Imagination is a powerful tool.  It lets us envision the future that we want.  When we let our positive visions to guide us, we help make that future come true.

      We can also imagine an incredible number of different things that can go wrong.  If we let these doubts be our guide, they will freeze us into inaction and nothing will improve.

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Once upon a time, Crater Lake was the site of a steaming, violent volcano.  Now the strong rock rim shelters the waters from the wind, creating an unusually clear and peaceful lake.  I choose how I use my own strength.  Do I erupt like a volcano or create a calm inner peace?
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Particularly around the holidays, I get tempted by cool things that I see.  Most often, it’s a gadget that one of my friends has that catches my attention.  Sometimes when I am looking for a gift for someone else, I spot something that I would like to have.  And, as much as I hate to admit it, I am affected by advertising, especially for bargains.  The nearly constant bombardment of commercial messages distracts our minds into thinking about things we want but don’t have.  That is a rec...

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 (Last year's snow -- none yet this year -- one less thing to worry about.)

Worrying is a distraction, focusing my mind on what might happen in the future instead of what is happening right now.  The difficulty is that if you start worrying about worrying, that only makes the problem worse.  The real key is to think about what is the best thing for me to be doing right now, and then do it.

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