Instead of being obsessed with getting what you don’t have, put your focus on truly and deeply enjoying and making use of all the good things you do have. Get in the habit of noticing and appreciating the little things in your life. In every direction you look, there is something for which to be thankful. The more you focus on gratitude, the more value you’ll see in your world. The more value you see, the more value you’ll be... Read more

Some people are unable to persist for very long precisely because they’re trying so hard to do it. Persistence is not about trying. Persistence is about continuing to be effective, and that comes from striking a healthy balance between effort and rest. Life is a cycle of effort and rest. The effectiveness of each depends on the other. You cannot cheat this cycle. Sleep all night and day and you’ll feel awful. Work (or play) all day and night and... Read more

There are infinitely more good and positive things you can do with the assistance of others than by yourself alone. It’s great that there are other people in this world upon whom you can rely and depend. Unfortunately, not all the other people with whom you come in contact are going to be totally reliable or dependable. Not all of them are going to have your best interests at heart, and that is quite understandable. Some of them may just... Read more

Success does not come to those who merely have great ideas. Success comes to those who have great ideas and who follow through on them. Your carefully crafted plans bring value only when you put them into action. The best of intentions are useful only when you follow through on them. During the course of the day, many thoughts cross your mind. Yet just as easily and quickly as those thoughts come, they recede, so it’s crucial to begin acting... Read more

Do you realize how difficult it is for you to walk on two legs? Walking requires some very sophisticated balance and muscle skills. Watch a toddler who is just learning to walk and you’ll develop an appreciation for how much effort it requires. And yet, unless you have a physical condition that impedes your walking, you walk around all the time now without even thinking about it. What was once an enormously challenging effort to you is still just as... Read more

You have survived every challenge you’ve ever been faced with—otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Sure, you’ve made some mistakes. And yet, you’ve done a lot of things right. You’ve made a lot of good, positive decisions and carried them out effectively. From every single experience, you’ve learned. Even from the disappointments, even from the setbacks, you’ve learned. As a result, you’re constantly improving, getting better and better every day, figuring out what works and what doesn’t work, learning how to... Read more

Whatever you enjoy, you improve. So keep yourself feeling great. Enjoy where you are, and suddenly where you are has more value. Enjoy the moment you’re living, and suddenly the moment offers new and positive possibilities. Enjoy what you’re doing. By so doing, you transform your effort into a pathway to success and achievement. Sure, you can always find a reason to be miserable. But being miserable will accomplish nothing. Being joyful, on the other hand, will put you in... Read more

Good things happen every day, and they never make news because they are so universally common. Every day, people all over the world earn an honest living and feed their families. Every day, teachers teach and students learn valuable skills that can last a lifetime. Every day, people are cured of serious illnesses. Every day, people travel safely and comfortably across the ocean to other continents where they meet other people and experience different cultures. Every day artists and writers... Read more

Stopping to put things in perspective can make a big difference. When you work at getting to the core of what your life is all about, you begin to understand that most of those external things you see as necessities are not really necessities at all. Each one of them is merely one way, one way out of many, of expressing a deeper purpose. Even if you did not have your job, even if you could not afford your current... Read more

Drink in and value the joyful times in your life. Live them fully. A moment of true, unencumbered joy is worth more than pure gold. You’ll think more clearly, be more motivated, feel better and be healthier, when you regularly lose yourself in joy. Relish the experience of being fully alive and letting yourself completely enjoy yourself. Is such behavior selfish? No. When you have more joy in your own life, you have more to give others. By experiencing joy,... Read more