Pretend your critics are right

If you’re trying to get better and do better, people will see that and give you all sorts of advice.

While other people can’t understand your motivations and intentions exactly, they see what you are projecting.  When they comment or try to give advice, there’s something to it – especially if more than one person says the same thing.

Failures see advice as criticism.  

Successes see criticism as advice.

Pay attention.

To be extraordinary is a choice

“The extraordinary is not the birthright of a chosen and privileged few, but of ALL people, even the humblest. That is my one certainty: we are all the manifestation of the divinity of God.” – Paulo Coehlo, The Pilgrim

 To be extraordinary is a choice. 

Is it one you have made in at least one or more areas of your life?

Be right by you.

Be good to yourself.  Take care of your health and fitness.  Do things that make you proud of yourself.

Stretch yourself and use more and more of the limitless potential inside you.  Be ambitious and self-disciplined.

Believe in yourself.  Bet on yourself.

“I can’t be right for someone else if I’m not right for me.” – Sammy Davis Jr., “I’ve Gotta Be Me”, 1968

If you want to live a good life – do this.

If you want to live a good life focus on the things that are WITHIN your control and let go of everything else.

Are you doing that?

Do you believe in you?

Who knows you better than anyone? 

You do.

Everyone intuitively knows that each of us has been our own witness our entire lives.

Those who believe in themselves go on to achieve great things.

Those that don’t, don’t.

If you don’t believe in yourself, why should I or anyone else believe in you?

Tough times make better people

“I don’t like people who have never fallen or stumbled.  Their virtue is lifeless and isn’t of much value.  Life hasn’t revealed its beauty to them. – Boris Pasternak

“In the dark time, the eye begins to see.”-Theodore Roethke

Resilience, endurance, strength, wisdom, ability, self-confidence, courage – all forged from adversity.

Be grateful for what happens.  

It is not happening to you, but for you.

You want to be here – don't you?

Good bad or somewhere in between, where you are now is where you are comfortable.  Otherwise, you would change it.

Sometimes, it’s time to get uncomfortable.

Effort is your responsibility

Sign on the wall of your life – “Effort is your responsibility”.

Talent + effort = skill.

Skill + effort = achievement

Effort factors in twice, and effort is up to you.

Be willing to be bad at it

Many people don’t try new things because they don’t want to look like a beginner and make mistakes.

We are experts being who we are and doing what we always do.  We are good at that.  But that’s all we do.

If we try something new we are not an expert anymore.  We are a clumsy apprentice who hopes nobody is looking.

We are the CEO at the company party looking at the mechanical bull or line dances, but we won’t try it.

“It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time.  Give yourself permission to be a beginner.” – Julia Cameron, The Artists Way

Tell your ego it’s ok, and try new things.

Live like you know what you want

Most people let life’s circumstances determine their path.

But you are a creator.  You just have to know what you want to create.

What are you trying to create in your life? 

Be clear, and decide.

Then get up every day and create it.