October 16

Adding richness

Let whatever happens give new richness and meaning to life. Instead of rushing to make a judgment, seek to be thankful.

Take a moment to look back on your life. See how everything you've been through has contributed to the wise, strong and capable person you are.

No matter how today's experiences may feel right now, eventually you'll have new value in your life because of them. Let go of the resentment, the fear and the anxiety, and let the best possibilities take hold.

You have a chance to move forward now, with new knowledge, new strength, a higher level of determination and a stronger sense of purpose. Feel the power in that opportunity.

Whatever happens today, let it renew the love you have for all you love. Let it inspire new ways to express that love and to fulfill your highest values in even the ordinary, everyday moments.

This very day, this very situation is adding richness to your life. See it, accept it, live it and expand it far and wide.

Ralph S. Marston

October 17

Gift of achievement

Decide right now to make this commitment. Promise yourself that in one hour you’ll look back on the previous hour with great satisfaction.

Schedule yourself, just an hour from now, to be grateful and excited about what you’ve just done. Then get busy and create that positive moment.

Give yourself the gift of achievement. Watch yourself, feel the satisfaction, as you get good things done.

Experience the power of your own focus. Stay centered on the specific difference you’ve chosen to make.

Boost your confidence, your optimism, your attitude and your effectiveness. Invest the next hour becoming a more positive and accomplished version of you.

That investment begins paying dividends immediately, and for a long time to come. Make the commitment, do the work, and enjoy the rewards you’re already earning.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 18

Go to the trouble

Don’t give up just because going forward will be a little trouble. Go to the trouble, deal with the inconveniences, make the effort.

Doing nothing is always the easy choice, but rarely the best choice. Make the choice to make good things happen, whatever it takes.

Achievement looks great when it’s completed, yet it can be messy and complicated while you’re doing it. Tolerate the mess, work through the complications, and get the achievement done.

Along the way you’ll be challenged, frustrated, humbled, maybe a little embarrassed and occasionally exhausted. Just remember, every bit of that adds to the value of what you’re doing.

Every day brings new opportunities, and every opportunity worth its salt will take effort and discomfort to fulfill. Put yourself out there and pay the price fulfillment demands.

Doing nothing is easy today, but the regret you’ll feel tomorrow can be impossible to bear. Avoid that regret, go to the trouble, and be ever thankful you did.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 19

Time that is here

There is time, and it is now. You have time, and you have it today.

Instead of waiting for the perfect time, make use of this time, this day, this moment. Rather than wishing for more time, use your energy to more richly fill the time that’s here.

Each moment bestows upon you a great opportunity. It is the opportunity to make a difference, in the way you choose, for what you love.

There is time right now to make a little progress. And when you’re done, you’ll have the inspiration, the momentum, and a fresh moment of time with which to do even more.

Don’t hold yourself back by resorting to excuses. Respect, appreciate and make full use of the time that is here, the time that is yours now.

Each moment flowing into your life is worth more than pure gold. See that potential value, make it real, and now, make it yours.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 20

Eyes of others

Though you never intend to make a mistake, it happens. When it does, the best thing you can do is accept it, admit it, and quickly make it right.

Denying your mistakes doesn’t make you look better. It just extends and prolongs the negative influence of those mistakes.

It’s nice to receive accolades for what you do. What’s much more valuable, though, is to be honestly told when you’re not living up to expectations.

Don’t let your ego get in the way of your effectiveness. Welcome criticism, welcome suggestions, welcome sincere feedback, and embrace the benefits.

The more fully you understand the impressions of others, the better you become at getting good things done. Willingly embrace your shortcomings, and you can transcend them.

Treasure the observations and insights of others, even if, especially if they are at odds with your own. Seek to see yourself through the eyes of others, and you’ll see countless ways to grow stronger.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 21

Follow through

Start with confidence, continue with confidence, and finish with confidence. There’s a reason you have chosen to act, so follow all the way through.

When you’re tempted to become disillusioned with the effort, challenge yourself to take just three or four more steps. After doing so, you’ll have worked your way past the disillusionment.

Pay attention to what you’re doing in the moment, while also keeping the goal in mind. With a meaningful purpose, you’ll find energy to move through any challenge.

If you begin to doubt yourself, continue to act, continue to make the effort anyway. Your actions will soon erase the doubts.

The more invested you are in what you’re doing, the more motivated you’ll be to continue. Give your best to each task, and be unstoppable.

You have chosen, for a very good reason, to do something useful, valuable, meaningful. Follow through, all the way, and get it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 22

Great time to do more

Don’t let success spoil your success. After you’ve achieved the goal, set your sights on an even higher goal, and keep going.

The worst time to stop is after you’ve made progress, for it wastes the momentum you’ve worked so hard to build. Instead, keep riding that momentum, keep getting good work done.

Every accomplishment creates new opportunities. Instead of sinking into complacency, enjoy taking on a challenge that’s even more meaningful than before.

When you’ve already done enough, that’s a great time to do more. When you’ve felt the thrill of achievement, you’re highly inspired to create it again.

You’ve already made a valuable contribution to life, already made a positive difference. That’s a great reason to keep going, to keep giving more of the good stuff you have.

Enjoy each success, and instead of resting on it, climb to the top of it, standing tall, looking forward. Then joyfully launch yourself on the next new adventure.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 23

Respond with kindness

Kindness makes life better for those who give it, for those who receive it, and for those who are around it. Kindness is something you can give, that continues to give to life as it goes far beyond you.

Being kind does not mean letting people take advantage of you. Being kind does not mean being naive or allowing others to get away with injustice.

Being kind is a matter of making the most powerful, positive choice in the way you respond. It's easy to react with anger, spite, pity, revulsion or smugness, but more powerful, in the long run, to respond with kindness and respect.

When you disagree with someone, anger will push you further apart. Kindness, even in a disagreement, will help bring you closer together.

There's nothing of value to be gained by trying to prove how much better you are. There is much to be gained, for everyone concerned, with kindness.

Whatever happens, see if you can find a way to respond with kindness. Keep kindness in your heart, and you'll add real richness to your life.

Ralph S. Marston

October 24

Positive contribution to the future

Look beyond the desires of the moment. Turn your attention toward the long-term desires, plans, hopes, dreams for your life.

Stop being such a slave to whatever you want right now. Free yourself to be the master of what your life is like tomorrow, next month, five years from now.

In twenty minutes, the latest buzz will have already been forgotten. Yet what you garner from a good book or a heartfelt conversation will stay with you for twenty years.

Use right now to make a positive contribution to the future, your future, the world’s future. Take the actions today that will have the biggest benefits later, and you improve both the present and the future.

What you grab quickly goes away quickly. Yet what you patiently, persistently give to life grows more valuable as time goes on.

Breathe in the beauty, wonder, abundance and opportunity of now. With your actions, direct all that energy toward creating an even better future.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 25

Push through

Push through the temptation to quit. On the other side you’ll gain fresh energy to keep going.

Push beyond the inclination to blame others or to make excuses. Fill yourself with the power, the effectiveness of taking full responsibility.

Push yourself past the doubt, fear, uncertainty. With your sustained effort make some momentum, and confidence will come with it.

Push through the challenges, one by one, giving your best. Push through with such enthusiasm that you’re always eager for the next challenge.

Whatever comes, see it as an opportunity to expand your competence, to grow your strength. Whatever comes, see it as a chance to express the unique joy and meaning of living life as you.

Push through, with humility, generosity, passion and persistence. Push through, and immerse yourself in more richness than ever.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 26

Marvel at the magic

Stop searching for situations where you can be joyful. Start expressing joy in whatever situations you’re in.

Don’t keep striving to create the perfect circumstance. Live richly, with meaning, integrity, authenticity and fun in every circumstance.

Happiness is not something to be defined in advance. Happiness is yours to choose in each moment.

Yes, be ambitious, set goals, work toward them. Just remember that there is much goodness, life, fulfillment to be enjoyed along the way.

Marvel at the magic of living in a world where so many amazing experiences are available to you every day. With a constant sense of awe and gratitude, seek to more fully earn the abundance that’s already yours.

Let go of the conditions you’ve placed on joy, and open yourself to all its possibilities. Be joy, live joy, here, now, and with whatever may or may not come.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 27

Transform disappointment

Disappointment shines a light on the problem, and once that happens there’s no need to continue with the disappointment. Get over it, and get busy making a positive change.

Whether it’s disappointment with yourself, or someone else, or the world at large, there’s a way to make a change for the better. So figure out what you can do, and do it.

No, you can’t solve all the problems of the world before dinner. Yet you can nudge your little corner of the world in a beneficial direction.

Though you’ll find plenty of blame to go around, refuse to dwell on assigning or maintaining that blame. Today is a new day, and an opportunity to think, act and feel in new ways.

Initially, disappointment connects you in a powerful way to what you care about, which is very useful. Keep in mind, though, that holding on to disappointment is a sad waste of your time and energy.

Feel the disappointment, then quickly transform it into positive, effective activity. Don’t let disappointment hold you down, because you have a whole lot of better things to do.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 28

Reflected attitude

Rudeness feeds on itself, and so does civility. Your attitude bounces back to you from each person you encounter.

Are you unhappy with what you’re getting? Then improve the quality of what you’re giving.

If you venture into the world with a negative demeanor, you’re certain to encounter negative people. When you choose instead to be generous, caring, respectful, you’re sure to come across others who are the same way.

Consider each person you meet to be a mirror. Keep in mind that if you don’t like what you see in a mirror, it’s not entirely the mirror’s fault.

And what if the other person initiates a negative tone? That’s your opportunity to change the dynamic by reflecting back a more positive response.

Your positive attitude won’t eliminate every conflict, yet it can often make a big difference. Whether it’s reflecting or being reflected, make your attitude bright, positive and helpful.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 29

Do in truth

Whatever you do, do in truth. Make it real and make it last by making it honest.

Deception might seem like the easy way out, but it is not a way out at all. Deception is a mistake that will eventually bring you down.

Truth is often difficult and inconvenient, and yet truth carries great power. Fill your words, your actions, your life with that power.

Honest efforts are the ones that bring lasting value to your life. Authentic relationships are the ones from which you’ll enjoy great benefit.

Demonstrate your respect for yourself, for others, for all of life by being truthful. Engage the full force of your own unique existence by being truthful and authentic.

Whenever there’s a question, a choice, a decision to be made, make it on the side of truth. Truth puts you and your world in the best possible position.

Ralph S. Marston

October 30

Dive into the details

Before you do the work to reach your goal, do the work to convince yourself you can reach it. Get beyond your doubts by reminding yourself how willing and capable you are.

Any ambitious effort will seem daunting when you first contemplate it in a generalized, abstract way. To give yourself the confidence to do it, dive into the details.

There are plenty of tasks you're ready, willing and able to tackle. You can assemble those tasks together to achieve whatever goal you have chosen.

A solid, realistic pathway leads from where you are right now to the place you wish to go. Knowing what you already know, with skills and resources you already have, you can take the first step on that path today.

Make a detailed list of all the things you're willing to do to reach your goal. Having that list will give you the confidence to know you can do it and the inspiration to move forward.

Then go ahead, take one of the actions on your list, and another and another. Keep on going, one task at a time, and you'll reach the goal that once seemed so far away.

Ralph S. Marston