Category Archives: Faith

Does What You Believe Serve You Or Hold You Back? Find Out!

horizons firelight-phil-koch

“Our recent discussion has centered around the Reticular Activating System and our beliefs. For today, why not examine some of your beliefs. We have them about everything. Take a look inside to discover whatever it is you find. You will find plenty, I am sure.

Who we are; what we are capable or; what we aren’t capable of; family; friends; relationships; finances; health; career; job; economy; the future; the past; other people, the government, world, god, education, medicine, leisure and so many more areas.  You name it we believe something about it.

Our beliefs tend to be Positive or Negative. They tend to be statements such as ‘I can’ or ‘I can’t’. They can be in the form of rules and regulations as when you think ‘there ought to be a law’ or ‘people should just know better’.

If You Think You Can Or You Think You Can’t You Are Right 

‘Ought to’ or ‘should’ ought to or should tip you off that a belief statement is following. There are rules or beliefs about yourself and what you should do or could do and then there are rules or beliefs you hold about others. These may or may not be the same or be applied equally.

A belief statement may follow after the word ‘because’.  ‘Because’ is a reason you provide. We have beliefs about cause and effect. Beliefs tend to be assertions or declarations. Usually, any statement that begins with ‘I am’ or ‘I have’ cue you that a belief follows those words.

Some things we believe strongly and passionately. We fight about these at times. Others we hold less closely. Regardless, beliefs make up our map of the world and how we navigate it. Believe it or not, humans do navigate the world by a map. An inner map. Just as we do the outer world. Beliefs are an important part of that map.

Believing Is Seeing

They determine what we allow in and consider and what we don’t and won’t. They determine how big or small our abilities are as well as how large our world is. Our beliefs affect us in so many ways and at so many levels it is useful to uncover what it is we believe.

Some are very obvious, up front and in your face beliefs while others cluster around hanging out barely in sight. Both kinds affect us! Go ahead and examine, reflect, look at, introspect on what you believe about yourself. Write them down, as many as you can.

Put them into pro and con lists. Some will be enabling while others disabling. There may be clusters of beliefs around certain areas that seem to support each other or come out in a flood. Others you may have to tease out one by one.

What Do You Believe?

Some people will sit and fret thinking it is difficult to find beliefs (that would be your first belief to start with then) others will find this quite easy. Some are situational while others you may think are important for all time and space and for everyone.

Check into it and come back tomorrow. We will work more with beliefs as we move along. It is an important area that affects each one of us. So do some exploring, learn a little bit more about you, enjoy the process and return for the next post. Meanwhile have a fabulous time doing the exercise and a marvelous day!” Rex Sikes

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

GETTING CLOSER TO THE NEW SITE LAUNCH  – Inching our way up on getting it up and running. The site will have a new look and feel. If you get this blog emailed to you,  You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

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You Don’t Have To Be Screwed If You Are Doing This!

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“Your career, finances, romance, family and life can be difficult but there is hope. You can make a difference. It need not stay the same nor does it need to be hopeless. Wouldn’t you like to discover how you can make it whatever you want it to be? Wouldn’t you like to make changes more easily?

If your answer is yes then you must learn to condition your mind to give you what you want. It will deliver reliably when you train and condition it. The same conditioning is required by your body. You must condition it to get certain results and physique. You must take in the proper nutrition, exercise and get the right amount of rest.

The Law Of Attraction is the same. You need a daily diet of inspirational, positive and motivational thoughts. You need to nourish and replenish. You need to keep focused. You need to stay on the positive. If you feel stuck you are not thinking and feeling positive.

You Must Feed Your Body And Your Mind Well

You are thinking than glorious thoughts about what you don’t want, wish to avoid or hope doesn’t happen. That is why your feelings went south. If you think less than glorious thoughts you will feel less than glorious. SO our feelings are a great indicator as to what we are thinking at any given moment.

When you feel less than glorious it is the signal for you to change your thinking. Switch it back, as quickly as you are able, to positive thinking. Isn’t that cool. We have a built in signal device that let’s us know when we are off track. OF COURSE no one taught you that until now.

Imagine how life would be different if you knew that growing up. Our feelings would take on completely different meanings and instead of getting bent out of shape when feelings are less than glorious we would have understood them to be the resource they are. Oh well, better late than never.

Tiny Adjustments Applied Bring Great Change

You can train your mind AND YES YOU REALLY CAN train your mind. It is simple but not easy. You can train your mind and when you do then the law of attraction or the law of creation works as it is supposed to work. You have to accept responsibility. In this day and age few are willing to say I am responsible for everything.

Whether true or not if you begin with this premise, rather than blaming oneself, it provides a great wide latitude to create from. If everything good or bad is only up to you and no one and nothing else then you can change it from within. A complete new world will open up to you when YOU take full responsibility. This IS how it works.

You must do it. You can’t read about it and think everything will be better. You have to implement it and undergo a daily regime. Believe me, this is the area I had most difficulty with; ACTUALLY doing it. I’d try to understand it thinking if I understand it then it will work. Wrong. Doing it is what makes it work. I repeat, DOING IT makes it work! I must repeat this again. ONLY doing it makes it work!

What You Think  About You Bring About

YOU ARE ALREADY bringing about everything. That is why you must take responsibility. Realize this! It is not something you now suddenly begin. You have been doing it all the while you have been growing up. What you do begin now is to take control of the process and make it work for you instead of against you.

Claim your power. Put yourself in the driver seat! Steer your brain the way you want to. Stop letting it do whatever it has been doing and aim it intentionally. Deliberately determine what you pay attention to. YOU determine what you focus on BECAUSE what you focus on is what you get.

You don’t have to be screwed. One negative thought won’t harm you. It is the preponderance of what you think and how you feel that makes the difference. SO the goal is to think positively and feel your best MOST of the time.

Your Past Does Not Equal Your Future

The bad news is you have not been controlling your thinking it has been controlling you. You have been getting less than glorious results because of your lack of control. The good news is you can learn to control your thinking and get fabulous wonderfully positive results in your life and the real world.

Feelings are easier to notice than each individual thought. Whenever you feel down then notice what you are thinking and change it for the better. Do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel better.  (We discuss a little more next time).

As you do this you train yourself to return to the positive and good feelings whenever you go astray. If you’ll keep at it you’ll make it a habit. Along the way it gets easier and easier to stay focused on what you want. Soon it will become automatic. Eventually, it become natural and you live your life this way. That is great news.” Rex Sikes

How many different things can you discover today to celebrate?

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

GETTING CLOSER TO THE NEW SITE LAUNCH  – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. Inching our way up on getting it up and running. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you,  You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude! Leave comments. Love your comments and thanks so much!

Working Harder Doesn’t Make You Richer Or Happier BUT THIS DOES!

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“Napoleon Hill in his classic book ‘Think And Grow Rich’ stated the following when it came to the accumulation of wealth. He stated these same ‘money principles’ applied to  fulfilling any goal. Here is what Hill had to say:

‘The steps call for no “hard labor.” They call for no sacrifice. They do not require one to become ridiculous, or credulous. To apply them calls for no great amount of education.

But the successful application of these six steps does call for sufficient imagination to enable one to see, and to understand, that accumulation of money cannot be left to chance, good fortune, and luck.

You Must Get A White Hot Burning Desire

One must realize that all who have accumulated great fortunes, first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping, wishing, DESIRING, and PLANNING before they acquired money.

You may as well know, right here, that you can never have riches in great quantities, UNLESS you can work yourself into a white heat of DESIRE for money, and actually BELIEVE you will possess it.’

Earlier, just prior to these words he states, ‘Money consciousness’ means that the mind has become so thoroughly saturated with the DESIRE for money, that one can see one’s self already in possession of it.’

See Yourself Already In Possession Of It

There really isn’t much more to add. Hill points out that these principles came from Andrew Carnegie, a self made millionaire, at the time the world’s richest man, and from the study of over 500 hundred of the world’s richest and most successful.

I’d like to re-emphasize a few things. He states it is not about hard work or labor. If hard word and labor made people rich than many janitors, migrant workers and common laborers would be rich. It isn’t working harder it is thinking better that makes the difference.

He named his book THINK and Grow Rich because mindset, attitude, is one of the greatest determining factors for success in attaining any goal. Education was not a pre-requisite. Plenty of drop-outs have attained great wealth and accomplished great things.

Attitude Is Everything

So, in not education or hard work, what did he state was important. Imagination and desire. One had to be able to see the goal as already accomplished. One has to be able to see the good one wants as already theirs. One must believe it is theirs to have and to possess.

Attitude, the unwavering faith that one will succeed no matter what, is crucial. Persistence and planning accompany success. One must never give up if one wants to succeed.

These principles are simple to implement but not necessarily easy. If they were easy everyone would be rich. It requires daily commitment.

Give Up The Standard Excuses Everybody Uses

Too many quit too soon. They fail to realize their dreams when obstacles arise. You must not. You can’t give up and still win. You must persist and prevail. Learn from the obstacles. Adjust your plans, your route, but keep going towards it. Never quit. Commit!

Here is a very important point Napoleon Hill points out, as have other New Thought Leaders, and even ancient texts. You have to know what you want. You have to see the end result. The end result is the Burning Desire. It IS what keeps you motivated and inspired.

You must imagine it as if you already have it. BUT you DO NOT have to know how you got it. Never get hung up on how. The how will take care of itself as you move forward. Once the seed is planted in the mind it begins to grow. It grows in darkness.

Why You Want It Is More Important Than The How 

People use ‘I don’t know what to do’ or ‘I don’t know how’ as an excuse to not act. You don’t have to know ‘how’ but you do have to know what you want. Keep your mind on your burning desire.  Stay focused as Hill prescribes. This is key to getting it. Don’t get distracted.

Your mind will work on it day and night and while you sleep to help you formulate the plans and the hows. That is the brains job. The plan you begin with will not be the plan that takes you across the finish line. Your plans will change. That is okay. Be flexible.

We only know ‘how’ after the fact. Edison didn’t know how to make a light bulb work until it worked. THEN he understood how. The Wright Brothers didn’t know how to fly until after they got airborne. Then they understood.

Hindsight is 20/20

Hindsight IS 20/20. We can see the path only after we arrived and look back. We can look back over our life and see how the decisions we made brought us to where we are today. After the fact we know and understand how, but never before. So don’t use that excuse.

Don’t think you can be lazy and succeed. That isn’t what Hill implies. What he emphasizes is that it is NOT what most people think it is (hard work, education, luck, upbringing, economy, politics, etc.) that determines success. It is not those things.

Most people use those as excuses for why they can’t or haven’t succeeded. Napoleon says the way to riches and success and happiness is clear. He modeled it and studied those who mastered it. Success comes to the prepared mind.  There is  a formula.

Read Think And Grow Rich

Remember, we become what we think about. What we think about expands. What we think about we bring about. Napoleon said, ‘What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve’. Don’t let excuses prevent you from going after what you want.

I leave you with this quote from Napoleon, ‘When you begin to THINK AND GROW RICH, you will observe that riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose, with little or no hard work. You, and every other person, ought to be interested in knowing how to acquire that state of mind which will attract riches.’

There Are 6 Steps To Get What You Want

Implement Napoleon Hill’s six steps for attaining your desires. Read and study them in Think And Grow Rich. This book has stood the test of time. Countless lives have been improved from having read this book. I know mine has. Yours can be too! It is powerful!

We could discuss Hills work for decades. It is so deep and layered. Study it! You will be glad you did. See you tomorrow.” Rex Sikes

What a beautiful day to enjoy!

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

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Do This – Live Well And Enjoy More!

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“What must we do to have the life we want and deserve? How do I get unstuck? How do we manifest what we desire? Does what we do make a difference? What should I do to make everything better?Does the Law Of Attraction actually work?

How do I eliminate bad habits? How do we change our lives? How do I live the good life? So many people ask me questions like this. I know they are on the minds of many more. How do we have a great life? That is what these blog pages are all about.

I hope you are going back through them and reading and re-reading them. Make them a study because thoughts and ideas you missed the first time or second time through will present themselves to you each time. You will learn and discover new things you missed.

Everyday is a gift! We never know how much time we have on this planet. It could all be gone tomorrow. Later today it could be over. We should cherish the time we have.

Cherish the people we love and like. We are here briefly and then gone. Some religions have conditioned people that our reward isn’t here but elsewhere at another time.

Live And Enjoy Now

That is really sad. Much of Christendom and many religions preach this.  That is not what I find when I study the Bible or other ancient texts. I see a garden paradise intended for us. I see that abundance of all good things our birthright. It is right there on the pages.

I don’t care what religion you adhere to there is no reason to suffer here. Our rewards are now! Right now while on earth! Maybe there are elsewhere too but the God of the Bible puts our rewards on earth first. Since you are here and reading this – claim your fabulous earthly life. Claim the promise of prosperity and happiness.

Declare it! Believe you deserve it. Unfortunately, too many people have learned the opposite while growing up. They have been sadly misinformed and mistaken. You need to change your mind! Every day is an opportunity to love and to live fully and abundantly now!

Every moment! Each day is an opportunity to learn more and improve yourself and your circumstances.  We only have so much time here so use it wisely, use it well. Use your time to smile and delight more!  Love more, celebrate more and live more fully.

Let go of the past and anything that holds you back. Give it up.  Drop anything that was yesterday and less than glorious. Learn from it and let go of it. Become free! BE free now. Time is short. Let it go!

Embrace the future and put your back against the past. Don’t let anything hold you back or hold you down. You deserve better!Be grateful now! Be thankful for everything no matter what it was. Let it go and be grateful.

Let Go Of The Old

Celebrate this moment and everything in it. You and I are blessed in more ways than we can ever realize. Begin looking for those ways. Open your eyes. Find and celebrate all the good things around you right now!

Forgive yourself.  Forgive those who may have hurt or harmed you past and present. Let it go. Forgiveness is not an act for them it is an act for you. You are not giving anyone else a free pass you are giving yourself a free pass to move on.

Never be held back by less than glorious circumstances. That is the big lie. You can move beyond it and be free. Heal yourself through forgiveness and gratitude!

Wait patiently and expectantly. Seeds plant grow under cover of darkness. Most of what sees do we never see. We never see how growth occurs we only notice benchmarks in progress. Be patient and know good things come to those who wait.

Don’t give up keep moving forward. There IS a time to harvest. You will discover so many wonderful things if you let go, forgive, celebrate now with gratitude and be patient.

While waiting stay in the present. Stay focused on your blessings right now. Parts of your brain will attempt to get you to think about the past and regret it to protect you from doing that again.

Write A New Story

There is a noble intent to regret and that is to not ever engage in that same behavior or activity again. The brain will also project into the future to protect us by anticipating what might be coming. Worry is noble too in that it is an attempt to prepare.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with the brain attempting to prevent the past mistakes or avoid future ones but some people get caught up and miss right now.

Now is where all the blessings are. Right now is where the celebration is. Right now is actually all you have. The past is gone only memories we relive and the future is only a projection, it is not here yet.

The gift is our present. Staying in this moment helps keep us calm and peaceful. Enjoy and delight in this moment. In each moment.Life is meant for you to enjoy! You have a short shot when all is considered. Live it well.

It doesn’t matter so much what you have as it matters who you are. Be the kind of person who savors and enjoys life. Dream big and live large. Have fun, smile and laugh. If you fill each present moment with so much positive enjoyable living you will have lived well! Don’t you think?” Rex Sikes

How wonderfully can you spend today?

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude! Leave comments.

Do You Have What It Takes? This Quality Separates The Winner From The Pack

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“One quality often separates the haves from the have nots. The winners from the not winners. Those who are victorious embody this attribute. What is it that divides champions from mere mortals, the successful from the non-success? Persistence!

People who have made great wealth are persistent. Olympic athletes who medal, or those who compete multiple times are persistent. These people don’t quit. They’d rather fight than switch, they would sink with the ship.

They will do anything to not fail and succeed. If you want to cross the finish line you must stay in the race.

Many champion athletes have known great heartbreak, injury and setback but have gone on to face incredible odds and prevail. Countless self made millionaires have built fortunes and lost them only to build them again. They don’t let falling down keep them down. They get up, dust of and move on.

Keep Moving Toward Your Goal Step By Step

These champions in sports, wealth, business, and life do what other people neglect to do. They work every day towards their goal. They relentlessly pursue their major purpose and they develop habits to move them along.

They repeat that which makes them successful. They condition their mind and their being for success. They do whatever it takes.

They let nothing stop them. Mistakes, obstacles, that which appears as defeat does not defeat them. There is no failure in falling down, getting up and going on to cross that finish line. The only ones who fail are those who leave the race early. Winners keep moving forward. Challenges and obstacles are part of playing the game.

Successful people may adjust their plans but never give up their dream. They learn what works and what doesn’t by continuously trying. Sometimes they get lucky but it is because they keep going after it until they discover opportunity and advantage.

Successful people persist in the face of relentless opposition. They don’t let well meaning people discourage them from accomplishing their dreams.

Learn From Obstacles And Challenges

The learn the power of focus and have learned concentration and how to tune out and ignore distractions. They use their time well. Habits rule our lives and they learn success habits that support them in their pursuits.

Our habits can either help us to succeed or be the reason we don’t. We need to insure, as the champions do that we have success habits.

Habits can be changed. If you have some that don’t serve you well this is great news. Habits can be changed through awareness and effort. You need to notice when you aren’t doing what you want to be doing and then do what you want to immediately.

You repeat this process. You are aware of starting to engage in the old habitual behavior and you stop, decide to engage in the new behavior you want to become a habit.

You have to repeat this over and over. There are different estimates on how long it takes for a new behavior to become habit. The range is somewhere between 21 to 90 days.

This is great news! Within a relatively short period of time you and I can learn positive productive habits that can revolutionize our lives!

Play The Game Well And Enjoy Winning

When you get rid of the habits that hold you back and replace them with positive new ones your life will change for the better. It may take some time, yes, but it is worth it.  Whenever you begin to engage in the old habit, stop, decide to engage the new behaviors and praise yourself for noticing the opportunity to change. Don’t be critical or hard on yourself. Instead encourage change.

AS you notice yourself engaging in the new habit celebrate. Celebrate everything. A good habit is formed by engaging in the good habit, the correct behavior, repeatedly over the time period.

As the new habits take hold you will be amazed and delighted with the progress. You too, just like the self-made millionaires can make changes and become unstoppable. You can see yourself over the finish line and make you dreams come true!” Rex Sikes

Smile big live large today. Enjoy everything!

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude! Leave comments.

How To Quickly Manifest What You Want

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“People often ask, ‘How do we create or manifest what we want?’ ‘Is there a way to attract to ourselves what we desire?’ They want to know if there are ways and how to work it all the more quickly. Can we reduce the time it takes to make things happen? What must we do?

The quickest way to become what you want to be in life is to say ‘I am’ that which you want to be. Declare it! ‘I am happy’; ‘I am successful’; ‘I am loving’; ‘I am healthy’.  What you think about you bring about. You can declare ‘I have health’; ‘I have wealth’; ‘I have everything I need to be happy and successful’. Affirm it!

‘I Am’ is creation. ‘I have’ is creation. You declare what you want as though you already have it. You imagine the good you desire in life and you affirm it. ‘I am’ is the spoken word you declare. ‘I am’ is the picture you seen in your mind. ‘I am’ is the feeling. Feel it fully!

Picture what you want as thought you already have it and savor the incredible feelings. Feeling are the key. Just repeating things endlessly makes no difference. You must see, say AND feel what it is like to already have that which you desire for the future.

Those feelings are the creative power. See it. Declare it done. Feel it fully. It is all three! It is the combination of all three,  pictures, your word, and feelings, that make your affirmations powerful. “As a man thinks in his heart so he is’.  Affirm what you want.

Declare what you want. Your affirmation is your mantra. Repeat it again and again. What you focus on expands. What you think about all day long you become! When you ‘act as if’ you already have you everything you desire and feel it fully your brain gets the message and works full steam to bring it about.

Then get out of the way and allow yourself to have it. You have to be able to receive without resistance. This is hard for many people. You have to believe it is on its way. If you get distracted and think about how your current circumstances are different from what you want you set up resistance. What you resist persists. Stop it!

If you want a new car declare it. Then accept it is on its way. If you do all the creating but then you keep complaining about the current car you are noticing the lack of the new car. Your focus is on what you don’t like and don’t enjoy.

If you knew you had a new car on order and that is is coming from the dealership you’d be eager for it. Without question. You would also know it was on its way without question. You wouldn’t doubt whether it was going to materialize. You know it is because you ordered it and the dealership is delivering it.

You’d feel great knowing you are the owner of this new car and excited about. If you won the lottery and you this for a fact. You’d be thrilled even though you haven’t received the money yet. You still know the money is yours because you won it. THIS FEELING of having it already is how we create what we want in life.

It is the steadfast focus on what you create and the wonderful feelings of possession that open the floodgates. The easiest way to get what you want is to simply feel the best you can most of the time. Live in celebration and gratitude. Love and enjoy everything. Then your mindset is incredibly positive and powerful.

You feel marvelous. If you feel marvelous most of the day, every day, whether or not you got your dreams everything would still be incredible. The secret is when you feel wonderful most of the time you are creating and inviting good things into your life. When you feel incredible life is incredible! This is the way to live!

To feel wonderful you must think wonderful. AND you must do those positive things that encourage positive feelings. Celebrate and be glad. When feeling down shift yourself out of it. Get yourself to feel at least a little bit better. Make yourself! Move toward delight until eventually you get there. Keep moving step by step. Bit by bit.

Dance, sing, play, laugh, skip, walk, do whatever you do to feel your best AND keep doing it. Enjoy life and everything about it! When you love it all you accept it all. You get out of the way so you can be gifted with all good things. You radiate, vibrate, magnetically attract and create because you are that kind of person. Life is grand!

You want to get the things you want as quick as possible? Stop focusing on lack. Stop being distracted with petty annoyances and daily frustrations that bring you down and tire you out. Live fully. Be alive. Have fun, feel good. Be of good cheer.

Be positive and thankful and everything will come your way most quickly. Live, love, laugh and celebrate everything! Live with passion and with zest and you can have everything you want!” Rex Sikes

Whose day will you brighten today?

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude! Leave comments.

A Secret I Learned To Keep From Spiraling Down And Out During Tough Times

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“What do you do when things go awry? What do you do when the fan is hit hard? Times can get tough. There are obstacles and challenges. We all go through them. What can you do? How do you apply these principles to make a difference?

I can tell you what I do. I have been challenged recently in some big ways. Years ago it might have meant screeching to a halt or hitting the skids. Today, it is much, much different. It doesn’t mean challenges are less severe it means, sometimes, I handle them better.

I Take Control Of What I Imagine And What I Say To Myself

When I become aware that I am feeling down and out, or thinking negatively or beginning to wonder ‘why in the world am I going through this’ in that instant I realize I have a choice. I can continue to spiral down or to apply what I know works. I’m at a decision point.

When I am wise enough I apply what works. I give up. I accept that I have no clue what is going on. I let go as much as able and I remind myself ‘things always work out for the best for me.’ I know, it sounds trite but it is actually true. Things do work out for the best.

In the long run, that place far away that we can’t see yet, everything does seem to work out well.  I have written before that many times people look back at the ‘worst time’ in their life and state emphatically had it not been for that time they would not have and enjoy where they are right now.

What We Focus On Is What We Get

I know sometimes we have to really search to find the good or the lesson but it is hidden there as a seed. We just have to find it! When times are tough my mantra becomes ‘things always work out for the best’. I think ‘how come I am so lucky, so blessed and fortunate!’

I turn my attention to what I am grateful for and celebrate as much and as enthusiastically as I can. I make it a point to have faith that everything will resolve in a positive way even if I can’t see it or understand it. Somewhere, somehow, good will come of this.

Whether you believe it or not, whether it is accurate or not, really isn’t the point. It allows me to move through it faster and stay more resourceful. It helps me focus on  being productive and consider what I want and not spend time dwelling on what I don’t want.

Times can be very tough for any one of us. This is one of the best ways I know how to get through tough times. I know that every time times are tough I somehow manage better because between those times and during those times I apply these principles I am sharing as best I am able. Whew, did you get that?

Your Mind Is Obedient Once You Learn To Control It

This is one of the reasons I write so much about building positive habits because they will carry you  once established. There is strength in a strong foundation. It is also why I write about loving and praising yourself through difficult times or when mistakes are made. Criticism and self loathing doesn’t help any.

You know what? I don’t know why shit hits the fan. I don’t know why it rains on the rich and the poor or the good and the bad. I don’t! I know what I might believe about it. I know many different philosophic and scientific answers for why but I don’t know that any are true. I don’t think it really matters to know why.

I prefer to think somehow it is to wake us up. Whether by design or intelligence OR NOT, bad things happen and are opportunities to confront our programs and patterns and wake up to them. These events and circumstances challenge us to become aware and go beyond how we routinely react. So we can move into new ways of being.

The World And Her People Hold Mirrors Up For Us To See

While I may not immediately recognize them as such, I reframe the tough times as gifts. Blessings to help me examine myself and become better. The challenge for me is to look inward and not outward for the solution or the cause. I want to learn to respond with awareness not blame or accuse others or events.

Gifts to become more aware. Gifts to become free. Seems sad sometimes that we wake up through loss and tragedy but perhaps there is no other way to get our own attention. If nothing shakes us up we just go on doing what we have been conditioned to. So I think of less than glorious circumstances as a necessary evil.

I may resist them. Fight them. BUT when I surrender to them I always learn something and grow more. It hurts to grow sometimes. There are growing pangs. AND I certainly haven’t all the answers. Actually, I have very few. What I can have is faith in myself.

Turn Resistance Into Assistance

I can have faith that everything always does work out for the best, somehow in the long run. Then I begin to look for the blessing s and opportunities hidden inside these situations. Whether right or wrong I get more done. I don’t feel so bad and I stay on track. It is helpful for me to consider it this way. Attitude is everything.

Life is a series of adjusting to stay on course. Just as when you drive your car down a straight lane. You are always adjusting left and right to stay within the lines. So why should it be any different in anything else. If I get negative I adjust back toward the positive. I feel better. The more I make the adjustments the easier the next adjustment becomes. This is how habits are formed through positive repetition.

So, celebration, gratitude, looking for blessings and finding them in the midst of trouble is a skill we can develop. This too can become a habit. As said before, habits may be difficult to initiate but once formed they are difficult to break and they will carry you. It is good to have positive habits. “everything always works out for the best!'”Rex Sikes

I hope your day today is amazing!

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

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A Realist Never Flew – It Took A Dreamer To Make It Possible: Which Are You?

horizons fencepost and barn

“There are those who say ‘I am a realist when it comes to thinking’. Interestingly enough, a realist may see what is there but only a visionary can see what can be.

One may be good at recognizing what is present. The other builds the future. All innovation stems from visionaries and dreamers, who saw what needed to be added to the present. They sought to  make it better.

A realist never flew. A dreamer made it possible. Become a dreamer. Look around you and be glad for all of it. Celebrate it. Then add to it. Dream big. Think beyond the boundaries. It all first begins as a thought!

Napoleon Hill said, ‘If you can conceive it and believe it you can achieve it.’  Everything in the human world is first conceived of as a thought, a possibility. It only comes into being in reality when creators believe it is possible.

What you think about you can bring about. From the inside to the outside is the process of creation. The results you get are first born between your ears. If you see it in your mind you can hold it in your hand.

So dream big. Believe it is possible. Make it happen. Oliver Wendall Holmes stated, ‘A mind stretched to a new idea can never go back to it’s original dimension.’ When it comes to you and your life dare to go beyond what you already know into something truly incredible!

Great discoveries and innovations arose when brave men and women dared the impossible. It was Audrey Hepburn who said, ‘Impossible means I’m possible.’ You can make your dreams come true.” Rex Sikes

Make today wonderful for you and yours?

If you like this post and it helps you – help others by sharing and re-blogging.

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

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What If You Already Had Everything You Always Wanted?

horizon blue and red sky

“We think we are separate but we are not. We are all connected in every way. We are all humans made from the same stuff. We breath the same air, live on the same planet. We are one species. We are one people.

We are one. Some will tell you we are made from the same stuff that everything there is is made from. I don’t disagree. You and I and plants and trees and rocks and things are all made from the same stardust.

We seem to forget that. We think we are separate. That is the big illusion and delusion. Some believe we purposely forgot in order to re-discover, in order to play the game. Whether that is accurate or not I can appreciate it.

Seek And You Will Find

Certainly, we seem to have forgotten something. Who we are at our very core. It seems we are beings of light and goodness. We are creators and attractors. We are the very things we seek. Yet, we still seek because we have forgotten.

So remember. DO whatever it takes to discover who you are inside. Look to your source, the source within. Re-discover the abundance, the love, the compassion, the kindness, the peace that is already yours.

Isn’t it silly to look for something you already have? Claim it. This makes sense to me. Become the change you desire by realizing you are already what you desire. You just have to get out of your own way and release the you from within.

Ask And You Will Be Given

Unleash your passion and your joy. Release your receptivity and acceptance. Bring forth your abundance and good will. Let your light shine and let all good things flow from you. Stop struggling to have what you already possess.

Own it. Be it. You will have more of it when you realize you aren’t actually lacking anything. You only think you are. That is the big deception, the delusion, the illusion. You are already it. Start acting like it. Accept it, believe it, celebrate it.

When you do new doors of being will open up for you. As long as you want it you are paying attention to lack and what you don’t want. You are denying you are already that and ignoring who and what you are. You are suppressing it. Let it go! Be it and you will have it!

Knock And The Door Will Be Opened

You are it right now. Now is all there is. When you understand and wake up to this you will know that it is true and you have had everything you ever needed or could ever want available to you always at all times. You are already that which you seek.

You deny it. Stop. Wake up and stop dreaming. You are already more than enough.. You are powerful, positive, love and happiness. You are health and wealth and abundance. You are receiving and generously giving. You are One with everything. Wake up to it” Rex Sikes

Celebrate everything today!

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS You may know someone who could benefit from reading these message. Please share DI&G with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

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Do This If You Think Nothing Will Help You!

horizons sunrise multicolor water

“Some people give up. They lose hope. They try many things but don’t seem to get results. They race around but produce little of what they want? I have done this. Have you? Some erroneously conclude that they are beyond help or that nothing works.

That is sad when people give up or lose faith in themselves. That is where the faith needs to be. It needs to be on the inside of us and not on outer things. We need to know that if we dedicate ourselves we can find away no matter how difficult it may seem.

It is always darkest before the dawn. Those who triumph often do over incalculable odds. Great victory seems to come only after great hardship. Those who expect it easy may be in for a surprise. Those who expect to win come closer than those who think they’ll lose.

Defeat Is Only Temporary Unless You Quit

Things worth having may be worth fighting for. Some people want it quick and easy. They believe the media advertising claims. ‘Works like magic. No effort necessary. It does the work for you!’ Because they put their faith in specious claims they end up disappointed.

Have you? I have. Has the Law Of Attraction worked for you? What about Positive Thinking? Has positive thinking worked for you? There is a lot of misunderstanding about what these two approaches are that need some clearing up. Let’s discuss briefly and simply.

The Law Of Attraction (LOA)  is based on the principle that like attracts like and that makes perfect sense. It is true that birds of a feather flock together. It’s premise is whatever you put out you get more back of the same.

Inside All Hardship Are Lessons And Opportunity 

This notion is central to planting seeds. When you plant A seed you get more of the same crop back multiplied. It makes perfect sense. One plants, waits and harvests. During the waiting period the seed is nourished. It must be nourished or it would die.

LOA is based on attraction. You attract everything whether good or bad. The universe, god, your subconscious, whatever description works for you, doesn’t care whether it is good for you or not. There is no judgement. You get what you focus on.

Another way to think about this is that the universe, god or your subconscious mind always, ONLY, says yes to you. If you think, ‘I am wealthy’ it says, ‘Yes!’ If you say, ‘I am broke’ it says ‘Yes!’ It agrees with whatever you state about yourself and your circumstances.

If your life sucks it is because you are somehow creating or attracting it with your thoughts. You are responsible for your results. Ask yourself what you are focused on? You’ll get more of the same. Many people don’t want to be held accountable, however.

If You Do Nothing You Get Nothing

The central tenant of Positive Thinking is that positive, optimistic thoughts are more productive or useful and beneficial than negative thoughts. If you want to win the race you need to think the thoughts of a winner. You can’t believe you will lose and win easily.

One must think the thoughts that bring about the most good. You don’t become rich thinking how poor you are. You don’t become healthy thinking how sick you are. At its core it says if you want health and wealth you should think health and wealth thoughts.

Combined with the LOA means the more positive thoughts you think the more positive thoughts you are likely to attract. The more negative thoughts you think the more negative you attract. So you are responsible for the results you get based on what you focus on.

It Is Better To Try And Fail Than To Never Try

Neither discipline has anything to do with pie in the sky, wishful or hopeful thinking. Unfortunately, sometimes they are presented that way. Both are reasonable disciplines with philosophy, science, brain science and more backing them up. These principles are ancient!

Some people say they have tried these and they gave up because they don’t work. Countless, others claim great benefit. Seems people get what they believe they will. Our expectations play a part in what we ultimately discover. This is very true!

Whether these work or don’t says nothing about the LOA or PT but speak volumes about the person. We shouldn’t evaluate a practice by someone else’s success of failure to use it well. When someone says they tried the questions are how well?

If You Want Life To Change You Will Have To Change Some Things

How hard?  How long? What does it mean you tried? Some people think if they read a book they tried it. Others actually do put it to use. We can verify whether something works or not based on others experience we can only verify it based on our own.

Most people I talk to, who have had difficulty, do not try very hard nor very long. OR should I say long enough. The may dabble intensely but still it is just dabbling. The pioneer people who made it from east to the west in the US endured great hardship.

Those who persisted until they arrived at the west coast succeeded. Those who settled along the way, settled. You win the race crossing the finish line. No one said that the LOA or PT was easy only that it was easier. This is an important point to keep in mind.

When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Get Going

Dedication and commitment, investment and persistence are meaningful qualities in making your dreams come true. If you dabble you might possibly succeed. If you are committed you might possibly fail to reach your goal by your deadline.

If you never give up you are more likely to hit the target eventually. You don’t stop attempting but you DO adjust how you are going about it. Being flexible and changing your plans or routes along the way is part of being a smart traveler. You adjust as necessary.

The bottom line is you aim high. You think the best. You know what you want and pursue what you want; you think about what you want. That aims you at your target. It makes hitting the target more likely. When playing darts you aim at the bullseye you want to hit.

You Get What You Focus On – You Become What You Think About

You don’t aim at what you don’t want to hit. You don’t think, ‘I don’t want to miss the target completely. I don’t want to hit these other rings or numbers.’ You don’t, do you? You think about what you want to hit. You focus in on it. You zero in on it. You exclude the rest.

When you think positive and optimistically you open your neurology up to possibilities and opportunity. You are more apt to see advantages and even learn from mistakes. You tend to attract like minded people. Your world gets a little bit better.

As you continue you make thinking positive a habit. As a result, because you are thinking positive and optimistically you become that which you think about. Life improves. The more you get the more you can get. Things get better and better.

You Are Today Where Your Thoughts Brought You

You progress. If challenges come your way you are better equipped to handle them. Because you make this way of thinking and feeling and being a lifestyle and a habit you are less likely to throw in the towel when going gets rough. Instead you persist. You evolve.

Ultimately, you reach you goal. You arrive at your destination. It may not have been always easy but it was easier. This is why you want to consider using the LOA and PT. Frankly, both already are in operation in your life. You can’t not use the them.

You can focus on the wrong things, however. Most of us do anyway. That is how we were brought up. SO we train our minds now to thing better by thinking more positively. We apply the principles and practice the approaches daily. It is a discipline. It requires rigor.

You Will Be Tomorrow Where Your Thoughts Take You

We can’t escape the effects of the LOA we can only use it to our advantage or not. If you don’t like the results you are getting what are you paying attention to? It’s a good guess you aren’t paying attention to all the positive, wonderful thoughts you could be.

It is more likely you are thinking about the circumstances and the problems, even trying to find a solution, but the issue looms larger in your mind. If your thoughts about bills and lack are more frequent than your thoughts about plenty and abundance that is an issue.

You get what you focus on. You become what you think about most during the day. Like attracts like, birds of a feather flock together. What you think about you bring about. If you hold it in your head you will someday hold it in your hand. Lack doesn’t result in wealth.

You Cannot Escape The Results Of Your Thoughts

The saying, ‘If it is to be it is up to me’ applies. There are practices that make LOA and PT more powerful and easier to apply. It isn’t that these are hard we just do things more wisely. This blog is designed to help you make your dreams come true.

PT is a discipline. Applying the principles within the LOA is a disciple. It isn’t magic. You don’t sit crosslegged hoping for things to land in your lap. Maybe they will, I’d stay open for it to happen that way, without betting on it. Instead I’d bet on myself to make it happen.

Design your life the way you want it to be and live it! Make it happen. Don’t give up until you arrive. If you are already there on the inside it makes getting there on the outside more quickly. As within so without. As above so below. Live your dreams now!

Whether You Think You Can Or You Can’t You Are Right

LOA and PT are marvelous tools. Marvelous organizing principles. Wonderful and powerful approaches. They may be the laws which govern the universe, but if not, they are pretty darn close. Don’t fight what is, have the present and future you always wanted.

Don’t give up. Learn to apply these. Don’t lose faith grow the faith. Put your faith on you. Bet on yourself to win. Be a winner. Become a champion. Focus on what you CAN DO and do it. Take positive steps each day toward what you want and you will make it happen.” Rex Sikes

Enjoy today!

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Horizon photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW SITE TO LAUNCH SOON – Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new URL is coming soon. The site will have a new look and feel.

If you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Stick with me. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches.

PS You may know someone who could benefit from reading these message. Please share DI&G with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude! Leave comments.