Daily Motivator - October
 

October 1

Do the work

You find it difficult to turn away from the comforts of the moment to work on a future achievement. Difficult, yet the quality of your life demands it.

Compared to immediate gratification, everything else feels like work. Be strong, be purposeful, rise above shortsightedness, and do the work.

Enjoy each moment, be good to yourself, but don’t pamper yourself into a meaningless existence. You are able to do great things, so get your hands dirty and get those great things done.

There is no real joy in endless empty pleasure. If you’re not creating meaningful value, you’re accumulating bitter regret.

Great possibilities abound right now, so seize them, work with them. The opportunities, the challenges, the efforts strengthen you, energize you, fulfill you.

Substance and richness are what you seek. Let them come through your efforts, every chance you get.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 2

Beyond your assumptions

Your assumptions cause you to see things that are not there. Your assumptions blind you to realities that are all too real.

Your assumptions save you the time and effort of thinking everything through. That can be helpful, and it can also be dangerous.

If you assume too little, you can become paralyzed by the need to endlessly evaluate every new situation you encounter and every new decision you must make. If you assume too much, you can lose touch with reality.

Depend on your assumptions, while also challenging and verifying them regularly. Though you've accumulated some great experience and wisdom, life isn't always the way you assume it will be.

Beyond your assumptions, new and valuable possibilities thrive and multiply. As comfortable as those assumptions may be, keep in mind that they can severely limit you.

Remind yourself often that your assumptions are just that, assumptions. Remind yourself often to see the realities and participate in the possibilities that you never would have assumed are out there.

Ralph S. Marston

October 3

Creative ideas

Ideas flow into your awareness. Pay attention, and give them some respect.

The ideas you create come from the life you live, from the problems you encounter, from the values you hold. That makes them quite valuable and appropriate for you.

Don’t discount ideas just because they come from you, or just because they seem silly. Though they won’t all be workable, each one has something to tell you.

You are a highly creative being. And your creativity is specifically targeted to your own unique situation.

Creativity is not just about directing films or painting pictures. Creativity helps you in every moment to make the most of life.

Accept those creative ideas as they flow into your awareness. Grab the good ones and follow through, adding great beauty and goodness to your world.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 4

Inner substance

When bitter winds howl through life, be strong, and thankful. When sunlight bathes your world in warmth and comfort, be thankful, and strong.

Some days you’ll feel on top of the world, and other days will seem like you’re sinking in a pit. You can choose to live them all with grace, integrity, strength and gratitude.

What’s outside will toss you around, lift you up and push you down. Through it all on the inside you can grow, stronger, wiser, with new understanding, compassion and love.

And what really matters when you encounter the most challenging challenges? What enables you to fulfill the most positive, compelling possibilities?

What matters is the authentic person you are inside. What matters is the inner substance you’ve built through all the experiences you’ve had.

Today things will happen, planned, unplanned, desirable, undesirable. Take it all in, work your way through, and tomorrow you’ll be better than ever.

-Ralph S. Marston,

October 5

Everything that’s right

Here’s an interesting irony. You are able to see what’s wrong with life precisely because there’s so much right with life.

All the good parts give you the luxury of being able to consider what’s not so good. All the things that work correctly enable you to fix what’s broken.

Whenever anything goes wrong, it’s easy to feel dismayed. You’ll be much better off, however, if you use the occasion to remind yourself how good you have it.

Life’s troubles exist within a larger context. That context includes the beauty and abundance of life and all its positive possibilities.

If all you do is obsess over what’s wrong, that disconnects you from your power to move forward. Instead, consider all you still have going for you, so you can make good use of it.

Remember and appreciate everything that’s right with life. Then you can effectively deal with everything else.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 6

All the possibilities

You may not be able to move forward in the way you planned. So, move forward some other way.

You may be prevented from going in the direction you intended. Yet there are plenty of other positive directions in which you can go.

Don’t allow yourself to see the obstacles as excuses. See them as opportunities.

Planning is important, but the plan is not the achievement. If the plan doesn’t bring the progress you seek, put your positive energy into another approach.

You absolutely can live the fulfilling life you wish to live. Open yourself to all the possibilities, not just the ones you originally imagined.

Flexibility, creativity, enthusiasm and commitment will get you there. This is an ideal time to put them all to work for you.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 7

Be the positive difference

Hope shines brightest in hopeless situations. Optimism is the most powerful when there is no obvious reason for it.

If you’re not pleased with the way things are, that’s no excuse to be dejected. It is an opportunity to make a difference, to be the difference.

Your inner direction does not have to be dictated by the way things are. You can choose to be driven, motivated, inspired by your highest vision for life.

It’s all too easy to let go of your vision, to claim the world is pushing you down. What’s much better is finding a way to live that vision in every moment no matter the circumstance.

Sure, there are obstacles to overcome. The way to get past them is with a strong, non-negotiable, positive vision.

Let your highest and best vision drive you. And be the positive difference you know you can be.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 8

Intention

Action creates achievement. Intention makes sure those achievements are meaningful and useful.

Intention alone does not achieve anything. Yet intention determines what the achievements will be.

You’ll get much more done when you start the day with a detailed list of what you intend to do. Intention immunizes you from the distractions and interruptions.

To achieve whatever you desire, you must begin by knowing precisely what that is. Intention directs your energy and activity toward meaningful results.

Today presents you with countless ways to waste your time. With intention, you avoid wasting such a precious, valuable, irreplaceable resource.

Give your life the respect and the fulfillment it deserves. Live it each day with intention.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 9

Live in gratitude

Every moment you live in gratitude is a moment you do not have to live in fear, or anger, frustration or disappointment. Every moment you live in gratitude empowers you to be more purposeful, effective, kind and creative.

It's easy to be grateful, though sometimes hard to remember to be. Let this serve as your reminder.

In fact, you can remind yourself to be grateful in a lot of different ways. It's obvious that you would be grateful for your blessings, yet there are plenty of other things you can add to the list.

When a challenge arises, you can be grateful for the strength and experience you'll gain and the new value you'll create by working through that challenge. When you've been disappointed or suffered a loss, you can be grateful for your ability to care about life.

Gratitude keeps you connected to the good and valuable parts of your life. When you remember to be grateful, you suddenly equip yourself with a powerful, positive perspective.

No matter what may happen, you can find a way to be grateful. Live in gratitude, and live at your very best.

Ralph S. Marston

October 10

Enthusiasm and energy

Your life deserves all the enthusiasm and energy you can give it. So without waiting another moment, give it, and keep giving it.

Be a positive presence in your own life, your own thoughts, your own actions. Be a positive influence for people and situations you encounter.

Imagine the best that can happen, and then take vigorous steps in that direction. Visualize pure, unrestrained joy and then let that joy emerge from your vision out into your life.

Let go of the tired old thought patterns that keep you feeling worried and hesitant. Think of what it would mean right now to live with boldness and enthusiasm, then do it.

Your time is too precious to let even a few moments slip away without putting all of yourself into them. The possibilities are too splendid to ignore.

You have the power to energize your whole world. Activate that power, create that energy, and do all the great things today you know you can do.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 11

The best now ever

What you feel today was set in motion a long time ago. Even so, it is as fresh as a drop of dew a few minutes before the sun comes up.

What you know right now has taken a lifetime to discover. Yet before you had learned anything about life you understood it.

A thousand years of solid effort would not exhaust your capabilities, nor deplete your imagination. Now is always with you, always adding to what’s possible.

Think of what an enormous, amazing existence is yours right now. Decide anew how you’ll do it justice, and act right away on your decision.

The point is not how much time you have, or how little. For time is a concept that cannot encompass all you experience, all you are.

The point is how richly you fill the moment you’re in. Let your awareness dive deeply into the depth of your being, and make this the best now ever.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 12

Away from negativity

When you’re tempted to give out judgment, see if you can offer understanding instead. Rather than trying to prove you’re right, seek to improve the situation for everyone.

Anger, frustration, resentment and their kin will indeed pump you up with great energy. As quickly as possible, transform that energy into positive pursuits.

When events get blown out of proportion, as they always do, remind yourself to be calm. Instead of reacting to the drama of the day, renew your commitment to your highest values.

It’s important to hold people responsible for their actions. But it’s a waste to obsess endlessly over who is to blame for every undesirable turn of events.

Focus your thoughts on the good you can do, on spreading that good as far as possible. Put your efforts into personally adding new value to life.

Step away from the negativity, refusing to let it consume you. There is much good you can do, so fulfill your best possibilities and enjoy getting it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 13

Appreciation

There’s a way you can instantly make anything you have more valuable. All you have to do is more fully appreciate it.

The more you appreciate your skills, the more useful they become. The more you appreciate the people around you, the more helpful and enjoyable they become.

Appreciate your circumstances, and you’ll get more out of them. Appreciate the challenges, and you’ll transform them into achievements.

There’s a word commonly used to describe a financial, real estate or other asset that has gained value. That asset is said to have undergone appreciation.

Yet appreciation is about more than an increase in monetary value. By offering your own appreciation, you can add richness to every part of your world.

Consider all the good things in your life, and even the not-so-good things. Give them more appreciation, and they will all grow in positive value.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 14

Fulfillment in how you live

Fulfillment is not something you find. Fulfillment is in what you do, in how you live.

You roam, you search, you click, you shop, beg, hope for and demand the answer. Yet the key to a fulfilling life cannot be neatly packaged and delivered to you.

The quality of life you live is created in your thoughts, actions, attitude, commitment, integrity. It comes from the way you treat others, from what you expect of yourself, from what you give to each moment.

Today is your opportunity to raise that quality to an even higher level. Whatever your outer conditions may be, what matters most is what you treasure within.

Look ahead to the life you’ll be living tomorrow, next year and beyond. Be the person today who will give maximum value and meaning to that life.

The way you are and the things you do have a great impact on how your life unfolds. Now is your chance to make that impact as positive, as beneficial as you can.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 15

Face forward

Don’t let the difficult times drain your hope. Don’t let the good times melt your ambition.

Life changes, and you have a hand in making those changes. Time continues to pass, yet no day is ever exactly like the one before.

Be careful not to become too smug about the successes or too discouraged about the failures. Instead, direct your attention, your focus, your energy and efforts toward what you can do now.

You can be certain the world will change as you move through the moments, days and years. Within such a dynamic environment, you can always create new, positive value.

Briefly look back to learn, to be inspired, to fuel your determination. Then face forward and give life your best, most positive, focused, effective self.

Face forward, knowing you can rise above the disappointments and push beyond the victories. Face forward, with love, generosity, purpose and passion, and do all the great things you know you can do.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 16

Adding richness

Let whatever happens give new richness and meaning to life. Instead of rushing to make a judgment, seek to be thankful.

Take a moment to look back on your life. See how everything you've been through has contributed to the wise, strong and capable person you are.

No matter how today's experiences may feel right now, eventually you'll have new value in your life because of them. Let go of the resentment, the fear and the anxiety, and let the best possibilities take hold.

You have a chance to move forward now, with new knowledge, new strength, a higher level of determination and a stronger sense of purpose. Feel the power in that opportunity.

Whatever happens today, let it renew the love you have for all you love. Let it inspire new ways to express that love and to fulfill your highest values in even the ordinary, everyday moments.

This very day, this very situation is adding richness to your life. See it, accept it, live it and expand it far and wide.

Ralph S. Marston

October 17

Gift of achievement

Decide right now to make this commitment. Promise yourself that in one hour you’ll look back on the previous hour with great satisfaction.

Schedule yourself, just an hour from now, to be grateful and excited about what you’ve just done. Then get busy and create that positive moment.

Give yourself the gift of achievement. Watch yourself, feel the satisfaction, as you get good things done.

Experience the power of your own focus. Stay centered on the specific difference you’ve chosen to make.

Boost your confidence, your optimism, your attitude and your effectiveness. Invest the next hour becoming a more positive and accomplished version of you.

That investment begins paying dividends immediately, and for a long time to come. Make the commitment, do the work, and enjoy the rewards you’re already earning.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 18

Go to the trouble

Don’t give up just because going forward will be a little trouble. Go to the trouble, deal with the inconveniences, make the effort.

Doing nothing is always the easy choice, but rarely the best choice. Make the choice to make good things happen, whatever it takes.

Achievement looks great when it’s completed, yet it can be messy and complicated while you’re doing it. Tolerate the mess, work through the complications, and get the achievement done.

Along the way you’ll be challenged, frustrated, humbled, maybe a little embarrassed and occasionally exhausted. Just remember, every bit of that adds to the value of what you’re doing.

Every day brings new opportunities, and every opportunity worth its salt will take effort and discomfort to fulfill. Put yourself out there and pay the price fulfillment demands.

Doing nothing is easy today, but the regret you’ll feel tomorrow can be impossible to bear. Avoid that regret, go to the trouble, and be ever thankful you did.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 19

Time that is here

There is time, and it is now. You have time, and you have it today.

Instead of waiting for the perfect time, make use of this time, this day, this moment. Rather than wishing for more time, use your energy to more richly fill the time that’s here.

Each moment bestows upon you a great opportunity. It is the opportunity to make a difference, in the way you choose, for what you love.

There is time right now to make a little progress. And when you’re done, you’ll have the inspiration, the momentum, and a fresh moment of time with which to do even more.

Don’t hold yourself back by resorting to excuses. Respect, appreciate and make full use of the time that is here, the time that is yours now.

Each moment flowing into your life is worth more than pure gold. See that potential value, make it real, and now, make it yours.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 20

Eyes of others

Though you never intend to make a mistake, it happens. When it does, the best thing you can do is accept it, admit it, and quickly make it right.

Denying your mistakes doesn’t make you look better. It just extends and prolongs the negative influence of those mistakes.

It’s nice to receive accolades for what you do. What’s much more valuable, though, is to be honestly told when you’re not living up to expectations.

Don’t let your ego get in the way of your effectiveness. Welcome criticism, welcome suggestions, welcome sincere feedback, and embrace the benefits.

The more fully you understand the impressions of others, the better you become at getting good things done. Willingly embrace your shortcomings, and you can transcend them.

Treasure the observations and insights of others, even if, especially if they are at odds with your own. Seek to see yourself through the eyes of others, and you’ll see countless ways to grow stronger.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 21

Follow through

Start with confidence, continue with confidence, and finish with confidence. There’s a reason you have chosen to act, so follow all the way through.

When you’re tempted to become disillusioned with the effort, challenge yourself to take just three or four more steps. After doing so, you’ll have worked your way past the disillusionment.

Pay attention to what you’re doing in the moment, while also keeping the goal in mind. With a meaningful purpose, you’ll find energy to move through any challenge.

If you begin to doubt yourself, continue to act, continue to make the effort anyway. Your actions will soon erase the doubts.

The more invested you are in what you’re doing, the more motivated you’ll be to continue. Give your best to each task, and be unstoppable.

You have chosen, for a very good reason, to do something useful, valuable, meaningful. Follow through, all the way, and get it done.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 22

Great time to do more

Don’t let success spoil your success. After you’ve achieved the goal, set your sights on an even higher goal, and keep going.

The worst time to stop is after you’ve made progress, for it wastes the momentum you’ve worked so hard to build. Instead, keep riding that momentum, keep getting good work done.

Every accomplishment creates new opportunities. Instead of sinking into complacency, enjoy taking on a challenge that’s even more meaningful than before.

When you’ve already done enough, that’s a great time to do more. When you’ve felt the thrill of achievement, you’re highly inspired to create it again.

You’ve already made a valuable contribution to life, already made a positive difference. That’s a great reason to keep going, to keep giving more of the good stuff you have.

Enjoy each success, and instead of resting on it, climb to the top of it, standing tall, looking forward. Then joyfully launch yourself on the next new adventure.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 23

Respond with kindness

Kindness makes life better for those who give it, for those who receive it, and for those who are around it. Kindness is something you can give, that continues to give to life as it goes far beyond you.

Being kind does not mean letting people take advantage of you. Being kind does not mean being naive or allowing others to get away with injustice.

Being kind is a matter of making the most powerful, positive choice in the way you respond. It's easy to react with anger, spite, pity, revulsion or smugness, but more powerful, in the long run, to respond with kindness and respect.

When you disagree with someone, anger will push you further apart. Kindness, even in a disagreement, will help bring you closer together.

There's nothing of value to be gained by trying to prove how much better you are. There is much to be gained, for everyone concerned, with kindness.

Whatever happens, see if you can find a way to respond with kindness. Keep kindness in your heart, and you'll add real richness to your life.

Ralph S. Marston

October 24

Positive contribution to the future

Look beyond the desires of the moment. Turn your attention toward the long-term desires, plans, hopes, dreams for your life.

Stop being such a slave to whatever you want right now. Free yourself to be the master of what your life is like tomorrow, next month, five years from now.

In twenty minutes, the latest buzz will have already been forgotten. Yet what you garner from a good book or a heartfelt conversation will stay with you for twenty years.

Use right now to make a positive contribution to the future, your future, the world’s future. Take the actions today that will have the biggest benefits later, and you improve both the present and the future.

What you grab quickly goes away quickly. Yet what you patiently, persistently give to life grows more valuable as time goes on.

Breathe in the beauty, wonder, abundance and opportunity of now. With your actions, direct all that energy toward creating an even better future.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 25

Push through

Push through the temptation to quit. On the other side you’ll gain fresh energy to keep going.

Push beyond the inclination to blame others or to make excuses. Fill yourself with the power, the effectiveness of taking full responsibility.

Push yourself past the doubt, fear, uncertainty. With your sustained effort make some momentum, and confidence will come with it.

Push through the challenges, one by one, giving your best. Push through with such enthusiasm that you’re always eager for the next challenge.

Whatever comes, see it as an opportunity to expand your competence, to grow your strength. Whatever comes, see it as a chance to express the unique joy and meaning of living life as you.

Push through, with humility, generosity, passion and persistence. Push through, and immerse yourself in more richness than ever.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 26

Marvel at the magic

Stop searching for situations where you can be joyful. Start expressing joy in whatever situations you’re in.

Don’t keep striving to create the perfect circumstance. Live richly, with meaning, integrity, authenticity and fun in every circumstance.

Happiness is not something to be defined in advance. Happiness is yours to choose in each moment.

Yes, be ambitious, set goals, work toward them. Just remember that there is much goodness, life, fulfillment to be enjoyed along the way.

Marvel at the magic of living in a world where so many amazing experiences are available to you every day. With a constant sense of awe and gratitude, seek to more fully earn the abundance that’s already yours.

Let go of the conditions you’ve placed on joy, and open yourself to all its possibilities. Be joy, live joy, here, now, and with whatever may or may not come.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 27

Transform disappointment

Disappointment shines a light on the problem, and once that happens there’s no need to continue with the disappointment. Get over it, and get busy making a positive change.

Whether it’s disappointment with yourself, or someone else, or the world at large, there’s a way to make a change for the better. So figure out what you can do, and do it.

No, you can’t solve all the problems of the world before dinner. Yet you can nudge your little corner of the world in a beneficial direction.

Though you’ll find plenty of blame to go around, refuse to dwell on assigning or maintaining that blame. Today is a new day, and an opportunity to think, act and feel in new ways.

Initially, disappointment connects you in a powerful way to what you care about, which is very useful. Keep in mind, though, that holding on to disappointment is a sad waste of your time and energy.

Feel the disappointment, then quickly transform it into positive, effective activity. Don’t let disappointment hold you down, because you have a whole lot of better things to do.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 28

Reflected attitude

Rudeness feeds on itself, and so does civility. Your attitude bounces back to you from each person you encounter.

Are you unhappy with what you’re getting? Then improve the quality of what you’re giving.

If you venture into the world with a negative demeanor, you’re certain to encounter negative people. When you choose instead to be generous, caring, respectful, you’re sure to come across others who are the same way.

Consider each person you meet to be a mirror. Keep in mind that if you don’t like what you see in a mirror, it’s not entirely the mirror’s fault.

And what if the other person initiates a negative tone? That’s your opportunity to change the dynamic by reflecting back a more positive response.

Your positive attitude won’t eliminate every conflict, yet it can often make a big difference. Whether it’s reflecting or being reflected, make your attitude bright, positive and helpful.

-Ralph S. Marston

October 29

Do in truth

Whatever you do, do in truth. Make it real and make it last by making it honest.

Deception might seem like the easy way out, but it is not a way out at all. Deception is a mistake that will eventually bring you down.

Truth is often difficult and inconvenient, and yet truth carries great power. Fill your words, your actions, your life with that power.

Honest efforts are the ones that bring lasting value to your life. Authentic relationships are the ones from which you’ll enjoy great benefit.

Demonstrate your respect for yourself, for others, for all of life by being truthful. Engage the full force of your own unique existence by being truthful and authentic.

Whenever there’s a question, a choice, a decision to be made, make it on the side of truth. Truth puts you and your world in the best possible position.

Ralph S. Marston

October 30

Dive into the details

Before you do the work to reach your goal, do the work to convince yourself you can reach it. Get beyond your doubts by reminding yourself how willing and capable you are.

Any ambitious effort will seem daunting when you first contemplate it in a generalized, abstract way. To give yourself the confidence to do it, dive into the details.

There are plenty of tasks you're ready, willing and able to tackle. You can assemble those tasks together to achieve whatever goal you have chosen.

A solid, realistic pathway leads from where you are right now to the place you wish to go. Knowing what you already know, with skills and resources you already have, you can take the first step on that path today.

Make a detailed list of all the things you're willing to do to reach your goal. Having that list will give you the confidence to know you can do it and the inspiration to move forward.

Then go ahead, take one of the actions on your list, and another and another. Keep on going, one task at a time, and you'll reach the goal that once seemed so far away.

Ralph S. Marston

October 31

Mental momentum

Which direction is your mental momentum headed? Are your thoughts joining together to support you or to hinder you?

Life has its ups and downs, its possibilities and problems. Which aspects are you focusing most of your mental energy around?

You’re constantly creating elaborate scenarios about life that exist solely in your mind. Those scenarios, that mental momentum, can push your real-world life in a variety of directions.

If you seek to gather evidence that all of life is against you, you’ll find it in abundance. Negative mental momentum will lend a destructive, neglectful, dejected flavor to all you do.

Choose instead to construct a scenario around the positive possibilities. Be thankful for the best that has been, imagine the best that can happen, and continue using the power of your thoughts to add details and substance.

Your actions, your effectiveness, your results are influenced by the mental state you’re in. Maintain positive mental momentum and the benefits will flow to every part of your life.

-Ralph S. Marston