The best things in life aren’t things. So next time you want to give
yourself a gift, save your money, and consider gifting yourself one of
the following instead:
- The freedom to be unapologetically YOU. – Wearing a
mask wears you out. Faking it is fatiguing. The most arduous activity
is pretending to be what you know you aren’t. Trying to fit some
idealistic mold of perfection is a fool’s game. It’s much wiser to just
be yourself – faults and all. Take off your mask and start being
unapologetic about who you really are. Remember, imperfection is
beauty; madness is genius. It is better to be ridiculously you, than
ridiculously boring by trying to be the same as everyone else. Read The Mastery of Love
.
- An uninhibited imagination. – If we’ve learned
anything as a society over the past few decades, it’s that life is
changing faster and faster with every passing day. The world tomorrow
looks nothing like the world today. And the people with big
imaginations are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.
- An open mind. – Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t; everyone can teach you something new. The purpose of keeping an
open mind isn’t just to change your mind, it’s to expand your mind to
understand the true potential in each moment of your life – to discover a
self who has the ability to see more possibilities and expanded points
of view (even the ones opposing yours) and then to choose creatively,
intuitively, and sacredly going forward.
- The commitment to fail forward. – Failing is as
certain as sunsets and detours. So why exert energy avoiding the
unavoidable? Embrace it. Shift your energy from protecting yourself
from failure to squeezing the life out of life. Get real comfortable
with that uneasy feeling of going against the grain and trying something
new. Doing so will always take you to places you never thought you
could go.
- Using encouraging words. – Words are powerful.
They can create or they can destroy. The simple words you choose,
especially when you speak to yourself or about yourself, can offer
encouragement and positive thoughts going forward, or they can send you
further into despair. So choose your words wisely.
- A ‘glass’ filled with the right things. – It’s not just whether your glass is half-empty or half-full that matters. You also have to be mindful of what you’re filling your glass with.
Be sure to fill it with those things that satisfy your soul: good
friends and family to love, passions to pursue, dreams to fulfill, and
charity for others. Because the only situation more tragic than seeing
your glass as half-empty, is filling your glass until it is overflowing,
and then realizing that there’s nothing in it to satisfy your thirst
for a meaningful life.
- Enjoying what you have. – The thing you need to do
is enjoy the ride while you’re on it. Think positive, be positive, and
positive things will happen. Do not spoil what you have by desiring
what you have not. Enjoy your blessings right now. Remember that what
you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Celebrate
this. Work on being so appreciative and happy that when others look at
you, they become a little happier too.
- Lifelong learning. – You are simply the product of
what you know, so develop a passion for acquiring knowledge. A passion
for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please
teachers. It begins in the heart and home. Read for pleasure, ask
questions, analyze, and exploit your curiosities. In other words, learn
to actually love the act of learning. Read The Last Lecture
.
- Hope. – Remember, it’s always darkest just before
the dawn. Never underestimate the strength of your will to live after a
loss, to love after heartache, or to rise after a fall. For although
your troubles may be too dense and dark right now for you to see the
light, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a strong spirit within them, or a
beautiful sunrise just beyond the horizon.
- Spirituality. – Faith elevates your view of the
universe, your world, and your life. You would be wise to instill into
your mind that you are more than just flesh and blood taking up space.
You are also made of heart, soul, and will. And decisions in your life
should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and
blood is doing on the outside.
- Stability and love at home. – A stable home becomes the foundation on which you build the rest of your success.
Subconsciously we all need to know we have a family core who we can
trust, and who is going to be there for us through thick and thin.
Faithfulness to your partner is a big part of this. Faithfulness in any
intimate relationship includes more than just your body; it also
includes your eyes, mind, heart, and soul. Guard your sexuality daily
and devote it entirely to the one you love.
- A positive temper. – Anger can be useful in calling
your attention to issues that require your response; but anger itself
is not an effective response. Take a slow, deep breath, and remind
yourself of how much more effective you can be by maintaining a
positive, results-oriented approach to the issue at hand. Don’t let the
silly, thoughtless, destructive actions of others trap you in an
unproductive state of anger. Take note of your anger, let it go,
redirect your focus on being your best self, and you’ll surely emerge
with a smile. Read Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
.
- A sense of humor. – He or she who laughs, lasts. A
sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles – something
life is filled with. So laugh as often as you can with those around
you, for your sake and theirs.
- Doing the best you are capable of. – Don’t complain
about something you can actually do something about. Take action. Do
the best that you’re capable of. Any less is cheating yourself. Those
who get the most from life are those who give the most. Find something
you’re passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it and
focused on it.
- Being the change you want to see. – Happiness,
freedom, and peace of mind are always attained by giving them without
expectation. The only way to raise yourself up is to raise others up –
to raise your world up – to raise all of life just a little higher. Joy
comes to you when you give it. Happiness becomes yours when you live it.
Everything you need you are already capable of being. So smile from
the heart and fulfill the destiny that is yours in this priceless
moment.
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