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I started writing inspirational poetry for people 30 years ago. It wasn’t because I was a master of the English language; it was because I heard the poems when people would tell me about things in their lives. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first. But after the first hundred you start to notice that there’s something more going on. Over the years I’ve written poems for people facing just about every challenge imaginable. I’ve seen the same themes repeat themselves. For anyone facing challenge in their life, here are 5 things I’ve found to be true for most situations.

1. You are not alone – Anything you are dealing with is also being dealt with by someone else somewhere. We live in the most connected time in history, so it’s easier to find others that are dealing with a situation similar to yours. Reach out and you will find you are not alone.

2. Others have survived this – As bad as you may be feeling about your diagnosis, breakup, or loss, you can survive this for the simple reason that others have. You may not have the tools right now but you can get them. Learn from those who have survived similar experiences and see what they did. They are out there for you to find.

3. Everything happens for a reason – This is perhaps the most difficult of the truths to accept for many people. How can there be a reason for a mass shooting, or sexual assault of a child? For many of us, it’s almost impossible to accept this. The best most of us can initially do is to accept the possibility that this is true. Even this is difficult. But if you can start to look at the world this way, you can often start making sense of things that are not easily understood. Reaching that point can make a huge difference in the way you interpret an experience and your chances of being able to move past it.

4. You are important – Most people have been told they are important by their parents, but we tend not to hear it as often as we get older. It’s easy to get lost in organizations or situations where we are just performing a function that could be done by someone else. Again, this is something you won’t see until you believe. If you start believing you are important, you will eventually find evidence to prove you are right.

5. You can make a difference – Making a difference isn’t just about importance, it is about affecting change. We are all connected so our actions invariably affect others. This truth is the flip side of the first truth and essentially completes the cycle. By realizing you can make a difference, you are now in a position to help those that are feeling alone and looking for someone to show the way.

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Robert Longley is a coach, consultant, writer and world traveler. He began his career in Air Force intelligence during the Gulf War era. After the military he has been involved in many large scale IT projects in both the public and private sector. He specializes in case management systems for human services and donates software to many small non-profits. Robert also does coaching and consulting for organizational and personal development.

Even before the military, Robert started writing inspirational poems for people. They all follow the quatrain format used by Nostradamus. Most were written for times of loss, but many deal with a variety of life issues.

Over the years his poems have been used in a movie, set to music, turned into shadow boxes, featured in several books and magazines, and used by the US Army in the packet given to children when a family member is killed serving their country. He is currently finishing his fifth book of poetry – Echoes of War. It includes over 100 poems requested for families of service members who died during the modern era.
Anyone in need an inspiration poem is encouraged to contact Robert through his website .

For more information, please visit sacredpoems.com

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. I agree with the directives and may I add on?
    6. And let no evil befall you; raise your cane and shield your soul with the Armor of God. Practice any form of spiritualism that you resonate with and make it a lifelong habit.
    Use prayer as a weapon.

    Long telomeres to u!

  2. No. 3. “Everything happens for a reason.” I would consider this, and I think, that we just to acknowledge what has happened to us, and of course, in life we learn every day through our experience. But I would not say really everything happens for a reason, like “a mass shooting,”or “sexual assault of a child.”

  3. Your words are very inspiring. I am writing a term paper for a class in college and I used the citation.. I also agree with you 100%.

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