I Take off the MASK!

“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” – Paulo Coelho, Brida

Things don’t always go as planned. Interruptions happen, projects get delayed, and setbacks temporarily halt the achievement of our goals. But through all these, what matters is that we continue to move forward and don’t lose our enthusiasm to finish it through. Growth is often a growth in spirals, so even if we take one step back, if we could at least take two steps forward, we’d still have made progress for the day.

Patience and perseverance are needed in order to obtain the prize we desire. Let no momentary setback frustrate us, but let each one strengthen us and give us the experience we need to make our dreams come true.

“Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24, WEB

“The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom.” – Mother Teresa

It took some time before I realized how I was so full of certain things that I don’t have room anymore for good things coming my way. I was so full of my own ideas, of my strategies, of my habits, even of my own righteousness. How then could life still enrich me? How could God give me better things when I can’t let go of what has made me full and proud?

If I am to be enriched, I should first be poor. If I am to be filled, I should first empty myself, ready to welcome the greater things to come.

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” – Matthew 19:21-24, WEB

Most of our worst fears don’t come true. This is something we should remember in times when we become too anxious about the things yet to come. While it is not wrong to plan and to be prepared for tomorrow, worrying consumes our precious time and brings up negative thoughts that rarely help us meet the challenges of today. Prepare indeed for the worst, but leave room for hope in the good things that could still happen. Worry saps away our strength. Hope gives us the strength to prepare for a good future.

“All shall be well, all shall be well… For there is a Force of love moving through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go.” – St. Julian of Norwich

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” -Mother Teresa

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” -Corrie ten Boom

“…he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6, WEB

“Love is the only future God offers.” -Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

“Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined.” -Henry David Thoreau

“Each step you take reveals a new horizon. You have taken the first step today. Now, I challenge you to take another.” -Dan Poynter

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” -Abraham Lincoln

“You don’t destroy what you want to acquire in the future.” -Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11, WEB

“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it…” -Wilferd Peterson

“Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present.”-Albert Camus, Notebooks 1935-1942

“I’m making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.”– Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21, NIV

“Ester asked why people are sad.
“That’s simple,” says the old man. “They are the prisoners of their personal history. Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people’s ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams.”
– Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

Just for today, look for what’s beautiful. See the world around you. See the smile of people passing by. Watch as innocent children play without a care in the world. The sun has risen today! The world continues to turn. We can breathe, we can sing, we can dance! Why not dance? Dance with hope, dance with courage, dance with praise!

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” –Ashley Smith

Related Articles:
We Have a Skewed Vision of What’s Beautiful
To Love is Beautiful