ACCEPT THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE

I have a book in my library entitled "The Power of Focus." Two of the authors are famous for writing the very successful books which we are all aware. Those are the "Chicken Soup for ........" Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have been a vital part of the motivational speakers' industry with an emphasis of improving our lives. "The Power of Focus" is a book that reminds me so much of my wife Sue because she is the most focused person I know. She is almost possessed with the desire to write and improve her writing. Yesterday, we drove past Hazelwood West High School where she taught prior to turning to writing full-time for Jesus. She has NO desire to return to the teaching profession. She was emphatic with that as we passed the school.

In "The Power of Focus," there is a thought by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It reads as follows:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

As we face the challenges of life, there are no shortcuts. Endeavoring to find your place in the world oftentimes must be accepted by individuals close to you. For example, when a husband is afforded the opportunity to move upward by moving to another location, his wife must be a willing participant. It also works the other way when a husband fully supports the plans of a wife to find her place, even though there may be challenges in making the family operate smoothly.

Some action steps outlined by the authors to help the reader are listed below:

1. Do you recognize what you are good at and what energizes you?
2. Do you fully utilize your most-enjoyed skills?
3. Does your work further some interest or issue that you care deeply about?
4. Do you see yourself, through work, as making a difference in the world?
5. Do you view most days with a sense of enthusiasm?
6. Do you feel a sense of meaning and purpose for your life?
7. Do you have active goals this year relating to your purpose?
8. Are you living your life to the fullest now instead of hoping that things will work our someday?

Tough challenges in answering the questions; however, they call attention to many of our needs to make life better, not only for ourselves, but others. That really is a challenge.