“If only…”  These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language. Here are ten life choices that ultimately lead to that phrase of regret, and how to elude them on the average day: 1. Wearing a mask to impress others. If the face you always show the world is a mask, someday there will be nothing beneath it. Because when you spend too much time concentrating on (more ..read more

When you try to control too much, you enjoy too little. Sometimes you just need to let go, relax, take a deep breath, and love what is. This morning I met up with an old friend, someone whom I care about deeply but have internally struggled with for years because I’ve always been worried about her health. I want to help her heal, because I feel I’m losing her. I want to teach her the time-tested tools for living a happier, simpler, healthier life that I’ve helped so many other people with — so she can give up her addictions, take up exercise and mindfulness, nurture her needs, and suddenly ..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 courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. There’s an important lesson here — one that’s very often glossed over… When a chaotic reality is swirling around us, we often try to relieve our anxiety by exerting our will over external things ..read more

Oftentimes the hardest part of the journey is simply believing you’re worthy of the trip. This short article was inspired by an email we received recently from a new course student: Dear Marc and Angel, Life hasn’t been the easiest on me over this past decade. I won’t get into all the details now, but these hard times have left me with many cracks. And although I’ve still managed to be a reasonably successful person, I often struggle desperately with my self-confidence. I just don’t feel good enough most of the time. I feel flawed. I feel like my cracks make me undesirable. It’s all in my h ..read more

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West This morning a close neighborhood friend, Alison, passed away far too early. While Marc and I have spent most of the day grieving, I’ve also spent this past hour thinking about the fact that our lives are often much shorter than we expect, and that we need to do some pretty darn hard things to maximize our very limited time. Alison strongly believed in doing the hard yet necessary things in life — we talked about this topic on several occasions, and she never backed down from a challenge. So today, I want to reflect on ..read more

God willing, you will be gifted another decade or more of life experience. But even if you aren’t, the core principle of this article remains relevant: As you age, you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter. Deep down you know this already though, right? Yet today, just like the majority of us, you are distracted by almost everything else. You give too much of your time to (more ..read more

If somebody is working on themselves and changing for the better, it’s unnecessary to keep bringing up their past. People can change and grow. You know that’s true. But have you given yourself a fair chance to change and grow, too? Have you consciously loosened your grip on what’s behind you, so you can step forward again with grace? If you’re shaking your head, you aren’t alone. At times we all fall victim to our attachments. We simply don’t realize how often we block our own present blessings by holding on to the past. Thus, it’s time for a quick true story about life and letting go… When O ..read more

When I was a high school freshman, a 260-pound freshman girl showed up for track and field tryouts right alongside me. Her name was Sara, and she was only there because her doctor said her health depended on it. But once she scanned the crowd of students who were on the field, she turned around and began walking away. Coach O’Leary saw her, jogged over, and turned her back around. “I’m not thin enough for this sport!” Sara declared. “And I’ll never be! It’s impossible for me to lose enough weight. I’ve tried.” Coach O’Leary nodded, and promised Sara that her body type wasn’t suited for her cu ..read more

Daily journaling is a voyage to inner peace. Oprah keeps a journal. Taylor Swift keeps a journal. Eminem keeps a journal. Successful people all over the world — those who consistently make positive changes in their lives — reflect daily and learn from their life experiences. And they often use some kind of journal to accomplish this. If you want to get somewhere in life, you need a map, and your journal is that map. You can (more ..read more

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West Twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to witness the humble, elegant, peaceful passing of my 89-year-old grandpa. As I sat quietly in his hospice room alongside my grandma and other family members, his nurse smiled softly and said, “I can see he lived well. People his age often pass just the way they lived.” And as I drove home that evening, a couple questions kept cycling through my mind… “Am I living well?” “What do I want to be able to smile about on the inside when I’m on my deathbed?” These questions are tough, esp ..read more