“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come.
We have only today. Let us begin.”
?Mother Teresa
This morning I received a new thank you email from a reader named Claire. She said our blog and book helped motivate her while she was fighting cancer over the past 18 months. Although her entire email was both heartbreaking and inspiring, this one paragraph made me pause and reflect on my own life:
“When I found out that I may had breast cancer, the strangest thing happened… It seemed as though I was given a new set of eyes. Suddenly I looked around at my life in the face of possible death, and my life seemed so full of color and happiness. And I began to pray that I would beat my cancer and have more time to enjoy it.”
I think this is such a bold reminder that far too many of us wait too long to live our best lives. We keep putting everything off until tomorrow. Then, before we know it, we find ourselves asking, “How did it get so late so soon?”
Thankfully, for Claire, the final line of her email read, “I’m happy to report that my Oncologist just gave me a clean bill of health this morning. Right now I’m cancer-free! I’m just so grateful I get to implement the positive principles you’ve taught me, as I dive headfirst into my second chance at life.”
So let’s wake up! ALL OF US! If you can read this, it’s not too late. Like Claire, make today the beginning of your second chance at life. Take time to figure yourself out. Take time to realize what you want and need. Take time to take risks. Take time to love, laugh, cry, and learn. Life is shorter than it often seems. Here are 30 must-do’s you can start working on today:
- Accept every unique piece of yourself. – The secret to happiness and success is the acceptance of yourself. You will never become who you want to be if you rely on everyone else to qualify you. Own yourself completely, just the way you are, flaws and all. Once you love and accept even the worst possible version of yourself, you are free. So always go with yourself, never against yourself. Be who you were created to be and you will set the world on fire.
- Make yourself a priority. – Truth be told, there are only a few people in this world who will stay 100% true to you, and YOU should be one of them. Prioritize your own needs into your daily to-do’s.
- Take positive action. – Don’t sit back and let things happen to you. Go out and happen to things. You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. Stop saying “I wish” and start saying “I will.” Turn your cant’s into cans and your dreams into plans.
- Do the work. – You can’t underestimate a person who always works hard. Be that person. In life, you don’t get what you wish for; you get what you work for. Always remember that the task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you. Do what’s right, not what’s easy. Your dreams are worth it.
- Focus on priorities. – Don’t be busy; be productive. The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. Make your time and presence count. Focus on what matters and let go of what does not. (Read Getting Things Done
.)
- Take calculated risks. – Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is. You know this. In life, if you don’t risk anything, you risk everything. All growth begins at the end of your comfort zone. So take a step in faith today. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
- Keep on stepping. – Focus on the small things you can do right now, not the big things you can’t. SMALL changes can make a BIG difference in the end. When in doubt just take the next small step. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.
- Give yourself all the approval you need. – If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for everyone’s approval. You don’t need anyone’s approval to be happy or to follow your heart.
- Fight hard for what you believe in. – Great strength comes from overcoming what others think is impossible. And sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war. So if you believe strongly in something, fight for it. In time things will fall into place… maybe not today, but eventually… maybe not exactly how you planned, just how it’s meant to be.
- Allow life to happen like it’s supposed to. – You can’t force things to happen; you can only drive yourself crazy trying. There’s a time and place for everything. So don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life. When it’s meant to be, it will be. Work hard, be patient.
- Embrace every experience for what it’s worth. – For everything you have lost, you have gained something else. In fact, sometimes life doesn’t give you what you WANT because you NEED something else. And what you need often comes when you’re not looking for it.
- Be mindful in tough times. – Keep calm when things go wrong. You may feel weak, but your spirit is strong. Remember that there are two kinds of pain: pain that hurts and pain that changes you. But when you accept life, instead of resisting it, both kinds help you grow.
- Admit your frustrations and face your fears. – Sometimes what you don’t want is exactly what you need. Sometimes what you’re most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.
- Enjoy yourself. – Be positive and smile right now, not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.
- Give yourself short morning pep-talks. – One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Make this a ritual.
- Look around in appreciation of your remarkable life. – Good or bad, just smile. You have a lot to be thankful for. Never forget it… Don’t be negative when you have so much to be positive about. Life is “give and take.” Give thanks and take nothing for granted. Believe it, right now someone is praying for the things you take for granted.
- Take guilt-free breaks. – How freeing would it be to not feel guilty about the things you “should” be doing every single second? Yes, it’s healthy to work diligently on meaningful goals, but don’t berate yourself for not doing more than you’re able to. Find your balance between activity and recovery. Learn to let go and relax when you need a break.
- Delete the needless excess. – When things aren’t adding up in your life, start subtracting. Life gets easier when you delete the things and people that make it difficult. Remember that giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak. Sometimes it means you’re strong enough and smart enough to let go and move on in the right direction. (Angel and I discuss this in detail in the “Adversity” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.)
- Let the people who are already gone, GO. – Some people pass through our lives in a shorter time frame than we had hoped to teach us things they never could have taught if they stayed. Recognize this when it happens, and accept it.
- Enjoy the company of those who lift you higher. – Know that it’s less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones. Sooner or later, you just want to be around the people who make you smile. So spend as much time as possible with those who help you love yourself more.
- Listen at least as much as you talk. – In the end, there is only one rule for being a good talker and a good friend: listening. In other words, we do not always need a mind that speaks, just a patient heart that listens.
- Let love win. – Love conquers all. Share your love. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be true.
- Learn to forgive without resistance. – Never let an argument last, never hold a grudge; both will make your heart heavy. Forgiveness is one of the primary keys to happiness. When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power over you. So go ahead and say it: “I forgive you.” Even better yet, go ahead and forgive those who have yet to hurt you, and you won’t have to worry about it should the time come.
- Act out of untethered kindness. – Your beliefs alone don’t make you a better person, your behavior does. Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, and your hands for charity, always. Learn to give without any reason. Make doing so a daily ritual.
- Uphold your strength of character. – Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you. So today, and every day, do something nice for someone who will never be able to repay you.
- Give the strangers around you a chance. – Be friendly. A simple hello could lead to a million things. And there is a purpose for everyone you will ever meet. Some will test you, some will teach you, and some will bring out the very best in you.
- Stay in touch with reality. – Lies only exist if we believe in them. The truth shall indeed set you free in the end. Whenever negativity creeps into your conscious, ask yourself: Is it true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true? (Read Loving What Is
.)
- Learn from the past, but don’t live in it. – Don’t stress about the closed doors behind you. New doors are opening every moment and you will see them if you keep moving forward. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that things will never go back to how they used to be, and that this ending is really a new beginning.
- Worry less. – Stop over thinking and worrying. Life is too short for that. Worry and rumination are the worst enemies to living happily in the present.
- Pay attention to the present. – Realize that the source of most of your frustrations and anxiety are the result of living in the past, or future. Right now is life – the only life you have. Don’t miss it.
All jokes aside, your life only comes around once. This is IT. So do what makes you happy and be with whoever makes you smile, often.
Your turn…
Which of these must-do’s do you need to work on? Are there any others you would add to the list?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
Jacob Ile says
Hi Marc! I loved number 30 “Pay attention to the present”. I think sometimes we over think and over plan to a point where we don’t enjoy whats right in front of us.
Thanks for the great post.
Bev says
Goodness, 10, 11, and 12 are big must-do’s for me. Sometimes it’s just so hard to be mindful and levelheaded when life gets stressful. But I truly appreciate these reminders.
I’m a fairly new reader of your blog. I actually discovered you when a friend gave me your book for a birthday gift. And honestly it’s just what I needed. Thank you so much for helping me stay sane in this difficult time of my life.
Kevin B. says
Sadly, number 16 is my crutch. I’m often so busy that I don’t appreciate how wonderful my life is… my family, my friends, my health, and so on. It’s just so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and completely miss the wonders of my life. Thank you for continuing to remind me top and smell the roses.
Omobolaji Opakunbi says
This is a lovely post. Reminds me of the 10 scrolls of Og Mandino which I read somewhere. Keep up the good work, you are touching and changing lives.
Steve Gannon says
Thank you so much for putting this list together. I’m going to read one each day with my 11 year old and then we can talk about it together. He’s already a worrier and overly concerned with pleasing others.
Dana Mooers says
Taking a guilt free break is one I have to remind myself to do daily, for my own physical and mental health. Also, staying in touch with reality is a big one. It’s easy to see a situation from the outside, and judge negatively. When you look deeper, it takes on a whole new positive meaning.
Karl says
Marc and Angel,
Love the post. There are a TON of “golden nuggets” in the list. The ones that stood out to me were #1, 2, and 16. One of my core beliefs is making myself a priority so I am the best version of me. Therefore, when I invest in others I am giving them my best versus not taking time to care for myself and therefore I am effectively “shorting” my family and friends by not giving them the best of me. A huge piece of this is self love and self priority.
I also resonated with #16, appreciation. Appreciation is absolutely the way to get more of the good stuff! What we appreciate, accumulates.
Great post, keep them coming, I’ll be reading!
Karl
Sander says
I love your posts! In each and every one of them is some thought that makes me think in a positive way – the way I want to be. These thoughts all make sense and I believe in them, but for some reason it is so hard to follow these all the time – negativity starts to invade in over and over again. How do I make a positive attitude constant, a normal state of being? How do I act on these positive and inspiring thoughts all the time, letting no negative thought sink into my mind? This is what I want.
I love you both, you are wonderful people and a huge inspiration!
Mini says
Your posts are helping me a lot. I am learning so much from it and trying to incorporate the things you write about into my life. Its hard but I’ll get better soon.
I think I need to work on No.23 and No.21. Bye.
Chantelle says
I am so glad to have stumbled on to Marc and Angel Hack Life.
Bordzcoy says
Spending more time with God.
Ruth H. says
Love this. But it also reminds me of my vet’s comment when I asked him at what age it was too late to train our dog. His answer: It’s too late when he’s dead. This post is SO inspiring. Thank you.
Emily Filloramo says
I love #6 – “take calculated risks” – and fully believe that growth (and joy) is at the edge of your comfort zone.
A “Must-Do” I would like to add is to make “lemonade” out of the “lemons” of your negative experiences.
The Universe conspires to give us negative experiences for the evolution of our souls. It’s up to us to figure out the meaning of the negative experiences by connecting the dots of our lives looking backwards.
Les Brown famously said that the 2 most important days of our lives are:
#1 the day you were born and
#2 the day you discovered WHY you were born.
When you make sense of why bad things happened to you and you add in the icing on the cake of what your passions are, this can be the lightening bolt of what jolts you out of bed in the morning.
Li-ling (BeHappyHQ) says
An inspiring list… My little contribution would be this: Remember that wherever you are, whatever the circumstances of your life – you are enough.
Lorna says
Another wonderful list – for myself, I would add stop comparing myself with others. It’s a nasty combination of self-criticism and a sense of inadequacy that’s quite debilitating.
When I find myself going there, I turn it around to compare how much progress I’ve personally made in the last year/decade… this seems to take the sense of competition out of it.
Heather says
I need to copy #28 and pin it to the wall. I keep remembering and mourning and longing for my life before my husband died. New beginnings in late middle age can be daunting. Love your words of wisdom and motivation.
Daniela says
I really love #7! I tend to think in big steps and sometimes they feel like big big rocks on the road and you don’t even know how to get around them.
But sometimes you look back and realize how things have changed or that something “big” happend just as a result of many small steps. Even when you didn’t consider them as impactful at that time.
I would like to save the entier text of #7 and maybe quote it in social media or a blog post with backlinks, if it’s ok?!
Kay says
I love this list but I have one criticism….these must-do’s are necessary EVEN if you are too old to read them !! If I have to get my reading glasses to read this is it not for me? Why is everything geared toward the young? The title kinda implies that only the young are worthy. Don’t kid yourselves….even we who are 50, 60 and 70 struggle with life…..and all while our bodies fail us and we get closer to death.
Esther says
Enjoy yourself sounds so simple. Yet, it is something I myself forget to do and see so many around me go through life so seriously….
Love this post!!!!
Gediminas says
For me one of the toughest is #1 and #29. I can’t accept some part of me and sometimes I’m in battle with myself. It withdraws my vitality. And excessive worrying is also big deal for me…
But I’m very grateful to Kevin Bergen, who read one part of Your blog in his podcast and I was informed about You. I keep reading Your blogs every day now. I find here more inspirations and motivations to keep moving my life path in a positive direction.
westindya says
Not sure how I came across your site a couple of years ago, but I look forward to my inbox. Thank you so much for these awesome inspiration waterfalls. Know that they’ve blessed and inspired many.
Marc Chernoff says
@Sander: The key is to always accept what is. Never resist the truth. This doesn’t mean you can’t change your current state over the course of time; it’s simply a reminder that you can’t change what you attempt to deny and resist. All situations must be accepted before they can be corrected or modified. By taking a deep breath and looking at reality with a calm mind, even the most chaotic situations can be addressed without negativity. It my not be a happy situation, but it can be handled with peaceful thinking.
@Ruth H.: I love that. Sounds like you have a great vet.
@Excellent thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
@Daniela: Yep, that’s fine. Please just link back to our article whenever you share a bullet point, etc. Thanks so much.
@Kay: I understand your perspective, but this was NOT my intention. My point was simply that regardless of whether you use glasses, text to speech software, or whatever to read this, IT’S NEVER TO LATE – for any of us. Perhaps I could have been more clear. Anyway, I strongly believe that if we’re still breathing, it’s not too late. In fact, I wrote more about this here: 6 Reasons You Aren’t Dead Yet
@All: Thanks so much for sharing your stories and inspiring thoughts with us. Angel and I will check back later to read and reply to more comments.
Melissa Webster says
@RuthH, “It’s too late when he’s dead.” I LOVE this! It’s so true and it made me laugh out loud. Great quote!
@marcandangel, Great list and so perfectly timed as usual. Thank you.
I’m currently working on forgiveness and letting go and just leaving what was in the past up to the universe to do with it what it will while I focus on a new approach and new projects. This isn’t easy for me. Not having any solid direction or purpose or plan leaves me unmotivated and unproductive, and I don’t work at my optimum level or even close to my potential, but it’s out of my control at this point anyway and I don’t really have any choice in it. So who cares and what does it matter?
Now I’m just following my heart and re-training myself to trust my instincts (something a debilitating situation all but stomped out of me) and working on what is fun and inspiring for me with no thought on the future or any viable career path. At least this way, if I’m just spinning my wheels getting nowhere anyway, at least I can enjoy life.
Stephanie says
Ugh. I turn fifty tomorrow. Feeling bowled over by that number, I threw myself an adult bowling party. I blogged a humor piece about my “bawling” party. Typo intentional. Yeah, you might say I’ve been feeling in the “gutter” over this new decade. But now reading your wonderful blog, I feel I cannot “spare” any more time. I must “pin” down my fears, and just “roll” with it. Hope I don’t “strikeout.” (Oh wait, that’s baseball! 😉 Seriously, perspective IS everything and you just put a new set of glasses on my eyes for some clearer vision. Thank you Marc and Angel!
ducky says
I struggle with several of these. Fantastic reminders!
Dave Nordella says
Wise are those that are young enough to listen to Marc and then act on his suggestions.
How do you know that you are young enough? Have you read this post? Then act on it!
Still not sure? The I invite you to read “1,000 + Lille Things Happy Successful People Do Differently.” Old and young dogs learn new tricks once they start practicing the new tricks and not a moment before!
Brain says
I thank you for bringing new strength to me. This post helped me.
Nancy says
Like someone else upstream said, there are a lot of nuggets in this list. My life the past 2 years has been topsy-turvy (to say the least, lol), and I think #28 particularly resonated with me: “Learn from the past, but don’t live in it.” I am slowly, slowly, slowly learning to move forward, I know I’ll get through it, but it’s tough. 🙂 (Is your book going to be available as an ebook? If it were, I’d buy it in a second. I’m really trying to get rid of the excess (#18), which means one less dead tree book I have to cart off to the next place I live.)
Thanks for this, and all your other posts. They’re really helpful, please keep them coming! 🙂
Kelly says
I have read many of your posts but this is the first time I read (or ingested) the “take guilty breaks” tip. Please say more about that! I walk around feeling guilty all the time – not being a good enough mom, wife, friend, professional….I feel guilty about not exercising when I should, about not calling my family enough, about spending money…etc… I would love to read more strategies about how to take those breaks. Thanks for the, as always, fabulous post.
Rosaliza says
…
To those that listen to me, I always say “Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others.”
How can you be good to others, if you cannot be good to yourself?
I always celebrate all my successes (big and small), then I do more…
Betsy says
Oh my goodness, such a great list. Every one of the points apply so much. I am so happy with being a part of all this. I’m taking your advice and taking one day at a time, and appreciate every one here. That may sound corny, but it is so refreshing to read of other’s with the same worries, cares, and sucesses’s. Thanks for welcoming me into the group. It may take me awhile, but I am going to start new and over. Great reading!!
Sandra Pawula says
I’ve been reflecting on impermanence and the importance of living a good life now since the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight a few days ago.
I’ll choose “enjoy myself” as the tip to focus on in the coming days as I feel it’s so much better to live with ease.
AJ Walton says
I like the idea of the morning pep talk.
Lance says
I used to be so worried and always contemplated on the past. It always sabotaged my life. Every day I try to be a better person now. I wake up every day thanking for what I have. I go out of my way to talk to people and make a difference in their life. It has been about 8 months since I have been working on these changes. Since then I have seen a huge change from people who interact with me. They want to know who I am and where I come from. They want to feed from the light-hearted positive attitude I now have. I talk to strangers every day. I quit my horrible job and moved to another state. I am starting over and my friends and family are a priority. I actually feel the difference every day.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not without pain, however I keep seeing time and time again that through the pain is happiness and relief. This is a life journey. Just by being aware and making small changes, you will make your life better. Not only for you, but everyone around you. It is a glorious thing. The best part is that it is not a religious thing, or a political thing. It is a way of life that would make the world a better place if everyone realized how they could feel every day. Now, I am not naive, I understand that would never happen. However to those select few, attempting to live your life this way I have found is amazing. Imagine waking up every day hoping you will meet new people and being grateful for the little things in life, not bitter over the things you do not. Obviously, this is a work in progress until the day you die. I am up for the challenge. I have lived a selfish life, and I am seeing the other side. Become someone you love and you will feel the difference.
Jonathan says
Marc and Angel,
You continue to amaze and inspire me. Thank you! (only had time to read the first 5 this productive morning, and every one of them rang true with complete clarity for me—I remembered I have got some “doing” to do!) Love you guys!
~Jon
Melissa Webster says
@Lance, I have said this before, but I feel it needs repeating, you are not responsible for other people’s bad behavior. Other people behaving badly isn’t an indication that you don’t love yourself or that you’re not someone other people can love or that something is wrong with you or that you made all the mistakes and are 100% to blame while they get off blame-free. Sometimes people just suck. Period.
I did love myself. I was positive and happy. I did appreciate my friends and family. Those things were never a problem. And I am grateful I am now finally almost 100% back to the person I was BEFORE the events and people I had to deal with over the last year. I haven’t spent the last eight months “changing.” I have spent the last eight months recovering from their bad behavior.
Just because they lie to themselves and don’t take any responsibility for their behavior and treatment of me doesn’t mean I was the entire problem and needed to change, and it definitely doesn’t mean I’m responsible for their actions and choices.
And yes, now that I’m getting back to the person I was before all this happened, my interactions with people who liked me to begin with have improved, but that’s because there wasn’t a problem with them or me in the first place.
I am all about self-awareness and taking responsibility for oneself, and making improvements to better oneself when it’s needed, but I have a major problem with the comments on this forum that tell people to blame themselves for all the ills in their life, while the other party in their life takes no responsibility at all for their part in it.
Recognize your mistakes and do what you can to learn and grow from them, but DO NOT let the other party get away with their own mistakes and the damage and hurt they have caused.
Hold them accountable, stand up for yourself and recognize your own power and worth.
Ahmad says
Thank you very much for those kind and wise words.
joy says
I will print this one because it is worth keeping, remembering and sharing. Thanks.
Sterling says
“Yesterday is but a dream and
Tomorrow is only a vision
But every today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of Hope”
-Kalidasa
Brian says
Thanks for the post. I always love reading your posts. Each one has always uplifted me!
Tamara Jones says
It’s such a shame that oftentimes we need to hear some really bad news in order to take a different look at things and start enjoying life. Claire’s story is another real example, good thing it changed her attitude right away and she got better!
This is a great list to keep coming back to and keep things in perspective instead of being tangled in worries about unimportant problems.
Thank you for sharing this, Marc, hope you’re having a good week!
Marc Chernoff says
@Melissa Webster: Thank you, as always. I love your shift in thinking.
@Stephanie: Happy birthday!
@Dave Nordella: So glad you are enjoying our book. Thanks for the continued support.
@Nancy: Our book is available in eBook form here: https://1000littlethings.safechckout.com
@Kelly: Yep, that’s a tough one to digest. Glad it sunk in this time around. =)
@Rosaliza: I love your sentiment.
@Lance: I completely agree with what Melissa said above. And also, congrats on this beautiful transition in your life. It’s sounds like an amazing new adventure.
@Tamara Jones: I couldn’t agree more.
@All: Again, thank you… thank you.
Feather says
Thank you for such a wonderful list. Some points are reminders to me, others new thoughts entirely. I particularly liked the ‘ get rid of needless excess’ …. and am working on that now. 🙂
mel@857notebook says
Such great reminders. I want to wallpaper my house with this list. Thank you.
Pam says
Loved this list. It is such a simply stated guide for living a good life. I linked to your post on my blog today because this needs to be shared. I am printing this for my inspiration board.
Thank you, Pam
Kristal says
These are great point for all phases of life. You don’t have to be “young” to read this and gain some benefit from it! Just pointing out the obvious. Good post.
Cyra Bharucha says
That’s such a well written article Marc, I tried but couldn’t afford miss reading a single point. I have read, reread & reread Claire’s words, each one of us has the bad habit of taking things for granted. To me this is the turning point of life ‘You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do’. Brilliant, thanks for putting up this post.
Cheers!
Camila says
I found this post very inspiring! Thank you!
I also started having the same outlook on life when I was 19 and got a cancer scare and realized that life is sooo precious and so short and I had to try to make the best of it!
Some of the things really resonated with me, like the taking calculated risks – I think putting myself out there is one of the important things because, like you said, growth comes from stepping outside our comfort zone but also because if I try then I know I won’t have regrets! I would rather fail than wonder forever what might have been! which also goes with letting life to happen like it’s supposed to, because some things might not be meant to be and there is no time to dwell on that!
And it’s only recently that I have started to look around and appreciate how amazing my life is and everyone who is in it! And also to appreciate the present and fully live in it! I didn’t realise that being nostalgic about the past and looking forward to the future meant that I hadn’t taken the time to see and appreciate the good times that are happening now.
I could keep going forever about all the points you brought up, but for now I will just thank you for this great post! 🙂
Sisca says
Thank you for such a very beautiful post. Thank you from the deepest of my heart 🙂
Melissa Kaylene says
I love this list!! I’ve saved it to refer back to 🙂