Chapter 209

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We get in our own way. All the time. It is the worst correctable offense that most of us regularly are guilty of it seems. I see it especially in my children and grandchildren, and therefore it is very true of me without a doubt. Those apples haven’t fallen far from the tree.

Stop getting in your own way. There at least 1000 ways in which people do this and you have probably invented several more along the way in your own lifetime. The most obvious manner that we get in our way and throw a shadow on our own lives is by failing to see the blessings in our lives. We see them as curses, difficulties, irritations, bothers, problems, challenges and worst parts of our lives. After a few years and some perspective, we often realize that those were gifts, blessings, helpful, a bonus, a benefit, luck, good fortune, and an opportunity.

How can such a reversal of thought happen you ask? Well you were just standing in your sunshine, making shadows. When you stopped, and starting thinking and got out of your own way, then you could see what happened for what it was truly. And we get in our way by sabotaging our own success all the time. We get in our own way by our unwillingness to change - what got you here won’t take you there. We get in our own way by our resistance to accepting the help offered by others.

Don’t throw shadows on your own awesomeness. Reach for the stars and don’t give up.