Be for you

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” – Hillel the Elder

Are you thinking for you, acting for you, working for you, and cheering for you?

You can't fly under your own radar

“If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life.” – Abraham Maslow

Are you trying to live up to your potential every day by stretching toward what you are capable of?

There are no perfect people

There are no perfect people – and you will not be the first.

You will make mistakes, do dumb things, and fail “tests”.  It’s part of learning.

Pay attention to the lessons – and use it all as fuel to get better.

Help the world – this is how…

Being the best you can be – the best ever-improving version of you that you possibly can, is the best thing you can do for the world.

The world needs more people who are at their best.

It’s your obligation, your responsibility, and your opportunity.

MAKE time

“I don’t have time” is an excuse we can use for not doing the important things, or for not improving ourselves.

But the reality is we all have the same time – 168 hours a week and we use all of it.

It’s a matter of what 168 hours of activity are a priority for you compared to the infinite number of other things you could be doing.

When it’s important enough, you make time.

Don't be nasty

“There is no situation in which it is smart to be nasty” – Millicent Fenwick

Despite what you see on TV and social media, being rude, insulting and cutting people down is not good for you, your reputation, and your career.  

Heck, it’s not even good for you – you become a defensive, offensive, hard, unhappy human.

Don’t be nasty.  State it when you disagree, but do it nicely.

Do you like yourself?

If not, you better work on that.

Do what you are doing in a way that makes you proud of yourself.

Be true to you and live your values. 

Slow down.

Be kind and smile at others.

Stop doing things you hate.

If you don’t like you, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

Be a you that you like.

You will never outperform your own beliefs

You will never outperform your own beliefs; about yourself, about what is possible, about what you can and can not do.

What do you believe about you?

Before you compete with anyone else…

We will never be better than everyone at everything.  You’ll never have the most _________ .  Don’t attach your happiness or satisfaction to that.

Instead, compete with yesterday’s version of you.  

We are here to be the best we can be.

And that’s a lot better than we are now, and a lot better than we think we can be.

Beat your yesterday.  That’s what counts.

Are other people better than you?

Better at some activity or skill in this area or that?  Yes of course.

More worthy?  No

More disciplined/hard working/ambitious/successful?  That’s up to you.

Do you get that?