Celebrating Daily Steps to Success

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“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” 

–Jim Rohn

Since writing my last post, I’ve taken a few disciplined steps every day.  These steps have not been taken by random luck or chance.  They have required a deliberate effort on my part.

Sunday night before going to sleep I told myself that in the coming week I would be more intentional with my daily activities and with taking steps toward my desired goals.  I had had enough of letting the hours in my days slip through my fingers like sand, going to bed saying to myself: “I know I was really “busy” today doing stuff.  But, what steps did I take toward reaching my current life goals and dreams?”

I woke up Monday morning, sleepily sat up in my bed, and then flopped myself back down on the pillow feeling the all too familiar surges of doubt, fear, and hesitancy.  The same, old self-sabotaging questions and thoughts swirled through my head: 

Daily Steps to Success

It’s true that I often tell people my children have taught me a great deal.  As their mom, I nurtured and taught them as they grew from babies to young adults.  As we have experienced life together over the years, they have also taught me. Though all three of them are now adults and living on their own, they are still teaching me.   On any given day, as I offer wisdom and encouragement to my children in whatever joy or sorrow they face, I also share the same wisdom and encouragement with myself.  Usually, I end up telling myself, “Yea MaryAnn, live by what you are saying to them!” 

Changed

Along life’s journey, every single experience we have has an effect on who we are today and who we become tomorrow.  Whether it’s an experience or encounter that we consider insignificant or one that feels earth shattering, each one is a part of our continual growth and development.  Over the past two years, strong winds have created ripples that have led me away from religion and religious doctrine.  This new year brings me to making a number of changes to this blog and to what I write about and share from my heart. 

One of my favorite quotes was spoken by Corrie Ten Boom, a woman who survived one of Hitler’s concentration camps.

  

I agree with Corrie that every single thing we experience and every person that touches our life creates a ripple effect and leads us into our future.  Sometimes the ripples are soft and gentle as if a breeze were slightly blowing the surface of water.  At other times, the ripples turn into huge, frothy waves as if hurricane winds were wildly tossing the water to and fro.