I’m in a wonderful position: I’m unknown, I’m underrated and there’s no where to go but up!

My Dad bought a beautiful piece of property many years ago where he intended to build a house to retire in. The property is on a picturesque lake in upper Michigan. There was a farmhouse there and several other buildings also. I loved the open floor plan of the farmhouse and the view of the lake. It made me sad that it had to be torn down.  The reason it had to be torn down was because of years of neglect and the cost of repairing it was astronomical.

Everything eventually dies where no new life is present. A house that just sits empty for years will deteriorate from lack of maintenance. A car can sit in a garage for years but if you never turn it on it will start to rust and parts will start to fail. There has to be progress in whatever state we are in.

I read a quote that said, ” you can be on the right track but unless you’re moving you will still get run over”.  It’s easy to get discouraged and disappointed about so many things. It’s just as easy to change your focus to one of progress.  It might be just baby steps everyday, but those steps will make you stronger. As you gain strength you will become more skilled and become more confident. As you learn confidence you will become successful.

Progress is a very powerful motivator. I always loved it when someone told me I couldn’t do something! Maybe it was true but it challenged me to at least try and do it. I had to make progress by proving to myself whether or not I was up to the task. Your life doesn’t have to be perfect, everything doesn’t have to be lining up to go forward.

I have been through some really rough trials and I felt truly incapable of overcoming them.  I was incapable! That was the first baby step to progress! When I fell to my knees and was so overwhelmed I could barely pray, I told the Lord how insufficient my faith was that is when progress began.

Progress might not be a physical activity at all but a simple mental adjustment. Many of our battles are fought in our minds.  We dwell on the negative aspects of a situation and literally become powerless to fight through it.

One time my daughter and I were making salsa late at night. I needed some more jalapeño peppers so we went out to the garden to pick some. We didn’t have a flashlight of course. As we were weaving our way among the plants, something furry brushed against my leg.  I started screaming. Then my daughter started screaming. After a few seconds, she stopped and said “Mom, why are we screaming?” I told her something brushed against my leg and startled me and I had no idea what it was. We began to explore the garden as our eyes had  somewhat adjusted to the dark. We found the culprit, our black cat! We still laugh about that incident, but I did make progress.  I will never go out to the garden again at midnight without a flashlight in my hand!

Progress isn’t always easy but it’s always necessary. It’s mandatory to keep moving forward in all things.