We all have a set of principles that we abide by. Ask anyone about their values and beliefs and they will answer you according to what is important to them.
I’ve noticed a central theme in my advice since I first wrote about it: personal development, motivation, and success. For the uninitiated, it can be summed up in the following eighteen points.
They are in no particular order and I urge you to identify with those you resonate with and incorporate them into your life.
- Love more: Not just people or things, but yourself. Many of life’s problems result from a lack of self-love. Loving more means connecting with the deeper intelligence that guides your being. You are the embodiment of love, regardless of whether you are hurt or betrayed. Put those feelings aside and know that you are the ocean swimming in a sea of love. drown in it.
- Be aware of your thoughts: Be aware of your thoughts and don’t let them consume you. Do you have uplifting thoughts or are they filled with doubts and pessimism? Do you look for the positive side of situations or do you consider what could go wrong? Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Despite people’s beliefs, our thoughts are not fixed. They are formed by being aware of them and not believing everything you think.
- Mindfulness Practice: Bring your thoughts to the front of your mind and resist falling victim to unconscious behaviors. Mindfulness invites you to focus your attention on what is happening in your life instead of reliving past events. It means connecting with the present moment instead of being a victim of the past.
- Regular Personal Development: Immerse yourself in inspirational material that encourages you to become someone of character. If we don’t shower, brush our teeth, or exercise, we fall victim to destructive habits and pay the price of disease. People claim that since they can’t see the benefits of personal development, everything is fine. I enjoy the quote from the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, who said, “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Well, bathing doesn’t either, which is why we recommend it every day.”
- Attitude is everything: Your attitude is more important than your perspective because it influences how you present yourself in life. How do you develop a positive attitude? Overcoming life’s obstacles instead of withdrawing from them. As you boldly approach life, you overcome the fears that once paralyzed you.
- Being of service to others: We all have a purpose, some discover it early in life while sadly others die with a song in their hearts. You can be of service to others in the smallest way through your thoughts, words, and actions. You don’t need to lend your time to charities to be useful, although you are useful. Give of your time and resources to enrich the lives of other people. Even sending peaceful thoughts to another person is a step in the right direction.
- Character is more important than reputation: Your reputation can be destroyed in moments, while character takes a lifetime to build. Consider celebrities involved in scandals, squandering their character and reputation. Be aware of who you are becoming. Don’t give this up for a reputation that lasts a fraction of the time for building good character.
- Let go of worry, fear and anxiety: Have you noticed that what worries you rarely happens? We are known to make up stories to protect ourselves in case such events happen. However, if we continue on this path, we will attract these circumstances because of the energy devoted to it. Replace negativity with empowering thoughts that bring you closer to the life you want to live.
- Make peace with the past: To create this future we need to heal the past, to avoid excess baggage. You have heard that the past is a figment of your imagination and no longer exists. Reliving the past derails a bright future because your mind is stuck thinking about something that is no longer relevant.
- Happiness comes from within: The biggest scam sold to humanity is that happiness is achieved through success, fame, wealth or a suitable partner. However, one need only look at people who have these things and are still dissatisfied, sometimes depressed. If you are unhappy and get rich, you will remain unhappy because having more of these things amplifies what is missing.
- Surround yourself with great people: Especially those who bring out the best in you. If we lack self-esteem, we attract like-minded people. They are likely to pick up on the disowned parts within us that we disapprove of. The other person will then reflect this through their interaction with us and we will retaliate to prove them wrong. Surround yourself with people who see your best qualities and don’t take you for granted.
- Being here and now: Stop worrying about the future until it happens. We worry about circumstances and miss out on the vitality of the present moment. The future never arrives as we expect, so there is no point in worrying about something that exists as thoughts. It is wise to have: goals, dreams and ambitions. However, if we are not aligned with the motivation to achieve these things, when they arrive it will not be as we expect. This is how a midlife crisis occurs because our vision of the future does not correspond to reality.
- Practice gratitude: Gratitude means appreciating what you have in your life instead of what you lack. We can focus on the negative or the positive and either way we are right. One brings unfavorable circumstances while the other brings positive aspects. Be thankful for the smallest things because somewhere, someone craves what you take for granted.
- Forgive yourself and others: Forgiveness is a door to heal the past. Many people forgive others but are unable to forgive themselves. I invite you to start with yourself first. Forgive yourself completely and open the window for love to heal. Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, it means seeing the past in a new light.
- Practice acceptance and detachment: Acceptance means not resisting what is happening in your life. Regardless of whether it is an unfortunate situation, it can pave the way for something wonderful to happen. Detachment means distancing ourselves from a desired outcome and allowing circumstances to unfold until the full picture emerges. Only then do we realize that everything that happens is unfolding as it should, for our highest purpose.
- Honor your feelings: Doctors are now realizing the deleterious effects of toxic emotions that can lead to disease. Perhaps they told you not to express your emotions, which is evident in cultures where it is seen as a sign of weakness. Connecting with your emotions invites you to honor your feelings and express them in a healthy way. This does not mean acting on your angry feelings. Rather, investigate what the anger is trying to represent.
- Discover and Live your Purpose: People who live their purpose lead healthier, more robust lives. They are happy pursuing what makes their spirit come alive. There is a purpose within you waiting to be revealed. Depending on your age, you may have realized it or are still discovering it. The key is to experiment until you find a purpose that resonates with you. Your purpose will bring joy to your life and to those you serve.
- Be kind to everyone you meet: Often we are not aware of how hard some people are doing, until we get an insight into their history. Don’t judge people like an oil painting because there is more depth to a person than you think. We don’t get an impression of them until we actually meet them or walk in their shoes. Assume the best of each one until they prove otherwise. Be kind and refrain from judging, as that only defines you as a critic.
