So, if there is one thread running through my life relating to living your dream life, it is my constantly asking "Why not?"

Some people in my childhood told me I couldn't do certain things. But, they couldn't give me good enough reasons to stop me. So, I tried. And, many times succeeded.

One example: I was 12 years old and my mother and brother and I moved to a bigger town where I had relatives. I had to change schools for the first time in my life, and I went from being a big fish in a tiny pond to being the new kid on the much-bigger block.

At my old school, I was involved in everything. I saw no reason not to do the same at the new school, so I tried out for cheerleading. My relatives, who had lived in this town for ages told me not to bother. They said I didn't know the right people. (I just moved there--barely knew anyone!) What they meant was that we were not part of the "in-crowd" and therefore I didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of making the cheerleading squad.

So, for two weeks, I worked my butt off perfecting my cartwheel, roundoff and forcing myself to do the splits. I practiced jumps and chants and smiling every available minute I had.

And, I made it. The older cheerleaders painted our faces with lipstick, made sashes for us to wear over our try-out clothes, and marched us around town. Sweet humiliation! LOL

I went immediatly to visit my relatives -- in full painted face and costume. Their amazement was probably greater than my pride. I wasn't showing off so much as trying, even then, to say "why not?"

Why not go for it? Why not try to be your very best? Why not try?

If you do not know what you want from life, how will you know when you get it?

So many times, people are unhappy because they are like a dog chasing a car. They chase something they don't really understand and where are they going to put it when they catch it?

If you are pursuing random goals, reaching them and still are not satisfied, that should tell you that maybe you are chasing the car.

Happiness is something "to be", not somewhere to go. It is not a destination, but your journey, and you need to realize that sooner rather than later.

And, guess what else? You do not need one other person, place, or thing to make you happy. It's just about you.

We've all longed desparately for a romantic partner only once we settle into the relationship, it's not what we really wanted.

Or, we desparately covet a new car or a bigger house or a promotion or a baby or a different set of friends or whatever and it's the same thing--all of those may add to your happiness, but they do not bring it with them.

Happiness is inside you. It's in all of us. You just have to look (sometimes pretty hard) and find it for yourself. You knew when you were a little kid, but you forgot. Try to remember.

Check back often for more great quotes!

From a magnet on my fridge:

"Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself." --Author unknown

"When a man is willing and eager,
the gods join in."
- Aeschylus

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
- Walt Disney

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
- Langston Hughes

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you
decide how you're going to use it by knowing
what you want and what it takes to reach
that goal, and by maintaining focus."
- Oprah Winfrey

How many of your goals and dreams have you dropped because life got in the way?

Stop doing that! Life will always get in the way if you let it. It's what life does. It goes on.

And on.

And on.

And it will go on whether you are working toward your goals or working on your excuses.

Try this experiment:

Pick one tiny goal that you really wish you could get accomplished. Nothing major, just something that is bothering you. Cleaning your closet or setting up a household budget or reading War and Peace would work.

Next, break your goal or task into steps. Write them down. For example:

Steps to a Clean Closet:

1-Remove everything from closet.
2-Sort everything into 4 categories: Keep, Repair, Give Away, Throw Away.
3-Take Throw Away items to trash. Put Repair and Give Away items into your car for your next errand trip.
4-Put Keep items neatly back into your closet.

Now, set a deadline for completion. It could be in a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks. As long as you can finish by the deadline, all is good. If your deadline is more than one day away, put tasks on your calendar. For example, maybe you are doing step one today, steps two and three tomorrow and step four over the weekend. Write that down.

Next, take some action. Begin that first step. Go take things out of your closet. Often, you will find that work goes more quickly or slowly than you anticipated. Revise your plan accordingly. If you get everything out of your closet, you may be inspired to keep working. You may decide you need to buy more containers or shelves. Just do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. Then, soon, you will have a clean closet.

The process works the same way for every goal. The steps may get much more complicated if your goal is more complex, but you eat a bag of chips the same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. That's the way you accomplish any goal you set. And, the more goals you accomplish, the more you learn about how to do it. Then, you have the confidence to take on really big goals, like making your dreams happen here in the real world.

So, here is the plan: Pick a goal. Break it into steps. Write the steps down. Set a deadline for completion of the entire project, and for each step. Take action. Revise the plan if needed. Keep taking action and moving forward until goal is completed. Feel proud. Move on to the next goal.

Affirmations for Success - How to Think you Can

Examples and Tips for Action Plans

Staying Motivated