Who told you life was going to be easy? There are lots of troubles, irritations, and pains in life. Things happen. Things go wrong. People don’t always do what we want them to. Don’t depend on other people for your happiness. Depend on yourself. Be who you are. Do the things you want to do. Get for yourself the things you want to have. Don’t wait for someone else to be it, do it, or get it for you. The only places you will find knights in shining armor on white horses are in shows on the Las Vegas Strip and old black-and-white movies. No one is going to ride up and save you. Take care of your own needs. It is not selfish to take care of yourself. The Bible says, “to love thy neighbor as thyself.” It doesn’t say “instead of thyself.” This is called self-reliance. Learn the difference between wishing, hoping, and desiring. Desire is a motivating force. When you desire something enough and back it up with hard work, you will make it come alive in your life.

Successful people understand there is a price to pay for achieving success. Sometimes this involves making sacrifices in order to reach your goals. My dad used to remind me often, “People are successful because they do the things failures don’t like and are not willing to do. Successful people take full responsibility for finding their own path to achievement.”

You will have more purpose, passion, and power when you decide to take total responsibility for who you are and the choices you make. Your success is waiting for you. Claim it!

You are more than enough,
Judi

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of CHOICES Magazine