Mikes Blog

Benefit of joy
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Joy is a choice. Choose it often.

Joy is not a rejection of reality. Joy is at once an acceptance of reality and an improvement upon it.

Joy does not demand a cause. Joy of its own making and for its own sake is just as beneficial as any other joy.

Joy enables you to feel your purpose. That’s a useful and powerful thing to do.

Joy adds to life without asking anything in return. Accept the offer and pass it on.

Every day, every undertaking, every situation goes better when there’s real joy in it. Give life the benefit of all the joy with which you can choose to live.

— Ralph Marston

Not what you expected
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Just because you have realistic expectations does not guarantee reality will match those expectations. Live the experience as it is, even when it’s not what you thought it would be.

You might be pleasantly surprised, or you could face unexpected challenges. It’s possible you’ll encounter opportunities you didn’t consider or complications you couldn’t anticipate.

Adapting to the unexpected requires flexibility, effort, and creativity. When your expectations are off the mark, let go of them quickly so you can focus attention where it will do the most good.

Make informed, experienced guesses about what is likely to happen, and prepare accordingly. Then be ready to adjust your actions based on what actually does happen.

Sometimes life will not be as good as you expected, and other times it will be much better. In every case, embrace what is and make use of your considerable ability to identify and to live the goodness that’s in it.

Be informed and inspired by your expectations while not being limited by them. Whatever you expect and whatever happens, let life’s treasures continue to come.

— Ralph Marston

Raise your expectations
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Today you can raise your expectations of yourself. You can recognize the power you have over your own choices and exercise that power, repeatedly, consistently.

In your most idealistic moments, who, what, how do you imagine yourself to be? Day after day, in all the practical considerations of living life, you have the ability to be that person.

Make the choice to align your intentions in this moment, in every moment, with your most deeply felt purpose. Take charge of the dynamo that is your life, and act on your most thoughtfully considered priorities.

Your goals, values, preferences, dreams, and ambitions are more than mere thought experiments. You have what it takes to make them into life experiences.

Refuse to get caught up in whether it’s easy or hard, exciting or boring, engaging or tedious. Just do what you know is best for you to do as the authentic person you are.

From that authenticity, from your intentions and the persistent actions that support them, life’s most profound rewards gain substance. Raise your expectations and take an active role in bringing them about.

— Ralph Marston

Adventure into life
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Something deep inside you longs for adventure. And for anything to be an adventure it must be challenging.

Adventure happens when you choose to confront the unknown. It could be a journey to a place you’ve never been, an activity you’ve never before undertaken, or a thousand other things.

The point of adventure is to better understand yourself and the universe in which you live. Adventure widens your perspective and compels you to become more capable and competent.

And though the adventure itself might seem self indulgent, its benefits have the power to extend far beyond you. At its best, adventure provides you with more substance and value that you can offer others in countless ways.

It is no accident that those who contribute most to life are often the most adventurous. Perhaps that’s why the desire for adventure is so deeply ingrained.

Fortunately, whatever your situation, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure. See if you can find a way to answer the longing, and add new value to life, by undertaking your own adventure.

— Ralph Marston