Mikes Blog

Live your courage
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Everything in life involves some risk. But that doesn’t mean you have to live in constant fear.

Momentary fear can be useful. Yet if you give fear a place to persist it will reliably lead you straight toward whatever you fear.

Feel the fear, listen to the fear, take precautions based on it. Then leave the fear behind, because it has done its job and has nothing more to offer you.

Let your actions be partly informed by fear, not dominated by fear. Keep your attention focused on a purpose compelling enough to keep fear in its proper perspective.

Step forward with a tiny bit of courage and suddenly you have more courage. Make it your business to grow that courage by putting it to meaningful use.

Fear is not your enemy and it is certainly not your refuge. See fear for what it is, and live your courage for all it can be.

— Ralph Marston

Visualize and act
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Visualize yourself starting, visualize yourself persisting, and visualize yourself finishing. Then do what you envision.

If you can’t get yourself to take action, then get yourself to visualize taking action. Use the power of that vision to push yourself into action.

In your vision, see the necessary effort and see the positive outcome of that effort. See that it’s worth your time and trouble, and see yourself going ahead with it.

Provide yourself with a vision that inspires you. Empower yourself with a vision that fills you with enthusiasm.

At any time, in any condition, without any special tools or skills, you can visualize a positive future. You can make that vision compelling enough to get you creating that future.

Visualize and then act on your vision. See clearly that you can do it, and you will.

— Ralph Marston

Step by step
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Make little improvements and maintain them. Then make more.

You can’t immediately get everything to be perfect. You can’t solve every problem by the time you go to bed this evening.

Yet you can make progress. And every little bit of progress makes a difference.

When the problems seem overwhelming, ask yourself this. Is there some specific something you can do right now about one of those problems?

Instead of focusing on how overwhelmed you are, turn your attention to what you can actually do to make a positive difference. Even if it’s not much, find an initial step you can take, and then take it.

Step by step you can make things better. And better is always a very good direction to be going.

— Ralph Marston

The best way forward
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Declining to lift a weight will not make you stronger. Refusing to deal with a challenge will not make the challenge go away.

Giving yourself less to do will not enable you to get more done. Putting off your work will not result in accomplishment.

Rise to the challenges. Do it sooner rather than later.

Your activities on any day can be easy or they can be meaningful, but not both. A week from now, a decade from now, meaningful will bring much more richness to your world than easy.

Of all your choices today, which ones will result in new value? Go with those.

The best way forward will demand much from you. This is your chance to give it willingly, enthusiastically, and to enjoy the goodness that flows from all you’re able to accomplish.

— Ralph Marston