Failure?

September 26th, 2011

Behind us there are only experiences and in front of us are only opportunities. Notice that there is not one word about failure and that is because failure doesn’t exist. It is an illusion. “Oh, don’t talk to me about failure being an illusion Patrick! The only thing I have ever been successful at is failure!” I know, I know. You have cried and fretted and fumed at your “failures” and so you KNOW that they exist. Or do they?

Failure is the name that we give to anything that we start and have decided on a planned outcome and that outcome or something better does not materialize. If something fails to materialize the way we had planned such as our health, a relationship, a job, a career, a business or a myriad of other things, we have not failed. It just worked out differently than we planned. Everything that happens to us is an experience. How we label that experience makes all the difference to how we see ourselves and how passionately we attempt something else. Experience gives you strength. “Failure” sucks the strength out of you. CHANGE YOUR LABELING!

Let your experiences, painful or pleasant, be the solid bedrock of countless more attempts. Stand on the enormity of your experiences and reach for the stars. “Failure” keeps us in a tear soaked pillow. Experience propels us to the top of the mountain. Don’t fret that it didn’t work out as planned. Stand tall and shout to the universe “What experience is next? I’m ready! I’m so much stronger than I was!”.

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

The Rosebud

September 19th, 2011

A rosebud is a beautiful creation. It suddenly appears all tightly wrapped and we look at its beauty which is part rosebud and also the promise of the rose. We check day after day awaiting its arrival and if it just stays a bud, we lose interest and check only once in a while and then rarely. But no matter how long the rosebud has stayed in that state and no matter how disinterested we became, when it starts to bloom, it is day one all over again. We watch and our joy and our expectation shoots to high levels once again. We are enraptured. We tell ourselves that we always knew it was going to be a great one and we enjoy.

We are all born like the rosebud. People look at us with joy and they wait patiently for our blossoming. Years go by and soon even our most diehard fans may lose interest. But dreams like rosebuds don’t die, they wait. Sometimes the wait is long but sooner or later there is a stirring and the blossoming begins. Life, like the rose follows a heavenly clock. The time of blooming for both flower and person is set by the maker of the clock and all of nature follows.

As you walk or drive the streets today you will see buds and you will see flowers. As you look in the mirror tonight you will see part bud and part flower. Rejoice! You are in the process of blooming. It doesn’t matter how long it took or when it started. Look at yourself from now on with great expectation. Look at yourself and know that your time has come. The rose needs neither permission nor applause to blossom and neither do you. Go ahead and give energy to that stirring within you. Soon, everyone will say that they knew you were going to be great. Smile and enjoy.

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

Do you like how you look?

September 12th, 2011

Do you like how you look?
For most people the answer is a very demonstrative “NO!” For some others, the best they can offer is an “It’s okay”. For a tiny group, it’s a very “Of course!” Wherever you fit on this spectrum is fine because wherever you want to go or whatever you want to do, the body you have is fine. Disagree? Of course you do. We have been told ad infinitum that we have to have a perfect body. For what? I don’t have to leap tall buildings in a single bound and neither do you.

How much you love, how much you help, how often you are there for others is what matters. Do you like how you look? It doesn’t matter! Do you remember your grandmother’s love or her state of physical fitness?Did your grandfather have a six pack (under his shirt not in a paper sack)? Did your favorite, most influential teacher have flawless skin and perfect hair? Did it matter at all what the people you love and revere looked like? Did the body shape of any historical figure matter to the good they accomplished? Are the holy ones remembered for the shape of their bodies or how they shaped their lives and the lives of others? Guess what? It doesn’t matter to anyone else what you look like. It only matters how much you love and how much you care.

Do you like how you look? It doesn’t matter! Do the best with what you have in the shortest amount of time and spend the rest of the time making life better for everyone you love. Is someone criticising how you look? Pity them for their blindness and shallowness. Look inside and if there are changes that need to be made, start but don’t criticize yourself along the way or you’ll be as blind and as shallow as the ones who criticize you.

When you are taking your last breath everyone will reflect on your love and not your abs. Strengthen the one that matters.

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

How Big?

September 5th, 2011

How big is your life?
You can’t measure a life with a measuring spoon or a cup or a scale. A life is measured not by it’s mere longevity either. A life is measured by the amount of days that meant something. Days that were lived, not merely “gotten through”. Days when life’s blessings were brought to mind and gratefully held like a delicate newborn.

There are days that are long and difficult and there are days that are over way too quickly but the measure of our life does not depend upon the number of either one. Instead, our life is measured by the days, good or bad, that we loved. The biggest lives in history, the ones that are remembered century after century are the ones who loved the greatest. Whether they were born in a palace or a stable or a prison cell, their lives are enormous because their love was enormous.

You can extend your life with beneficial choices but you can only grow your life with love. How big is your love? Is it big enough to love when you don’t feel well? It is big enough to love when you are forgotten, mistreated and overlooked? Is it big enough to love when there is no love returned? Is it big enough to love your own self instead of criticizing, belittling and hurting yourself? When you love greatly you will live greatly. Billions of people have come and gone throughout the ages. The only ones remembered forever are the ones who loved greatly. How big is your life? It’s as big as your love.

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com