Be Encouraged

Lessons

By

Oliver T. Spedding

Failures and other forms of hurt can be difficult to deal with but we can turn them to our advantage by focusing on the lessons that these setbacks have to offer.

It is quite natural to be disappointed and disheartened when we fail to reach our intended goals but continuing to concentrate on the unwanted and usually unexpected result that we have encountered is destructive and can easily lead to us abandoning our objective.

Every failure that we encounter has within it a lesson to be learned.

The reason for most failures is usually that we have followed a flawed procedure or formula.

What we therefore need to do is analyze the procedure that we adopted and collect as much information about the alternative ways to reach our goal.

We must then apply each new method until we find the method that allows us to move forward.

By collecting more information about the processes that could lead to our success we are increasing our knowledge of what we are striving to achieve and this is the only way to achieve success.

Knowledge is power and the more knowledge we have about what we are attempting to achieve, the more successful we will be.

When you focus on the hurt you will continue to suffer.

If you focus on the lesson you will continue to grow.

2

Your Strength

By

Oliver T. Spedding

It is not unusual to doubt our own abilities, especially when we face the unknown.

Often we approach a task with sufficient knowledge to achieve our intended goal only to have misgivings about our ability to carry out the procedure.

When this happens we usually look around for alternative ways to achieve our goals and it is only when we finally realize that there is no alternative that we face the fact that if we want to advance, we have to act.

Most times, if not every time, when we finally act, we find that we do actually have the strength to achieve our goals and, together with the knowledge that we have accumulated, the objective that we seek is easily achieved.

This usually results in a feeling of relief which is unfounded as we all possess hidden strengths that will astound us when we finally use them.

We all need to test ourselves for these hidden strengths whenever we can as the more inner strengths we become aware of, the more confidence we will have the next time we face any obstacle.

Confidence comes from knowing ourselves and our capabilities.

Even if we believe that we know all our strengths there are still a multitude of strengths within us that we are unaware of.

You never realize how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have.

3

Dreams

By

Oliver T. Spedding

Each time we spend time dreaming of the things we want, we are planting a seed.

Each time we return to a dream we are nurturing that seed and encouraging it to grow.

By constantly paying attention to a planted seed we encourage it to grow and mature.

This also applies to our dreams; the more we dream about something that we want to achieve the more likely it is to become a reality.

The great achievers throughout history were and are dedicated dreamers, constantly refining their dreams and molding them into something that can become an actuality.

These dreamers were often accused of being idle when in fact they were being very productive.

Productivity isn’t confined to physical endeavors; mental efforts can be just as productive.

Without its dreamers, the world would never have progressed as it has and we need to thank the dreamers of the past for getting the world to where it now is.

But we also need to remind ourselves that these dreamers acted on their dreams and created the goals that they strove for.

Very few, if any, great achievements have ever reached without having first been a dream.

It will cost you nothing to dream but everything not to.

4

Today and Yesterday

By

Oliver T. Spedding

Everyone has a past and although we may not have to live in the past, the past lives in us.

The most important thing about you is your past and what you do with it.

As the past cannot be changed the only constructive thing that you can do with it is to use the lessons that it gives you to improve your future.

So, it’s okay to look at the past, just don’t stare.

Whenever you do think about the