10 Truths we often overlook

It’s surprising how easy it is to lose sight of the important things in life. Busy schedules and weekly routines have a tendency to put the brain on autopilot. Some of life’s essential truths need repeating. You can always refer to list any time you need a boost;

1. Being busy does not equal being productive

Look at everyone around you. They all seem so busy, yet how many of them are really producing, really succeeding at a high level? Success does not come from movement and activity. It comes from focus, ensuring that your time is used efficiently and productively. You get the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. Use yours wisely. After all, you’re the product of your output, not your effort. Make certain your efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results.

2. Great success is often preceded by failure

You will never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure. Your mistakes pave the way for you to succeed by revealing when you are on the wrong path. The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you are feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It’s this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution that you have been missing. Success takes patience and the ability to maintain a good attitude even while suffering for what you believe in.

3. Fear is the number one source of regret

When it’s all said and done, you will lament the chances you did not take far more than you will your failures. Don’t be afraid to take risks. The worst thing that can happen to you is allowing yourself to die inside while you are still alive, there is a whole lot to discover on the other side of fear, just go for it.

4. Your self-worth must come from within

When your sense of pleasure and satisfaction are derived from comparing yourself to others, you are no longer the master of your own destiny. When you feel good about something that you have done, don’t allow anyone’s opinions or accomplishments to take that away from you. While it’s impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, you don’t have to compare yourself to others. That way, no matter what other people are thinking or doing, your self-worth comes from within.

5. You are only as good as those you associate with

You should strive to surround yourself with people who inspire you, people who make you want to be better, and you probably do. But anyone who makes you feel worthless, anxious, or uninspired is wasting your time and, quite possibly, making you more like them. Life is too short to associate with people like this. Cut them loose.

6. Life is short

None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. Yet, when someone dies unexpectedly it causes us to take stock of our own life: what’s really important, how we spend our time, and how we treat other people. Remind yourself every morning when you wake up that each day is a gift and you are bound to make the most of the blessing you have been given. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing is the moment it will start acting like one.

7. You do not have to wait for an apology to forgive

Life goes a lot smoother once you let go of grudges and forgive even those who never said they were sorry. Grudges let negative events from your past ruin today’s happiness. The negative emotions that come with holding on to a grudge create a stress response in your body, and holding on to stress can have devastating health consequences. When you forgive someone, it frees you from being their eternal victim.

8. You are living the life you have created

You are not a victim of circumstance. No one can force you to make decisions and take actions that run contrary to your values and aspirations. The circumstances you are living in today are what you created. If you are feeling stuck, it’s probably because you are afraid to take the risks necessary to achieve your goals and live your dreams.

9. Live in the moment

You cannot reach your full potential until you learn to live your life in the present. No amount of guilt can change the past, and no amount of anxiety can change the future. It’s impossible to be happy if you are constantly somewhere else, unable to fully embrace the reality of this very moment.

10. Embrace Change

Only when you embrace change can you find the good in it. You need to have an open mind and open arms if you’re going to recognize, and capitalize on, the opportunities that change creates. You are bound to fail when you keep doing the same things you always have in the hope that ignoring change will make it go away.