Archives for February 2013

7 Critical Truths We Forget All Too Soon

02.27.2013 by Angel Chernoff // 41 Comments

7 Things We All Forget Too Soon

So much happens in our lives every day that we often forget what we have learned. In effect, the only thing faster than the speed of our thoughts is the speed of our forgetfulness.

Here are seven important reminders to jog your memory…

1. Attitude makes all the difference.

Two people can be affected by the same circumstance and respond in completely different ways; it just depends on their perspective. One might see themselves as a victim, while the other discovers and makes the most of an opportunity the circumstance provides.

When you expect life to be unkind, it will always live up to your expectations. On the other hand, when you consider yourself to be in a fortunate situation, you will find yourself in many more.

It’s important to remember that there is value in every situation and circumstance. Positive possibilities are generated by every possible turn of fate. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen, life is what you choose to make it. You just have to choose to make it great.

2. Some sadness is necessary.

You cannot completely shield yourself from sadness without also shielding yourself from happiness. Sadness is part of the journey. Life is a series of highs and lows – an adventure that requires you to take chances and actions that have [Read more…]

10 Questions You Should Know the Answers To

02.25.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 36 Comments

10 Questions You Should Know the Answers To

Because the answers to these ten questions will help you discover the very best in yourself…

1. What would make you proud of yourself?

When you follow your heart and intuition, people won’t always agree with you. When you find something that makes you happy, not everyone will be happy for you. When you show unwavering kindness to others, some people will question your motives. When you are honest to the core, some folks will attempt to use your honesty against you. When you look for the best in everyone you meet, a few of them will take advantage of it.

Don’t let any of these people stop you from doing these things. These people don’t matter. In the end, what does matter is how you feel about yourself and the life you have led. You will ask yourself one question: “Am I proud of how I lived?” Make the answer: “Yes!” Read 1,000 Little Things.

2. How can you make a positive difference?

Even when it seems like a hopeless effort, do the right thing. Always live firmly by the forces of love and truth. The bullies and cheats who seem unstoppable in the short term always fall from power in the end. Love and truth always rise to the top.

Keep injecting your goodness into the world, one small act at a time. It’s these small acts of goodness stacked together that eventually change the world. You may never see the full result of your positive actions, but they will be accounted for and realized in time. If you do nothing, there will be no result – no positive change ever.

3. What are you trying to accomplish and why?

Know the answer to this simple question and remind yourself of it every single [Read more…]

8 Places Happy People Find Peace

02.22.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 22 Comments

8 Places Happy People Find Peace

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
–Buddha

Somewhere between the love in your heart and thoughts in your mind is a happy, peaceful place. You will find it promptly when you look in the following places:

1. The Foundation of Acceptance

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.”

Acceptance is letting go and allowing things to be the way they truly are. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about improving the realities of life; it’s just realizing that the only thing you really have control over is yourself. This simple understanding is the foundation of acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be peace and growth.

2. A Sincere Inner Space

You have your own way. For you, this way of living is the absolute right way. Honor it.

One of the most influential sources of peace is simply being comfortable with who you really are. Not trading your reality for a role, or your truth for an act. Not giving up your freedom of thought. Not putting on a mask.

There cannot be peace in your external life until you are at peace within yourself, being yourself. It won’t always be easy, but no price is too high to pay for the [Read more…]

7 Ways to Stop Hurting Yourself

02.20.2013 by Angel Chernoff // 35 Comments

7 Ways to Stop Hurting Yourself

Life isn’t always a smooth ride. 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.

The problem is, sometimes you fall and get stuck in one place for too long. You find yourself spinning and unable to move like tires clenched in mud. This happens when you feel unsure of yourself, or when your intentions are tarnished. You get spiritually lost, bound by your perceptions and stuck deep in a pothole of miserable thinking.

Here are some ideas to help you get unstuck and navigate the road to healing.

1. Get back on your own path.

If you’re thinking exactly like everyone else, then you aren’t thinking. And the real trouble is if you don’t spend your life your way, other people will spend it their way.

Freedom lies in being bold. Use your head to listen to your soul. Find the path that best suits your calling and don’t settle until you’ve found it. There’s no rush; life is a continuous journey.

As you cut your own path, be honest about who you are and don’t try to fool anyone. If others don’t want to listen to you, let them fool themselves. It means they aren’t really concerned with who you truly are in the first place. They’ll likely continue to characterize you incorrectly no matter what you say. Don’t argue with them; they’re obviously infatuated with some idea of a person that isn’t you. Read 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.

2. Let go of what was never really there.

Not everything is meant to be, and you have to accept this. You have to seriously sit down with yourself and come to grips with the fact that you were wrong about [Read more…]

9 Lessons from 9 Inspiring Quotes I Live By

02.17.2013 by Marc Chernoff // 38 Comments

9 Lessons from 9 Inspiring Quotes I Live By

Today I want to share nine inspiring quotes that changed my life. I’ve listed them below along with supplementary lessons I’ve learned about each one over the years. I hope they inspire you just as they have inspired me.

1. Intuition

“At times you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” -Alan Alda

Your intuition is a gift. It is your third eye – a way of seeing with your soul. Pay attention to what it shows you. More often than you realize, you have the answers you seek already inside you. Your unconscious mind is the greatest source of your genius; you just have to pay attention.

Trusting your intuition is trusting your true self, and the more you trust your true self, the more control you have of making your goals and dreams come true. Read 1,000 Little Things.

2. Responsibility

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Don’t blame your parents, your friends, your teachers, your boss, or anyone else. [Read more…]