As I sit here on my computer, there is a sizable snow storm blowing around outside. I have maybe a foot of snow or so right now, and it isn’t supposed to let up for another day. I am also sick, so the thought of going outside to shovel hasn’t appealed to me. I figured I would worry about it tomorrow since there’s little chance my low-to-the-ground car would make it out of the neighborhood anyway.

Someone on my little block decided to come around and snowblow everyone’s driveways (including mine)! Why is he doing this for all of us? Maybe he just wants to use his snowblower. Maybe though, he just wants to help everyone out since I am pretty sure most of us only have shovels. The thought occurred to me, do I go out there in my sweats and disheveled hair and thank this kind stranger?  If I do go out there, what will he think if he sees me in this state? That I’m lazy? Stinky, maybe? (Ah the thoughts that go through a woman’s head)… I decided against the potential embarrassment and instead came back to my computer to post my thought: that sometimes there is goodness in people that has nothing to do with personal gain or compliments or brownie points. I highly doubt he’s looking for all of us to come running out of our homes to thank him, and I while I’m pretty sure I know which neighbor it is, I don’t know him personally. I’ve never spoken to him once in the two years I’ve lived here; he would likely not even know who I was if I went to his house later to thank him (which I might do anyway).

Once thing I know is that I appreciate this neighbor today, not just for taking care of my driveway, but for reminding me how wonderful a random act of kindness can be. Paying it forward in some way will be my next, most immediate goal. As soon as I can get out of my house and into the rest of civilization, that is. This is now not nearly as far off as it seemed to me this morning, when my driveway was buried. Maybe a new goal to have would be to perform one random act of [purposeful] kindess each week, and then grow on that. I can think of few ways better to spend my time.

It’s so easy to remember all the instances each day where someone cuts us off on the freeway, or doesn’t yield to pedestrians walking into grocery store. Those moments beg the question “what is wrong with people these days”? My neighbor is a good reminder though, that it is far more important to remember and believe that there is goodness in everyone, just as there is selfishness. More often than not “selfish” moments on the freeway or grocery store are not indicative of the person behind the wheel, but rather is a symptom of an emotional state or moment in time.

A stranger’s momentary lapse of reason which causes them to say something rude, yell at a cashier, or cut someone off in traffic is taken out of context by our judgment-forming mind because we have only the one thing with which to make such a judgment. In reality there is so much more to that person; things we’ll never see. If we consider for a moment that we’ve all done something like this, we can also knowingly say that that moment was not who you are, it was something else entirely. No sleep the night before, a fight with your significant other… whatever.

So, the point of my rambling? Only that we should remember that there is goodness in everyone, be grateful for it when it shows up! More importantly, we should remember when we encounter strangers at their worst that we all have those moments and that doesn’t make us selfish or bad. Just human.

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Everyone needs a little inspiration, a little motivation, to keep themselves on track. I do many things, but one of them is finding things like quotes that inspire me and remind me of what I’m doing and why. Here are my 5 quotes that are currently on my vision board, which I make a conscious effort to go over every morning at my desk.

I am the Peace that I Seek. -(My Personal Mantra right now)

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -Helen Keller

Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. – Unknown

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw of the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the  trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

The mark of an Authentic Life is when we are no longer willing to contain our Greater Self just to avoid discomfort. Your life has a higher purpose than seeking approval. If you offer your life to your grandest vision, it will free the genius within you. -Josh Cohen.

These quotes remind me of the the fact that I am hear for a reason, that doing what feels right to me may be risky and considered foolish by others, but that I will regret not following my heart in the end if I choose to be guided by the judgments of others. These are important reminders for me right now, as I have made many drastic changes to my life. If ever I am in doubt,  I have my board to remind me what I’m doing.

Got any great quotes that are guiding your through your journey?

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This is the time of the year where many of us look at our lives and feel like it’s time to make changes; for some of us it’s major life changes, for others it’s just minor tweaks. The beginning of a New Year marks a new start for us all, and it gives us added incentive to consider that by the end of this year we could be living the life we’ve only dreamt of.

As I sit here writing this, I have lofty goals for myself this year. After my first year of self-employment I have learned a lot about my strength and weaknesses, the things that are truly important to me, and even where my breaking point is! My “career” goals for this year are include growing my local business to at least double the size it is now, and growing my blogs in the same fashion. Financially, I hope to remain debt free (I say this but I have a giant school loan I choose not to count because I will be paying on it so long!), purchase a house with my family, and begin the process of saving again (my saving habits have suffered after a year of struggling as a new business owner. I’m hoping to change this!).

I’ve written about many of the things I believe most impact our ability to affect last change in our lives. I just don’t think I’ve ever put it all together. So, that’s what I’m going to do today.

1. Know who YOU are and what you stand for. Sometimes we can’t accomplish goals we think are important because they’re actually important someone else (and so we believe they should be important to us). Make sure you’re being guided by your values, not others. By that same token, make sure that you are in control of the direction you’re heading!
2. Make sure your goal (or destination) is  clearly defined. There’s nothing worse than having a goal in you mind and realizing that your best efforts to accomplish it is at best keeping you running alongside of it! The more clearly defined your goals (think I want to make “more” money vs. I want to make $27,000 more this year), the more efficient you’ll be at getting there.
3. Practice Gratitude. No matter how far away you may be from your goal, being grateful for your present situation is key to long-term happiness. It will only make you that much more appreciative of your new life when you get there!
4. Keep your Spirits High. Don’t let setbacks get you down. These kinds of things are a normal part of life, and if making changes in your life were easy, everyone would be doing it! If you find yourself unmotivated, depressed, or deflated, remind yourself of number 3 (gratitude!) and get back on the horse. You’ll be glad you did.
5. Stay Motivated. Do whatever it takes. Visualize, talk to yourself in the mirror, tell the world on Facebook- whatever it takes! This is the number 1 reason I think people fail to make significant changes in their lives; at some point, you start to forget why you’re doing all of it and you just… quit. Don’t be a quitter!
6. Keep Your Life and Yourself in Balance. Letting things get out of control in the interest of going after life change might sound like a good idea, but all that focus you put into change will eventually be ripped out of your hand and brought back to your current life and current situations. Maintaining balance is difficult. No one is perfect at it, but it helps to keep things as simple as you can, to appreciate the present for what it is, and to be at peace with your life as it is, while you work toward your life changing goals.

People who are into personal growth are always thinking “How can I be a better ______”? It’s a great way to be, and I am glad to consider myself one of those people who actually thinks about those things. Thinking about it and doing it are not the same, as we have all learned over time. These six steps are truly what I think  makes all the different between success and failure.

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