The Value of Life

Be firm about what matters and flexible about what doesn't. Your time, your energy, and the moments of your life are far too precious to waste.

There is nothing to be gained, and much to be lost, by fighting and agonizing over trivial matters. In such cases, even when you win, you lose.

If something truly makes a difference to you and your world, then put the best of yourself into it. If it doesn't really matter, then quietly and calmly let it go.

Choose not to let the little, meaningless things get to you. And you'll free up enormous resources for successfully dealing with the truly important things.

Imagine how it would be if fully half of your frustrations were to suddenly disappear. Know that you can easily and naturally make that happen.

Decide today to let all the silly, trivial matters just float right on by. With a greatly lightened load, you'll then move faster ahead than ever before.

When you've reached the goal you've chosen for yourself, set your sights on an even higher objective. And keep going.

When things have not worked out the way you planned, learn the valuable lessons that the experience has to offer. And keep going.

The key to meaningful achievement is not in how clever you are or how lucky you are or in how much advantage you can gain over others. The key is to keep going.

When other people give you encouragement, insight and assistance, thank them for their help while offering your own special value to in return. And keep going.

When others seek to block your every effort, raise yourself up to where you can clearly see beyond their petty, shortsighted attempts. And keep going.

Whatever may come or go or happen or fail to happen, there is always a way, some way or another, to keep going. You will get wherever you wish to go when you consistently choose, in each moment, to simply, thankfully and gracefully keep going.

Make today a celebration of the good fortune you have to be alive and aware and able to make a difference in your world. You will pass through this day only once, so fill it with joy while you're here.

Imagine traveling for hundreds of years through darkness and silence, and then suddenly arriving at where you are right now. Get out and explore the magnificent landscape that's filled to the brim with possibilities.

See the colors, taste the flavors, feel the warmth and texture of it all. And delight in the truly awesome ability that you possess to make it even better.

Every important occasion calls for a joyous celebration. And what could be a more important occasion than life itself on this very day?

Make every moment, every thought, every action into a celebration. Whatever you find yourself doing, do it with a joyful heart.

And see how many others you can infect with your joy. For the more you think about it, the more you know that this is truly a day to celebrate.

Sure, the task is difficult, the road is long, and the challenges are great. And yet, somewhere deep inside, you know you can do it.

Your outer thoughts and words may complain loudly about the trouble, frustration and annoyance. Yet your innermost thoughts know that what is best is to move ahead with it, despite all the trouble.

Listen to that inner voice, the one telling you that yes, you can. Listen to that inner voice, the one reminding you that yes, you must.

That inner voice can give you valuable perspective, for it is not distracted or dismayed by the events of the moment. Certainly it's useful to pay attention to the moment, and it's also important to keep the big picture in mind.

And when you measure the challenges of this moment against the big picture of your life, you'll know that you can handle those challenges. When you view the opportunities of this moment within the big picture, you'll know that your efforts will be richly rewarded.

Listen to that inner voice, the one that's saying yes to life.

When a new challenge arises, you might think that you need to first acquire some new skill or knowledge or resource in order to deal with that challenge. Yet in every case, you can begin with something you already have, and then steadily grow into the challenge.

Along the way you will most certainly acquire new skills, develop new knowledge, gain access to new resources. That is a big part of the value of challenge.

Yet the best starting point is where you are. The sooner you begin, the sooner you will grow strong enough to move successfully through whatever challenge you face.

There is a path that leads directly to the most positive outcome you can imagine. And the first step on that path is right in front of you.

No matter how imposing the challenge, no matter how ambitious the goal, you have what is necessary to take the first step. And once you're on your way, you'll find and develop what you need to continue.

Move confidently forward in the direction you know you must go. Start with what you have, and you'll grow into whatever you need.

With your actions, prompted and guided by your thoughts, you are always creating something. On this day, in this moment, the life you are living makes a real difference in one way or another.

It is an awesome power, and yet it can be difficult to comprehend because it is usually so spread out over time. The little, seemingly meaningless things you do from moment to moment combine together to create the life you live.

The most magnificent achievement you could imagine is, at its heart, built upon the recognition that every moment counts. To the degree that you acknowledge and act upon that reality, success will come your way.

You are rich beyond all calculation, and yet that richness cannot be hoarded or hidden away. To be experienced and enjoyed, it must be lived out across the individual moments in each passing day.

Live as though you have nothing to hold you back and everything to pull you forward. For in the richness of the moment, both conditions are true.

Every moment counts, especially this one. Make it count for something wonderful.

A decision is nothing more than a wish until you act on it. The more quickly you act on the decisions you make, the more powerful and effective those decisions will be.

Every moment you wait before taking action makes that action less and less likely. The moment you decide is the moment to start putting real substance behind your decision.

Give power to your choices by giving them your efforts. Even if the first step is small, take it right away. For your actions will create momentum. Once momentum is on your side, you greatly increase your success rate.

Being truly decisive means more than just making decisions. It means making a commitment to see them through. That takes action. And the sooner it starts, the more power it has.