.

A little extra effort, each time you get the chance, leads to a lot of extra richness in your life. The day has arrived, and you know what to do.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 17

Not lost

As long as the day is still here, it is not lost. You can redeem it at any time.

What you have attempted without success is not a lost cause. You can make another attempt, and another, until you get it right.

Your path to this point says nothing of where you’ll go next. Your direction is yours to decide at any time.

Don’t let past disappointment be an excuse to create more disappointment. Let it inspire you and harden your resolve to do better.

Negative momentum is powerful, but it doesn’t have to remain negative. Take all that energy and turn it toward what is good, useful, creative, productive, fulfilling.

See that you are, right now, an architect of the future, not a victim of the past. Give the best of yourself, right now, to make that future bright.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 18

Immune to negativity

Today, you will encounter negativity. But just because you encounter it, doesn’t mean you have to be swallowed up by it.

Accept right now that the world is not perfect, situations are not ideal, and people are inconsiderate to varying degrees. Be ready for the negativity, and be ready to be immune to it.

Negativity is unfortunate. Don’t make it your own misfortune by letting it get to you.

Decide in this moment to inoculate yourself. Decide that you will respond to every situation, every person, with gratitude, respect, and commitment to making a positive impact.

Today, and every day, negativity is not your thing. You always have plenty of better options.

Live as a shining example of how great life can be with a positive perspective. And let negativity wither from lack of attention.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 19

Made for giving

You’ve made great progress, but it is not enough. Because you can do more.

Life is about giving, and that’s something you can do whatever your situation may be. As much as you’ve done, as much as you’ve given, you always have more to give.

Indeed, it is giving to life that sustains you. Giving, doing, making a difference benefits your world, and benefits you.

The purpose of achievement is not to sit idly on top of it, smug and self satisfied. Instead, build on that achievement, expand it to have a positive impact on more lives.

There is always more to be done, more substance you can offer to life. Take every opportunity to let unique, meaningful purpose flow through you, energizing your very soul.

Life is made for giving, and it is made good by giving, so keep going, keep giving. All the goodness you give is also your own.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 20

Later is too late

Later is much too late. Live your life now.

If you wish to make improvements, start making them at once. If you intend to add to your experience, expand your horizons, learn, love, achieve, do it now.

Now is the moment you control. Now is the time available to you.

Make full use of this time that’s now here for you. Fill it with substance, with life, in the best way you know.

Later is when you can be thankful for all you did right now. Now is the time to act on your possibilities, to create real and lasting value.

You have great richness, and it comes in the form of now. Now, make it count.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 21

Break free

Pull your mind away from thoughts of yourself. There is a whole universe out there to consider and experience.

Ego confines your thinking. Love, gratitude and generosity expand your awareness and multiply the possibilities.

When it’s all about you, the options are few. Raise yourself into the limitless realm outside your narrow self-concern.

Inside the walls of your own ego, problems seem to have no solution, and opportunities lack a path to fulfillment. Break free, be free, and operate from a powerful perspective where fears dissolve and abundance intensifies.

As beautiful and unique as you are, living only within your own perspective is lonely and limiting. Extend your focus, widen your horizons, experience joy and wonder you never could have known on your own.

It is simple to let go of your ego. And amazing what that simple step will do.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 22

What matters now

It doesn't matter where you went wrong. The thing that matters now is what you do going forward.

Any regret you may feel can be transformed into energy to move you forward. Any lessons you've learned can now be applied to create the life you wish to live.

One minute from now you can be moving in a positive direction. Keep going, and one month from now you will have created some powerful momentum.

Choose right now to be the strong, focused, purposeful person you know you can be. Decide right now to make the days, months and years ahead the best you've ever experienced.

You no longer have to be stopped by the things that once tempted you, or discouraged you, distracted or frustrated you. Now, you have the power and the willingness to rise above all those things, and to be driven by positive purpose.

An amazing life is yours to live, and now is when you can give it your best. Gather your strength, feel your purpose and make great things happen today.

Ralph S. Marston

January 23

Seek quality

Quantity can often impose great burdens. Quality, on the other hand, almost always brings sublime joy.

When caught between quantity and quality, seek quality. Quality is what makes anything worth having, knowing, learning, experiencing in the first place.

You cannot have a hundred million close friends, and would not want to. Yet you can experience a life overflowing with enjoyment from just a handful of quality friendships.

You cannot eat every item on every menu. You can select one quality meal at a time, and find great satisfaction in it.

Quantity spreads your attention, your purpose, your caring too thin. If a small quantity of something does not satisfy you, then more of the same will satisfy you even less.

Let go of the need to have the most, the latest, the fastest, the biggest. Seek deep, meaningful quality and make yourself rich in life, not just in stuff.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 24

Work where you are

You don’t need a particular setup to do good work. You just need to do it.

You don’t need conditions to be perfect to make progress. Any situation, any condition, is an opportunity.

Work where you are, with what you have, no matter what has happened. Whether your tools are old or new, whether resources are abundant or scarce, what matters most is what you do.

Your best work might very well be done during the most challenging times. For those times will drive you, inspire you, make you more determined to create value.

If you’re waiting for things to be perfect, stop waiting and start working. Even with all its flaws, you have this moment, so use it.

Whatever else this day may hold, it holds for you the opportunity to make a difference. Stop waiting, stop wishing, stop wondering and start working to get it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 25

Busy making it better

Life is not fair, but you can do something about that. Life is not fair, but you can achieve anyway.

You could complain about the unfairness, but your complaints won’t change much. A better option is to accept what is, and use that acceptance to find a workable way forward.

Anger, despair, resentment are all understandable, and not particularly effective. Take their energy and point that energy in a positive, constructive direction.

Yes, there is unfairness and injustice. Yet you can be a counterbalancing force for yourself, for another, for many.

Imagine what could happen if you let your negative impressions of life turn into positive actions. Instead of feeling the same old frustrations and disappointments again and again, you can harness them to move life forward.

Go beyond blame, beyond despair, beyond judgment. Let life be what it is for now, and get yourself busy making it better.

-Ralph S. Marston,

January 26

Expect even better

Let your reality be driven by your expectations, not the other way around. Expect the best, and if you don’t get it, expect even better.

If other people fail to meet your expectations, that’s no reason to lower those expectations. In fact, it’s an opportunity to raise them higher.

Don’t compromise your expectations based on disappointing results. Instead, use the experience to make your expectations more compelling.

Choose your expectations to be more than just an extrapolation of what has already happened. Set those expectations based on where you intend to go next.

The purpose of an ambitious expectation is not to eventually prove yourself accurate. It is to compel and encourage you, and those around you, toward excellent performance.

Keep your expectations high, no matter what. And you’ll keep your efforts pointed toward the best you can imagine.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 27

Better way

The anger that drives you will also block you. Let it go, and find a better way.

Retribution perpetuates itself endlessly on both sides, and no one ever wins. Forgive, and move beyond it.

Put thought and effort into making a difference, not just into making a point. Center your life around all you love, nurture, care for, rather than being consumed by what you oppose.

Champion your values through positive, beneficial action. Earn support for your cause not by bickering or intimidation, but by helping even those who disagree with you.

In a world of conflict, what attracts attention is not more conflict. Be a shining light of peaceful tolerance, respect, understanding.

Free yourself from the narrow confines imposed by judgment, retribution, resentment and anger. Open new positive possibilities for all of life.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 28

Be there

Sometimes words are not necessary for encouragement. Sometimes words can even get in the way.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is just to be there. Sometimes your loving, authentic, accepting presence is what someone else desperately desires.

Be there, and be you. Be there, be present, listen, see, share.

In every person is a longing to connect in a meaningful way. Your presence is one of the best gifts you can give.

Communication technology is wonderful, allowing you to exchange thoughts, information, sounds and images in amazing ways. Yet none of that replaces the value of being there.

When you can, if you care, make it your business to be there. Your presence can make all the difference in the world.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 29

Intention plus activity

Intentions with no effort behind them are nothing more than empty wishes. Activity without any purposeful intention to direct it can often end up being wasted.

The way to invite achievement into your life is with rock solid intentions and enthusiastic efforts. Decide where you want to go, who you want to be, how you want to live, what you want to do, and then get yourself deeply involved in life.

The interesting thing is, your activity does not necessarily have to be overtly directed toward your intentions. In fact, your efforts can often be more effective when they're not directly connected to your goals.

Know your intentions, and then give your very best to every situation, every person, every challenge you encounter. You will find your intentions being realized, and probably not in the way you had imagined.

You have many more resources and abilities than you know about. With a strong intention, and a commitment to making a difference, you'll tap into hidden abundance, often without even realizing it.

Choose where you want to go, and give your best to every little moment along the way. One way or another, you'll get there.

Ralph S. Marston

January 30

Courage to choose

Countless possibilities swarm around you, every minute, every day. Live with the courage, the confidence, to choose.

The best possibilities are useless if you do not make the choice to follow them. The best opportunities have value only when you choose to act on them.

You cannot do everything, and wouldn’t want to. However, you can do what you choose.

To do that, you must make a choice, and commit to that choice, and act on that choice. Choose a possibility to explore, an opportunity to take, a path to follow.

No choice is going to be perfect, but don’t let that deter you. Because once you make the choice, you have what it takes to make the best of that choice.

The right choice is the one that enables you to give your best. Make the choice, and use it as a way to create great value for your world.

-Ralph S. Marston

January 31

Value, substance, and richness

Care more about what really matters. Care less about what doesn’t.

Put your time, awareness, energy into pursuits that make a difference. There’s no good reason to waste your life on petty, trivial matters.

Don’t let ego explode minor inconveniences into major disruptions by blowing them out of proportion. Take a deep breath, and move on past what doesn’t really matter anyway.

Fill your mind with positive thoughts that support your vision and your purpose. Fill your moments with challenging, productive efforts in the service of your highest values.

Learn to look past the trivial distractions and you’ll build strength to create big achievements. Focus your awareness and efforts where they matter most.

Grow stronger, staying focused on meaning and substance. It’s your life, it’s your time, it’s your opportunity to build value, substance, and richness.

-Ralph S. Marston