Archives for November 2013

9 Things Happy, Successful People Choose to Ignore

11.29.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 60 Comments

9 Things Happy, Successful People Choose to Ignore

“Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.”
?Gordon B. Hinckley

The president and co-founder of a local charity that directly cares for homeless people in our area is a 38-year-old musician and tattoo artist who’s covered from head to toe with tattoos and piercings, and has long brown dreadlocks that dangle below his waistline. He’s been running the charity since he was 20 and has helped hundreds of people get back on their feet, including a woman I know personally who is now a successful entrepreneur.

I just had a short, inspiring conversation with this unlikely hero a few minutes ago, and now I’m sitting here thinking about the dozens of happy, successful people I know like him who ignore stereotypes, negativity, and naysayers, and go against the grain to make a difference by doing things their own way… the right way.

And following in their footsteps isn’t hard either; you just have to start ignoring…

1. Other people’s judgments.

It’s OK to listen to others, but not at the full expense of your own intuition. Throughout your life there will be many times when the world gets real quiet and the only thing left is the beat of your own heart. So you’d better learn the sound of it, otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s telling you.

When you spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s perception of you, or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget who you truly are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in your heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be someone else to impress and inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by the real YOU. Honestly, what [Read more…]

50 Quotes to Help You Let Go and Live

11.20.2013 by Angel Chernoff // 76 Comments

50 Life Quotes on Letting Go

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”
?Ann Landers

Letting go doesn’t mean you don’t care about someone or something anymore; it’s just realizing that the only thing you truly have control over is yourself, right here, right now. It’s a necessary process of adapting to the ever-changing realities of life – leaving behind the past to make way for the present.

Here are 50 quotes gathered from recent entries in our blog archive that will help you let go and live well.

As we grow older and wiser, we begin to realize what we need and what we need to leave behind. Sometimes walking away is a step forward.
You will never achieve what you are capable of if you’re too attached to things you’re supposed to let go of.
Sometimes there are things in our lives that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes the changes we don’t want are the changes we need to grow.
Growth and change may be painful sometimes, but nothing in life is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong.
The hardest part about growing is letting go of what you were used to, and moving on with something you’re not.
Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what could be.
Don’t be afraid of change. Change happens for a reason. Roll with it. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. [Read more…]

10 Relationship Tips Everyone Forgets

11.14.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 51 Comments

10 Relationship Tips Everyone Needs to Practice

“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow – this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”
—Elizabeth Gilbert

Several years ago, on their 50th anniversary, my 87-year-old grandfather looked at my 84-year-old grandmother and said, “This right here, our relationship, this is my greatest accomplishment.”

My grandfather’s words have always remained with me. They were beautifully romantic, but more importantly, they were delightfully true. Healthy relationships are accomplishments. They take commitment and work, and two people who are willing to meet in the middle and put in the necessary effort.

If you’re in a relationship, intimate or platonic, that could use a little help, the tips below will come in handy…

1. Let go of old wounds through forgiveness.

Every moment of your life you are either growing or dying – and when you are physically healthy, it’s a choice, not fate. The art of maintaining happiness in your life and relationships relies on the fine balancing act of holding on and letting go. Yes, sometimes people you trust (including yourself) will hurt you. Being hurt is something you can’t avoid, but being continuously miserable is always a choice. Forgiveness is the remedy. You have to let go of what’s behind you before you can grasp the goodness in front of you.

2. Come clean when you make a mistake.

An honest heart is the beginning of everything that is right with this world. The most honorable people of all are not those who never make mistakes, but those who admit to them when they do, and then go on and do their best to right the wrongs they’ve made. In the end, being honest might not always win you a lot of [Read more…]

11 Little Signs You’re Doing Just Fine

11.12.2013 by Angel Chernoff // 101 Comments

11 Signs You’re Doing Just Fine
by Ernest Dempsey

Focus on what you don’t have and you will never have enough. Be thankful for what you do have and you will end up having even more.

It’s a vague feeling you can’t quite put your finger on. From the outside, people might think you have an awesome life, but they can’t see what’s going on in your head. Emptiness fills your thoughts and emotions all too often, nagging at you throughout the day. You set goals but they never satisfy your ego. The search can seem almost endless at times.

And the question continues to circulate throughout your mind: “How do I find happiness?”

You don’t have to live like this. Fortunately, there is a better way to view the world that will lead to what you seek. The first step along the way is to stop searching. You will never find happiness by continuously looking for it. When you focus on the lack of something in your life, what you seek will always elude you.

Rather than dwelling on what is missing, begin to look at what you have. This isn’t just about material items. It can be people, experiences, pets, or anything else you have present in your life. When you focus on the abundance you already have, the negative feelings that come from lacking something else gradually fade from your conscious.

Having trouble thinking of some things to feel grateful for? Here’s a short list of things you have to smile about – some obvious signs you’re doing just fine in life:

You have food available to eat. – When you eat something today, even if it’s just a small snack, give thanks. Savor it and appreciate the fact [Read more…]

8 Ways to Stop Hurting Your Happiness

11.10.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 39 Comments

8 Ways to Stop Hurting Your Health and Happiness

“No medicine cures what happiness cannot.”
?Gabriel García Márquez

It takes no more time to see the good side of life and act upon it than it does to see the bad side and trip over it. If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your thinking. If you know you’re on the wrong track right now, take a deep breath. It’s OK. Sometimes you have to be wrong before you can be right.

The road of life is rarely smooth. It’s easy to stumble and fall and hurt yourself. But these bumps and bruises are a necessary part of your growth – you fall down, you learn something, and then you brush yourself off and move forward.

Today, let’s take a step forward. Your bad habits – the ones that hurt your health and happiness – are 100% dependent on YOU for their survival. Stop allowing these habits to control, limit, stifle, and discourage you from being your best self. Today is YOURS to shape; own it! Break free from the bad habits that are poisoning and diluting your potential.

1. Stop resisting what is.

Life is a series of continuous natural events and changes. Don’t resist them; doing so only creates unnecessary stress. Let the reality of these events and changes take place. Let them flow. Or as Henry Wadsworth once said, “For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”

To move forward in life you must first accept the reality of what it is. This acceptance provides you with an important starting point from which you can move in any direction you choose. To deny this reality or to fight against the past will merely waste your time and energy. To wish that things were different, or to pretend that they are, gets you nowhere. [Read more…]