You ultimately become what you repeatedly do. If your habits aren’t helping you, they’re hurting you. Here are some fairly common and widespread examples of the latter that will drain all your joy and peace of mind, if you let them: 1. Focusing on how life “should” be every step of the way. Try to ..read more

Too often people overestimate the significance of one big defining moment and underestimate the value of making good decisions and small steps of progress on a daily basis. You’re probably familiar with what’s known as the Serenity Prayer. It goes like this: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the ..read more

Oftentimes you don’t even realize you’re blocking your own present blessings by holding on to everything so tightly. It’s always necessary to accept when some part of your life has reached its inevitable end. Closing the door, completing the chapter, turning the page, etc. It doesn’t matter what you title it; what matters is that ..read more

Let’s cut to the chase right now. What you ultimately do comes out of who you believe you are. You have to practice believing in yourself and ignoring the naysayers. Because while you may not be able to control the impolite and unfair things some people say and do, you can press forward and decide not to be endlessly derailed by them. Of course I know that’s much easier said than done, but you must remind yourself that it can be done! How? Start by leveraging the right affirmations. After all, it’s not what others say about you, and it’s not what you broadcast to everyone else that determines ..read more

Love is great when spoken, but greatest when shown. Do little things daily to show your loved ones you care. Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on a park bench in the early afternoon when an elderly couple pulled their car up under a nearby oak tree. They rolled down the windows and turned up some jazz music on the car stereo. Then the man got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door for the woman, took her hand and guided her about ten feet away from the car, and they slow danced to a song under the oak tree. It was such a beautiful moment to witness. This mornin ..read more

You can’t calm the storm. What you can do is calm yourself, and the storm will gradually pass. Over the past decade, there’s a way of being I’ve gradually been cultivating in myself — I’ve been taming my tendency to get riled up and argue with people when their behavior doesn’t match my expectations. As human beings we all have an idea in our heads about how things are supposed to be, and sadly this is what often messes us up the most. We get frustrated when things don’t play out the way we expect them to, and when people don’t behave like they’re “supposed” to. We expect our family to act ..read more

Patience isn’t about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in. As you move through the days and weeks ahead, remind yourself that it takes roughly 66 days to form a habit on average. So for the next nine and a half weeks, consciously leverage the actionable reminders below to look at the brighter side of your life, and you will gradually rewire your brain. 1. Start steadying yourself with simple rituals. When life feels like an emotional roller coaster, steady yourself with simple rituals. Make the bed. Water the plants. Rinse off your own ..read more

Patience is not about waiting, it’s the ability to maintain a positive outlook while working hard for what you believe in. Have you ever told yourself that you’re going to make something happen and then nothing happened? All details aside, it’s because you didn’t have the right habits in place — the little things you do every day that build up to something bigger. Your habits truly make or break you. Because in all walks of life you become what you habitually do. You will never make progress or change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is always fo ..read more

Even when the struggle is real, remind yourself that it feels better to be exhausted from taking small steps forward, than it does to be tired of doing nothing. In 1911 two explorers, Amundsen and Scott, embarked on a race against each other to become the first known human being to set foot upon the southernmost point of Earth. It was the age of Antarctic exploration, as the South Pole represented one of the last uncharted areas in the world. Amundsen wished to plant the Norwegian flag there on behalf of his country, while Scott hoped to stake his claim for England. The journey there and ba ..read more

Asking the right questions is often the answer. In a recent email newsletter I wrote, “Calm your mind today. Don’t just think outside the box; think like there is no box.” And to my surprise, 97 people quoted that line and responded with the same general question: “How?” I’ve spent the morning thinking about how to answer their collective question in the most universal way possible, and I’ve decided that the simplest explanation I can give is this: Ask yourself better questions — questions that (more ..read more