“You only live once, but if you do it right once is enough.” — Mae West Twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to witness the humble, elegant, peaceful passing of my 89-year-old grandfather. As I sat quietly in his hospice room alongside my grandma and other family members, his nurse smiled […]

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 […]

Even when the struggle is real, remind yourself that it almost always feels better to be exhausted from taking tiny steps forward, than it does to be tired of doing absolutely nothing. In 1911 two explorers, Amundsen and Scott, embarked on a race against each other to become the first known human […]

The truth does not disappear when it is forgotten or ignored. You know how you can hear something a hundred times in a bunch of different ways before it finally gets through to you? The ten truths discussed here fall firmly into that category — timeless lessons most of us likely learned years […]

The goal is to change your response to what you can’t control — to gradually grow stronger on the inside, so less on the outside affects your inner peace and joy without your conscious permission. The mind is the biggest battleground. It’s the place where the greatest conflict resides. It’s […]

You can’t calm the storm. What you can do is calm yourself, and the storm will gradually pass. So do your best to breathe when negativity surrounds you today. Let calmness be your superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things too personally keeps your mind clear and your heart at peace, […]

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 […]

Earlier today, I was sitting on a neighborhood park bench eating a sandwich when an elderly couple pulled their car up under a nearby oak tree. They rolled down the windows and turned up some jazz music on the radio. Then the man got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and

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 […]

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 […]

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

On the average day happiness is letting go of what you assume life is supposed to be like, and sincerely appreciating it for everything it is. Over the past 15 years, as Angel and I have gradually worked with hundreds of our course students, coaching clients, and live event attendees, we’ve come […]

Asking the right questions is the answer. In a recent email newsletter I wrote, “Calm your mind today. Don’t think outside the box; think like there is no box.” And to my surprise, 77 people quoted that line and responded with the same general question: “How?” I’ve spent some time […]

You won’t find your worth entirely in someone else — you’ll find it in yourself, and then you will attract those who are worthy of your energy. Sometimes we try to show the world we’re flawless in hopes that we will be liked and accepted by everyone. But we can’t please everyone and we […]

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 if you let them: 1. Focusing on how life “should” be every step of the way. Try to use […]

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

“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, just […]

You can’t calm the storm. What you can do is calm yourself, and the storm will gradually pass. Calmness is a human superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things personally keeps your mind clear and your heart at peace, which gives you the upper hand in most life situations. And it’s a […]

“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.” — MHN Thirty years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, my English teacher gave my class a homework assignment entitled, “Advice for a Younger Generation.” The concept of the assignment was simple: Each student […]

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 […]