Inspire Me Today | April 4 2012
While your experiences of your past will shape you, in no way do those experiences have to define you. ~ Carole Brody Fleet
Always stay true to who you are, deep down inside. It sounds easy, but there are those around you who will try to change who you are and what you stand for. It cannot be done and moreover, it should not be done.
Everyone has dreams. Some of your dreams will come true. Some dreams will come true even bigger and better than you could have ever imagined. Some dreams will be realized right away and other dreams will come true later on in your life. Some dreams may never come true – but that should not ever stop you from dreaming.
I have long taught that certain visions are placed within our hearts…in other words, if you weren’t meant to dream it, the vision wouldn’t be in your heart to begin with. Whatever the dream, whatever the timeline, let NO ONE snatch or compromise your dreams. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can and cannot do or should and should not dream. Your dreams can become your destiny and no one has the right to interfere with that.
Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes and if you have hurt someone else in the process, make amends quickly. Most importantly, learn from your mistakes and whenever possible, learn from other people’s mistakes too.
Your past has helped to shape the person that you are…but unless you allow it, you are not defined by your past. Every single day is a clean slate full of possibilities – take advantage of it.
People will have opinions about you and they may not always be positive. As long as you are not hurting yourself or anyone around you, those opinions (and the negative people connected to those opinions) are inconsequential.
Remember that the definition of courage is, “being afraid and doing it anyway”. There is nothing wrong with being afraid; however, to get what you want in life, you must also choose to be courageous and step out in the faith that you have in yourself.
You have more strength than you realize. And when the times come that you don’t feel especially strong, it is not a sign of weakness to seek help.
The true key to success is learning from those who already are where you want to be in every respect. Don’t ever lose your desire to learn because as long as you remain teachable, you will have success; no matter what path you choose.
When your time on Earth is finished, let your legacy be one of love, generosity of spirit and kindness of heart. Be the person who reached out a helping hand to ease another’s way, wipe away tears and create laughter where there was once darkness.