The Struggle Is Instrumental

If my older post "Win Anyway" meant anything to you, then I have a feeling this post will speak to you too. I think it will because you're the kind of person who knows that success in life can involve struggle. Actually, it can involve a whole lot of struggle. It can seem, at times, like it's totally not worth it at all. It can hit you from all sides and on a multitude of levels. It's mostly a mental and emotional struggle, but it can even be physically draining and exhausting. You might begin to second guess your decision to take this path, to embark upon this journey towards your dreams. You may have people that care about you, who watch you "suffer" as you continue to struggle along your path. They may suggest that you give up and choose a more conventional path...you know, because it's "easier." However, you know it's not, don't you? You know that giving up on your dream would hurt more than any challenge or setback you encounter on the way to living your dream, because at least this way you're on your way. Well, you know what I'm going to say--win anyway. Don't let the struggle turn you away. You can survive it, you can endure it. And when you do, you'll be rewarded by your dreams now being your reality.

Then you'll be living your dreams. What could be more satisfying than that? Any questions or doubts you had about your abilities have been answered...at least for now. You climbed the mountain and now you're standing atop its peak, enjoying the view. The struggle now all seems worth it, because it's allowed you to enjoy this feeling even more just by mere contrast. Many, in fact, feel they need the struggle for that very reason. At this point with your dream accomplished, the limelight shining on you, you may be asked what the "secret" is. People may want to know how you solved the riddle, so to speak. They don't want the story of your work, they just want your "Aha!" moment so that they can copy just the success part of your dream. What those people fail to realize in that moment is that it was the struggle that is the key to your victory. Your struggle is totally intertwined into the fabric of your goal. The struggle is one with the success, so there's no way to teach them how to avoid the struggle, which is what they'll want. In fact, even if you could give them what they're asking, you probably wouldn't because that would rob them of the euphoria of accomplishing their own dream...through the struggle. It's instrumental to their success, to your success, and to mine. It's nature's way, so enjoy it. That's it for now, talk to you soon...

Donovan Bradley

Let's Get One Thing Straight...

You are not flawless. Neither am I. In fact, none of us is flawless. I live in Southern California, not too far from Hollywood, and that means I see quite a few people on a daily basis that come quite close aesthetically (maybe that's why I've always loved it here)--but nope, not a one of them is flawless. Not one, and like I said, neither are you.

I'll tell you what you are, though. You are perfect. I know. That doesn't make any sense, right? How can I say you're not flawless and then call you perfect in the same post? It's easy for me, really. You see, I don't see perfect and flawless as synonyms as most people do. For me, flawless is just that..."without any flaws," but that's not perfect. Perfect, is "just right." Meaning exactly as you are created to be by the all knowing, all seeing intelligence that some call God and that many of us believe does not make mistakes. That intelligence that doesn't make mistakes created you, and since it is perfect, so is everything it creates...including you. In fact, I say especially you. You see, it's my belief that it's our flaws which are the very thing that make each of us...perfect. We have only to learn to see those "imperfections" as assets...even if only by learning life lessons from them. That way we're less apt to want to change "who we are" and more likely to accept ourselves and love what we see in ourselves as we grow from the lessons we can learn from our flaws...and that is the key to happiness. Thanks for reading.

Donovan Bradley

Just Thought I'd Share...

This comes from a mailgroup I'm a member of called Bob Proctor's "Insight of the Day." I had to share...

There's a nice poem by Valerie Cox circulating on the Internet about a woman who bought some cookies and a book at an airport and sat down to read and nibble while waiting for her plane. She soon noticed a man sitting next to her, who casually took a cookie from the bag.

Although shocked and seething, the woman remained silent as the man, without the slightest sign of shame or gratitude, quietly helped himself, matching her cookie for cookie.

When there was one cookie left, she watched in amazement as he picked it up, smiled at her as if he were being gracious, and broke it in half. He ate one half and gave her the other. Congratulating herself for maintaining her cool, she said nothing to this rude cookie thief, astonished at the nerve of some people.

Later, when she was settling into her seat on the plane, she rummaged through her purse and discovered the bag of cookies she'd purchased, still unopened. The moral message is contained in the poem's closing stanza:

"If mine are here," she moaned with despair,
"Then the others were his, and he tried to share."
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Being sure is not the same as being right. Certainty without humility can lead to self-righteousness that distorts our view and understanding of the world and of people.

Humility doesn't require us to be equivocal or doubtful about our deepest convictions. What it asks is that we hold and advocate our beliefs without dismissing the possibility that others may be right instead.

This is [from] Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

www.charactercounts.org

Always Remember, Anything's Possible...Anything

Whatever you wish was true in your world, can be. It can be exactly the way you want, so long as you're not afraid to believe in your vision. Fear and doubt are the biggest killers in the universe. Don't let them get you. The sign that they're getting to you is that old feeling...we call it "doubt." Don't get me wrong, this is work--real work. We live in a world full to the brim with negative influences. Get this though, it's also full to the brim with positive influences, they're just not always as obvious. The reason for this, if this applies to you is, wait for it...it's you. You see, without fail, you attract what you think about. If you think negative thoughts, you'll attract negative things to think about and more importantly, feel about. It's those negative feelings (fear based) that create the negativity that you see in your world...all of it. So let them go. Just release them. Send love to those feelings, just bask in it.

It may help...no, it'll absolutely help you to get clear about what your vision for your life is. What do you want your experience, your every day life to be. You can have that...in fact, you deserve it, right now. You won't get it until you believe it though. You must literally remove all doubt from your mind. Only then will things start to change. You must be able to maintain and sustain your positivity though. For a while it may seem like nothing's changing. There's a couple of ways to look at why this happens: One way is to take the understanding that your new faith is being tested. The other way is to take the understanding that all of that habitual, subconscious doubt that you've allowed to exist inside you for so long has to remove itself from your system before real change in your outer world, which is only a reflection of your inner world, can take effect. Thanks for listening. Talk to you soon...

Donovan Bradley