Inspirational Words: Make a Difference Helping Others

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“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” Sally Koch

In a world where there is so much poverty, hunger, illness, and pain; it sometimes seems impossible to make a difference.  Have you ever felt that way? “I am just one person,” you may think, “How can I make a difference in the world?”

You may have given money to a homeless man, just to see him begging on the same corner the next day.  Maybe you’ve signed petitions to protect animals or reduced your carbon footprint to help the environment.  Still the problems remain.  Moreover, each time one problem improves, another one takes its place.  Have you really made a difference? Is it even worth trying to make a difference?

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” Flora Edwards

There’s so much to do—save the whales, feed the children, house the homeless, war on drugs, save the planet, end war, fight cancer. The desire to make a difference disintegrates into feelings of powerlessness as it crashes into the seemingly unconquerable brick wall of problems.  Today’s inspirational words are meant to remind you that YOU are an important part of the solution.

When you’re doing all you can and you don’t see significant change, it may feel like a total waste of time, energy, resources and emotions. But that is never the case.

Powerlessness is a figment of the imagination.  It is only as real as you allow it to be in your mind’s eye.  An attempt to help is never meaningless, never without value. Change and effort, even on the most miniscule scale, always outshine apathy.

No matter what, never give up on helping others.  Never allow the problems and the frustrations of the world to overshadow your desire to make a difference.

“Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”  Norman B. Rice

Even the smallest and outwardly weakest among us are capable of contributing to the betterment of our world.  You may not singlehandedly eradicate an issue altogether, yet you can make a difference.  You may not see the full extent of your impact in this lifetime, still you make a difference.  The difference you make may be small, still you make a difference.

Instead of focusing on failures to bring down the brick wall of problems, just focus on one brick.  Focus on doing whatever it is that you are capable of doing—and what you feel good about doing. Every effort, every helping hand, every prayer, every loving thought makes a difference to someone or something in some way.

Maybe you can’t bring about world peace, but you can be an example of peacefulness.  Maybe you can’t wipe out the problem of illiteracy in the inner cities, but you can teach a child (or even a few children) to read.  Maybe you can’t cure HIV, but your love and respect can help someone cope with the disease.

If you can’t save a village, change the life of one person within that village.  If you can’t change a person’s life, bring a better moment to his life.  Helping others on any scale is a wonderful gift to the world, but more importantly it is a wonderful gift to yourself.  Nothing compares to the feeling of making a difference.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” John Wooden

Don’t ever feel so discouraged by the plight of the world that you stop giving, loving, helping, doing your part.  Every problem is an opportunity to show your humanity, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Every problem helps us all to grow as a whole, as a family filled with love and compassion.  Maybe that is the larger reason behind the problems in the first place—to remind us that we are all one.  We are one with each other, one with every species, one with Mother Earth, one with the entire Universe.

My friends, I wish you the inspiration to do what you can do today.  On tomorrow, there will still be starving children, domestic violence, animal cruelty, global warming, poverty, drug addiction.  But if someone is always reaching out to help others, someone is always making a difference. That is exactly what the world needs—today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity.

Every cause isn’t for everyone; yet every cause is for someone.  Step up to the plate.  Stand up fearlessly and acknowledge that you have the power to make a difference in this world.

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”  Albert Pike

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Inspirational Words: The Courage to Live Fearlessly

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“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
–Ambrose Redmoon

It is my hope that today’s inspirational words will encourage you to live fearlessly.  But what exactly does that mean?

No matter who you are, fear will get in your way at some point during your life.  It doesn’t matter how strong, bold, powerful, smart or enlightened you are.  Fear is a reality that we just can’t escape. Fearless living isn’t about taking that fear away, leaving behind some superhuman immunity to fear.  It’s simply about having the courage to move through it.  When your life doesn’t reach a standstill in the face of things you can’t predict, explain, rationalize, or finance; you are indeed learning to live fearlessly.

Life is meant to be the grandest of adventures.  But how can you live it fully while busy running from all that you’re afraid of?  I’m not suggesting that you dash outside to jump off a building. That would be an act of stupidity rather than courage.  What I am suggesting is that you muster enough courage to push through fear when it stands in the way of living the life that you deserve.

Fear comes in many forms—fear of change, fear of pain, fear of success, fear of failure.  The list goes on and on.  However, it is important to remember that fear itself is not enough to hold you back.  It is your thoughts, actions, and inaction that give fear its power.  So, what can you do about it?

If you feel inspired to start your own business or change careers, to get married or become a parent, to advocate for a cause or to break free from a tradition; fear will show up.  However, you can choose to draw upon your inner strength for the courage to live your best life no matter what.

You can create a plan to make your dreams come true.  You can take steps in the direction of your desires.  None of this will immediately erase the fear, but little by little this takes away its power.  Before you know it, you will have survived something that you were almost too afraid to try.  That is what it means to live fearlessly.  And there is no better way to build more courage and more faith in your own abilities.

The next time you look at someone and think, “Wow…he is so brave,” I want you to remember something.  Remember that the bravest among us must still face fear.  Successful people are not successful because they have no fear.  They are successful in spite of their fear. Heroes are not heroes because they have no fear.  They are heroic because they take action in spite of their fear.

Instead of waiting to feel fearless so that you can start living fearlessly, move past the fear now.  Tell yourself you can do it, decide to do it, plan to do it, and then DO IT.

The seeds of courage are within you, but you must cultivate them if you want a mighty harvest of fearless living.

Photo by: knezeves

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Inspirational Words on Inner Strength

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Are you underestimating your strength?  If so, take another look.

With your eyes and heart open, look deep within yourself and reconsider your definition of what it means to be strong.

Be not fooled. Strength is much more than force, power, muscle, and might. True strength is inner strength. It exists within the core of our being and it shows up differently- yet wonderfully- in us all.

Inner strength lies in your ability to walk away when you want to fight, to endure when you feel like giving up, to speak gently when you want to scream.

Inner strength lies in your ability to forgive when you have every right to hold a grudge, to love when it’s easier to hate, to cry when you’d rather hide your pain.

Inner strength is not given out sparingly at birth to certain people. It is a gift that lives inside us all.

What separates one strong individual from another, is not the gift of inner strength, but the choice to use that gift.

You, like me, are stronger than you believe.  Evidence of your strength will show up to the fullest extent that you allow it.

Inspirational Words is a once weekly segment of Self Improvement Saga. Presented every Monday morning, the inspirational quotes, sayings, and thoughts are meant to help you get your week off to a wonderful start.

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Inspirational Words: Making Choices

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Inspirational Words: Life Acceptance vs. Change

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Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices. ~Paul Tournier

As we journey toward self development, we focus a lot on change.  Changing the way we speak, think, act, and even breathe.  There are positive outcomes for these changes, but sometimes we forget about the step that comes before change.  The most important step of all.  It is acceptance.

Have you been sucked into the black hole of worldly expectations? Can you see past the pressure to perform better, look better, smell better, speak better, BE BETTER?

There is nothing wrong with striving to be your best self.  But today’s inspirational words are about accepting who you are in the present moment. I hope I can inspire you towards self acceptance—life acceptance.

The person you are right now is extraordinarily perfect.  You may not be perfect by the standards of friends, family, teachers, coworkers, or even yourself.  All of these people judge you, and themselves, by the standards that they understand with their 5 senses.  However, the 5 senses are not all there is to life.  You are far more than others can see; far more than you can see.  You are the Soul within you that travels through time—learning, seeking, teaching, and—most importantly—remembering who you really are.

Imagine your life as a movie in which you can only see the current scene.  You base your judgments of this movie and its characters on the parts that you hear and see, forgetting that your understanding is limited.  Scene 5 would make much more sense if you knew what happened in scene 1 -4; and something revealed in scene 10 would make it clear why you needed to experience scene 1 – 9.  Yet you don’t have full recollection of any scene except the one you are in right now.

In the movie of life you cannot experience every scene.  Your physical body won’t last through the entire movie; yet your Soul is everlasting. This larger part of you knows every scene.  While you only know what your senses detect from the outer world, your Soul knows the inner journey.  It is always there, experiencing the entire movie and attempting to guide you through that which you do not yet understand. Can you accept that?  Can you practice acceptance for your life as it is?  Can you trust your Inner Self to guide you, even through times that you’d rather avoid? Without understanding it, wanting it, or knowingly creating it, can you still accept it?

Practicing life acceptance, and self acceptance, does not mean giving up change. Even as you read this, you are changing.  Change is inevitable, thus you will experience it whether you want to or not.  But in the midst of changing and growing, remember to just be.  This, my friend, is true acceptance.

With all of your perceived faults and shortcomings, you are in a perfect place.  Through pain and pleasure, disappointment and satisfaction, sorrow and joy, you are experiencing life in the ways essential to the evolution of your Soul.  Simply relax into it.

For those, like me, so committed to personal growth and excellence, acceptance is tougher than it sounds.  The challenge is to stop trying to force life, if only for a moment.  Just notice everything as it is, everyone as they are, yourself as you are.

Life acceptance means embracing the beauty and purposefulness of the present moment.  Can you accept the perfection of your world as it is right now?  You may not be where you thought you’d be 5 or 10 years ago, yet you are in a perfect place.  Don’t be discouraged by what you can’t see or what you don’t understand.  As you practice life acceptance, remember to listen to the tiny voice within. This voice, your Inner Self, is guiding you.  You need only to listen, to appreciate, and to accept the path.

Wishing you peace of mind, joy, love and acceptance for all there is.

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Inspirational Words: Compassion and Suffering

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“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

When we are hurt by someone, our first instinct is not to help them or to show compassion.  Unfortunately, our immediate reaction may be to lash out or retaliate.  But what does this accomplish?

By enjoying a moment of revenge, we miss out on the opportunity to help others and to change the world we live in.  We are all a part of the same wonderful Source, so let’s choose to remember this even in times of strife.  One by one, we can show love and compassion for others, thus making this world a better place. Let us start today.

We all know that life is full of suffering, but not everyone knows how to cope.  You may be ignored, cursed, looked down upon, or cut off in traffic.  You may be insulted, yelled at, ridiculed or belittled.  No matter what mistreatment you face, stop for a moment to consider the suffering of the person who is harming you.  Instead of judging them or responding in an equally cruel manner, make a higher choice.  Be the “bigger” person.

Chances are good that the person who hurts you is not inherently evil.  He or she is just someone who is suffering deep within. Consider the pain that may be the root of his actions.  Even if it takes every bit of goodness within you to see the bigger picture, you are capable of the Highest choices.  You are capable of love, restraint, and compassion for others.

Everyone suffers at some point in their life, yet there is nothing stopping you (or me) from dealing with each other more gently, more lovingly.  Nothing prevents you from showing compassion for others.  Once you understand that hurt people hurt people, the answer becomes clear.

Fighting fire with fire only makes more fire.  By the same token, hurting someone who is hurt only creates more hurt in the world.  What role will you have in this vicious cycle? Will you help it to continue repeating itself?  Will you begin to break that cycle by helping instead others instead of retaliating?

Rudeness, frowning faces, aggression, bad attitudes, hot tempers—these are the defense mechanisms of a person in pain. Will you reach out with compassion, even if it means resisting your overwhelming desire to retaliate?  Will you listen more closely to what they’re truly crying out for—recognition, help, love, peace, relief, understanding, appreciation. You know the Highest choice, but will you make it?

Love those who are hurting. Bestow compassion and positive energy upon them. This is the path to healing.  As long as one of us is suffering and in need of healing, there is work for the rest of us to do.

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Inspirational Words: Compassion and Suffering

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“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

When we are hurt by someone, our first instinct is not to help them or to show compassion.  Unfortunately, our immediate reaction may be to lash out or retaliate.  But what does this accomplish?

By enjoying a moment of revenge, we miss out on the opportunity to help others and to change the world we live in.  We are all a part of the same wonderful Source, so let’s choose to remember this even in times of strife.  One by one, we can show love and compassion for others, thus making this world a better place. Let us start today.

We all know that life is full of suffering, but not everyone knows how to cope.  You may be ignored, cursed, looked down upon, or cut off in traffic.  You may be insulted, yelled at, ridiculed or belittled.  No matter what mistreatment you face, stop for a moment to consider the suffering of the person who is harming you.  Instead of judging them or responding in an equally cruel manner, make a higher choice.  Be the “bigger” person.

Chances are good that the person who hurts you is not inherently evil.  He or she is just someone who is suffering deep within. Consider the pain that may be the root of his actions.  Even if it takes every bit of goodness within you to see the bigger picture, you are capable of the Highest choices.  You are capable of love, restraint, and compassion for others.

Everyone suffers at some point in their life, yet there is nothing stopping you (or me) from dealing with each other more gently, more lovingly.  Nothing prevents you from showing compassion for others.  Once you understand that hurt people hurt people, the answer becomes clear.

Fighting fire with fire only makes more fire.  By the same token, hurting someone who is hurt only creates more hurt in the world.  What role will you have in this vicious cycle? Will you help it to continue repeating itself?  Will you begin to break that cycle by helping instead others instead of retaliating?

Rudeness, frowning faces, aggression, bad attitudes, hot tempers—these are the defense mechanisms of a person in pain. Will you reach out with compassion, even if it means resisting your overwhelming desire to retaliate?  Will you listen more closely to what they’re truly crying out for—recognition, help, love, peace, relief, understanding, appreciation. You know the Highest choice, but will you make it?

Love those who are hurting. Bestow compassion and positive energy upon them. This is the path to healing.  As long as one of us is suffering and in need of healing, there is work for the rest of us to do.

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Inspirational Words: Taking Chances

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“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”   Anthony Robbins

Taking chances may be frowned upon by those who like to play it safe, but it is within this realm of risk-taking that we live life to the fullest.  Of course, taking chances may mean that we sometimes make a fool of ourselves.  We may even get frustrated, embarrassed or hurt.  But what about the big picture?

It is only through taking chances that we make new discoveries about ourselves, others, and the world we live in.  By living fearlessly and risking the safety of our comfort zone, we gain opportunities to live our best life.  Taking chances leads both to unforgettable mistakes and indescribable joy, thus we must be willing to experience both.

Think for a second about where our world would be today if nobody in history had taken chances, if everyone had always followed the tried and true path.  We wouldn’t have electricity in our homes, airplanes and cars for transportation.  We wouldn’t have telephones, indoor plumbing, computers, and organ transplants. But we do.  Oh the value of imagination, exploration, and taking chances.

Life is meant to be fun, joyful, and filled with excitement.  It’s not all about what has been predefined for us through someone else’s life experiences.  It’s not even just about what we have already experienced.  Within every breath lies an opportunity to live instead of existing.  Are you ready to start truly living? Are you ready to open your mind to endless possibilities? Make the first move by taking chances on people, things, and situations.

Remember this: Just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of comprehension.  Just because you don’t believe in it, doesn’t mean it is untrue.  Just because it seems impossible, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it anyway.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? If you said anything other than “today,” it’s been too long. It’s time to take a chance on something (or maybe even someone).

Starting now, do not limit yourself to experiencing “what is.” Do not limit yourself to what you know, what you’ve seen, or what others say is acceptable. By taking chances, you will change your life and take living to a whole new level.

Try something you’re afraid of. Do something naughty. Break a rule or two.  Test your own theories. Play devil’s advocate with yourself. In as many ways as you can muster, get out there and live with a renewed zest for life. Start taking chances, embracing every opportunity to create, experience, fail, learn and recover.

Make no excuses.  If it seems like fun, give it a whirl.  If it seems boring, try it out to make sure. If it looks too strange to eat, take a bite anyway.  If you hear it’s too raunchy, make sure it’s not just the right amount of raunchy for you.

The usual is safe and familiar; but taking chances adds the spice to life.

Think Big

Inner Strength

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Inspirational Words: Think Big

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Today, I hope you’ll walk out into the world feeling inspired to think big.  Let nobody and nothing stand in your way.  You are free to live life outside the box—so try it.

There is no better time than this moment to start thinking big. Don’t limit yourself to what your 5 senses say is so.  Each day is another opportunity to create anew.  So, live in the now, appreciate the now, but know that your future is limitless.  Have patience for what may become, instead of feeling chained by what is today.

The only thing that can hinder your personal growth is you.  For as long as you live and breathe, you create the level of greatness that you think about. So, choose to think big. If grand ideas come to you, you have attracted them.  They are drawn to you for a reason, so don’t be afraid to explore.

With creativity and imagination, stretch the boundaries of your reality.  You are amazing, so why not see yourself that way?  Why not see yourself through unobstructed lenses?  In fact, see the entire world through those same lenses—see every person and place as ripe with infinite opportunities for expansion. That’s thinking big!

You are richer than you realize and there are no limits to how much better life can get.  Your only work is to open your heart and your mind to the boundless reality that is yours.  Think big—bigger than you ever thought you could. Think bigger than everyone thinks you should.

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Inspirational Words on Inner Strength

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Are you underestimating your strength?  If so, take another look.

With your eyes and heart open, look deep within yourself and reconsider your definition of what it means to be strong.

Be not fooled. Strength is much more than force, power, muscle, and might. True strength is inner strength. It exists within the core of our being and it shows up differently- yet wonderfully- in us all.

Inner strength lies in your ability to walk away when you want to fight, to endure when you feel like giving up, to speak gently when you want to scream.

Inner strength lies in your ability to forgive when you have every right to hold a grudge, to love when it’s easier to hate, to cry when you’d rather hide your pain.

Inner strength is not given out sparingly at birth to certain people. It is a gift that lives inside us all.

What separates one strong individual from another, is not the gift of inner strength, but the choice to use that gift.

You, like me, are stronger than you believe.  Evidence of your strength will show up to the fullest extent that you allow it.

Inspirational Words is a once weekly segment of Self Improvement Saga. Presented every Monday morning, the inspirational quotes, sayings, and thoughts are meant to help you get your week off to a wonderful start.

Please share this post to show your support: Tagged as: Courage, Empowerment, inspirational thoughts, inspirational words, strength

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Inspirational Words: Compassion and Suffering

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“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

When we are hurt by someone, our first instinct is not to help them or to show compassion.  Unfortunately, our immediate reaction may be to lash out or retaliate.  But what does this accomplish?

By enjoying a moment of revenge, we miss out on the opportunity to help others and to change the world we live in.  We are all a part of the same wonderful Source, so let’s choose to remember this even in times of strife.  One by one, we can show love and compassion for others, thus making this world a better place. Let us start today.

We all know that life is full of suffering, but not everyone knows how to cope.  You may be ignored, cursed, looked down upon, or cut off in traffic.  You may be insulted, yelled at, ridiculed or belittled.  No matter what mistreatment you face, stop for a moment to consider the suffering of the person who is harming you.  Instead of judging them or responding in an equally cruel manner, make a higher choice.  Be the “bigger” person.

Chances are good that the person who hurts you is not inherently evil.  He or she is just someone who is suffering deep within. Consider the pain that may be the root of his actions.  Even if it takes every bit of goodness within you to see the bigger picture, you are capable of the Highest choices.  You are capable of love, restraint, and compassion for others.

Everyone suffers at some point in their life, yet there is nothing stopping you (or me) from dealing with each other more gently, more lovingly.  Nothing prevents you from showing compassion for others.  Once you understand that hurt people hurt people, the answer becomes clear.

Fighting fire with fire only makes more fire.  By the same token, hurting someone who is hurt only creates more hurt in the world.  What role will you have in this vicious cycle? Will you help it to continue repeating itself?  Will you begin to break that cycle by helping instead others instead of retaliating?

Rudeness, frowning faces, aggression, bad attitudes, hot tempers—these are the defense mechanisms of a person in pain. Will you reach out with compassion, even if it means resisting your overwhelming desire to retaliate?  Will you listen more closely to what they’re truly crying out for—recognition, help, love, peace, relief, understanding, appreciation. You know the Highest choice, but will you make it?

Love those who are hurting. Bestow compassion and positive energy upon them. This is the path to healing.  As long as one of us is suffering and in need of healing, there is work for the rest of us to do.

Please share this post to show your support: Tagged as: Compassion, inspirational thoughts, inspirational words

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