Motivational Stories

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2qYb87S

“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh When I was a kid, I wanted to be an Olympic figure skater. Or an artist for Disney. Or maybe a musician. I wanted to be a songwriter and choreographer. I made up roller skating routines in the driveway to Tiffany and Paula Abdul. (It was most excellent.) I filled notebooks upon notebooks with illustrations. And if you were to ask me to describe myself, I might have said, “happy.” Or I would have chattered on about my dreams and all the interesting things I liked. Ask me today, and just like any other adult, my automatic response would probably be something along the lines of what I do and how hard I work, as if I’m interviewing for a job. I’m a psychologist. I’m a hard worker. I’m dedicated. (Adults aren’t always so good at this.) Somewhere around junior high, my identity shifted from happy and interested in everything to being studious and serious abo...

I am a firm believer in telling people what you think, if it is positive, and not keeping it to yourself. If you think someone is doing a great job, then tell them. If you appreciated something others have done, let them know. However, we do not do this nearly as often as we should. While it may be uncomfortable for some people to express emotions in this way, we live in the age of modern technology. This means we have many ways to communicate with people that should help it be a little less awkward. These simple ways to let them know they are special, and to make them feel appreciated, require little effort on your part and might make a difference in their day. How you can make others feel special Here is a list of ways in which you can make someone feel special. These suggestions will help you compliment something physical, a personality trait, or their spirit. You never know the words someone needs to hear, but your compliment should always be genuine, so pick what feels right! ...

"Life without liberty is like a body without spirit." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2YzdVnI

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.” ~Norman Cousins On September 23, 2015, Loukas Angelo was walking to his after-school strength and conditioning class just a few hundred yards from Archbishop Mitty High School. He was approaching the outdoor basketball courts when he ran out into the street and was struck by a car traveling around thirty miles per hour. The impact sent Loukas flying down the street, and he was immediately transported to the closest hospital where he remained in critical condition. I remember sitting on the couch later that afternoon when my phone started blowing up. Feeling curious, I shoved aside my history homework and decided to see what was going on. Multiple people had sent some variation of the same text, “Yo. This is so sad. Did you hear about what happened with Loukas…?” Confused and a little bit scared, I turned to Twitter and started looking through my feed. I was absolutely floored by t...

To some he is God incarnate, to others, he is a redeemer, and to some, he is a revolutionary freedom fighter. His Imperial Majesty Haile Salassie I is one of the most influential figures to come out of Africa. Ethiopia is recognized as the only African nation to never be colonized. A man who traces his lineage to King Solomon and The Queen of Sheeba, Selassie worked for decades to modernize and uplift Ethiopia. He stood against the tyranny of Italian occupation. He was the last reigning monarch of the Solomonic dynasty. Below, you will find 50 quotes from His Imperial Majesty that provide food for thought regarding forgiveness, sovereignty, spirituality, and the nature of humankind. Halie Selassie quotes about life and freedom 1. “Sometimes things that do not appear inspired by courage demand great courage.” – Halie Selassie 2. “Rich and poor have always existed and always will. Why? Because there are those that work and those that don’t, those wish to earn their living and those ...

Self-organization is the process of achieving a goal by identifying the most efficient path for doing so. This process includes acknowledging the skills, knowledge, and resources each individual possesses. Self-organization demands active experimentation in terms of approaches, continuous adjustment and the obtainment of lessons from all failures . Self-organization is popular in many creative industries nowadays because it can inspire individuals and entire work teams alike. The fundamental aim of self-organization is to encourage self-actualization. As a result, self-organization will set you up for achievement and fulfillment. If you wish to introduce self-organization to your company, you are just on your way to reaping the sweet fruits of this concept. The easiest way to describe those fruits is by breaking them down into the following advantages: 1. Facilitates the Arrangement of Meetings Self-organization determines how often team members meet. Short but frequent meetings ar...

“Ironically enough, when you make peace with the fact that the purpose of life is not happiness, but rather experience and growth, happiness comes as a natural byproduct. When you are not seeking it as the objective, it will find its way to you.” ~Unknown I have always enjoyed helping others. Ever since I can remember, my empathic nature has led me to feel what others are feeling and to try and assist them to the best of my ability. Serving others has always been a point of pride for me. I have built my entire life around the idea that my life serves a greater purpose in the universal machine. My suffering and the life experiences I’ve had are leading me toward a grand destination, where I can look back and finally make sense of everything that’s happened and feel fulfilled. I’ve held this belief for so long and internalized this message so deeply that to think of any alternatives seems insane. Can I share a secret with you? I am terrified that I might be wrong about all of it. May...

"The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2mAjIYG

"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2lNRV6B

“Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where i end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom.” ~Henry Cloud Late last night, I once again found myself unable to sleep, and boy was I angry. So, in order not to disturb my other half, who is always asleep the moment his head touches the pillow, I dragged myself off to the sofa. Once there, sat seething in the dark, I listened to my emotion and asked it to speak to me, and guess what it screamed?! Boundaries! Now please bear in mind that I have been on this journey for a while and had also been discussing boundaries earlier in the day, so my inner knowing came out loud and clear. For you this may not be the case, and that’s okay. Practical Tip 1: When you feel angry, take yourself away and write down all those racing thoughts. No judgment, just get pen to scrap piece of paper and write it all down. Do ...

"The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/32mD5U3

“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” ~Viktor Frankl When life goes sideways, it can be hard to take one more breath, let alone find meaning. Trust me. I know. In the same year, I had breast cancer, chemo, radiation, and a divorce I didn’t want. There’s more to the story (there always is), but in essence, I lost everything—my health, my love, my home. During all of this, I lost sight of myself, quit trusting myself. I was sure I was to blame for everything. At the same time, within twenty-four hours of leaving the house I loved, six friends had given me the keys to their houses, telling me I always had a place to stay. My family showed up for me in ways that had me weeping. Also during this time, I had two powerful dreams and one still small voice—these three messengers told me the very things I needed to hear to go on. My first dream involved someone cooking something delicious in a kitchen. I couldn’t eat what she was making, becaus...

"Let your mind alone, and see what happens." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2mSbElv

"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." from Today's Quote https://ift.tt/2n53nLp

“There is no place so awake and alive as the edge of becoming.” ~Sue Monk Kidd From a small café overlooking the boat harbor in Seward, Alaska, I looked out the window at the enormous mountain peak of Mount Alice that protruded from the earth behind rows of tour boats, sailboats, and a cruise ship large enough to carry several thousand passengers. The last few days of my summer there were coming to an end, and I reflected with gratitude on my time there. Located directly off the Gulf of Alaska and within Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is a place people dream about: bald eagles cut through the sky as frequently as clouds, humpback whales breach the calm bay on a quiet morning, and wildlife roam freely within rows of pine trees that crowd the hillside and hug the small town. Seward was my home for the summer of 2019. I lived in a camper van next to Resurrection River with a full view of Mount Alice. At night I could hear the soft, constant mumble of the river. When I wasn’t work...