You only live once.

Essential elements of a life well-lived:

Seek truth over validation:

It is far more damning to persist in ignorance than to admit when you’re wrong.

Time spent searching for truth – as opposed to validation of currently held beliefs – is never wasted.

True wisdom is the product of allowing your mind to be changed.

Value knowledge over possessions:

Striving for the accumulation of “things” is futile.

Possesions get lost, thrown away, deteriorate, & lose importance.

Far more meaning is derived through the acquisition of knowledge & experiences.

Cherish that which creates memories.

Spend time in the service of others:

Altruism is contagious.

Studies have shown that when we witness acts of kindness, it has a rippling effect.

Kindness spreads.

Each day, make an effort to do something for someone else without the expectation of anything in return.

Understand life is fluid:

Opinions, thoughts, circumstances, all come and go with time.

What is important to you today often becomes irrelevant tomorrow.

You will change and so will those around you.

People who can adapt to the natural ebbs & flows of life win.

Desire to be challenged.

Strength is born out of struggle.

When faced with difficulty, the path of least resistance tends to be the easiest for a reason.

It’s the road that’s been traveled by everyone else.

•Push through •Do what others won’t •Find strength in adversity

Focus forward:

Waste no time looking backward.

Set your sights toward the future and what is possible as opposed to what’s behind you and cannot be undone.

What “could have been” matters less than what “could be.”

Believe in the impossible:

Prior to 1954, no one had run a sub-4-minute mile.

On May 6th of that year, Roger Bannister did just that.

Once the psychological barrier was broken, 9 more runners recorded a sub 4 time in the next 2 years.

Hasn’t been done ≠ Can’t be done.

Come up for air:

Pause. Breathe. Let time pass.

In the heat of the moment, we tend to make irrational, emotion-fueled decisions.

Allow space to assess your feelings, weigh your options, and seek guidance from others.

Choices are only as good as the thought given to them.

Choose your lens:

Life is all about framing.

How we choose to look at things has a direct impact on how we respond.

The “frame” of meaning we ascribe to any specific circumstance, can dramatically alter our experience.

Think glass half empty or half full.

Choose full.

Calm your mind:

Sometimes the best thing you can do is be still.

Prayer Meditation Time spent in reflection

Bringing peace to your mind improves your health, aids in cognitive function, & gives clarity to complex situations.

Have faith – A higher power than you is in control.

Exceed expectations:

Additional effort rarely goes unnoticed.

When you do more than what is expected you inherently stand out from the crowd.

In addition to setting yourself apart, you also set a benchmark for those around you.

Never underestimate the impact of extra.

See the world:

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, & die…

It can introduce the idea that if we try & understand each other, we may even become friends.”

– Maya Angelou

Leave things better than you found them:

Add value.

This applies to all areas of our lives.

Work, relationships, our environment as a whole…

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” – Greek Proverb

Health:

It’s your body and your mind and you only get one of each.

Take time to nourish both.

In the pursuit of success, our physical & mental health can sometimes take a back seat.

Be wary of pushing so hard toward the future you fail to take care of yourself in the present.

Practice gratitude:

Take nothing and no one for granted.

Don’t assume people know you’re grateful for what they’ve done for you.

Say it. Make damn sure.

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

– Epictetus

Look for the good:

Give people the benefit of the doubt.

Every person has their own story, their own struggles, their own set of circumstances.

Assume they’re doing their best.

Criticism & judgment rarely lead to positive outcomes.

Love:

Tell people you love them.

Every day.

Love them not because they’ve changed into what you want them to be, but love them for who they are.

In spite of their faults, their past, or missteps they may have made…

Love them anyway.

As they love you in spite of yours.