Rand's Mind Tantalizing Thoughts

There are some things that are directly and immediately within your reach. And there are many other things that you can reach only when you're willing to take a few intermediate steps first. There is no one single roadway that leads to every destination. Often it is necessary to travel the road you're on until it reaches another road, and then take that other road to where you want to be. Each accomplishment opens the doors to many other accomplishments. Each step you successfully take gives you plenty of additional choices for where the next step will take you. Whatever is beyond your reach right now will not always be beyond your reach. There is some step available to you now that will put you solidly on the path. The most extensive accomplishments are made by those who are committed to finding and taking whatever intermediate steps are necessary. Though it's likely that you cannot reach your goal immediately, you can begin the process any time you choose. Be willing to take the intermediate steps, and you expand your options exponentially. Work step by step to your goal, and that goal can realistically be achieved

As long as there is work that must be done in this world, there is opportunity. And there is always much work to be done. As long as there are problems to be solved, there is a clear and accessible pathway to success. And there are always problems to be solved. As long as there are challenges to be overcome, there is a way for you to create whatever things of value you envision for your life and your world. And there are always challenges to be overcome. When it seems that there is no end to the work that must be done, stop and consider just what that means. It means that the future can be very bright indeed. For when there is much work to be done, there is much to be gained by doing it. Wherever there is work to be done, there is buried treasure waiting to be unearthed.

Everything you accomplish, you must first attempt. So get busy making those attempts. Procrastination and excuses do not lead to achievement. The way to make it happen is to make the attempt. You may very well fall short on the first few attempts. There may very well be plenty of good reasons to give up. Even so, keep making the attempt. Action and persistence will get you everywhere. How do you get yourself to make the attempt? By connecting that attempt, and the achievement it will ultimately bring, with a real and meaningful purpose deep within you. When you are clear about why you must do what you must do, you'll have no trouble finding the will and the commitment to step boldly forward. Make the attempt, as often as necessary, and you will surely make it happen.

Your thoughts and sensations may often dominate your awareness. Remember, though, that your awareness exists beyond them. Even when your thoughts are completely calmed, you are still very much aware. The thoughts and sensations come and go, and behind them all is your ever-present awareness. The thoughts you have are the thoughts you choose to hold. They are not you. Although you may have been stuck in a negative, destructive thought pattern for years or even for decades, you always have the choice of letting it go. For ultimately, your thoughts do not create you or define you, and they do not have to hold you hostage. When you know that you do not have to think, then you are free to think whatever you choose. When you experience your thoughts and sensations as objects flowing through your awareness, then they no longer have the power to hold you back. Your mind is an enormously powerful tool that is yours to use as you choose.

No matter what you do, or what you fail to do, the moments of this day will pass at a steady and unrelenting pace. Today will move right along, and there's no way you can stop it or hold on to it. What you can do, however, is make full use of it. What you can do is make something of lasting value out of the fleeting moments of this day. Yes, you could choose to put forth the very minimum effort required to simply make it through the day. Yet all that will do is take you to tomorrow, where the only thing you'll have to show for it is the need to make it through still another day. Instead, use this day to grow, to learn, to act and move and build and accomplish. Rather than seeking to merely make it through, choose to truly make it count for something great. Time is already moving steadily ahead. Make the decision, right now, to move ahead with it. Make full and joyous use of the unique moment in time where you now find yourself. You've been given the valuable gift of this day, so step forward and claim its treasures.

The only fears you have are the fears you choose. Choose to learn what those fears have to teach you, and then choose to let them go. The only distractions that knock you off course are the ones to which you give your attention. Choose an interesting diversion to follow every now and then, and let the others flow on past. The only things that can discourage you are the things you choose to see as discouraging. Keep in mind that there is some positive aspect to every situation, and you can always decide to focus on it. The only problems that can hold you back are the ones that you avoid working your way through. Choose instead to see those problems as the opportunities they are, and then get busy fulfilling their positive promises. The only time that is ever wasted is the time you let yourself settle for less than you're fully capable of living. At any time, in any situation, there is always a way to create real, lasting, positive value.

The only fears you have are the fears you choose. Choose to learn what those fears have to teach you, and then choose to let them go. The only distractions that knock you off course are the ones to which you give your attention. Choose an interesting diversion to follow every now and then, and let the others flow on past. The only things that can discourage you are the things you choose to see as discouraging. Keep in mind that there is some positive aspect to every situation, and you can always decide to focus on it. The only problems that can hold you back are the ones that you avoid working your way through. Choose instead to see those problems as the opportunities they are, and then get busy fulfilling their positive promises. The only time that is ever wasted is the time you let yourself settle for less than you're fully capable of living. At any time, in any situation, there is always a way to create real, lasting, positive value.

If you want to be exceptional, then be the exception. Forget about what most people would do in a given situation, and do what is best, what is right, what makes the most positive contribution. Exceptional performance is the result of exceptional thinking. Instead of merely reacting to circumstances and events, use the awesome power of your mind to develop a thoughtful, effective response. To be exceptional, be yourself. You have something valuable and original to contribute to every situation. Exceptional accomplishments are authentic accomplishments. Allow your priorities and your actions to be based on the values, purposes and vision of life that you feel most intensely at the center of your being. Exceptional performance is meaningful performance. Look beyond the temporary and superficial, and put your energy into creating lasting value that serves a real purpose. You were born to be exceptional, to blaze a trail into territory where no one has ever gone before. Choose today, and every day, to let your own unique, exceptional light shine brightly for all to see.

If you want to be exceptional, then be the exception. Forget about what most people would do in a given situation, and do what is best, what is right, what makes the most positive contribution. Exceptional performance is the result of exceptional thinking. Instead of merely reacting to circumstances and events, use the awesome power of your mind to develop a thoughtful, effective response. To be exceptional, be yourself. You have something valuable and original to contribute to every situation. Exceptional accomplishments are authentic accomplishments. Allow your priorities and your actions to be based on the values, purposes and vision of life that you feel most intensely at the center of your being. Exceptional performance is meaningful performance. Look beyond the temporary and superficial, and put your energy into creating lasting value that serves a real purpose. You were born to be exceptional, to blaze a trail into territory where no one has ever gone before. Choose today, and every day, to let your own unique, exceptional light shine brightly for all to see.

Envy serves no positive purpose. So when you start to feel envious, choose instead to transform that envy into inspiration. The good fortune of others does not prevent you from enjoying your own good fortune. In fact, the success of another serves to show you how the same level of success can be brought about in your own life. Instead of being resentful when you see progress and achievement, be thankful. Then allow what you see to inspire a similar level of achievement within yourself. Delight in the good fortune of others and you put yourself in position to share that good fortune. The more you celebrate life's abundance, the more solidly you connect to that abundance. Has someone else accomplished or attained something that you would dearly love to have? Allow yourself to be inspired by it. Let that inspiration sink deeply into you, so that it has a place within you where it will always be. Then take that inspiration and put it into real, positive, effective action.

Sometimes the best way to get something done is to stop working on it for a while. Focused effort is essential to success, and balance is just as important. If all your time, energy, thoughts, efforts and actions are focused in just one direction, you can soon become utterly burned out. You will get much more accomplished by balancing that intense effort with some time completely away from it. There is a reason why night follows day in a never-ending cycle. There is a reason why one season ends and the next one begins, over and over again. The best night's sleep comes after a day of focused effort. And the best day's effort comes after a night of deep and restful sleep. Balance allows the energy that has been flowing out to flow back in. Balance allows the frustrations and aggravations that have been flowing in to be released and disposed. Sadness and joy, peacefulness and excitement, effort and relaxation, discipline and playfulness all benefit from each other. Keep balance in your life

Take your deepest desires, values and purposes, and translate them into thoughts. Then take those thoughts, and put them into words. Next, put the words into action. And then, grow the actions into commitments. Translate those commitments so that they resonate in the world and in the lives around you. And you will end up with valuable, meaningful achievements that flow from your deepest values. Start with knowing and understanding the authentic person you are. Then work to express yourself within the context of the world in which you live. Translate your inner values outward into all of life. And life will grow more beautiful. Translate the unique person you are into terms that the world can understand, value, appreciate, benefit from, and enjoy.

If you want to be exceptional, then be the exception. Forget about what most people would do in a given situation, and do what is best, what is right, what makes the most positive contribution. Exceptional performance is the result of exceptional thinking. Instead of merely reacting to circumstances and events, use the awesome power of your mind to develop a thoughtful, effective response. To be exceptional, be yourself. You have something valuable and original to contribute to every situation. Exceptional accomplishments are authentic accomplishments. Allow your priorities and your actions to be based on the values, purposes and vision of life that you feel most intensely at the center of your being. Exceptional performance is meaningful performance. Look beyond the temporary and superficial, and put your energy into creating lasting value that serves a real purpose. You were born to be exceptional, to blaze a trail into territory where no one has ever gone before. Choose today, and every day, to let your own unique, exceptional light shine brightly for all to see.

Each day is filled with opportunities to make a difference. Many of those opportunities may seem small and insignificant, yet you have no way of knowing where they can lead. Life's big opportunities rarely come to you as such. The vast majority of the big opportunities start out very small and must be lovingly nurtured. Be willing to take care of the little things, and your effectiveness at doing so will put you in a position to influence the big things. Figure out how to make just a little, ordinary, positive contribution and you'll be well on your way to big, extraordinary achievements. There is never any need to beg anyone for the chance to prove yourself. Life gives you ample opportunities for doing so in every moment. Let go of the assumption that your time is too valuable for you to be bothered with the little things. Remember that the little things can make the difference between success and failure. Hold on to the biggest, most ambitious vision you can imagine. And be willing to get your hands dirty doing the little things that will make that it happen.

The more specific you are about what you intend to do, the more likely you are to get it done. The more specific you are when asking, the more appropriate will be the answer you receive. Be specific about your goals, and you'll find the means to achieve them. Be specific about your concerns, and you'll find ways to successfully address them. It is impossible to complete a journey if you only have a vague, general idea of where you're going. By contrast, when you know exactly where you wish to go, then every step you take brings you closer. Be specific, and problems are transformed into opportunities for achievement and growth. Be specific, and your most treasured dreams begin to pull you toward them. Be specific, and misunderstandings disappear. Be specific, and life will more often unfold the way you want. Challenge yourself to go beyond the easy, comfortable generalizations and put in the effort to be specific.

When there's an obstacle directly in front of you, it can appear difficult, complicated and forbidding. Once you get past it though, you may wonder why you ever hesitated to take it on. Is there some challenge looming on your horizon that seems insurmountable? The good news is that it is not nearly as difficult as it first appears. Yet the only way you'll know for sure is to step right up and meet it face to face. Once you start to do that, you also start to grow stronger, and as you do, the challenge becomes more manageable. If you hide and cower in fear when confronted with a difficult situation, your response only makes the situation even more difficult. By making the choice to stride confidently forward, you raise yourself to a higher level of performance. As you work through the difficulties, your wisdom, strength and effectiveness grow to meet the demands of the situation. And all the time you'll be creating real, lasting value. Though the challenge looks big and forbidding, remember that it's well worth the effort to get to the other side. For when you get in the habit of seeking and working through challenge, you can go anywhere you choose.

You may be under a lot of stress, but it doesn't help to get angry about it. Things may not be going the way you planned, but it doesn't help to be resentful about it. What does help is to keep yourself connected with the best that is within you. What does help is to remind yourself often of the positive path that you've chosen to be on. Sure, the day-to-day events will not all go the way you planned. You may have long, difficult periods in which nothing goes your way. And yet, you have the good fortune of being in complete control of your thoughts and your attitude. As such, you can choose an attitude that will always pull real, lasting value out of even the most difficult circumstances. Imagine being at peace with yourself and with the world around you. Imagine how very much more effective you would be if you simply let life flow without letting it get to you. And know that in this moment, in every moment, however complicated or contentious or stressful it may be, that is a choice you can make. Choose to let life flow, and you'll choose to be in positive, peaceful control.

The best way to handle good fortune is to do something positive and useful with it. The best way to handle misfortune is exactly the same. In fact, a great response to just about any situation is to do something positive and valuable. Exactly what that may be is not always obvious, yet it is most certainly there, and with commitment and effort you can find it. When you've made a mistake, find an empowering way to move forward from it. When you've experienced a setback, respond with a burst of positive, productive energy and it will carry you far. When everything is going your way, that's a great time to really get creative. Look for how you can build lasting value and meaning out of the good things that are coming into your life, and then take the steps necessary to do it. Whether the situation is filled with fear, disappointment, joy, excitement, incompetence, effectiveness or boredom, the best way forward is always the same. The best way forward is to be positively useful and to create real value out of whatever has come your way. In good times or bad, in circumstances that are easy or challenging, what matters most is what you do next.

You don't need to run away from the past. For it's already quickly receding behind you. If you've had a wonderful and fulfilling past, it is now time to move forward. If you've had a difficult and troubling past, it is now time to move forward. Whatever the past may or may not have been, it is now over. Choose to not let it hold you back for any reason. Are your thoughts filled with regret, resentment, sorrow or anger for what has already been? The sooner you let go and move on, the better your life will be. Cherish the past, take wisdom from the past, but don't let the past become your prison. Free yourself to move forward in a positive, fulfilling way. If there's one thing you have learned from the past, it is that life is precious.

Failure is a normal and natural part of achievement. When the failures come, learn from them and then move quickly along. Failure is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing that can happen is to let the fear of failure prevent you from ever doing anything. If your top priority is to avoid all failure, then you will surely fail. For only by accepting and living with the possibility of failure can you succeed and achieve. Failure is not the end of the world. It is merely another step on the pathway to fulfillment, wisdom and achievement. Though you would never intentionally set out to fail, when failure does come the best thing to do is to gracefully accept what has happened. That will enable you to gain the most positive value from it. Then you can move right along to the next step, and soon you'll be a long way past the failure, filled with more wisdom and experience.

Stop worrying about what you don't have and start finding real joy in what you do have. Stop agonizing over what might happen and start moving toward the best of what can happen. All the richness of life is here today for you to touch. The limitless abundance of the universe is yours right now to experience. Any shortcomings you come across are mostly a product of the perspective you choose. Expand your perspective and the shortcomings disappear. Stop being afraid to fail and you'll start to consistently and spectacularly succeed. To climb the highest peak you must be willing to occasionally slide backwards. Stop being your own worst enemy and start acting true to the deepest purpose within you. There is so much wisdom you already possess that you can use when you choose to listen to your own best advice. Stop merely going through the motions and start living each moment with joy and meaning.

It is important to plan carefully, and it is just as important to be flexible. Success and achievement usually do not end up coming about in exactly the way you planned. While it is vital to have a realistic, workable method for getting from here to there, remember to keep in mind that the plan is not the goal. To reach the goal, you may need to relinquish the original plan, or at least certain parts of the plan. Just because something goes wrong along the way and the plan doesn't work, does not mean that the goal is unreachable. It simply signals to you that it's time to be more flexible. Flexibility means being committed to your plan without being completely dependent on it. Flexibility means being open to the numerous other options available to you. For anything you want to attain, there are many ways to get there. When one path becomes blocked, don't turn back. Instead, look for a workable detour and get busy moving again.

You can't depend on some expert or guru to provide you with the answer you seek. Instead of looking for the answer outside yourself, choose to be the answer by the way you think and act. You are the world's most knowledgeable expert on your own life. Put some of that expertise to good use. Certainly others can give you advice, suggestions, inspiration and expanded perspective. Yet it is up to you to choose what is best for your own unique situation. The most valuable course of action is not to be found by plugging yourself into someone else's formula. The success you will achieve is the success you work to define on your own terms. Speak with your own voice, think with your own mind, and act according to your own vision. The expert advice that will be most beneficial is the control you exercise over the choices you make. Live in such a way as to be the solution to the problems you face and the answer to the questions you ponder.

At some point in the not-too-distant future, a difficult challenge will come your way. Though it's impossible to know exactly what it will be, you can certainly start preparing for it now. If you wait until the challenge is on top of you, it can be completely overwhelming. However, when you prepare yourself for it in advance, that challenge could well become your greatest opportunity. Each day you have the chance to grow stronger, more knowledgeable, more creative and resourceful. Make the most of those everyday opportunities, and then when the big opportunities come, you'll be able to gain much value from them. You can most likely get by just fine from day to day without making any major changes or improvements in your life. Eventually, though, you will face a difficult challenge that will give you no option, and you'll be compelled to quickly, urgently adapt. Instead of waiting until you must do so out of panic, take the opportunity to grow and improve a little each day. Instead of worrying about what might happen, put yourself in a position to successfully handle whatever does happen.

When you are ready to move forward, there is a way. When you are no longer content to stay where you are, a new door opens. When you are anxious to learn, a teacher appears. When you long to make a meaningful difference, a challenge comes along to supply the opportunity. When you seek joy, you'll see the beauty in all that is around you. When you long for love, there will be those with whom you can share it. When an obstacle blocks your path, the resources and determination to get around it are available to you. When the problems become more pressing, the solutions become more evident. When time is short, you find a way to become more effective. When need arises, a pathway to satisfy that need also opens up.