Mikes Blog

Exercise your patience
+++++++++++++++++++

Your physical health benefits from exercising your muscles. In a similar way, your mental health benefits from exercising your patience.

Think of something that always frustrates you. Next time you do it, see if you can be more curious, more tolerant, more patient, and less frustrated.

Being in a hurry does not add quality to your life. Being more patient does.

Consider what happens when you demand to get what you desire as soon as you desire it. You cheat yourself out of the valuable anticipation and appreciation for the good things coming your way.

Be patient with people, and everyone benefits more from the relationships. Be patient with new situations, and enable yourself to realize their full value.

Choose to exercise your patience. Discover how strong and useful you can make it.

— Ralph Marston

Challenge yourself
+++++++++++++++++++

Challenge yourself. Then step up to the challenge.

Put yourself in a position where you have no choice but to achieve. Then do what you must do to make that achievement happen.

You know you can do it. You just need a push, and who better to give you that push than yourself?

Give yourself a challenge that has meaning to you, that aligns with your purpose. Then, rather than resenting the challenge, you’ll find joy and fulfillment in working through it.

From the top down, from the inside out, mentally, physically, emotionally, you are built to handle challenge. Put your abilities to purposeful use, and see how good and right it feels.

Give yourself something challenging to do. And enjoy the satisfying experience of making it happen.

— Ralph Marston

What matters is what you do
+++++++++++++++++++

To change the quality of your life, you must change what you do. There is no other way.

Improvement does not come neatly wrapped in a package that’s been put together by someone else. It comes from what you do, consistently, persistently, morning, afternoon, and evening.

What habits are you willing to work to get rid of? What habits are you ready to spend time to establish?

Goals, promises, plans, and intentions can all be very impressive and compelling. What matters is what you do, right now, and in an hour, and tomorrow morning, and next week.

You have what it takes to make your life whatever you want it to be. You just have to do the work, and it has to come from you.

Challenge yourself to string together a half dozen days of purposeful, focused, and persistent effort. Feel the momentum, see all the good you can do, keep on going and never stop.

— Ralph Marston

Ever young
+++++++++++++++++++

You cannot go back in time, yet you can be as young as you choose to be. Youth is a matter of how you see yourself and how you live, not how long you’ve been alive.

Live with courage and you are young. Seek adventure in unfamiliar territory and you’re living a life that’s vibrant and young.

Be true to what you value, in word, in deed, in time and commitment, and you’ll be young in temperament. Greet each day with wonder and enthusiasm, and the energy of youth courses through you.

Look forward to whatever comes next. Find a way to put joy into every situation.

These things give you a youthful outlook and experience, no matter what your age. As you live this way year after year, you’ll add wisdom and maturity to your continuing youth.

Give yourself the dual benefits of experience and of youth throughout the whole of your life. Stay ever young as you continue to let time add more and more substance to your life.

— Ralph Marston