1. “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, and your way of thinking” – Marcus Aurelius
On Happiness:
Many of us are under the impression that we need to have all these exorbitant things in order to lead a happy life. As far as I can tell, it seems to be human nature to always want more, but this is such a quick way to get stuck in a vicious cycle of never being satisfied while you always chase more.
If you equate your sense of happiness to the things you own, then you’re never going to be fully content. There’s always going to be more things to buy than you’ll ever have space for. Social media can make this really difficult because it’s very difficult to stop comparing your life to those you see around you. Personally, I’ve found huge benefits from deleting social media; if you’d like to hear about all the benefits I experienced, you can read about it here.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting nice things, but don’t base your sense of well being on whether or not you have them. Learn to prioritize the things that actually matter: Do you have your basic needs met? (Food, water, shelter, etc – be grateful for this). Do you have people around you that you love and you are loved by? (If not, it’s up to you to go out there and foster those relationships).
Gratitude is such a great way to start appreciating the life you already have. If you can find things to be grateful for in your life, your sense of happiness is sure to increase. It’s okay to be looking for more, but continue to stay appreciative for what you already have. The things you have now were once things you had only wished for, so don’t forget that.
Remember that a happy life does not mean that you never feel sadness or any type of negative emotion; it simply means that you CHOOSE to focus on appreciating the gifts that life gives you MORE than you fixate on the negative.
2. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way” – Napoleon Hill
Start Where You’re At:
There should never be an excuse. I understand you likely have big ambitions, but you may not know how to have them come to fruition yet. Great things are usually a culmination of countless small acts coming together.
The small acts may not feel important, but they add up over time. You’ve probably heard the saying, “How you do anything is how you do everything”. How can you expect to do great things if you won’t pour effort and passion into the smaller tasks?
Focus on what’s in your control. Do the things you’re actually capable of right now, but do them with heart. Your abilities will build on themselves over time, so you can look forward to the future where you’re finally capable of accomplishing great things.
3. “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment”- Will Rogers
Mistakes Are Learning Opportunities:
You can’t expect to know everything in the beginning. Sometimes learning the right way to do something comes from knowing a hundred ways to do it wrong. You often learn more from a mistake than you do from doing everything right the first time.
We’re often paralyzed from making decisions because we’re afraid of making the wrong ones; this has been such a big problem for me, but I’m trying to look at it as either I’ll succeed or I’ll learn from it. For anything in life, if you make the wrong choice, simply evaluate what went wrong, and see if you can course correct next time.
You’ll never learn if you never try though. As mentioned before, what often makes people masters in their crafts is not only knowing the right way to do things, but also all the different ways to do it wrong. Success can sometimes be the product of a whole string of errors (assuming you learn from the past and refine your strategies).
Try to lessen your fear of making mistakes by mentally framing them as learning opportunities.
4. “Victory belongs to the most persevering” – Napoleon Bonaparte
On Perseverance:
In short, you can’t lose if you never give up. If you keep working at a goal, it only makes sense that something eventually has to give in your favor.
To the person that fails and gives up, that is truly failing. And to the person that tries and fails, but keeps going, then those are only minor setbacks.
There’s a lot to be learned from mistakes, so use those as an opportunity to learn how to improve for the future.
5. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” – Aesop
On Doing Good Deeds:
Don’t underestimate the effect your small act could have on someone. There’s never any harm in genuinely seeking to help others, and you never know when someone truly needs it. It’s easy to look yourself in the mirror every morning when you know your intentions are pure, and you’re truly acting from the selflessness of your heart.
Your sole job is to be a good person, so don’t let it discourage you if someone doesn’t acknowledge your kindness; you did all you could by doing a thoughtful act, and it is up to others about whether or not they choose to appreciate it. Your good deed isn’t wasted, even if it goes unnoticed.