We all know the story of Cinderella. A beautiful girl whose father died when she was young after marrying another woman. The wicked stepmother with ugly daughters. Before the poor man was cold in his grave, Cinderella became their slave and lived with the mice. Gosh, how devastating for a young child who grew up with no mother and then a father. To have experienced such love and then such cruelty is completely extreme. Sadly, she knew more cruelty than love as the slavery and abuse went on for years until the prince rescued her. Even through all that, Cinderella remained steadfast and her character was as lovely as when we first meet her.

The world is cruel but there is a lesson in this fairytale. We don’t let our circumstances change who we are. We continue to do good and remain true to ourselves. The story has characters that are telling. Lucifer the cat, Gus the mouse and the fairy Godmother who made all her wishes come true. Don’t forget the props, fresh pumpkins and animals to help. So, Satan must be put out like the cat, have a trustworthy friend like Gus and God as our Godmother to call upon in times of need. Eat your vegetables every day and feed your animals! Ha! The prince can be a bonus because we can rescue ourselves instead of waiting on someone else.

Life can be that simple. The last half of 2023 is coming up. How is your journey so far? Are you feeling better than you were six months ago? Remember coming into the new year in January full of hope and enthusiasm? You may have found yourself in the position where you’ve set goals and experienced a huge burst of motivation as you took your first steps to achieve them. As time passes, this motivation diminishes and that is normal. We realise that achieving a particular goal will actually take more effort than we expected. The path to success becomes more challenging. Also, our patience to see results begins to fade as time rolls on.

Don’t worry, as long as you are moving forward, that is progress. Take one day at a time. Visualise your life once you reach this goal. Imagine how you will spend your time and who you’ll spend that time with. This should be an enjoyable process, so don’t rush the process, allow your imagination to run wild. You are allowed. Sometimes we forget that we were once children, full of life and dreams. We are weighed down by our responsibilities that we forget to have some fun along the way. When life gets too serious, try hanging around children, yours or nephews or nieces, they will remind you about fun. For them, the activity doesn’t matter much, as long as you are spending time with them.

When you are feeling demotivated. Reflect on the contrast between where you were six months ago and where you are now. Think about what you want to change about your life by achieving those goals. What is the difference between your future and where you are in life right now? This technique helps you stay motivated as you look back and know that you have made improvements, moving closer to your goal and deciding for yourself the next necessary step. This process can also develop your resilience as you commit to moving forward, not looking back, even when you know you’ll face challenges along the way.

Perhaps a small change in perspective? Anticipate challenges, and take a moment to consider obstacles and what those would look like. Plan how to navigate setbacks. They will be there. Everything can change with perspective. Gratitude is a beautiful thing. If the shoe fits, wear it, accept it and hope for good things. Live in the palace of your thoughts and don’t look back. Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa!