Mikes Blog

Keep working on it
+++++++++++++++++++

You’re not perfect, but you’re getting better. Keep working on it.

You’ve had some setbacks, been disappointed by other people in your life, and sometimes have disappointed yourself. Yet you’ve learned from it all, you’ve become stronger and more determined.

Success doesn’t happen in a straight, unbroken line. Those efforts along the way that don’t work out actually do work out in the big picture.

The obstacles, false starts, setbacks and wrong turns add richness to the journey. They let you know how far you’ve come and give value to whatever you achieve.

You’re a more experienced, more resilient person than you were a couple of years ago. There’s much good you can do with that strength you’ve recently earned.

Though it hasn’t been easy, your trajectory has persistently worked its way upward. Remember why you’re doing what you do, and keep up the good work.

— Ralph Marston

When to let it be
+++++++++++++++++++

Always there are things you can change, yet sometimes it is best not to. Among your many choices is the choice to let it be.

Some realities will benefit from your attention, effort, and manipulation. Others are best left alone.

A sign of wisdom is knowing which is which. An exercise of strength is to abide by that wisdom.

You eagerly do your best to exert a positive influence on life. That can sometimes mean giving goodness the necessary time and space to unfold as it will.

Though it’s tempting to think you can fix everything, time and experience have taught you otherwise. Be willing to act, and also be willing to let it be.

There are times when your efforts to help could actually lead to more harm. Be realistic about your limits, mindful of the possibilities, and know when to let it be.

— Ralph Marston

Respect toward others
+++++++++++++++++++

Speaking or acting with disrespect toward someone does not bring any meaningful value your way. In fact it can put you at a significant disadvantage.

By contrast, being respectful costs you nothing, even when it involves those you disagree with. Your respectful attitude can be of great benefit to you, especially with those who oppose you.

Respect toward someone else enables you to see that person more clearly, more realistically. Respect fosters understanding, and that always works to your advantage.

Respect facilitates communication. In every interaction the more effectively you communicate the more positive your outcome is likely to be.

Respect is the smart choice. Respect comes from a position of power and solidifies that position of power.

Challenge yourself to act with respect, especially when you don’t want to. You’ll quickly realize what a powerful and enduring advantage it gives you.

— Ralph Marston

Day by day
+++++++++++++++++++

Your health, your wealth, your relationships, your self esteem are occasionally influenced by the big, dramatic things you do. Yet these areas of your life, and many more, are mostly determined by the little things you do, again and again, day by day.

You can’t brush your teeth just once a month and expect to have a healthy mouth, even if you brush really, really well. You can’t make a big push to earn lots of money every six months, and do nothing the rest of the time, and expect to be financially secure.

Ongoing, disciplined attention supports and advances the good things you care about. There is no substitute.

Those good things that benefit you are inseparable from the diligence with which you enable them and attend to them. Day by day is the way.

Make the best choices today, then make them again tomorrow, the next day, and the next. That’s what progress looks like, that is how success feels.

Get in the habit of getting in the habit. You can do anything day by day, and it will take you wherever you decide to go.

— Ralph Marston