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Category Archives: Confidence

Deep-Water Living . .

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Character, Choices, Commitment, Confidence, Courage, Growing, Inspiration, Lessons, Life

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Deep-Water Living

Deep-Water Living

So many people choose to live their lives in the shallow waters, never venturing out deeper where  faith, hope,love, commitment, courage, growth, challenge & everything that pushes a human to live as more are found. Going further & deeper helps us to grow up.  But it’s as if some feel more comfortable without the weight of too much emotion, the increasing burdens often fraught in real human entanglements & the messiness of growing up. They want to have fun, to enjoy life, to focus all their energy on whatever it is that brings them money, fame, power, joy or some other outer-body measure sans the hassle of going deeper & further. So they choose to make a life without any challenge to their spirit or soul. They learn to live so singularly for themselves that they don’t even see those choices, that reticent need to stay comfortably where they are & to not grow up, as narcissistic, selfish & self-involved. If we don’t allow ourselves to claim responsibility for our own messes, to feel for others compassionately, to entangle ourselves in the messes of life & to grow up through the challenges we have opportunity to take on, we never become much of anything in the world but an aging shell of a human being. As the noted poet Maya Angelou has said: “Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.” Human beings are called upon to develop, not just physically, but also to mature emotionally & spiritually. What a shame to be so one-dimensional that we might focus all our energy on just staying happily in the shallow waters, never venturing out to where the real challenges of life might take us nor appreciating that great strength when we do find it in ourselves or when we see it in others! Taking the easy way isn’t necessarily taking the best way. And often times, staying where we’re comfortable means we miss more of what we could never even imagine in the way of true joy, inner peace & burgeoning self-esteem!

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Do Overs and Second Chances. . .

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Change, Choices, Confidence, Conquering Fear, Faith, Lessons, Life, Second chances

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ChangeFlowersThere are always do overs and second chances & new opportunities. Who says you can’t have, be or do anything again or anew in life??  There is no end until we reach the end. We are only stuck if we accept that something is all or the end is truly the end before it really is. I can assure you, just because you thought something was meant to be, doesn’t mean it was. And just because you are certain, sometimes you are then proven wrong. There are always do overs and second chances.
When that happens, you move forward & find a new way . . and often the new way makes you realize the old way was just that, a way which took you only so far for so long. The new route is better & hasn’t as many ruts because you learned from what is now past.
When you have done your best where you are, with no regrets, your life deserves your best efforts now – focused on leading you down the new pathway! As I will attest, what lies down the new pathway, although at first uncertain & so different than expected, will soon become the sure-footed way you were surely meant to go all along! God often just closes those doors when He knows something you don’t. There is a reason & a season for different aspects of our lives, when the doors shut, look for the open one which brings you to new people, new places & new experiences!
That is your future, the rest is best left in the past where it belongs. You can look back & see the lessons which taught you what you needed to learn, but then leave the door closed & go eagerly through the open one . . for that is where your future lies! I have learned that through the open door all the things I left behind were never what they really seemed anyway. Often what we find when we close a door is that we should have closed it a lot sooner!! Go forward in life & be open to what you’ll find . . it isn’t fair to you to give so much energy to things & people & places which aren’t returning the time invested. The sooner you learn to see what doesn’t bring you adequate return for your time & energy given, respecting & honoring your value, the sooner you will want to move ahead, close the doors &  walk through the open doors ahead!
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Life is surely an effort…

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Character, Confidence, Faith, God, Lessons, Life, Trials

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NewlittlegirlLife is surely an effort. We are infused with all we need when we come into this world, much is instilled within us to help us along our way. But the world is a siphon, it often endeavors to drain from us that which we carry within . . it happens each time we are faced with adversarial situations, or something is wearing us down & so we feel depleted of what we need to “fight” the brave battles of life.

 

Often times we become eroded in our spirits through daily interactions without even knowing that is what has happened. We make some choices or bear a few burdens, suffer a few slaps to our egos, without even paying attention to the slow erosion taking place in us baby_future_soldier-12bfrom within. We lose our way a bit, as we are just weakened, sapped of our super powers from the efforts. The fiber of our beings – our self-esteem, our confidence, our ability to patiently wait things out – it all pays the cost in a life where we’re tested. But tested we shall be, & taxed we shall remain, so we must learn to build up our shields, to restore our superpowers to full strength, & to garner our
energy to endure it all!

 

Poindexter-25bLife is surely an effort, but those who learn the lessons of how to bolster themselves, how to keep a strong belief system going & those who endure confidently because they have sustaining faith are those who suffer less erosion or who fix what is already eroded faster! It is imperative that you remember the inner core of what fuels you . . it is the generator which ignites the fire, which burns through you & which enables you to keep going. That inner core must be fed with an equal mix of self-love, self-esteem & confidence! Any hint of insecurity, diminished belief in your own ability or a wearing down without a rebuilding & restrengthening, will slowly but surely shut down the inner fire of your being!

 

I believe that I am naturally infused with self-confidence & self-esteem when I focus again on all the things the Creator gave me . . He comrelate-25binstilled in me a sense of my own worth so that I never have to doubt my value in life. He vested in me the fruits of the spirit, including patience, so that I am never without what I need to make it through anything! You must start with you yourself . . all things come from you . . your reactions, your responses & your ongoing ability to thrive in this lifetime are all because you are sure you can & will! Do the daily work in you & maintain the fire that keeps the engine of your life going . . you matter in it all! Without you, you have nothing to offer anyone at any time!_Sign01

Sowing Seeds With Faith . .

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Character, Choices, Commitment, Confidence, Faith, Strength

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Sow seeds of faithAs every gardener knows, myself included, the seeds you sow or plant today, is your hope & faith for tomorrow & beyond. It takes great faith being a parent, to enter into relationships, to sow seeds with faith that they will become something one day. Examine all the amazing ways you show your faith each day just by living your life! Maybe we humans are much more hope-full than we even realize & give ourselves credit. Living with faith, maintaining our hopeful resolve no matter what life brings, is truly what keeps us filled  with the endurance to love ourselves & one another, to keep sowing our seeds anew each day for what lies ahead!

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What's Your Story??

28 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Change, Choices, Confidence

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MWashington01-200
You must see yourself as the writer of the story of your life, or you will always feel reactive & out of control. When things happen to you, it isn’t in just the reaction where you leave your mark, it’s in the responding effort you make to your own reaction whereby you set the tone for all of your life! Surely we all experience sadness, but when some people suffer extraordinary & random sadness, they rise hig…her & build themselves up stronger upon their initial emotional reaction. They don’t allow the moments of sadness to become their trademark for life! The same can be said for any moments of  anger, fear, uncertainty, bitterness or hurt! The one thing which is in your control in this life are your emotional reactions & your responses to everything.
Your story will be the sum of all that you endured in life, but it doesn’t have to be stuck on just one event which you allowed to change you in a negative way! It’s your story! How would you write it & why? And why would you allow one trauma to define you as the lead character in any way but a positive one?! You have so much control which you negate by circumstance & cede to situations. You give away so much of yourself & your own personal freedom to those things over which you have no control in life when you allow your own emotions to steal precious time from you & wreck your life. It is inevitable, we all will experience pain, grief, loss & great trauma. That goes without DeepestFear-200saying. It is part of being human. But we tend to forget the key to overcoming these situations is also within us! We are much stronger than we even know or give ourselves credit for! Don’t allow emotions of one moment to make your life’s story a negative read. Find a way to take the very worst of times & turn them into what makes you more faithful, better, stronger & more compassionate! Manage your life into a life which seems well-managed – one which exemplifies love, contentment & personal growth! That is your primary job!_Sign01

Hoist the Sails, Life Awaits!

25 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Choices, Commitment, Confidence, Conquering Fear, Strength, Trials

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action shot-200Many times in life, we push ourselves too hard, & then we pay some price in physical or emotional pain. But for some things we don’t push ourselves hard enough, in my opinion. We settle into our ruts, believing ourselves incapable, unworthy, ill-equipped or just not “hungry” enough to care! But then who is it have we harmed through our assessment?! We hurt the one we need the most to accomplish things in life, ourself! When we cast doubt, over-analyze  fear, worry, linger in malaise or expect that we are not able, we’re taking the wind out of our own sails! How do we know how far we can go unless & until we try?
If you talk yourself into mediocrity, having or being less, or just plain out of things in general, then that is what you shall have! You have to assume the captain’s role in your own life & decide that you’ll hoist the sails by heading out towards the wind or making your own by turning into the wind! You cannot remain in dock, or even stationary at sea for long, without needing some source of propulsion into the new, the different, the unknown!
You, as the captain, must venture out beyond the safe realm of what you already know, the steady & the certain, CaptJackespecially if that is not where you want to be or what you want! Only you can choose to take your vessel to uncharted places to find your life’s treasure! Those who have what you want, have only done one thing differently than you, they’ve dared to go find it! Now is your turn to dare . . take off the safety reins & let loose your fears, for out there somewhere is what you are either seeking or never even knew you could find! The best adventures in life are those which begin in anticipation, reveal their secrets of fantastic discovery as you go & fill you with the greatness of your accomplishments in the end!
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Donning the Armor of Confidence . .

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Character, Choices, Confidence, Conquering Fear, Strength

≈ 1 Comment

Confidence in your own skin
Confidence is the wall of strength you build within yourself from the weighty bricks of your burdens, the buckets laden with your fears & the mortar of fortitude in which you push yourself beyond the limits & limitations of your life to date! It is only when you still persist even though you may have your doubts, taking the chance even though you haven’t taken that chance before, that you will in fact develop this skill!
Confidence is the armor you will develop through believing in yourself enough to wage your battles, take on your daily challenges & hone your life skills . . confidence is born only in self-love & built-in self-assurance!
Confidence fights past your fear, overwhelms your doubts & stands at the edge of each precipice imagined without succumbing to worry! You cannot build the confidence you need by living in the constant safety of what you already know you have or can conquer!
Confidence comes only when you dare go beyond the safety of your comfort zones!
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