I have hoped, I have planned, I have striven,
To the will I have added the deed;
The best that was in me I’ve given,
I have prayed, but the gods would not heed.I have dared and reached only disaster,
I have battled and broken my lance;
I am bruised by a pitiless master
That the weak and the timid call Chance.I am old, I am bent, I am cheated
Of all that Youth urged me to win;
But name me not with the defeated,
To-morrow again, I begin.S.E. Kiser
Excerpt From
It Can Be Done / Poems of Inspiration
Tag: resilience
Life Hack: You’re Never Too Old
Something to Think About
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
When my wife and soul mate died from glioblastoma my heart shattered into 1000’s of pieces. I have five daughters, all who live out of state. The girls would do anything for me.
In my lowest moments, I decided to be an example to the girls. I wanted to show them it was possible to survive and thrive. This became my WHY. This became my motivation to get up and get going each day and not give in to depression and despair. Slowly, the sun began to shine, the birds began to sing, and I began to smile.
What is your why?
In your darkest moments, what “why” carried you through until your sun once again shined on you?
Something to Think About
“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”
—Paulo Coelho
When I read this quote by Paulo Coelho, I thought the famous auther must be reading my emails. I work hard, focus, and nothing happens. I get close, but it seems what I want is always just out of reach. All of sudden, I’m juggling so many balls, I don’t dare look away.
My experience teaches me life is unpredictable. Life isn’t fair. It’s the only life I have, so shake it off, accept what is and keep moving.
What is your experience? Is it similar to mine? How do you deal with life’s way of testing you?
Life Hack: How to Become Optimistic
“Every Day” Poem by Susan Coolidge
Every day is a fresh beginning,
Every morn is the world made new.
You who are weary of sorrow and sinning,
Here is a beautiful hope for you,
A hope for me and a hope for you.
Every day is a fresh beginning;
Listen, my soul, to the glad refrain,
And, spite of old sorrow and older sinning,
And puzzles forecasted and possible pain,
Take heart with the day, and begin again.
Susan Coolidge.
Excerpt From
The Optimist’s Good Morning
Something to Think About
I learned much more from defeat than I ever learned from winning.
Grantland Rice
It hurts to fail. I’ve failed and I’ve never liked it. A mentor gave me some wonderful advice, which I share with you. He said, “Ray, give yourself 24 hours to be upset. When the 24 hours are over, ask yourself what lessons failure taught you. They are there if you’ll look. Be grateful for them, learn from them. Then, shake it off and move on.
When has failure taught you an important lesson?
What was the lesson you learned?
How did your failure make you a better person?
