Isn’t it true that everyone has a goal? Some may dream of wealth, some of travel, some of dedicating their lives to service others, whatever the goal … it is human nature to have something to “aim for.” If you were asked, “How willing are you to take whatever steps necessary to achieve your personal and/or professional goals?” What would your answer be? Are you willing to change your perceptions, learn new things, and embrace new ideas?

Are you willing to grow in order to grasp your brass ring?

In human resources management, the buzz word “KSAs” has been quite popular. It stands for knowledge, skills, and abilities. These are the things that make employees attractive to employers, and propel them up the ladder to success. Are your knowledge, skills, and abilities up to date? Many people rely on existing skills to get them where they want to be, without thinking to update skills, research new technologies, or perfect their delivery. What are some of the things in your life that could stand a little refreshing, updating, or attention?

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Ever meet someone who is always chipper, always has a kind word to say, can be sick in bed but still wears a smile. Why? What makes two people look at the same situation and observe two completely different things? Is it perception or something deeper?

Individuals who are happy and can always find the positive in a situation are masters of a skill that everyone should learn. They’ve mastered the art of flipping the switch on their perspective. They’ve learned that life is simply a perspective and just how good or bad it seems is dependent on their take on the situation. Literally that life can be changed in a snap. And that it’s necessary to turn down all of the negative talk that’s going on, and focus on the positive flip side that can be silenced by the sheer volume of the negativity. There’s always an opposite. The goal to having positive energy in life is to be able to recognize when negativity is surfacing and squash it like a bug.

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Envision yourself in the driver’s seat of your car. Where are you headed? What path are you taking? How long will it take you to get there? How do you get around traffic and road blocks? These are some questions that can be applied to life as well. How does one find the answer to these questions? By learning about, understanding, and applying the various powerful laws of the universe. These are the laws which govern our very existence.

There are several laws that can help one get on track, two of them, which work in tandem are the law of relativity and the law of proper perspective. The law of relativity tells us several things: first, that all things are connected and nothing is bad per se, just an experience with a lesson, which has a benefit. But it is up to each of us to find that good. This is called the “tests of initiation” and the way to pass is to be true to yourself, and pay attention to your inner dialogue while you are looking for the answer. Next, the law of relativity states that we must look at our problems and compare them to the problems of others. One will not have to look long or hard to find someone in worse shape. This really helps put things in perspective, for as bad as one may think it is, it could always be worse which brings us back to the positive state of appreciation, simply by looking outward and broadening your scope of vision. The law of relativi ty can be accelerated by using the law of proper perspective, which states that one must determine what is most important and what will produce spiritual growth and put those discoveries into play in order to reach the goal.

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We are a learning society. We spend many years and countless hours learning things in school, taking refresher courses, pursuing post-graduate level course work, and internet classes. Yet, when someone does not succeed, it is a truly enlightened individual that remembers to label it for what it is … a learning experience. People that are able to recognize this when it shows up in their own lives are able to use it to their advantage. In fact, they are typically very successful because they possess a “willingness to fail”. They are able to look at what most would consider a failure, as a means to get to their final destination. Just because they go off-track temporarily does not mean they are not even closer to their target. It is simply targeting, realigning, and targeting again until whatever they are after is achieved.

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Do you remember that inner voice? You know – the one that we have to put a muzzle on, and train? The one that says that “we can do better”, what we did was “not good enough”, and even “you’re a failure”. Can you tell why that voice needs to be silenced? First and foremost, because it is wrong! We gain nothing from “beating ourselves” up about things. In fact, it is a serious waste of energy that could be spent building ourselves up. By the way, remember we are only supposed to be speaking to ourselves in an exemplary manner, if you’re not, put that rubber band back on your wrist.

Let’s face it we are human and we’re not perfect. Now that that has been said, there are going to be times when you cannot give something one-hundred percent, just sixty and that’s okay as long as you’re doing YOUR best. What is your best? Your best is whatever you are capable of in the moment. Will it change? Absolutely! I’ll bet that you are capable of performing better when you are feeling well, are well-rested, and are fed, as opposed to sick, exhausted, and starving. See how other factors can come into play to change the level of best that we are able to provide at a given time? Does that mean that if you give 40-percent instead of 90-percent that you are a failure? Absolutely Not! So long as you give that 40- percent your best effort. This really IS all about YOU!

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Father time turns the clock once more. There is one thing in life that is inevitable and that is that time passes whether we want it to or not. Day changes to night and back again, without much concern for us. Time continues without our permission and without our blessing.

Time is a blessing though. It allows us to let go of the past and move to our future. Sometimes we need time to clean our slate. We need to wash it clean so that we can start over. So often we carry baggage with us that only serves to slow us down. Wouldn’t it be nice to let go of that baggage and move on to your goals? New Year’s is the perfect time to do this.

Part of cleaning our slate is learning to let go. This can be a very daunting task for some. We hold onto ideas, people, and even situations because they are familiar. They are comfortable and predictable. Even if they are not healthy situations, they are ones that we can grasp onto because there is a sense of security.

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Each of us is graced with the most powerful gift. With it, we are able to make people soar out of orbit with happiness, or plummet to the earth with despair if we are careless. What is this almighty gift? It is the gift of words and the ability to communicate.

As a society we often forget how powerful our words can be. We are occasionally reckless or too quick to speak, when we should take time to think about the consequences of our words. We are taught from childhood to think before we act, but sometimes neglect to think before we speak!

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When you think of harvest, do you envision arms piled high, full of good things? Well, in essence that is exactly what harvest is. It is defined as “the product or reward of exertion.” What do you want to harvest in your life? Do you need more time to get things accomplished? Do you need to de-clutter your home for more spaciousness? Or perhaps, do you want to pursue some ideas to make more money? Since the word “exertion” is already present in the definition, I am sure it is no surprise that action is involved in the process. The key is to take action that comes only from inspiration!

So, how does one get ready for a Winter Harvest? First, over a period of one week, take some time to take several daily snapshots of your life. Second, use your snapshots as a tool to compose a list identifying the following three things:

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. Why? Because it is the magical time of year when tradition dictates that you spend time putting life in perspective. This is typically done by reflecting on the things, people, and experiences that produce feelings of gratitude and appreciation.

When so much time is spent each year on acquiring more or worrying about not having enough, it is refreshing to have a day set aside as a reminder to take stock and count your blessings. Have you found yourself feeling a little down lately? Are your thoughts centered from a place of lack? Are you feeling the beginning of winter blues? If so, there is no time like the present to begin your “Giving Thanks List”.

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Do you sometimes feel like there is a conspiracy and the whole world is picking on you? Your friends, family, colleagues, even strangers? You know they are really talking about you even though they are making general statements. Who do they think they’re kidding? Strangers even seem to be going out of their way to make your day difficult. You’ve been bumped with shopping carts AND cut off on the road by inconsiderate people. Sound a little familiar? Here is the question — is everyone REALLY out to get you, or is it your own baggage that makes you perceive that everyone has an agenda with your name on it?

Is it possible that people are just carrying on with their lives, and the things that are happening are just — happening? Perhaps people really ARE speaking in generalities, but you are taking it personally?

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