So simple, yet so true. Well, I don’t know if it’s exactly 80%, but the point is: showing up is an essential, unmissable part of the road to success. I mean, no matter how talented you are, how well prepared you come, even when you’re like no one else made for the job… if you choose to stay in bed, if you choose to not show up, you will certainly fail. So yes, let’s say 80% of success is showing up. Now, keep this in mind the next time you are about to embark on some mission, not quite sure of how to get the job done – just by showing up, you’re already at 80% of the success you’re after! So, hello, good morning and go out there!
“If you do what you always do, you get what you always get”. I love this Einstein quote. He challenges us to try new things, to be curious and stay flexible. Imagine someone playing chess, with the exact same strategy every game, making the exact same moves. What do you think would happen? He will be beaten the exact same way every time. So – especially when you’re not succeeding in what you want to achieve – changing your approach is the key. Because if you change, everything changes.
Falling in love is great. Just like getting the new iPhone 5. Winning the lottery is grant. Just like a bright sunny day. Coming home to your children after a long day at work is magic. Just like your favorite sports team winning the national title. But only you can bring peace to yourself.
When you are in the dark, it seems impossible to get into the light. When you’re down and out, it seems impossible to be up and about. But impossible only means that you haven’t found the solution yet. There’s a solution for everything. Impossible? Boxing legend Muhammad Ali once spoke some amazing words about what impossible is. He said: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
In most cultures you need a brand new day in order to start over with a clean sheet. That’s understandable I guess. But it’s actually not very handy. I mean at one point in human history, it was decided that a brand new day only begins when the sun comes up. Later it was decided that ‘technically’ a brand new day begins 0.00 AM. That means, in order to start over, we’ll have to wait A) for the sun to come up or B) stay awake until it’s 0.00 AM. We lose a great deal of time here! So I decided to make my own rule. Instead of being dependent on nature or the clock, I’d like to think a brand new day begins every second of the day. I mean every second a new 24hr cycle, a brand new day, begins. So now I can start a brand new day any time of the day. And so can you.
Maybe you know this quote: “Aim for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”. It basically encourages us to dream big and aim high in setting our goals. Why should we do that? Well, when you aim high (even if you end up having something that isn’t what you originally set out for) you will learn and grow more, because you didn’t settle for a goal that was easy to achieve. Also a big dream will inspire you and the people around you more. Imagine Matin Luther King whispering: “I have a small, modest, very achievable dream…” Do you think his speech would have had the same impact? No, probably not. So dream big. It’s free!
Sure, being nice is a good thing and it sounds so simple. But in many cases it’s, so why is being nice still a good idea? I stumbled upon a list of ten reasons. I’ll give you five to start with.
1) Being nice leads people to like you.
2) Kindness promotes confidence and optimism.
3) Being nice makes you feel good about yourself.
4) People will reciprocate in your time of need.
5) Doing good deeds adds meaning and significance to your life.
For the full list of ten reasons, click here.
