Sometimes, it only takes a word . . .

Hi Mary,

It sounds like things are going well.... :)

I personally have a principle I live by with everything I try to do. That is, I try NOT to stand still or go backwards.... If I am closer today to my goal than I was yesterday, then I am happy. And my aim is to be even closer to my goal tomorrow, than I was today. If I can look back and see that, every day, and every month, I am getting closer to my goals, then I am happy that I am at least going in the right direction!

I know many people sometimes feel frustrated that they may not have reached their goals in a few days or months, and then they may give up.... They give up on their dream too soon!

Instead, I like to focus on the process, and make sure that I am constantly getting further along on my journey, always getting closer to my goal. I know that if I do this, then I will pretty much always end up reaching my goal, and won't give up out of impatience.

Getting closer to your goal can mean many things.... It could mean you have increased your knowledge, so you now know what NOT to do. It could mean you've improved important skills you need to know. It could mean that you've made more important new contacts. Getting closer to your goal could mean all these things, so even learning from your failures could mean you are getting closer to your goal.

MOST people, I believe, actually "fail" because they give up, and that's why they don't reach their intended destination. But if you make sure that each day you are gradually getting closer, and heading in the right direction, then you can feel assured that you will reach there eventually!

It's kind of like that saying (from Lao Tzu, I think), "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." As long as you are making each step, and each step is bringing you closer to your goal, then you know that you will reach your goal in the end!

Thanks for sharing your encouragement with us, Mary! :)

- Dien