“Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.”
- Seamus Heaney
How do you maintain hope? Do you focus on the positive, even if it seems insignificant at the time? Do you list all the things you are grateful for? What always gives you hope, regardless of your situation or circumstances?
“Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom.”
- Bayle Roche
Are you disappointed about something this week? If so, there’s a lesson to learn and wisdom to gain. Don’t bother wishing things were different. Focus on uncovering the wisdom behind the disappointment.
“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
- General George S. Patton
You’re likely to encounter something unexpected and lose your footing once in a while. How do you react in those instances? Do you pick yourself up and continue onward? That’s resilience. That’s what counts.
“Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.”
- Stephen R. Covey
Do you feel weaker when you encounter negative people or circumstances? Or are you able to remain strong despite negative external influences? It’s within your control to decide how people and circumstances affect you. Choose to be free.
“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.”
- Paul Hawken
Do something today that will definitely make you happy. Maybe you will listen to your favourite song or have coffee with a friend or curl up in bed with a new book. Whatever it is, treat yourself today and be happy!
“There is nothing noble in being superior to others. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”
- Indian proverb
Are you continuously improving? Aim to beat your personal record every day. Whether it has to do with your career or your health or your relationships, make your today better than your yesterday.
“My wish is that we might progressively lose our confidence in what we think we believe and the things we consider stable and secure, in order to remind ourselves of the infinite number of things still waiting to be discovered.”
- Antoni Tapies
What assumptions lead your life? Maybe you believe that a certain amount of money in your bank account will make you happy or that you need to look and act a certain way to be respected by others. Question all your assumptions in order to make room for a new possibility.
“The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. I think of my strawberry soufflé. I did that at least twenty-eight times before I finally conquered it.”
- Julia Child
What are you doing that is worthwhile? How are you making a positive difference? What are you doing to make yourself and others happy? That’s how you measure achievement.
“The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.”
- Mark Twain
How long can you be on your own without pulling out your cell phone or finding someone or something to watch, listen to or read? Try sitting completely on your own today and notice how comfortable you feel when you’re alone with yourself. It’s healthy and necessary to be happy when you’re in the company of your self.
“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”
- Maya Angelou
Do you spend time worrying about things that you cannot control? Focus on what you can control. That’s where all opportunities lie.
