[09/08/14] Ripples #798: What’s In Your Hand?
PEBBLE
The best day of your life
is the one on which
you decide your life is you own.
No apologies or excuses.
No one to lean on, rely on, or blame.
The gift of life is yours;
it is an amazing journey;
and you alone are responsible
for the quality of it.
-Dan Zadra, shared by Pete in Sedona, AZ
BOULDER
You don’t have a right to the cards
you *believe* you should have been dealt.
You have an obligation
to play the hell out of
the ones you’re holding;
and my dear one,
you and I have been granted
a mighty generous one.
-Cheryl Strayed, shared by Sarah in Fond du Lac, WI
PONDER
Here we are, my friends. We’ve arrived at this particular moment in our lives, and we are holding the cards we’ve been dealt. The experiences, the people, the circumstances we inherited or were handed: some of it we earned, lots of it we didn’t. Hopefully you have been dealt at least a few good cards, but almost assuredly you’re stuck with some stinkers as well.
What happens next depends less on what has happened up to this point, and far more on your skill and your persistence and your vision. Your *grit* (the ability to persist towards a long term goal despite inevitable challenges) is partly developed by what happened yesterday, and absolutely influenced by the choices made both today and tomorrow.
DON’T FORGET: if you’re waiting for life to be EASY, you might be waiting a really REALLY long time. This is about stepping up and doing the very best you can for as long as you can with what you’ve got. And asking for help when you need it. I hope you can make this week about making the most of what you go without excuses or apologies. Are you in?
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
((( The Ripples Guy )))
