Start Your Day

Each morning, you get to decide what kind of person you’re going to be. Do something that matters. Be someone you’re proud of. Don’t waste time with distraction. Other people’s agendas can wait. Set yourself up for success. Start your day doing something that changes you for the better.

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True Wealth

The goal is not to have more for the sake of more. The goal is to have more of what matters. Decide what is truly of value to you and seek that with all your power. Protect that with all of your strength. The rest is merely distraction. True wealth is not the result of having more possessions, power, or prestige. True wealth is knowing what matters and having that in abundance.

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Decide Upon Happiness

Don’t forget to have fun. Life is serious enough. Whether you like it or not, tragedy and hardship will find you. There is no need to make your life unnecessary difficult. Smile more, laugh more, and play more. Relax and enjoy the moment. Make the decision to be happy.

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The Art Of Life

You may not be able to live all of the lives you imagine. You are going to have to choose what is most important to you. And you may have to accept some limitations that you would rather not. Not all paths will be available to you simply because you desire them. Your task is to do your best with what you have to work with. Your time here is precious and fleeting. The art of life is making…

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A Special Occasion

When you live your life well, you don’t have to look forward to special occasions. Every moment is precious. Every occasion is a special occasion. This day, hour, minute, and second will never repeat itself. There will be no now like this now you are currently in. Instead of looking forward, look around. Are you spending your time well?

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Missing Out

The reason we don’t like being bored is because boredom creates tension. Tension is uncomfortable. We want comfort. We want resolution. So we seek a million forms of distraction. But life happens in the tension, and we are missing out. Life is passing us by because we refuse to be bored.

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Your Creative Compass

When you reach a creative fork in the road, follow your enthusiasm. All other roads are dead ends. They will either take you somewhere you don’t want to be, somewhere others have already been, or both. But your enthusiasm is uniquely your own. It is your internal compass and, as such, it will guide you to your own personal true north. Let your enthusiasm guide you to your creative…

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Choosing Associations

Your character is determined by your associations. Who you are around is who you become. Choose your associations carefully. And your associations are not merely the people you are in direct contact with. What you read, watch, and listen to shapes your character as well. You become who and what you interact with. Decide who you want to be and associate accordingly.

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Transforming Tension

The best creative work creates tension. It creates tension for you and for your audience. Tension is a sign that change is occurring, and change is uncomfortable. When you feel the most compelled to run away or to seek distraction, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. In this moment, you have a choice to either lean in or to look away. The role of the creative is to lean in. It is…

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An Exercise In Compassion

When someone criticizes you, take time to reflect on how they may be right. If not, you will have missed an opportunity to grow. Even if they are wrong, consider the fact that they may not be. Imagine what they see and think that makes them feel this way. Treat it like an exercise in compassion. There is no point in trying to change their mind. Simply consider how you can be better than you…

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Confronting Dedication

As you move toward your goals, obstacles will arise in your path. These obstacles exist to challenge you. They will force you to confront your dedication. If you are looking for a reason to turn back, you will have many such opportunities along the way. A worthwhile pursuit is never convenient. You must decide before you begin that your purpose is more important than your comfort. The…

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Pulled Away

If you feel called to something, it will create tension in your life. Your calling will pull you away from who you are and even who you thought you wanted to become. It will put you at odds with your previous goals and even some of your current relationships. Not everyone will understand your new direction. You may not even fully understand it yourself. Your task is not to understand, but to…

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Gentle Strength

You do not need to sacrifice your gentleness in order to be strong. True strength is not rigid or forceful. It is flexible and adaptable. Under enough pressure, that which is rigid breaks. That which is overly forceful is resisted in kind. True strength bends without breaking, is persistent without being forceful, and adjusts as needs require. Do not sacrifice your gentleness in order to be…

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Objectionably Authentic

Telling people you are a jerk doesn’t excuse your being a jerk. You don’t get a pass simply by calling yourself out. Admitting your behaviors are objectionable doesn’t give you an excuse to continue behaving that way. Authenticity is alright to a point, but not if it means being an authentically unkind person. It may be inauthentic to be kind when you don’t feel like it, but it is also good…

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Serve Who They Are

What you needed and what you need may be different from what others need from you. Everyone is not like you. By assuming they are, you are limiting your ability to be of service. Your task is to serve others as they are, not to serve who you were or are. To the best of your ability, be who they need. This will require a lev of empathy and compassion that you may not be accustomed to. It…

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Stand Out

The world does not need more people who follow along. We don’t need more of the same. We need leaders, innovators, and free thinkers. If you don’t fit in, that is a good thing. Stand out, make some noise, and make a difference. It will be lonely at first, but you will be lonelier conforming beneath your potential. Lead us in a better direction than where we are currently headed.

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A Nervous Decision

If you find yourself unusually nervous about something, perhaps it is important. Maybe you are nervous because it matters. Nervousness is a sign that you are either about to do something that is brave or that you will regret. It is your job to decide which it is and to act accordingly. Your body does not know the difference. Your body only knows that you are in danger of changing, and both…

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