If you were given the chance for a do-over, what would you do differently the second time around? We all have things that we have either done or said that we regret. Choices that we have made that we wish we could do differently if given the chance. Some might be really small, others would alter the life you now live but there would diffinitely be something that we would like to do over. No one is completely satisfied with everything that has happened in their life. We all have made decisions against what our inner voice was saying to us. How fortunate would we be to have an opportunity to set some things right; heal wounded relationships or make a different choice.

It’s not possible to go back and change the past but it is never too late to right a wrong . It is never too late to pursue a dream or act on the passion that you are carrying in your heart. It’s never to late to say I’m sorry or I love you.   All of these are possible right now. The present is never too late. Right now is your opportunity to change tomorrow before it becomes yesterday. Take control over the things in your life that you do have control over. Life doesn’t get better by chance. Life gets better by change.  Every day you wake up with the opportunity to renew, refresh and reset. If you think that there is no use to start over then think of a reason to begin again and create something new. Never be afraid of something falling apart because it is an opportunity to build something better.

Make the rest of your life the best life you can. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always got. If you want things in your life to change, you will need to change some things in your life. Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go just remember how far you have come and everything you have already faced. Life has already pushed you over but you pushed back and survived. Just when the caterpillar thought life was over, he became a butterfly.  If your only focus is on results, you will never see what changes you need to make. However, if you focus on change, you will get the desired results.

Make today is the beginning of whatever you dream about. Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you. Strength doesn’t come from what you ca do. Strength comes from overcoming the things you have been through. Remember, the end of one day is the beginning of a new day.   There are so many people who will tell you that you can’t, but when that happens say to them ‘watch me.’ Your belief in yourself must be greater than everyone’s disbelief in you. Your life is your story. You are the only author. Your story has a beginning and an end and what happens in between is entirely up to you. It’s never too late to do what you have always wanted to do. Never give up; just start over. Starting over carries with it more knowledge, strength and power. Just because the past didn’t turn out like you wanted it to doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.

Disappointment is an emotion that we experience after having high expectations that something would work out a certain way, but unfortunately things didn’t turn out as expected. Unfilled promises and expectations are difficult to deal with for all of us because disappointment carries with it negative thoughts. In fact, you might even catch yourself saying:

• I’m just not good enough
• Nothing ever works out
• This always happens to me
• When it rains it pours

However, this is never helpful and these thoughts will keep you from seeing disappointment for what it really is. Disappointments should help you to take a good look at your expectations and find another course of action that will result in the successful attainment of your goals. Disappointment is also an eye opener to new possibilities and perspectives. Disappointment is to be a place of empowerment and will put you in a better position to think more clearly and intelligently about what exactly you need to do next. As a result you can move forward with renewed confidence that you can make the most of any situation no matter what happens.

The secret to dealing with disappointment is to not let it grow into stronger emotions like discouragement and depression. Disappointments are not meant to keep you down but to help you grow. Turn the negative thoughts of disappointment into a positive emotion like determination. Disappointment won’t kill you; it will make you stronger. Disappointment is just a learning process for the things you will do in the future. Disappointments can turn out to be blessings in disguise.

Disappointments are hard and frustrating but always think positive by thinking that something better will happen than what you had planned. Positive thinking will allow you to do everything better than negative thinking will. Be patient. Good things are worth the wait. Any person who has had even the smallest degree of success in life has faced some disappointments. Winners just don’t quit. Winners learn from their failures and disappointments and go on to achieve their goals.

Train your mind to see the good in every situation. Do not allow disappointment to lower your self-confidence. Learn how to deal with your disappointments effectively so that you will be able to move on to bigger and better things. You can become your own biggest motivator! Never underestimate the power of encouraging yourself by saying, “I can do this. I can make it. I will get through this!” The question isn’t ‘what if I try and fail but can I afford not to try’?

There are many things that we need to live a fulfilled and successful life and one of those things is wisdom. We all know that education is necessary to earn a living but knowledge is just the beginning. We live in the information age where you can get any kind of information on anything at the click of a button. The problem is not how to access information but how to use the information we have access to.  Knowledge will get you far but knowledge is not enough to meet life’s problems. We need wisdom because wisdom enables you to see the big picture and arrive at a solution of your problem. Once wisdom is attained everything else becomes attainable. As we go about acquiring material things that we can really do without, wisdom is something to be acquired no matter what the cost.

The Bible emphasizes that one of the greatest qualities we can possess is wisdom.  Proverbs 3:13, 17-18: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom. … Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her.” Wisdom helps us to understand the difference between what is right and wrong in God’s sight. Wisdom makes a man think before he acts. Acquiring and exercising wisdom will lead to happiness and longevity of life. The foolish things we do in life are the result of a lack of wisdom. Wisdom will produce a way out of any problem. Effective choices and decisions are determined by the amount of wisdom we possess. It takes wisdom to know that you need wisdom because wisdom never comes to those who believe they have nothing left to learn.

Listed below are words of wisdom that will help you on your life’s journey:

Every test in your life will make you bitter or better. The choice is up to you.

Don’t think too hard about the past or the future for you will miss the moment right in front of you.

Patience with family is love. Patience with others is respect. Patience with yourself is confidence.

Faith is the ability to not panic.

Persistence is a characteristic of a winner.

Be thankful for each new challenge you face because it will force you to change what isn’t working for you.

Look around you and you will see that another person’s hardship will make yours look like a minor inconvenience.

Expect obstacles and meet them head on. Don’t give up or back up. Your success is on the other side.

The test of a good coach is that when they leave others will carry on successfully.

A good exercise for your heart is to bend down and help someone else up.

People want to be heard and respected. Give it to them. You want the same.

“Keeping up with the Joneses” is an expression that is commonly used to describe the attitude of always wanting to keep up with the neighbors in terms of possessions and wanting to have the things that our neighbors have. Envy is another word that can be used to describe this attitude.  Envy involves jealousy, resentment and a strong desire for something someone else has, usually at whatever the cost. One reason why envy is such a problem is that if you are envious of another person’s success, that means you will never be satisfied with anything you ever achieve.   Another reason why envy is a problem is because it means you have no clue what you want for your own life. Just because the Joneses have it does not mean you should have it too. Envy and jealousy are habits you must always be weary of and stay clear of.  Like other bad habits envy will only rob you of your energy, creativity, drive and zest for life.

It’s important that you have a clear vision for your own life, and then and only then, what another person achieves or acquires won’t matter to you. You are completely satisfied because you know exactly who you are, why you are here, where you need to go and what you need to do to get there. Having your own goals will enable you to avoid the trap of spending your time on thinking about what others are doing. Instead you will be focused on what you need to do to become a better person and be happy in the process. Your success depends entirely on you and the work you put in. Do not judge yourself based on what others have achieved, but rather base your success on what you want to achieve. Success is not about wishing you were someone else or having what someone else has. To the contrary, success is achieving your goals without compromising your integrity and then helping someone else do the same.

Focusing on yourself is a winning mindset. If you are to succeed in life and become the person you are meant to be, then you must know that your success is not for you alone. You must help others to succeed and to become great if you are to be great yourself. It is often said that the greatest people are always those that help others. Your journey in life has molded you for the greater good. It has taken each and every situation you have gone through to make you who you are today. You are not unimportant nor are you insignificant. You are unique. Never stop being you. The gifts and talents within you can only be brought to the table by you. There are people who have been predestined to be influenced by the person you are. Don’t deny them the experience of sharing life with you and have the opportunity to glean the wisdom you possess about being successful.

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. Find out who you are and then do you with a purpose.

It’s important not to look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long because you can easily get trapped there.  For example, if you’ve experienced something physically or emotionally painful, your mind may keep recycling those memories thus keeping you in a continuous cycle of the same stress you previously endured. Therefore, it is important that you learn how to separate the past from the present so that you can live a healthy and productive life. However, there are reasons when looking back on the past is beneficial to your future growth.

One reason to look back is to see how far you have come. Sometimes, you might be hard on yourself and get discouraged in life. Reflecting on the past will help you to focus on the progress you have made and the things you have overcome. It will put the present in the right perspective and point you in the direction you need to go. Even if there’s still a long, rough road ahead, looking back on your progress can help you gain the encouragement and motivation you need to get to the finish line.

Reflection on life helps keep your mind open and can even help you to refrain from judging others.  For example, if someone is in an unfortunate position in life, it’s always important to remember that maybe at one time in your own life you were in an unfortunate spot as well.  You may even have been given the third degree by someone and judged on the spot but looking back on certain memories will help you to have empathy for others. Having empathy for others instead of criticism will enable you to help someone who is still dealing with an issue that you have already overcome.

Life is a long and complex journey, and it’s easy to get sidetracked.  If you have been on your journey a long time, you may even forget why you’re still going.  Now is a good time to remind yourself why you decided to take the path you are on and become reinvigorated with the same energy of intention that you had when you started out. Looking back will force you to not only see the positive but the negative events in your life.  However, you can actually use the dark times to create the brightest light.  Ask yourself why the dark times happened and if there is a lesson you can take from your struggle. Make a decision to move forward even stronger. In fact, the secret of many successful people is their ability not only to have made a decision to never quit, but they dig down deep and begin again with more tenacity than ever.

When you travel though life there are always those times when decisions just have to be made and the choices are hard and solutions are scarce. There are some situations where all you can do is simply let go and move on. There could be adventures you never imagined just waiting around the next bend. So keep putting one foot in front of the other and taking life day by day. There’s a brighter tomorrow that is just down the road. Look back but don’t stay there.