Power Up Passages

Written goals have power; a ton of power as a matter fo fact. Power to move, power to pursuade; power to change your life if given the chance. Once your goals have been reduced to writing, they have the power to propel you forward; the power to make your dreams come true. The power to shape your life. Yet you seldom take the time to write down your goals.

Why?

There are times when life can appear pretty bleak. And there are moments when life looks bleaker than bleak. And nobody likes bleak. Bleak is yucky. Bleak is gloomy. Bleak is drab, dreary and downright depressing.

Before you can accomplish anything worthwhile, you must first believe you can. Not kind of believe. Not sort of believe either. That lukewarm approach just won't cut it. You have got to have a rock-solid belief that you CAN do it. Can get it done. Can make it happen.

When life knocks you down, you can focus on the pain, the hurt, and the disappointment. You can get down. You can withdraw. You can give up and consign yourself to defeat. Or you can choose to stay tough. Stay strong. And stay in the game.

Got a ton of problems on your hands?
Got a heap of trouble brewing?
Got more obstacles than you know what to do with?
You're not alone.

What kind of load have you been carrying around lately? Is it a heavy load, a lighter load, or somewhere in between? Is it a load that weighs you down; a load that wears you out? Is it a load full of pressure and problems, a load of fear and trepidation? Is it a load you can handle - or a load that handles you?

You're close, real close; close to getting it done. So close that you can taste it. But you've been there before. You've been closer than close, almost there, right on the edge close to closing the deal - and still managed to come up short.

You made a mistake. Not a little one, mind you; but a big time blunder. To make matters worse, it was made out in the open, on full display for everyone to see. Everyone saw you do it. Everyone knows you blew it. Now everyone is laughing behind your back.

How many times have you wished things were better? Wished you had more money? Wished you had a better job?

Wished you were in better shape?
Wished you were having more fun?
Wished you were relaxing on the beach?
Wished things had turned out differently?

You've got an idea.

At first blush the idea seems a little nutty, a little crazy, and a more than a little off the wall. It is something you have never done; something you have never even imagined yourself doing. In fact, to your knowledge, no one has ever attempted what you are thinking about doing.

It looked like a slam dunk, a sure thing, a home run; an opportunity you couldn't afford to miss. The timing felt right, the stars were aligned; your ducks were all in a row. So you stepped up and pulled the trigger.

You are about to break, about to quit; about to fall to pieces. Despair builds in your heart. Defeat hangs in the air. Dark clouds loom everywhere you look. You are hurt, despondent and wonder if you can go on.

Yet something within keeps you going.

Don't live beyond your means. How many times have you heard the so-called financial gurus offer up this piece of advice?

You've been pushed into a corner; your back smashed flat against the wall. You are out of room, out of rope; there is nowhere to run, no place to hide. With the pressure building, the problems mounting, you are left with but two choices. You can cave to the stress and strain. Or you can fight your way out.

You've heard the snide comments, the callous remarks. You have felt the sneers. You have been on the receiving end of way too many nasty comments. People have torn you down, besmirched your reputation. And they've said all sorts of things that were not true. You feel hurt, betrayed, and want to strike back. And give them a piece of your mind.

Here's a word to the wise: Don't.

Do you live with integrity?
Do you act with principle?
Do you win with dignity and grace?

Sometimes things look rough, things look bad; things look tougher than tough. You would like things to look rosier, but right now, they're not. Needless to say, you are not real thrilled wih the way things look. Maybe, just maybe, you need to look somewhere else.

You know where you want to go - and how you want to get there. After all, you've thought it through. You've crunched the numbers. You have put together a game plan that looks really solid. So you cut loose. You set sail. And start chasing your dreams.

Got a favorite food, a favorite song, a favorite place to hang out? Do you have a favorite book, a favorite person, a favorite way to spend your time? Of course you, everyone does. There are people, places and things that are your absolute favorites.