Courage or Cowardice

Your posterity will either be blessed by your courage or cursed by your cowardice. - Orrin Woodward

They come to pass

I listened to a cd by Robert L. Dickie yesterday about the purpose of trials in our lives. He talked about a phrase we hear in the scriptures a lot - it came to pass. He said our trials did not "come to stay, they came to pass." I loved that!

More Great Quotes

I don't know about you, but, remembering quotes helps me in times of need. I am not always the best at remembering them. But, the feeling and the ideas they brought to my mind when I read them just come to me. I hope you like these...my favorite today is the last one.

Where nothing is sure, everything is possible – Margaret Drabble

When you are down to nothing, God is up to something.

Only those who attempt the absurd achieve the impossible.

Faith - See the invisible. Believe the incredible. Achieve what the masses think is impossible

Don’t tell God how big your troubles are. Tell your troubles how big your God is. Faith without works is dead.

When in doubt, when in fear, be aggressive. Commit yourself and never look back. Unknown

The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either He will shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.

Daily Kick in the Butt

The more I thought about what I get to do, the less I realized I had to do. It was just a shift, just a new perspective, just a new and more grateful method for labeling the things in my life. Think about it—if you stopped yourself every single time you were about to say, "I have to" and changed it to "I get to," it might change your entire experience.

Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers blog

Daily Kick in the Butt

From the moment I ran through the tunnel into the Olympic stadium I knew that the Olympics wasn't everything I wanted but it was everything I needed. Meaning that I had dreamt of winning for so long but by losing I would develop a whole lot of character and my running career would have a lot different direction compared to if I had won.

Ryan Hall on his 2008 Olympic Marathon performance

Daily Kick in the Butt

Here is one of the daily quotes I get from Runner's World. Thought I would share...

I don't know how the creative process works, but it always seems, as I'm running...that thoughts start coming in; sentences start coming in.

Robert A. Caro, biographer

Your Destiny

I am keeping the things that get me thinking and inspire me here on this blog. I love this. Thanks Cathy Anderson for including it in your most recent e-mail.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Running (and Life)

The only secret is that it is consistent, often monotonous, boring, hard work. And it's tiring.

Robert de Castella, World champion marathon runner

A Couple of Great Quotes

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey -- delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts -- interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride. - Gordon B. Hinkley

Be at peace with the process and nothing can hurt you. - George Guzzardo

God cares more about your growth than your comfort. - Unknown

Self Discipline - Answers

What is the right amount of pressure? What are the right things to either take away/or give when I have accomplished or failed to accomplish my objectives? How do I avoid the thoughts of complacency and procrastination that keep me from choosing something to work on and applying the pain/pleasure principle to it?

These are the questions I set out to answer for myself, again. Isn't it funny that we already know or have known the answers to the questions that seem to give us the most trouble. As I thought about self discipline this week many things came up to answer my questions. I listened to a CD's by Laurie Woodward, Chuck Goetschel and Jerry Harteis. And, all of them gave me some little nugget that helped me get my head back in the game in terms of my own self discipline.

On May 28, 2006 I made a list of 14 things I wanted to change about myself. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed as I looked at the list. I didn't know how to change all of those things at once. So, I prayed about it. I was direct to one thing on my list and felt as though if I changed that one thing many of the others would come into alignment. So, I focused on that one thing and don't really remember coming back to the list to pick the next one. But, as I review it now 3 of the 14 things are habits for me now. The rest are in progress. But, in all 14 of them there has definitely been improvement since 2006.

I have heard this principle more than once. If you take 21 days to focus on one thing that will make it a habit for you. That was the purpose of my list was to take 21 days on each thing. So, I got started this week again. I went right back to the gym thing and I am going to spend the next few weeks firming up that habit and getting it to the level that I want. Then, I am going to move to some other important areas of my life. On her CD Laurie Woodward said you have to focus. She said 'He who begins too much accomplishes nothing'. So, I am going to keep it simple and focus on one thing at a time for three weeks at at time. And, I am going to apply the pain pleasure principle and use rewards to get myself into action. This week my reward was reading one chapter of the Twilight book from Edward's perspective. Next week I'll get to read two. Yea!! How did I choose that? First I thought of rewards that I would have enjoyed but they would hurt my progress in other areas. For example: I wanted to make my mom's biscuits and gravy. But, that would have destroyed my diet goals for the week because I had already used all my extra points. So, I chose something that I really wanted to do but don't generally take time for. And, as soon as I got home from the gym on Saturday I read my chapter. Of course I wanted to just keep reading. But, I am storing that desire to get myself to the gym five times this week. I think that is the answer to almost all of my questions. Find something you really want! That got me over the desire to just stay in bed this week. And, I know that if I can keep finding things that I really want - deep down, truly want - I can leverage that to change myself. I hope this week helps you as much as it has helped me.

Here are some other quotes I have picked up along the way that you might enjoy:

Stay ready so you don't have to get ready. - Will Smith

Success will not come to you on your terms. - Jerry Harteis

Success is directly related to standing out not fitting in. - Joe Gregorski

Success is going from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill

When you aim at nothing, you hit it with remarkable accuracy. - Unknown

A Couple Pick-me Ups

I was having a frustrating day. Mostly inside frustrated with myself and the perspective I had chosen, but, frustrated none the less. A couple of things came to me.

All things shall work together for your good.

When the moment comes that the reason for all this is revealed you will be so grateful that it didn't happen any other way.

As I thought about sharing these notes I had written to myself for encouragement, I thought of a couple of other encouraging statements I found in the home of Ann Karr. I love them and hope she doesn't mind my sharing them here. She has two signs in her office that read:

Dear Lord, put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.

Ann, Trust me! I have everything under control!! Love, Jesus

Then, now, as I write this I am thinking of my dear friend, Clancy. Click here to see her blog post about today. On the days I am feeling as she describes, these are the things I need to read and hear! Let's be more like her and be willing to reveal our faults and weaknesses! I think in doing so we will build others up and what else is this life for....?

Great Quotes and Scriptures

Hello No One,

I say that because I haven't sent this blog address to anyone. So, I am writing to a future reader, I guess. I have never gotten into blogging. I never thought I had enough time for it. But, I did find a good quote and a scripture that I wanted to share with whomever might read this blog!!

First one, it seems that in church lately we have really been talking about learning line upon line and precept upon precept. So, I have been giving that a lot of thought over the last two months. What does that really mean?? It makes me think about Chris and Orrin telling us on the system that you are NEVER holding still. You are either going forward or backward. And, I have always thought to myself that maybe that wasn't really the case. Maybe you could just go into maintenance mode and keep what you have learned and keep your growth. When I read this scripture the truth of their words became truth for me too!! We must keep learning, but more importantly, we must apply the things that we have learned on this "line" or "precept" to receive the next.

For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts and lend an ear unto to my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. 2 Ne. 28:30

This reinforced my desire to keep learning daily through the Team system's many books and cd's. I love them and recommend that anyone looking to improve add them to their the system of learning they already have through church, schooling or any other self-directed education.

Then, on a lighter note, a gal at my new job has a quote at her desk that I thought was awesome.

If you don't like something, change it.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

I hope you enjoyed my first official blog!! Thanks to my friend Clancy, who is a blogging genius, for your inspiration!! I am sure my blog will never be as interesting as hers!! But, hopefully you'll find something useful in my occasional posts!!