Do You Rise Above

Choose a positive response

No matter what happens, you can respond in whatever way you choose. So make your response the most positive one for every person it affects.

There’s nothing to be gained by adding more negativity on top of negativity. You have the opportunity to break the pattern.

Instead of responding to anger with more anger, challenge yourself to respond with understanding and compassion. When you’re tempted to respond with frustration, make the more positive choice to respond with patience.

For your world to be a more positive place, you must take responsibility for putting more positive energy into it. Though a positive response may be the more difficult one, it is also the more valuable choice in the long run.

Rather than choosing a response based on what has happened, choose your response based on the direction you wish to go. Even when life has let you down, your best choice is a positive response that creates a more positive future.

Each response to life is an opportunity to make progress. Choose a positive response, again and again, and create a much more positive world. 

Do yourself a big favor

You don’t have to beg or wish or hope for favors from others. You can do yourself a big favor today.

You can use the moments of this day, the moments available to you right now, to create value. You can choose to take the specific actions that will bring new, meaningful richness to your world.

Even though you may be burdened with challenges, obligations, limitations, frustrations and other factors pushing against you, still you can move forward. You can choose to achieve something valuable in spite of whatever might be working against you.

What really matters is not your situation, but your attitude, your intentions and your commitment to make positive things happen. When you’re truly committed to making progress, you will find a way.

Reach into your most sincere, authentic self and connect with what matters most to you. Have the courage to admit what you love, and to do something about it.

Do yourself a big favor and live this day with purpose, intention, passion and relentless energy. You can do it, and you’ll feel amazing when you do. 

Live smart

Don’t just think about how great life can be. Live those thoughts.

In your own unique way, you are incredibly smart. So use the opportunity of this day to live smart.

Your best ideas deserve much more than to be stuck in your mind. Bring those ideas to life.

You intuitively understand what it will take to make a positive difference in the world. So go ahead, and actually do what it takes.

Put your thinking into action and truly experience how great life can be. Translate your intelligent thoughts into effective, rewarding efforts.

You’re smart enough to know what it takes to create the fulfillment you desire. Put that great intelligence to use, today, and make it happen. 

Give purpose to this day

To get the most out of this day, give it a purpose. Instead of just taking whatever comes, experience this day the way you choose to experience it.

If this day has no clear purpose, then you’re likely to be tossed around by all the random things that happen. Yet when you’ve made a firm commitment to a specific result, your focused direction will enable you to rise above the distractions and diversions.

If you’re standing still, wondering what to do next, the obstacles will push you back. Yet when you’re already moving forward and you encounter obstacles, your momentum will help carry you through them.

Give this day a purpose that will excite you, motivate you, ignite your passion and compel you to get moving. Give yourself something good and meaningful to show for the time you spend living this day.

When the next step is clear, you’re much more likely to take it. When you’ve decided exactly what is to be done, you’re much more likely to do it.

There is enormous positive potential in this very day. Give this day a purpose, and claim some of the great value it offers. 

Start the ball rolling

Motivation leads to action, and action leads to more motivation. If you’re not motivated to do anything, do a little something anyway and start the ball rolling.

Even the smallest positive step can begin to create positive momentum. Take that small step, feel the tiny wisp of motivation and momentum, and let it carry you to the next modest step.

Even if it doesn’t seem to accomplish anything, a small, initial positive action does in fact achieve something of great consequence. It gets you going.

Once you’re in motion, you’re much more likely to stay in motion. The longer you stay in motion, the more likely you are to keep going.

The best thing to do when you don’t feel like doing anything, is to do something. Remind yourself that although you may be severely unmotivated, you can take a small action anyway.

No matter what your situation or level of motivation may be, there’s some little something you can do. Do it now, get the ball rolling, and let the power of positive momentum push you forward. 

The moment when you can

Now is the most important time in your life, because now is the time you can do something about. Now is your most powerful moment, because now is when you can exercise the power of your intention.

Don’t waste this powerful moment complaining about the past or worrying about the future. Invest your time, this time right now, in living with purpose, passion, creativity, effectiveness and joy.

This is not a time to be timid or vengeful, angry or disappointed. This is your time to find sweet fulfillment in using your wisdom and your efforts to make a difference.

It doesn’t really matter what’s been happening lately, or whether you’ve been falling behind or speeding ahead. Now is a valuable new moment, filled with new possibilities, ready for you to live with all you have.

Now is jam-packed full of great opportunity. Grab some of that opportunity, right here, right now, and do something beautiful and meaningful with it.

You are here, this moment is here, the possibilities are here, and you can immediately start to transform those possibilities into fulfilling reality. This is the moment when you can, so do. 

Who to blame

When a law has been broken or a contract violated, it is important to determine who is to blame. For most other things in life, however, being concerned about blame is largely a waste of time and effort.

Yes, it matters who is to blame. Yet there are plenty of other things that matter much, much more.

Punishing those who are to blame does not undo what they have done. Time and effort put into assigning blame take time and effort away from moving forward.

Let go of the need to blame. Embrace the freedom and the opportunity that forgiveness can bring.

It is better to make new progress than it is to fight battles from the past. Instead of becoming obsessed about who is to blame, become passionate about the good things you can now do.

Your best options are found by looking forward, not back. Make the choice to make the best of what has happened, starting now. 

— Ralph Marston