by Joyce M. George-Knight

Created on: October 08, 2009   Last Updated: October 09, 2009

Pick that one thing in your life that brings you the most pleasure. Perhaps it is exercising, dancing, gardening, singing, listening to music, raising birds or cats or dogs. Whether or not you consider yourself to be good at your special interest does not matter. Use that one joy in your life as a springboard to encourage yourself to become motivated enough to handle other tasks.

Put yourself in the midst of positive individuals. Such people find the best in themselves and others. They will point out strengths that you don't recognize in yourself. Let their input sink in. Believe them. Look at yourself in the mirror and repeat the compliments you heard from them. Repeat them like mantras, over and over and over again. Eventually, those comments will become a record playing in your head. This record will serve to motivate and encourage you to be the best you can in all you attempt to do.

Block out negative recordings that you carry with you from earlier years. They do nothing but drag you down. Once you've changed the records, the negative ones should have been wiped away. You've grown, moved on in life, learned from mistakes, researched, read, taken classes, and you are a different person from that one you were in years past.

If need be, use tools to keep moving yourself in a forward direction. Make lists of things you must do, things you'd like to do and goals for near and far futures. Review these lists daily, checking off each one as you've accomplished them. With each item checked off, congratulate yourself. You do need to give some self-praise, you know. After all, you are doing all the hard work.

Perhaps this should have been stated sooner, but if you are a believer in prayer, certainly beginning the day with prayer sets the spirit for the next 24 hours. Prayer focuses your attention, clears the mind and sets the space for positive energy to flow around and through you. That positive energy draws what you need your way.

Again, believe in yourself and prepare your own road map for the future you wish to achieve. Then it's up to you to keep yourself on that road with eyes and mind focused on your goal. If there are bumps that occur, ride them out, then get yourself back on track. You can do it. Believe.

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