As you look back on your life, you will often realize that many of the times you thought you were being rejected from something good, you were in fact being redirected to something better. You can’t control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen. Because sometimes the truths you can’t change, end up changing you and helping you grow.
Here are twelve such truths…
- Everything is as it should be. It’s crazy how you always end up where you’re meant to be – how even the most tragic and stressful situations eventually teach you important lessons that you never dreamed you were going to learn. Remember, oftentimes when things are falling apart, they are actually falling into place.
- Not until you are lost in this world can you begin to find your true self. Realizing you are lost is the first step to living the life you want. The second step is leaving the life you don’t want. Making a big life change is pretty scary. But you know what’s even scarier? Regret. Vision without action is a daydream, and action without vision is a nightmare. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it. (Read Awaken the Giant Within.)
- It’s usually the deepest pain which empowers you to grow to your full potential. It’s the scary, stressful choices that end up being the most worthwhile. Without pain, there would be no change. But remember, pain, just like everything in life, is meant to be learned from and then released.
- One of the hardest decisions you will ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or take another step forward. If you catch yourself in a cycle of trying to change someone, or defending yourself against someone who is trying to change you, walk away. But if you are pursuing a dream, take another step. And don’t forget that sometimes this step will involve modifying your dream, or planning a new one – it’s OK to change your mind or have more than one dream.
- You have to take care of yourself first. Before befriending others, you have to be your own friend. Before correcting others, you have to correct yourself. Before making others happy, you have to make yourself happy. It’s not called selfishness, it’s called personal development. Once you balance yourself, only then can you balance the world around you. (Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the “Self-Love” chapter of 1,000 Little Things, Happy, Successful People Do Differently.)
- One of the greatest freedoms is truly not caring what everyone else thinks of you. As long as you are worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them. Only when you require no approval from outside yourself, can you own yourself.
- You may need to be single for awhile before you realize that, although the co-owned belongings from your failed relationships might not have been divided equally, the issues that destroyed the relationships likely were. For how can you stand confidently alone, or see the same issues arising in your newest relationship, and not realize which broken pieces belong to you? Owning your issues, and dealing with them, will make you far happier in the long run, than owning anything else in this world.
- The only thing you can absolutely control is how you react to things out of your control. The more you can adapt to the situations in life, the more powerful your highs will be, and the more quickly you’ll be able to bounce back from the lows in your life. Put most simply: being at peace means being in a state of complete acceptance of all that is, right here, right now.
- Some people will lie to you. Remember, an honest enemy is better than a friend who lies. Pay less attention to what people say, and more attention to what they do. Their actions will show you the truth, which will help you measure the true quality of your relationship in the long-term.
- If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough. If you are thankful for what you do have, you will end up having even more. Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold; happiness dwells in the soul. Abundance is not about how much you have, it’s how you feel about what you have. When you take things for granted, your happiness gets taken away. (Read The Happiness Project.)
- Yes, you have failed in the past. But don’t judge yourself by your past, you don’t live there anymore. Just because you’re not where you want to be today doesn’t mean you won’t be there someday. You can turn it all around in the blink of an eye by making a simple choice to stand back up – to try again, to love again, to live again, and to dream again.
- Everything is going to be alright; maybe not today, but eventually. There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong. And you might feel like you will be stuck in this rut forever, but you won’t. Sure the sun stops shining sometimes, and you may get a huge thunderstorm or two, but eventually the sun will come out to shine. Sometimes it’s just a matter of us staying as positive as possible in order to make it to see the sunshine break through the clouds again.
Photo by: Martin Gommel
Debbie says
Such wisdom… Where were you guys when I was 21 years old?!? =)
geo c. says
Number 5 is my new life motto! Thank you both for showing me the way.
Wade F. says
On point! This is one of your better posts. They’re all good, but I think this one is great. Thank you.
Desie BSS says
Such a lovely article! I found your blog only 2 days ago and since the I have been reading the archives. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!
bittersweetsmoke.blogspot.com
Mary says
This post is exactly what I needed today. I always take away at least one lesson from your posts, but todays… WOW..many lessons here . Thanks !
Vergielyn says
Thanks for another great post. As inspiring as always.
Gail says
Amazing wisdom, everything you send out has such depth, I can really relate to # 3 & 9. An excellent post, thank you.
Jeanie says
With thanks to you and The Universe!
realraymonds says
I love #5. Just exactly the way I have wanted to describe my relationships with people.
Jodi says
For over 2 months I’ve been subscribed to your news letters, they have been such an inspiration to me with practical clear information I’ve shared them with my friends in Israel, Morocco, and India where they study diverse spiritual practices. We all LOVE your body of work, bless you and thank you.
Anju says
Thank you sooo much!!! ^_^
You’ve made my Friday even happier!!! 🙂
#1) “Everything is as it should be.”
#2) “Not until you are lost in this world can you begin to find your true self.”
#4) “One of the hardest decisions you will ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or take another step forward.”
#12) “Everything is going to be alright; maybe not today, but eventually. “
Elaine says
This just opened up the heavens for me, thank you. I can see #6 is what I still need to work through.
Sandy Peckinpah says
Great insight and exactly what I needed to read this morning. Thank you.
Rex P. Lewis says
As a parent these are the things I want my children to know, but I do not communicate well enough to convey this topic of information to them. Life information coming from a parent is an obstacle in and of its self so I send it in a link electronically (their language). I know they read it because they say “oh dad what are you sending us that stuff for”. Hack and Angel gets full credit and I think they have signed up from the link without admitting it to their father. The third party subject catalyst every parent and child needs. Thank you.
Adrienne says
Wow – this could not have been posted on a better day….I really needed to read all of this today! Thanks for helping me think positive! 🙂
Karl Hedony says
So inspiring… Your posts are always great, but this is more then a simple post, a real life tutorial 🙂
JenLee says
WOW….. I love this website and all of the knowledge it brings. This entire article is a “must save and read often” even when things are spectacular, this is a great reminder.
Thank you! <3
Leonie Goodwin says
Thank you so much for your wonderful words of wisdom which provoke much thought. Very positive and uplifting ..Thanks.
Jules says
Reading your blogs make me strong. I don’t have everything, but I do have enough, and I’m very thankful for that.
Thank you so much!
Aami says
What an insightful article. I have been following lately #2 & # 3, I have started living a life the way I wanted to. Keep up the good work.
diletta24 says
thanks! I am in a “waiting for/all what I can do has been done” kind of situation. What can I do? to stay as positive as possible! #12 is precious reminder today
Melanie v says
Thanks for your blog. I often share links to your articles with families fighting brain cancer on twitter using #BrainTumorThursday tag.
Vince says
Yeah, I’m in agreement about number 5 being a new life motto for me! Time to start taking care of ME for a change.
Trueroyal says
Words can’t describe how I feel after reading a post from you guys. Just the right thing, at just the right time.
Joanna Warwick says
Hey,
Great post.. #7; being single, this was an eye opener
For me this 3 1/2 year phase shifted me from a powerless girl looking for a knight to a powerful woman truly happy with the love in her life.. Facing the fear of being physically alone for an extended time, is the ultimate challenge to discover how truly capable you are and the you deserve an equal partner who owns their power in life and doesn’t take from you !!!
Sheriff says
Man, i needed this
thank you =)
Michael Werner says
I especially like #12 and it reminds me of a common phrase used in my favorite movie of the year: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
And, it is: Everything will be all right in the end. If everything isn’t all right, then it’s not the end.
Shannyn Lyons says
Love it! Very wise words. I’m still working on #6. lol
Brian says
Great post Marc. If the journey was always easy there would be little learning and growth. It’s also important to treasure and learn from the good time. We won’t be done until we’re gone.
JJ says
Rock on! So many of your article strike a chord with me. This one was one of my recent favorites.
Melody says
I am so glad I stumbled on to this blog. You have been slowly saving my life… It’s going to be alright eventually – I have copied and paste #12 and am walking around with it in my hand. Thank you… everything is going to be alright, not today… eventually.
Amanda says
This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you =)
Aj says
I’ve been going through a rough patch for the past few weeks and this post felt like it was for me specifically. I came across this blog recently and I’ve really enjoyed reading through some of the older posts. This would have been great to have known about months ago for me but it’s help me thus far. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put this together.
OutMaturity says
Wow!! Each one of these 12 items touched me in some way!
Thanks so much for sharing!
B says
The right words at the right time, for sure. Thanks for every bit of help you’ve given me these past two years.
Neha says
Hi marc,
I read all your articles and truly appreciate all of them. But I have a problem, I really do want to change myself but as soon as I shut down the webpage the desire to change myself and the motivation fades. Can you please suggest me what should I do? I am in a big life crisis and would really appreciate your help.
Thank you.
edgar i. santos says
My day never feels complete until I read an article on your inspirational blog. Thank you.
nistha says
When I was going thru my downs last year I read one of your posts for the 1st time. Today it has been almost a full year and I still love u guys. In a way your blog has touched my soul. Thank You
amna says
This was so great to read… keep on with the wise words 🙂
Teresa says
I have been going thru some very hard times. I found your site today and have been reading it all day long off and on, and I feel so much better. I can’t believe it, you two are very special and the help I have received here has bought me peace for today .Thank you Marc and Angel so much.
Ben Khodeir says
You guys are so refreshing. I love reading your posts. The way you articulate these thoughts just resonates so well with me. Thanks:)
Angie says
How did you know that this is exactly what I needed to hear today? Thank you!
lolly says
Wise words. And they came at a good time for me too. Thanks.
Yana says
“Everything is as it should be” –> If this is a statement that needs to be literally interpreted, it shouldn’t be for the pessimist.
Jerry Hislip says
Marc And Angel–This Blog Is All Great,However #10 And #12 Are So True,Thank You For All Of Your Words Of Wisdom!
Rocky Sandy says
I have to say that #1 is number one for a reason. In a simple world a profound truth is an unquestionable truth. But this is a profound truth for the real world. It raises questions. We resist it. We deny it. The principle that “all is as it should be” is as tough a message as they come. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t supposed to change things. It doesn’t mean that things aren’t broken. It means that the broken things and the things that need changing are our blessings in disguise. The world is as it should be — sometimes because we are the exact people who are given the task to change it.
Ali says
I think number 1 is already a complete package! everything is as it should be. So no need worry or upset! what a great point. thanks
Deepak Dhungel says
Keep on moving with dream followed by carefully planned activity reflecting learning and reality will certainly help. Thanks for useful tips.
Lina says
Thank you so much ! this amazing ! Keep up the good work. i always read your posts, very uplifting <3
Brian says
The one about being your own best friend first. That’s a good one. That is the one to live by, foremost.