Dare at summer's end...

"I pray that the life of this spring and summer may lie fair in my memory. May I dare as I have never done! May I persevere as I have never done!"

- Henry David Thoreau, May 15, 1852

Pray that this summer lies fair in memory. Dare as one has never dared. Persevere as one has never persevered.

This inspiring thought originated more than 100 years ago by Henry David Thoreau. He wrote it at the start of his summer as a way to urge himself to break the bonds of his daily routine.

Summer's end approaches. Will it lie fair in memory?

May I dare as never done...

Twenty people from South Salem, Oregon dared to build houses in El Salvador this summer. Along with laying foundations as part of Habitat for Humanity, the group cared for the sick and helped the poor.

May I persevere as never before...

This summer, devoted father Walter Marino jumped into the ocean to save his autistic son from a strong current. The pair were swept out to sea off the coast of Daytona, Florida but managed to stay afloat for 14 hours until rescued.

May I dare as never done...

Teenager Corey Warburton jumped from a bridge to save an elderly woman from drowning in Coffs Habor, Australia. On the shore, fellow teen Michael Bethune, rushes into the river to successfully help the pair back to land. Bethune has cystic fibrosis.

From Oregon to Australia, people are daring as never before and persevering through incredible circumstances.

For them, summer will lie in fair memory.

It can be the same for us as well.

There is still time to dare as never before...

Right now there is a friend, a relative, a stranger waiting for us to dare. Right now, there is an adventure to be discovered, a hand to be held, a care to be given.

Answer the call.

Reach out.

Make a positive difference in someone's life today.

Summer's end approaches.

Make it a good memory for years to come.

Create some space...

We've all got to find a way to create some space in our lives to forgive ourselves. When we do, we find a way to love ourselves and others more profoundly.

The idea may sound quaint. The idea may sound foreign. But finding a way to create some space is important.

Give yourself some breathing room. When we don't, we pile on the negative one after the other.

Consider the case of Oregon City resident Becky Griggs. Horribly over weight at 350 pounds, Griggs reportedly could never find a way to celebrate her successes in her battle with weight. The tiny steps in the right direction were always over shadowed by the tiny steps in the wrong direction. She would focus on when she said yes to eating, instead of celebrating those times when she said no to food.

One day she gave herself some room to make mistakes. That gave her determination to get fit and lose weight room to grow in her life. She learned to celebrate even the tiny steps in the right direction. Now she is 200 pounds lighter, healthier, happier and serving as an inspiration to others. She is a finalist in the Prevention magazine/ABC News Now contest about health.

That is nothing short of amazing.

So is this interesting fact.

Google the phrase "forgive yourself" and the search engine will produce 264,000 hits. Each one is a different story, strategy, idea on how to forgive yourself and move forward. Each one also gives several reasons why it is important to learn how to forgive yourself.

That's more than a quarter million strategies for moving forward based on probably a million reasons why doing so is good for you -- all at your fingertips.

Oprah's website gives five quick steps to forgiving yourself. First, reopen your heart and mind. Second, choose to love yourself again. Third, understand the fear that is driving your feelings. Fourth, give yourself permission to let go of pain and love yourself. Finally, create a new, positive relationship with yourself. In other words think of and refer to yourself as kind, nice, loving, forgiving etc...

You now have one strategy down. There are 263,999 others still available to be explored. Find the one that is right for you.

Create some space...

and let love grow...

p.s. to find out more about Becky click here... http://www.westlinntidings.com/news/story.php?story_id=121139481805135700 ; Oprah's website can be found here... http://www.oprah.com/spiritself/lybl/well/ss_lybl_well_forgive01_g.jhtml