July 8. “The highest point of achievement yesterday is the starting point of today.” (Motto of Paulist Fathers)

Every morning brings fresh challenges and a fresh opportunity to achieve. What I learned yesterday, and all the yesterdays before, create the stepping stones for me to get to where I am to start this day.

As I sit here on these mornings, writing this blog, I am frequently thinking about the tasks ahead of me. On some mornings I cannot wait to get to my job and push things onward and upward with my efforts. On those mornings I feel energized because I know that what I accomplished the day before will propel me further in the new day. Other days I dread the drive in and the work at hand. Usually on those days it is because I wasn’t able to push the needle much the day before, and I feel stuck. It is on those mornings that I know that I didn’t achieve what I wanted in the day before, and I feel that pain.

I am back from vacation, and there are some challenging assignments on my plate over the next few months. If I am to be successful in these assignments it will take concerted, diligent effort every day. Each day I know that if I want to face the next morning with anticipation, then I must strive to accomplish all that I can today.

This morning my reflection is on keeping my shoulder to the wheel. I have my plan laid out on these assignments. Now it is time to execute them, and today I will take steps upward so that tomorrow I will rise with a freshness and eagerness to step up again.