Tag: Philosophy

The Daily Motivator for December 5th – Enormous advantage

Enormous advantage

Your life is what you choose to make it. It cannot be any other way.

Other people may give you things, experiences, attention and knowledge. Yet  it is up to you to make meaning out of it all.

What happens is significant because of what you do about it. The value of  what you own is based on the value that you choose to give it.

Instead of seeking to gain an advantage, realize that you already have an  enormous advantage. It is your unique life, coupled with your ability to make  choices and to act on them.

There is no use in worrying about what has happened, or living in fear of  what might yet happen. There is everything to be gained by choosing to live each  moment with positive purpose.

You have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to choose how you envision  and live your life. Take the opportunity, now and always, to make it a joyous  and fruitful manifestation of the very best possibilities.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

The Daily OM for November 28th – The Understanding Underneath

The Understanding Underneath

Experiences with Multiple Meanings

by Madisyn Taylor

The refined impression you glean from your experiences after contemplating their significance can add a new richness and texture to your life.

Though we humans are self-aware, we nonetheless cannot distance ourselves from the world around us and have a natural tendency to ascribe meaning to all that we experience. The significance we perceive in our experiences is rooted in our observation of patterns as they relate to ourselves. One situation has the power to teach us about life because it exposes us to something unfamiliar. Another touches our emotions deeply by enabling us to see how fortunate we are. Yet our initial impressions of an experience may not wholly reveal the true significance of that occurrence because our full response to an experience is like an onion with many layers that all have disparate meanings. Consider that a sunrise may stun us visually while simultaneously evoking memories of childhood and reminding us that each new day is a rebirth.

If you take the time to examine your experiences closely, you will discover that your original impressions may only be a part of a larger story of significance. Peeling away the layers of an event or incident can be a fun and interesting process if you allow it. To begin, relive your experience in your mind’s eye and from multiple perspectives if possible. Your interpretation of any situation is based not only on facts but also on feelings, beliefs, and your values. As you ruminate upon your experience, spend a few moments contemplating how you felt when it began and how your feelings had changed by its end. Ask yourself what abstractions, if any, it awakened in your mind. If an experience stirs up questions within your soul, it may be that in striving to answer them a new layer of meaning may reveal itself to you.

The significance of an experience may remain hidden to you for some time. The meaning of an event can change when viewed from another context or may only become apparent after intense meditation. An incident that seemed superficial may unexpectedly touch us deeply later in our lives. If you take a truly open-minded approach to your examination of each new level and do not shy away from revelations that could prove painful, you will learn much about your relationship to the world around you. And the refined impression you glean from your experiences after contemplating their significance can add a new richness and texture to your life.

The Daily OM

Daily Motivator for November 23rd – Not just the easiest

Not just the easiest

Taking the easy way out does not usually end up being very easy. Taking the  easy way out in the short run will make things much more difficult in the long  run.

You have the choice to completely deal with each problem when it arises.  That’s much better, and ultimately easier, than simply delaying the consequences  until later.

You have the ability to speak the truth, and to take responsibility for your  actions. In the end, that’s easier than making increasingly difficult efforts to  hide who you are and what you’ve done.

The life you experience in the future is determined by the way you act right  now. Consider each of your choices in light of its overall impact on your life,  not just based on what’s easiest for the moment.

The quick and easy answers can often lead to lingering, difficult  consequences. The way to live a life that’s good is to honestly work through the  difficulties rather than avoid them.

You deserve the best in life, and not just the easiest, least effective  answers. You deserve the richness and fulfillment that a life of responsibility  brings.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily Motivator for November 6 – Live like it matters

Live like it matters

If you’ve done poorly, you can now do better. If you’ve done well, you can  now do even better than that.

Every moment is an opportunity for improvement. Every day is your chance to  make good and meaningful use of your wealth of experience.

There is a beauty within you that longs to be expressed more fully and more  richly than ever before. No matter what has already happened, that beauty is  more compelling than ever, and now is when you can bring it to life.

Look out at the ocean, look up at the night sky, or listen to the sounds of  nature during a walk through the woods. Feel your very real connection with all  that is, and feel the immense positive possibilities for true fulfillment.

This is not a time to get caught up in trivialities. This is your moment to  experience the wonder of existence in a magnificent and abundant universe.

Live like it matters, because it very much does matter. All of life is  depending on you to live with everything you have, and now is your time to do  so.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily Motivator for Nov. 1 ~ Live firsthand

Live firsthand

Don’t be content to merely gaze at images on a screen. Feel the rich, real  and varied texture of life as you actively participate in it.

Look other people in the eye, not just through a camera. Engage in long and  meaningful conversations, not just in abbreviated updates.

Live firsthand. Experience the fullness of what life feels like.

You are not just a concept or an identity. You are a beautiful and unique  living embodiment of the miracle of existence.

Touch and hear and taste and see what’s really there. Live all the  magnificent details of the experience.

Get fully involved in the living of life in all its dimensions. Live  firsthand, and experience it all yourself.

— Ralph Marston

 

The Daily Motivator

Your Tarot Card for October 15 is Strength

Strength

What has traditionally been known as the Strength card represents Nature which, however wild in its primal form, is tamed by our subtler, finer (feminine, interior) self. The will and passion of our instinctive nature does not need to be broken, but refined and brought to consciousness — so that all levels of Creation, inner and outer, may come into harmony. 

The feminine soul-force contains a persuasive power that can nurture and induce cooperation from others, stilling disruptive energies by harmonizing differences in the spirit of collective good will.

Daily Motivator for October 2 – Live with confidence

Live with confidence

In you, there is goodness. Be confident in that goodness.

In you, there is life. Have confidence in that life.

You have the very real ability to do great things. With your goodness, with  your life, through your purpose you can make a difference.

Choose to have the confidence to truly make the world a better place. Choose  to express the goodness that’s within you by fulfilling your best possibilities.

Be a leader who leads by positive example. Express your love for life with  confidence, grace, humility, gratitude and original creativity.

Life is beautiful and unlimited in its possibilities, and you have life in  this very moment. Live with the confidence of knowing how good you have it and  how much more beautiful you can make it be.

— Ralph Marston

Daily Motivator

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Sept. 30 is 30:Clinging Like Fire

30: Clinging Like Fire

Hexagram 30

General Meaning:  Flames cling to their source of fuel in order to keep the fire burning. Likewise, in the human world, emotional attachment results from everything that radiates light or warmth is dependent upon something else. Through these dependencies we can see that all things are related, each thing to the other. Awareness of your own dependency on others is the key that unlocks the door to your true place in the world. No woman is an island.

Fire is also a symbol of liberation — sending out crackling molecules that fly away from home. Paradoxically, by clinging to what is balanced and true, we gain inner freedom.

Given perseverance on your part, this hexagram indicates success. In spite of challenges, cling to what is luminous in yourself, in others, and in life itself, never forsaking your belief in what is right. When events seem foreboding, or people seem oppressive, remember the good that has been and is yet to be. Holding to this idea is to cling to the power of the light and love within you.

Daily Motivator for September 25 – Life as it is

Life as it is

Whatever may happen, there is no need for dismay. Always, there is the  opportunity to creatively and successfully deal with the things life sends your  way.

There’s nothing to be gained by wishing that things had turned out  differently. Pick yourself up, connect with the energy of your passion, put a  smile on your face and move forward with what is.

Your best choice is always to be your best. And you can’t be your best when  you’re complaining or regretting or worried or dismayed.

Every situation generates a new set of positive possibilities. So in every  situation, choose to see those possibilities and to enthusiastically follow  them.

Each setback is just another step toward getting where you have chosen to go.  Learn, adapt, re-commit, and get quickly back on track.

Every twist and turn in the road of life gives you the opportunity to make a  difference. Relish those opportunities, make the most of them, and build a  magnificent life.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily OM for September 25 – Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom

Affirmations

by  Madisyn Taylor

Our minds accept as truth the critical statements we tell ourselves, but it can also accept our positive affirmations.

The words we speak and think hold great sway over the kind of life that we create for ourselves. Many people live their lives plagued by negative thoughts and never even realize this. They tell themselves and others that they are doomed to fail, not good enough, or not worthy of love, yet they are amazed when their reality starts reflecting these words. Just as the subconscious mind accepts as truth the critical statements we tell ourselves, however, it is also equipped to instantly accept the veracity of our affirmations.

Affirmations are statements chosen and spoken consciously. Once they enter our realm of consciousness, they also enter our subconscious mind where they have the power to change our lives. The affirmations you create should be specific, not too long, worded positively, formed in complete sentences, and spoken in the present tense as if what you are affirming is already true. It is a good idea to repeat your affirmations daily. You may want to tell yourself that you deserve to be happy or that you are in control of your destiny. Or, you may want to focus on a particular goal, such as attracting new friends. Rather than telling yourself you want to be well-liked, say, “I am well-liked.” Your subconscious mind will pick up on these positive messages, and you will begin to live your life as if what you are affirming already has happened. Soon, your reality will begin to reflect your affirmations. If you find that you are thwarting yourself with negative thinking, try repeating your affirmations several times a day. Write your affirmations down and say them aloud or in your mind. Allow your conviction to grow stronger each time you say your affirmations, and your negativity will be overridden by your motivation and positive thoughts.

Affirmations are a powerful tool for creating our desired reality. We consciously and subconsciously invite opportunity into our lives when we say affirmations. Trust in the power of your affirmations, and you will very quickly create what you have already stated to be true.

 

Daily OM

Daily Motivator for September 24 – Nourished by thoughts

Nourished by thoughts

Your life is constantly nourished by your thoughts. Whatever the direction  your life is moving, your thoughts have led you there.

Consider any possibility, and by your thoughts about it you have given that  possibility a presence in your life. As you dwell on that possibility, its  presence grows stronger and more vivid within you.

By giving your thoughts to life’s goodness, you fill your own life with a  unique expression of that goodness. By focusing your awareness on the positive  possibilities, you gain real access to them.

Your mind is an enormously powerful tool over which you have intentional  control. There is no limit to what you can think, and no limit to how far those  thoughts can carry you.

You set the direction of your life with the thoughts you most consistently  and persistently think. Fill your mind with thoughts of goodness and positive  possibility, and allow those thoughts to guide your every action.

Give your life the highest quality nourishment and the most positive energy  you can imagine. Let your positive, loving thoughts set the stage for a truly  rich and fulfilling life.

— Ralph Marston

Daily Motivator

Daily OM for September 24 – Spreading Your Light

Spreading Your Light

How You Affect Others Daily

by Madisyn Taylor

We have the potential to affect others through all of our actions during our day whether we are aware of it or not.

As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other’s energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we’ve just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.

Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person’s entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other’s lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.

To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small. Try to remember this as you go out into the world each day.

 

Daily OM

Daily Motivator for Sept. 21 – Enjoy life itself

Enjoy life itself

The simple, common things in life can be just as enjoyable as the big,  impressive things. When you make the choice to enjoy life itself, you’ll find  yourself being lifted up by anything and everything.

Enjoy life itself, with all the ups and downs, and you won’t waste your  precious time worrying about what’s coming next. Relish the experience of life  itself, and every day will be filled with opportunities for true joy.

It’s great to have big, wonderful, meaningful dreams and ambitions. But you  don’t want to postpone your enjoyment of life until after those dreams are  realized.

Instead, find joy in the everyday process of bringing your dreams about. Find  your joy in the everyday moments of life itself.

You don’t have to wish or beg or hope or struggle for more. You already have  life itself, and the more of it you live, the more of its goodness you have.

Rather than putting conditions and judgments on your experiences, simply  enjoy life itself. And in that joy, you’ll find life getting better and  better.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for September 11 is 48: The Well

48: The Well

Hexagram 48

General Meaning:  Throughout various cultures and political systems of the world, the well has served as a universal symbol for that which sustains life and provides a constant, inexhaustible source of life-giving nourishment for mankind.

Like the well, human nature is the same around the world. The passage of time does not change its essential dimensions, nor take anything away. Still, just as a well can be deepened to produce clearer, cleaner water, so can we enrich our lives by delving deeply within — into our natural selves, or souls.

Beware of shallow thinking. Like a little learning, it can be dangerous. The image of the well suggests that along with depth comes clarity. Be patient, and penetrate both your problems and your own nature to the core. If you do not lower your bucket to the depths, you’re very likely to come up empty. When greater depth is desired, a lessening of speed is often required.

 

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for September 9 is 46: Pushing Upward

46: Pushing Upward

Hexagram 46

General Meaning: The forces of growth in springtime demonstrate advancement, as new life pushes upward through the earth’s crust, and the sap is rising. The emphasis is on upward motion, from obscurity to influence, with growth fostered by adaptability and the absence of opposition. Constant, flexible growth is the key attribute of a plant pushing upwards. This reading suggests a period of new promotion and prosperity in your life.

A wise person, in harmony with fate, is sensitive but determined. Make a sincere effort to apply resolute effort. Break through inertia, and good fortune will follow. By remaining flexible and tolerant, you will be able to retain the kind of conscious innocence that fuels growth and advancement. Will power and self-control are necessary to manage this growth skillfully, but the natural enthusiasm of the life force is behind everything.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Sept. 7 is 47: Oppression

47: Oppression

Hexagram 47

General Meaning:  The image of oppression conjures up a dried up lake bed with nettlesome crows stalking the shoreline. Hard times can shrivel our spirits, and give rise to a multitude of ‘crows’ in the form of troublesome worries. Times of great loss or personal failure break weaker people; but the strong of heart can bend with fate. To endure hard times — or even grow and benefit from them — it is essential to tap that deepest stratum of personal identity, that which is deeper even than fate, and which is incorruptible by even the harshest realities. It is essential, in other words, to tap the wellspring of human endurance: hope.

In a sense, there is no such thing as failure. There is only sweet and sour reality, and more is learned from the sour, oftentimes, than from the sweet. For failure, hard as it may be to swallow, opens the blinds to the real world, and reawakens the clarity of vision known only to those who have risked, and tasted, disappointment.

When in the throes of hard times, it is wise to be resolute and strong on the inside while remaining quietly cheerful on the outside. Avoid too much talking — except to your closest friends. Your words will have little effect on all others, since your influence will be at a low ebb — and the attempt to get across will only drain you of vital energy. Strong silence is the most skillful posture when facing the public during adversity; it shows that your inner core is strong enough to withstand the current troubles, and suggests that your recovery will be complete. At the same time, talking openly to those you trust is equally important, for in times of calamity, talking is an important part of healing.

Keep in mind that failure — the final taboo in modern society. But this is just one part of the inevitable cycle of life for those who dare to live fully and completely. Never to fail at all is to fail in the biggest way — avoiding risk altogether, you cannot help but fall far short of what might have been.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Sept. 2 is 4: Youthful Folly

4: Youthful Folly

Hexagram 4

General Meaning:  Be on guard for careless or rebellious attitudes characteristic of youthful inexperience. Just as a youth requires instruction, this is a good time to focus on learning your lessons from a patient teacher or life experience. Is there some circumstance in your life that you failed to comprehend, perhaps because you could not appreciate its inherent complexities? Be respectful of anything or anyone who has something to teach you right now.

In order to be prepared for challenges, let education be a part of your life. Continually develop the strong mind and will necessary to carry you through confusing times. The wise realize that experience is a powerful teacher, even though we cannot be forced to learn, even from experience. Be a good student, one who delights in learning, one who nourishes his or her expanding awareness, one who is paying attention!

Examine your attitude for factors that limit your openness. Observe how you deal with the mistakes of others. You must let people live their own lives and learn their own lessons. Offer others your wisdom or advice, but only if the other person is receptive (when in doubt, ask). Otherwise, give up trying to convince him or her that you are right, which is only exhausting and counter-productive. If people are not receptive, let them go their own way — even into difficulty or dangerous circumstances. It is the only way they can learn right now — and without learning, no one can achieve success. This does not mean that you should not care — just that taking care of someone too much can be harmful. Live and let learn.

Daily Motivator for August 28 – Effort is opportunity

Effort is opportunity

Every effort, no matter how small or tedious or seemingly insignificant,  builds value in your life. Every effort is an opportunity.

With every effort, you make a difference in the world. With every effort, you  express your ability and your influence.

Give joy to each effort, and you add joy to your life. Give your attention  and focus and gratitude to the efforts, and they produce meaningful, lasting  value.

Seek out efforts, perform the efforts, and what you get is achievement. What  you get is the experience of life lived in a truly fulfilling and satisfying  way.

With effort, problems are solved, obstacles are transcended, and dreams come  true. With effort, you can change the world in accordance with your highest,  most authentic vision.

Fill each day with positive, purposeful efforts. And you’ll fill your world  with great meaning and joy.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for August 28 is 62: Attention to Detail

62: Attention to Detail

Hexagram 62

General Meaning:  Ambitious undertakings are not in order now, but attention to small matters brings progress. Such is the case of a person whose resources are meager, but who, through modesty and perseverance, rises to accomplish great things.

The key to success when small potential influences the larger scene is to avoid pretentious ambitions and grandiose goals. The power of the small is served by slow and steady advancement, and succeeds through an honest awareness of its own limitations, without reservation.

Modesty stemming from recognizing your limitations is a fine quality, but it can be seen as weakness if it is not accompanied by conscientiousness. It is important to understand the demands of your situation, and not to expect success in big things right now. The wise person recognizes the nature of the time. So, know your own role, carefully attend to details and act with humility, and you can achieve your goal even with few resources.

Daily Motivator for August 24 – Positive example

Positive example

Don’t merely wait or wish or hope for the world to become more positive. The  world becomes more positive when you become more positive.

The experience of life in this world is not something that is imposed upon  you. Life is precisely and reliably what you choose to make it.

What you cannot control, you can accept, interpret and make use of in a  positive and purposeful way. Shine a genuine positive light where you are, and  that light will quickly spread beyond you.

Don’t complain about how bad things are. Imagine how good life can be, and  then persistently act on what you imagine.

Life is the way you live it. Live it well, with joy, with purpose, with care  and commitment and love.

Live according to your highest vision and your most treasured dreams. Be the  best positive example for all of life to follow.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator