12 Great Reminders to Think About Every Day

We all get lost is the daily shuffle and grind. Life moves at a speed that can run down the most happy and organized people. Whenever I feel as though I’m moving a little too quickly and missing the joy in any moment, I consider these thoughts great reminders to get me back on track… 

I can—and there are no limits. You know the expression, whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right? That’s true. I think to have any doubts about yourself is the equivalent of letting a traitor guide your life. More so, what you consider possible will never be a function of your ability as much as it will be a function of your beliefs. 

My frustration comes from my beliefs not my circumstances. Life happens and things go wrong—every single day. People drop balls, there’s traffic, flight delays, events schedules during the football games (oh dear). The reason this frustrates you is because you believe it should never happen to you. Get over it. 

My life is my responsibility. Statistically, 75% of people are externally focused versus internally focused. This means more people say or think things such as my wife is driving me crazy, my boss is being unreasonable, or my children aren’t treating me well as opposed to I’m not reacting well to the way my wife is behaving and so forth. You control your thoughts, which feed your actions or reactions. Own them. Don’t turn over control of your emotions to someone else.

I have this moment. Regret changes the past as much as anxiety changes the future. Only gratitude for your present can change this moment. To be fully present goes hand and hand with… 

Remain open. An open mind is the most peaceful place you’ll ever encounter. There is no wind, rain, or snow disturbing the sunshine. It provides an uninhibited ability to think or learn or positively exchange with yourself or someone else.

My brain is wonderful, but it’s a slower learner than my heart. Your heart will always know the truth well before your mind ever figures it out. Just think about the last time (or any time for that matter) you threw in the towel. How overdue was that toss?

There is no such thing as “experience.” There is only perception. Do you realize that there is no experience without observation? You observe based on what you perceive. Your perceptions create your beliefs. Your beliefs create your behaviors. Your behaviors produce or reproduce your experience. It’s that, uh, simple. 

Major setbacks are necessary. You will never enjoy your life until you learn how to embrace your challenges. The major setbacks you face as you pursue your life’s purpose will never hurt as much as the accumulation of half-hearted stumbles you continually encounter performing acts you don’t love for people you don’t care about.

Comparison kills. The happier you can be for some else the less likely you’ll be to compare him or her to yourself. Comparison is also a recipe for mediocrity. If your goal is to be “better than” someone else or you grade life on a curve, you’ll never reach your true potential because you’ll feel you’ve reached it when you’ve surpassed someone. Usually that means you’re leaving something on the table. The only person you need to be better than is your yesterday’s self.

I will have no regrets. I’ve met many people in my life. The older ones that have regret usually do so not because of what they did or didn’t try or accomplish, but how they treated people over the course of their lives. 

Everything I want is on the other side of fear. Fear is nothing more than an emotion you feel right before a great growing opportunity. Dive in. The fastest way to become fabulous is to start embracing the mistakes you haven’t made yet. I think when I’m done writing this post; I’ll go make a few right away just so I can get them out of the way. 

It’s okay to be different. To attempt to be someone else is a great waste of you. The greatest day of my life was the day I discovered it was okay to do things differently than others. The second greatest day was the day I realized I didn’t need anyone’s permission regarding this. You’ll be better off if you not only embrace your uniqueness, but also flaunt it!

This article originally appeared on the milewalk blog on May 21, 2015.

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