“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…”

~Dory the regal blue tang fish

In a scene of the computer-animated film Finding Nemo, Dory’s companion Marlin the clownfish, becomes exasperated with her singing and exclaims, “See, I’m going to get stuck now with that song–now it’s in my head!”

Some messages do get stuck in our heads. Those that have been delivered repeatedly are particularly clingy. Songs and other messages with a lyrical quality are even more pervasive—especially if they contain repeated words—and can be called into play almost instantly.

What short, memorable phrases bubble up during your most challenging moments?

Do they help move you forward?

Or do they hold you back?

If the messages in your brain threaten to pull you under, grab a life line! Reach for words that inspire. Create a new internal library of uplifting quotes, affirmations, and songs. Rewrite the script in your head by replacing outdated, limiting, hurtful messages, with those that encourage you onward.

And just keep swimming. Your new life is taking shape.

As the curator of my internal library, I say, “Out with the old scripts!” My inner space is now reserved for positive, uplifting messages only.

I’d rather not talk about it.

Is there an elephant in your living space?

Many of us have subjects we would rather not think about, much less discuss with others. They can, however, occupy our thoughts and influence our behavior. They may take up so much room that family and friends have to tiptoe around them, too. To make matters worse, they could hang around indefinitely.

If we let fear run the show.

If there’s a big burly bear guarding the door, it’s a sure thing the elephant’s not going anywhere. Perhaps the first order of business is to tame the bear. Not an easy task. But you have the power.

You can turn that overbearing monster into a cuddly toy.

Give fear a whole new face with paints. Open your journal and scribble it a brand new name—Rejection, Shame, Loss. See it for what it really is. As you develop new perspectives and begin to take control, fear takes on new meaning. You find that not only do you want to express what is in your thoughts and your heart, you can.

Step by step, you can free the elephant.

Shameful secrets no longer dominate my living space because fear no longer guards the door. I am free!

Do not fear mistakes—there are none.

~Miles Davis

Night has passed. This is the beginning of a brand new day.

As you rise…

Take a deep breath. Stretch. Bathe in early morning light. Allow gentle breezes of change to wash over you. And awaken to a new day, to a world of possibilities.

No matter what you did yesterday, or how long the night lingered on, today is fresh and full of potential. Like a blank canvas, it is untried, and awaits your input. This is your day. You are the artist. Now, get to work on your masterpiece.

Splash a little color. Grab a few lines. Experiment with form and texture. Be curious and bold. Make mess. Seek beauty. Give little thought to mistakes. When things fall short of expectation, remember that time is rolling on. Moments pass. The day is a work in progress. As are you.

Breathe. Stretch. Absorb and express. You are growing, every single moment. Let that, if nothing else, inspire you. And begin. Simply begin.

As the artist of my day, I choose to anticipate, participate and appreciate. One moment at a time, I see that I truly am a work in progress.

There is a lot of pain in this world. War, famine, oppression, disease, environmental sabotage—this short list paints a pretty depressing picture. And that’s just the wide shot. Up close and personal are the people we know who have experienced chronic illness, abuse, relationship breakdown, divorce, work-related stress and financial instability.

Life can be hell.

But then again…

Zooming in from another angle, we find peaceful neighbors, kind strangers, caregivers, visionaries, enthusiasts, builders, advocates, champions and leaders. One by one, they testify to the power of the human spirit. Hold onto these snapshots. Frame them as part of a living collage; a stirring, vibrant panorama of healing.

Now, put yourself in the picture and focus on you. Get close. Look deep inside. View your self from many angles.

Have you captured your true essence?

Do you see how precious and necessary you are to the rest of us?

Perhaps not yet. But you’re getting the picture.

I am compassionate, resourceful and strong. I am a little bit of heaven here on earth.

Every flower must grow through dirt.

~Anonymous

The Promise of Spring is growth.

Do not doubt your potential.

It is not uncommon to fall back into old patterns of thought, to doubt that a new life is possible. You may try to hide in the familiar comfort of the past and go underground. You might actually even attempt to pull the earth in over your head. The seasons, however, are changing. And you are destined to emerge.

Says who? We say—those of us who, like you, have doubted our potential. We’ve seen your kind before. We are your kind, and we have achieved the impossible. So can you. Look how much you’ve grown already.

You are a survivor and a thriver. Believe that, and reach for the light. Although you may not see it now, the best of you really is yet to come.

I am emerging. My destiny is to bloom.

Look out world!

A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

You put your best foot forward, make a concerted effort to say and do the right things, attempt to be positive, rational, and understanding. But no matter how hard you try, you don’t always shine. Your heart gets ahead of your brain and you say something you wish you hadn’t. You do the thing you thought you would never do. You don’t understand, or perhaps don’t want to. At least, not yet.

Stuff happens. Sometimes you simply get the blues. Just don’t let the blues get you. Don’t kick yourself when you’re down. Be still, instead, and let it rain. Allow yourself to be less than perfect, to be human. All is not lost, even though it may feel that way.

We don’t understand everything. We’re not consistently rational. We don’t always get it right. But there is hope. You know your rainbow is out there somewhere. You know you can do better. And you will again, after the worst is over, just as the sun breaks through.

I can do this. And keep on doing it. I really can.