Christine Smith’s Blog

Creating Great Accomplishments

Creating Great Accomplishments With Ideas, Joy, Passion &  Love of Truth

Staying focused on what is most important, keeping priorities in order, no matter the experiences an circumstances, requires love of oneself.

Courage, passion for what we believe, joy…all manifest when we are truly in the moment following our heart and the spiritual guidance which is there for us (if we only remember to listen).

Troubles, disappointments, and seeming obstacles are nothing when compared with the wellspring of potential and possibility within each of us.  It’s just that we sometimes forget…we forget the truth we know.  Being reminded by a poem, book, song, a kind word or sincere smile, a friend, about the things which really matter can help us realign ourselves on the path we’ve chosen.

Becoming fixated on anything which we perceive as negative will always be detrimental to the good we wish to achieve.  We are not loving ourself if we permit our emotionality to take over and ruminate on matters we have no control over.  Rather, changing our attention to that which we can do is always the way out of sadness and into happiness.

This is why I (usually) am quite motivated, uplifted, and enthused about matters in life.  For no matter the hardships and obstacles, I look for that which I can do which will to make things better.  Be it in my personal life, or even in regard to the world and all its political and social issues, I know there is a much needed place for each of us who believes in the power of ideas…the power of wonder…and the dreams they produce.  For dreams precede creation of great accomplishments.

In this world we are bombarded with negativity.  From morning to evening, the papers, magazines, television and online sites report “news” of suffering, tyranny, crime, corruption, and any number of other examples of the plight of mankind’s often hostile, uncaring, controlling activities.  If you combine all that with the personal struggles each of us uniquely are experiencing in our own lives, you come up with a pretty hard pill to swallow each day.

But the good news is that the world out there need not detract nor destroy your peace.  To permit any other human being (no matter how important to you), much less the world of human beings- strangers to you - and the societal problems they make, to disturb your thoughts, feelings and actions is living as if others matter more than yourself.

True, the more we care about those close to us and humanity in general, means we will experience pain.  Sometimes that’s from righteous indignation and empathy, other times from regret and remorse.  It may be on account of and for others, or may result from our own shortcomings or those of others toward us.  Actually, I think the more one is dedicated to freedom in their own life and want never to impose upon the freedom of others, the more sensitive they are to any wrongdoing whether one against themselves, others, or the wrong they may commit. Either way, it’s unpleasant.  Fixating on the “wrongness” or “hurtfulness” as we perceive it (correctly or incorrectly) is a mistake; Harshness and unkindness, to say the least, can result.  We then leave the moment and all its goodness.

When faced with anything we interpret as bad, disrespectful or unkind, to the extremes and all manner of corruption and evil, whether directed toward us or others, we can choose to look for the action we can take which may have a positive affect.  Allowing “bad” feelings to  stay within us leads to misinterpretations, assumptions, and subsequent wrong reactions.  Observing, from an objective stance, allows for clarity and decision making (if any decision need be made).  If not, we can be aware, but let it go so we can focus on our own lives.  If an action can be taken, we more effectively do it.

I’m good at applying this to the political word; I do not usually get emotionally upset by anything.  I may feel very deeply, but always seem to turn that into learning more and perhaps in doing so learning how I may be of help.  On the personal side, I’m more apt at ruminating and letting my imagination assume the worst possible scenarios of something I do not understand or am surprised by.  But, even then, it doesn’t last for long, as I too see that my life is perfectly unaffected by what anyone does or says to me or to others about me.  I am in control of each day.

I prefer to focus on the potential of this moment, this unique day and its opportunties to rejoice, learn, grow and share.Thus, I make the conscious choice to (as soon as I realize I’m making that mistake) to focus on the wonder, beauty, and good of all the blessings in my life (an easy thing to do, as I realize I am abundantly blessed, and that God is with me), and I choose to ponder ideas (and that inner devotion to truth) I can somehow, in some way, manifest today.  I turn to who I am without regard to who others are.  I realize that life is best lived without expectations. It’s always a misguided notion to spend time worrying about what others are doing.  But what you can control is what you are doing right now.

Working on me, so to speak, and my character and how I interact with others is the only thing, in relation to others, I should spend time on.  I may be perplexed an saddened sometimes, but never should my wondering or rejection of what I see lead me to becoming angry, numb, or anything else.  Rather, I dismiss that which is beyond my control, and return to this day-this moment-and the blessings in it…and the blessing I may be today if I only open my heart to focusing on that which I believe and dream can be for myself, and even as it relates to others.  Every day is a new one filled with potential for beauty, happiness, personal accomplishment, mental/spiritual /physical and emotional growth.  And through those, miraculously, I find I am not only joyful, but others I interact with may themselves be helped or encouraged (and vice versa).

Great accomplishments are personal.  Sometimes they become a blessing for many others.  But they begin inside the heart of dreamers who (more than not) let their passions, love of truth, and focus on positive possibilities guide them into creation.  Every great accomplishment, (think on the great literary works and beautiful musical compositions, the incredible scientific inventions, and the overcoming of oppression and tyranny throughout history), stems from the human spirit and its resilience, perseverance, and commitment to an idea.

Let that resilience, perseverance, and commitment to ideas guide you daily from any discouragement into enthusiasm…and into the creation of great accomplishments!