Challenge

When It’s Darkest, Men See the Stars.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't Limit Your Challenges... Challenge Your Limits.
- Anonymous

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
- Raymond Lindquist

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter,
but by how we respond to those challenges.
- jlh

Only when life is difficult, are we challenged to become our greatest selves.

*** My book 100 Secrets for Living a Life You Love would make a great gift for someone you love. Use discount code 4GY92RQ9 for a 25% discount when you order direct from my publisher.

Further reading: How to Think Positive

How to Move On and Let Go

Take Charge of Your Life

My quotes about Attitude
quotes about Choice
quotes about Change
quotes about Courage

Ralph Waldo Emerson: When It’s Darkest Men See the Stars.

When It’s Darkest, Men See the Stars.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Only when life is difficult, are we challenged to become our greatest selves.

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The winners of the "Questions for author Mary Anne Radmacher" contest are...

The "Most Interesting Question" winner is Anne. Her question and Mary Anne's answer...

Question: Please could you explain the difference between Living with Intention and say living with Inspiration?

Mary Anne Radmacher's Answer...

My INTENTIONS inspire me to consider certain actions. There are many things in the course of my day that inspire me. My intentions are like a giant bulldozer in the middle of a wild, overgrown glade. My intentions clear a path and allow me to head in the direction of my longings, my passions. My intentions make it possible for me to lay down a road of clarity and goals, upon which I articulate the mission and purpose of my life.

The other copy of Mary Anne Radmacher's Live With Intention goes to randomly drawn winner Corinne Rodrigues of Mumbai India and her question "How does living with intention translates into our daily lives?"

See all the questions and Mary Anne's wonderfully insightful answers at
http://blog.dreamthisday.com/2011/02/questions-for-author-mary-anne.html





Order your copy of Mary Anne Radmacher's wonderful book
Live With Intention now.





Further reading: How to Find Yourself

Choose Your Habits, Choose Your Life

Boldly Sail the Storms of Life

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Joseph Addison Quotes

Thomas Jefferson Quotes

Dont Limit Your Challenges... Challenge Your Limits.

Don't Limit Your Challenges... Challenge Your Limits.
- Anonymous

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, Begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it, Begin it now.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
- Raymond Lindquist

Today's affirmation: I alone am the MASTER of my ship of life.

Further reading: Finding Balance in Life

Forgiveness and Acceptance, Another Look at the Challenges

Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself. - James Allen

There is a crack in everything... Leonard Cohen

My Positive Affirmations

Unlike grown-ups, children have little need to deceive themselves. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There is a crack in everything... Leonard Cohen

There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.
- Leonard Cohen

If our world were as we perceive it should be, we would never be inspired to be creative or adventurous. Let us give thanks that our world is designed to challenge us and to bring out the best of the human spirit.

*** Today's CD: Leonard Cohen: Live In London

Further reading: Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself. - James Allen

Eleanor Roosevelt quote: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Leonard Cohen video - Everybody knows (live in London, 2008)

Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself. - James Allen

Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter, but by how we respond to those challenges.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

*** You asked for Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote to be available in book form, and here it is - just in time for holiday giving!

100 Secrets for Living a Life You Love
Finding Happiness Despite Life's Roadblocks
by Jonathan Lockwood Huie

You can live the life you love - even in the face of the most challenging circumstances. While sometimes it may appear that life throws more obstacles in your path than you can handle, you can always choose to be happy. Yes, you are that powerful.

This book would be a very special present for friends and family.

The regular price is a very reasonable $12.95, and I am offering you a discount code to receive an additional discount of 25% to bring your cost under $10 for each copy.

Use discount code 4GY92RQ9 for a 25% discount and
Order 100 Secrets for Living a Life You Love now.

The "secrets" include...
1 - Put Your Faith in Attitude, Not Circumstances
4 - Persevere - Happiness is Not Always an Easy Choice
6 - Give the Gift of Happiness to Your Friends and Family
11 - Choose the Purpose of Your Life
24 - Stop Anger Before It Stops You
36 - Consider How You Want to be Remembered
39 - Create Good Endings - They Precede Good Beginnings
41 - Put Your Dreams Into Action
42 - Gather Strength From Life’s Storms
44 - Have Gratitude for ALL of Life
45 - Be Open to Receiving Unlimited Abundance
56 - Give and Receive Love and Compassion
57 - Look for the Best in People
67 - Make Peace with Your Past through Forgiveness
70 - Learn the #1 Secret of Great Relationships
77 - Find Happiness Beyond the Grief of Divorce
88 - Begin the Practice of a Silent Daily Walk
90 - Know That Life is NOT SUPPOSED to be Fair
100 - Feel Unity with Spirit and All Creation

If you want to look before you buy, you can view or download a pdf file that includes the Table of Contents and eight of the "secrets" so you can see the 100 secrets and sample some of them. 100-secrets-preview.pdf

Use discount code 4GY92RQ9 for a 25% discount and
Order 100 Secrets for Living a Life You Love.

***

Further reading: Joy is a Choice - but Not an Easy Choice

Albert Camus: Life is a sum of all your choices.

Take Charge of Your Life - 9 Secrets for Getting Un-Stuck - Jonthan Lockwood Huie

Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the willingness to deal with them joyfully. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the willingness to deal with them joyfully.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

I Act with Bold Courage - Taking inspiration from the powerful vision of my future, I boldly set sail with courage and intent. I hold my course with focused attention and relentless commitment, as I weather the storms of life.
- the Sixth point of Simply An Inspired Life

I create Today as a celebration of my life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: When you keep getting the wrong answers, try asking better questions - jlh

How To Talk Yourself Into Making Personal Changes - Alan B. Densky, CH

How To Be Happy In Life - The 9 Paths To Happiness

Lao Tzu: He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.

Offering Comforting Words and Support ... Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love. - St. Francis of Assisi

Offering Comforting Words and Support

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
- St. Francis of Assisi

Is someone you know going through a difficult time? You want to be helpful, but how? It is possible that you can help with money or material things. It is possible that you can use your time to perform services for them. It is also possible, although unlikely, that your well-intentioned advice will serve them well.

Generally, your greatest service to someone in their time of trouble, sorrow, or confusion, is your comfort. Take the time to listen to their troubles and concerns with patience, kindness, and empathy, but without offering unsolicited advice or suggestions. Your kindly hand on their shoulder, supportive hug, and patient listening are often the greatest gifts you can offer.

Further reading: Gifts freely given are never obligations - jlh

Loving is the most unmitigated and courageous act I perform in a day. - Mary Anne Radmacher

Your love is more powerful than your words or your actions. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Meddling - 5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Offering Helpful Advice

Forgiveness and Acceptance, Another Look at the Challenges

Forgiveness is the cleansing fire that burns away old regrets and resentments.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Forgiving is not a gift to someone else - Forgiving is your gift to yourself - a great gift - the gift of happiness.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Today, I say yes to forgiving. I commit to being for-giving love and for-giving compassion in all areas of my life.
– Sheri Rosenthal

Regrets, resentments, forgiveness, and acceptance again? Yes, again. Of all the topics we address in Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote, forgiveness is the one that generates the most response and controversy.

Again and again, in blog comments and by email, I get the response, "Something REALLY terrible was done to me, I can't forgive that." Often the really terrible thing is a childhood sexual molestation. The irony is that the more terrible the event, the more peace you can gain by forgiving it.

Forgiving and accepting does not mean that what was done was okay. An injustice was done, and someone likely should be punished. But your anger and resentment don't punish the other person. Your anger and resentment only punish you. So stop it. Stop it now. Stop hurting yourself and issue your own proclamation of forgiveness and acceptance so YOU can finally stop suffering.

Further reading: Forgive and Forget? Can You Really Lift Your Burden of Resentments?

Practical Forgiveness by Sheri Rosenthal

My good friend Sheri Rosenthal runs a website (www.withforgiveness.com) devoted to the subject of forgiveness. The picture on this page is of me at Machu Picchu on a Spiritual Journey to Peru with Sheri. Sheri organizes Spiritual Journeys to Peru, Egypt, the American Southwest, Mexico, Israel, and more.

Amelia Earhart: Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done

Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done.
- Amelia Earhart

OK, so the wording is a little sarcastic, but the idea is important. If you believe that something is impossible, you have just made that task impossible for you to accomplish, but you are likely to watch in amazement as others make it happen. Very few challenges can resist insight and perseverance for long.

C. S. Lewis You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
- C. S. Lewis

Every day is a new day - a day for new beginnings, new dreams, new action - a day for challenge, adventure , and discovery. TODAY, what is your goal? What is your dream? What action are you taking to further your goals and dreams?

Life is as easy or as hard as you think it is - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Life is as easy or as hard as you think it is
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Whenever you say or even think, "This is hard," that task or challenge becomes difficult. Dread it, and it becomes terrifying.

When you choose to move past fear - fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of "looking bad," fear of losing respect - life becomes much lighter, and most any task becomes possible - perhaps even enjoyable. Most any challenge can become an adventure of discovery.

mary anne radmacher: The less I take the difficulties of my life as personal affront, and the more I use them as an opportunity to learn and grow... t

a quote from LIVE BOLDLY

The less I take the difficulties of my life as personal affront, and the more I use them as an opportunity to learn and grow... the easier I sleep at night. - mary anne radmacher

The Eye-of-the-Storm

There is beauty and serenity in the eye of the storm. - jlh The Eye-of-the-Storm. Surrounded by the winds and the rain, yet peaceful in its own unworldly way - an unnatural ruddy-cloudy misty-bright kind of way. Whatever comes next, the eye of the storm is a moment of serenity among the challenge - a time for repose and contemplation.

a quote from LIVE BOLDLY Our daily decisions create the scrapbook of our life. - mary anne radmacher

SAILing through the storms of adversity

SAILing through the storms of adversity

Today, when the winds of adversity blow strong, redirect their force into the service of your highest intention.
- jonathan lockwood huie

There is an old saying: "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." This is similar, but amplifies and focuses the concept.

As an example, a friend says something, and you get upset. Life just handed you a small lemon. The lemonade could be finally having that deep insightful conversation with your friend that you had been putting off. Or the lemonade might be finally reading that transformative book that holds the key to resist taking what anyone says personally.

The additional aspect of the SAILboat analogy is the idea that your friend's remark is a FORCE, like the wind, that you can redirect and use to power your intentions.

A quote from LIVE BOLDLY
the challenge before us is to savor the unknown and delight in the taste of possibility.
- mary anne radmacher