It’s not what you say to everyone else that determines your life; it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power and influence. The best lessons we learn in life are the lessons we learn over and over again. The human mind needs lots of reminders — lots of practice — to […]

You have come a long way, and you’re still learning and growing. Be thankful for the lessons. Take them and make the best of things today. For my 18th birthday, many moons ago, my grandfather on my mom’s side gave me four lightly-used flannel shirts that he no longer needed. The shirts were […]

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. When you can no longer think of a reason to continue, you must think of a reason to start over. There’s a big difference between giving up and starting over in the right direction. And there are three little words that can release you […]

“Creativity is just connecting things.” Over the past 16 years, through our live events and coaching practice, my wife (Angel) and I have spoken with hundreds of entrepreneurs, artists, and creative types about their daily rituals and routines. And the truth is that we often learn as much from […]

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard Are you willing to spend a little time every day like most people won’t, so you can spend the better part of your life like most people can’t? Think about that question for a moment. Let it sink in.

You ultimately become what you repeatedly do. If your daily habits aren’t helping you, they’re hurting you. Here are some fairly common and widespread examples of the latter that will drain all your joy and inner peace if you let them: 1. Focusing on how life “should” be every step of the […]

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh. When you first awake, be mindful and take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and relatively healthy. Breathe onto the bathroom mirror just to see how amazing your […]

We are not just what we know, but what we are willing to learn. When my Grandma Zelda passed away a decade ago at the age of 90, she left me with a box of miscellaneous items from her house that she knew I had grown to appreciate over the years. Among these items was

“The world is full of struggle. It is also full of overcoming.” Character and wisdom are both sculpted over time. These qualities come with loss, lessons, and triumphs. They come after doubts, second guesses, and exploring unknowns. If there was a definitive path to personal growth, everyone […]

If we have learned just one thing recently, it’s that we need to be gentle with ourselves and others. We’re all in this crazy world together, and we all get weary at times. Be recklessly gracious! The wisest, most loving, and well-rounded people you have ever met are likely those who have been […]

“If only…” Those two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language. In the end, more than anything else, we regret the small chances we didn’t take, the priceless opportunities we were too busy to nurture, and the good decisions we waited too long to make. […]

It happens to all of us gradually as we live and grow. We discover more about who we are and the way life is, and then we realize there are some changes we need to make. The lifestyle we’ve been living no longer fits. The environments and relationships we once found comfort in no longer

One of the strongest signs of your growth is realizing you’re no longer holding on to the beliefs that once used to drain you. Marc and I received a thank you email recently from a longtime reader and coaching client named Kevin (I’m writing about him today with his consent). He said our books […]

“Head up, heart open. To better days!” — T.F. Hodge Struggling to find your motivation? Feeling unsure or uneasy about the next steps? There are just a few things you need to know right now. This quick read is for YOU… Once upon a time there was a woman in her mid-sixties who noticed that

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count — it’s the life in your years.” As you age you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter. Deep down you know that already, right? Yet on most days, […]

Oftentimes you don’t even realize you’re blocking your own present blessings by holding on to everything so tightly. It’s always necessary to accept when some part of your life has reached its inevitable end. Closing the door, completing the chapter, turning the page, etc. It doesn’t matter […]

Love is great when spoken, but greatest when shown. Do little things daily to show your loved ones you care. Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on a park bench in the early afternoon when an elderly couple pulled their car up under a nearby oak tree. They rolled down the windows and turned up some

The most powerful changes happen when we decide to take control of what we do have power over, instead of craving control over what we do not. Holding on is hard. Holding on contributes to stress, unhappiness, relationship issues, and so much more. Yet, as human beings, we cling desperately to […]

Sometimes it’s brutally hard to accept life’s greatest truths, and yet we must. Because it’s truths like these that ultimately make our lives beautiful… 1. Everyone and everything in life is limited. You can never read all the books you want to read. You can never train yourself in all the […]

Where you ultimately end up greatly depends on your daily attitude and response. This morning one of our clients, Monica — a victim of a fairly recent and debilitating car accident — was smiling from ear to ear the minute our FaceTime coaching session began. “What has you in such good spirits […]