“The happiest moment of my life is still that split-second a
year ago when, as I laid crushed under a 2000 pound car, I realized my husband
and 9-year-old boy were out of the vehicle and absolutely OK.”
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“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time,
for that’s the stuff life is made of.”
―Benjamin Franklin
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It’s hard to think about a story like Hope’s and not ask
yourself: “What do I need to stop
wasting time on?”
Here are some things to consider, that I've been examining
in my own life:
1. Distractions that keep you from special moments with special
people. – Pay attention to the little things, because when you really miss
someone you miss the little things the most, like just laughing together. Go for long walks. Indulge in great conversations. Count your mutual blessings. Let go for a little while and just BE
together.
2. Compulsive busyness. – Schedule time every day to not be
busy. Have dedicated downtime – clear
points in the day to reflect, rest, and recharge. Don’t fool yourself; you’re not so busy that
you can’t afford a few minutes of sanity.
3. Negative thinking about your current situation. – Life is
like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile. So talk about your blessings more than you
talk about your problems. Just because
you’re struggling doesn't mean you’re failing.
Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there.
4. The needless drama around you. – Be wise enough to walk away
from the nonsense around you. Focus on
the positives, and soon the negatives will be harder to see.
5. The desire for everything you don’t have. – No, you won’t
always get exactly what you want, but remember this: There are lots of people who will never have
what you have right now. The things you
take for granted, someone else is praying for.
Happiness never comes to those who don’t appreciate what they already
have.
6. Comparing yourself to everyone else. – Social comparison is
the thief of happiness. You could spend
a lifetime worrying about what others have, but it wouldn't get you
anything.
7. Thinking about who you were or what you had in the past. –
You’re not the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or a week
ago. You’re always growing. Experiences don’t stop. That’s life.
8. Worrying about the mistakes you've made. – It’s OK if you
mess up; that’s how you get wiser. Give
yourself a break. Don’t give up. Great things take time, and you’re getting
there. Let your mistakes be your
motivation, not your excuses. Decide
right now that negative experiences from your past won’t predict your future.
9. Worrying about what everyone thinks and says about you. –
Don’t take things too personally, even if it seems personal. Rarely do people do things because of you;
they do things because of them. You
honestly can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react and
who you choose to be around.
10. Self-deception. – Your life will improve only when you take
small chances. And the first and most
difficult chance you can take is to be honest with yourself.
11. A life path that doesn't feel right. – Life is to be
enjoyed, not endured. When you truly
believe in what you’re doing, it shows, and it pays. Success in life is for those who are excited
about where they are going. It’s about
walking comfortably in your own shoes, in the direction of YOUR dreams.
12. Everyone else’s definition of success and happiness. – You
simply can’t base your idea of success and happiness on other people’s opinions
and expectations.
13. Those who insist on using and manipulating you. – What you
allow is what will continue. Give as
much as you can, but don’t allow yourself to be used. Listen to others closely, but don’t lose your
own voice in the process.
14. Trying to impress everyone. – One of the most freeing things
we learn in life is that we don’t have to like everyone, everyone doesn't have
to like us, and that’s perfectly OK. No
matter how you live, someone will be disappointed. So just live your truth and be sure YOU aren't the one who is disappointed in the end.
15. All the fears holding you back. – Fear is a feeling, not a
fact. The best way to gain strength and
self-confidence is to do what you’re afraid to do. Dare to change and grow. In the end, there is only one thing that
makes a dream completely impossible to achieve: Lack of action based on the
fear of failure.
16. Doubting and second-guessing yourself. – When in doubt just
take the next small step. Sometimes the
smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your
life.
17. People who continuously dump on your dreams. – It’s better
to be lonely than allow negative people and their opinions derail you from your
destiny. Don’t let others crush your
dreams. Do just once what they say you
can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their negativity again.
18. Thinking the perfect time will come. – You can’t always wait
for the perfect moment. Sometimes you
must dare to do it because life is too short to wonder what could have been.
19. Band-Aids and temporary fixes. – You can’t change what you
refuse to confront. You can’t find peace
by avoiding things. Deal with problems
directly before they deal with your happiness.
20. Close-minded judgments. – Open your mind before you open
your mouth. Don’t hate what you don’t
know. The mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work when it’s closed.
21. Other people’s mistakes and oversights. – Today, be tolerant
of people’s mistakes and oversights.
Sometimes good people make bad choices.
It doesn't mean they’re bad; it simply means they are human.
22. Resentment. – Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness,
nor forgiveness for acceptance. It’s
about knowing that resentment is not on the path to happiness. Remember, you don’t forgive people because
you’re weak. You forgive them because you’re strong enough to know that people
make mistakes.
23. Any hateful thoughts at all. – Set an example. Treat everyone with kindness and respect,
even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you
are. Make kindness a daily ritual; it’s
what makes life happier and more fulfilling in the long run.
24. Regrets of any kind. – You don’t have to be defined by the
things you once did or didn't do. Don’t
let yourself be controlled by regret.
Maybe there’s something you could have done differently, or maybe
not. Either way, it’s merely something
that has already happened. Leave the
unchangeable past behind you as you give yourself to the present moment.
25. Every point in time other than right now. – Don’t cry over
the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress too
much about the future, it hasn't arrived.
Do your best to live NOW and make this moment worth living.
Your turn…
Truth be told, the most important decision you will ever
make is what you do with the time that is given to you. So let’s revisit the question I proposed in
the intro: What do you need to stop
wasting time on?
Source : Written by MARC CHERNOFF
