NOTE: This post has been updated with new information, rewritten and moved to here:
4 Steps to Loving Your Ordinary Life
Photo by: Alexandru Zdrobau
Practical Tips for Productive Living
NOTE: This post has been updated with new information, rewritten and moved to here:
Photo by: Alexandru Zdrobau
Cara Martin says
thanks
Marc Chernoff says
Cara, thank you for attending our conference. It was so nice to meet you, and I hope you make it to next year’s conference too: http://thinklivebetter.com
It’s also inspiring to hear about the progress you’ve made. Keep on keeping on! 😉
Matthew says
nice thanks!
Marc Chernoff says
You’ve got the right mindset now, Matthew. I’m inspired to know that our coaching continues to make a difference in your life.
Valencia Ray, MD says
this is wonderful
Jacqueline says
Thank you for your encouragement as always. You can be disappointed in this moment and do nothing, or you can practice being satisfied with the opportunity to make the very best of it.
Brilliant! I have just gone self employed and at 55yrs, but my faith, life skills and one day at a time wise words from my mum have helped alleviate getting over anxious about things, i think and say to myself, this will soon pass, and one day at a time, and just passing through.
Have a great week guys.
love,
Jacqueline
Marc Chernoff says
Congrats on making the leap, Jacqueline! You are an inspiration to many, whether you know it or not. 😉
Audrey says
I am putting into practice your suggestions for a better life and find dealing with my current situation of caring for my husband who has alzheimer’s, less stressful. Accepting what is and making the best of each day has become a way of life. Thank you.
Nicole says
Wow! I think you are amazing and awe-inspiring to be able to apply their words of wisdom to such a painful struggle in dealing with Alzheimer’s of a loved one. Wishing you strength, courage, and self-love and care as you follow this journey with your husband. I cared for my mother who passed at 65 from early onset Alzheimer’s. Very difficult but I found that was a time of always being in the here and now, present. Hope you have more great insights to help you along the way!
Marc Chernoff says
Audrey,
Like Nicole, we are sending sincere prayers of strength your way.
Stay strong. 🙂
Falowo Olaitan Rukayat says
Just in time
You guys are a lifesaver
Was feeling really down
I should be happy with the way things are for me but I just keep worrying about things I can’t control.
Keep comparing myself with people who has people looking out for them while am just the one looking out for myself.
Tesa Guevara says
It’s great to know I am not alone when it comes to experiencing the highs and lows of life, especially the latter. It helps to keep myself motivated by and with many positive insights of people who have gone thru similar situations.
It also helps to pray and abandon with faith and fortitude to a higher power, God. Of course, being and having friends who believe, support and cheer you on is a blessing.
Sarah says
In the dark events that happened to you (Marc / Angel), how is now better than before?
You mention tough times you had, and I guess I want to know what are the bonuses / positives that outweigh those tough times and your previous life before those events happened?
What right now is better than ever before? What are your successes? That you’re proud of today? Since all those years ago?
Marc Chernoff says
Sarah, I think the best response I can give are found in these two posts:
1. https://www.marcandangel.com/2015/05/06/5-ways-to-find-beauty-in-painful-life-changes/
2. https://www.marcandangel.com/2014/01/08/8-things-to-remember-when-everything-goes-wrong/
🙂
Dona Lofland says
Thank you.
Marc Chernoff says
Beautifully said, Dona! You are certainly on the right track, despite life’s inevitable struggles.
Sally Jarvis says
🙂
Sandy says
🙂
Olajumoke Ola says
Hmm… I think I can feel your pain about not having someone looking out for you but you looking out for yourself but really dear, that seems to be a blessing in disguise if only you would acknowledge it.
This is your chance to develop deep emotional strength that others typically would never decide to develop on their own without being pushed.
Sometimes in life what we need to be truly great or awesome is that “push”.. in whatever form it takes.. that push eventually motivates you to develop deep emotional intelligence and understanding whereby your happy friends eventually come to you for emotional support and motivation.
And when that special person who would complement you and look out for you eventually shows up, you will be more than ready not just to receive but also to give or share your priceless qualities as well 🙂
Elizabeth says
Sally, I am SOOO sorry, Dear! I say the “A” word is I will lray you do: ACCEPT the blow your ex-husband did.
I do hope you will EMBRACE all those who love you so. (Certainly there are many.)
Jenny says
excellent wisdom
Marc Chernoff says
Thank you for sharing that little piece of your story with us, Jenny.
And, you are welcome. 😉
jane says
Thanks M&A for amazing messages that you send every time, just going through them make me feel so loves by myself, irrespective of the flaws, i feel am not pretty enough, i am too big and i won’t find love. You know fear of the unknown! but thanks to u i have seen reasons to love me for me! permit me to say that i love you so much.
Kathleen says
Thank you sooo much! I spent most of the last week/weekend berating myself: I am 60 years old, don’t have much of a savings account, (if one can even call it that); can’t even make my phone payment which was due on the first. But! I called and will be able to do it on the 6th, so if I stop, take a deep breath, I can realize that I’m only going to be 6 days late, and the rep told me no problem. It gets old that I hauled myself out of a deep hole financially, and am sliding back into it again, little by little. I’m scared that I’m going to wind up right back where I was a couple years ago. And I can’t take out another loan.
Your article is very timely, Marc. I get caught up thinking I’m the only one who’s a “failure”. Sometimes, as you keep saying, it’s hard to let go and accept that we’re all in this together. Thank you for this message. It’s a keeper!
Ashley says
My heart goes out to you Kathleen. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to deal with such financial uncertainties. Wish you a speedy recovery from this situation.
Marc Chernoff says
You are welcome, Kathleen.
And, like Ashley, we are sending good vibes your way.
Prithvi says
I must say that in all this imperfection, this article might just be the most perfect thing I’ve read in a while. Life can make you feel like a total loser when things don’t go according to that ideal case we have implanted in our brains. I basically try being ok with it by either taking a nap or distracting myself by doing something else like say, gaming. Very rarely do I pick myself up, forgive myself and work towards living in the moment without worrying about the past and thereby spoiling the present as well. Thank you M&A for reminding me that in life the ball is always in your court and that you can choose to either hit it back or let it go. Thanks a lot.
Cindyl says
This is so good and perfect timing. Thank you so much! Definitely been feeling like something needs to change in my life. Living with my parents,
Fati says
I really needed this, M and A. Thank you so much for this article. God bless the day I found your blog. Keep it up!
Debbie says
I just read your article where you referenced an untimely death. We lost our only child twelve years ago and would like to read any articles that would make me see the good of her death since I do believe that all things are God’s plan. Though her death has caused me reach out to many others who have lost children, I am still looking for the reason how taking our life’s joy away can be a good thing.
Stan says
I was fortunate to have a grandmother who was very poor in possessions, but very rich with love. Growing up, I admired her for her goodness and for how happy go lucky she was in spite of bad events in her life.
During most of my younger adult years, people made a lot of remarks about my lack of success. Like grandma, what others thought of my status was unimportant to me. I never denied myself anything, but learned how to say no to things I didn’t need. I made a few bad choices, but as grandma would say, “that’s water under the bridge.” She gave me a valuable lesson in not being envious or jealous of others, and being happy with what I have.
Now people marvel at how “lucky” I am. They see that I am truly content. I have always lived simply, because I choose to do so, I don’t compete with others, and I am content with what I have. In a way I guess I am lucky because I learned a valuable lesson early in life. Thanks, grandma, for passing on such wisdom to me!
Rachael says
Great Read!
Fumie says
Thank you for your article.
It really energize me. And tells me the truth of life.
I am over 30, single, temporary worker, no children, and no special skill to live.
I sometimes feel like “I don’t have anything great”.
But that’s absolutely wrong and not true, actually.
I have great family, friends and healthy body.
I realized “I have enough already!”.
Ashley Mkwanazi says
Thanks you so much. Your posts come in at the right time, just when I needed something to pull me out of the trap that my mind has set me in. I only figured that, it’s so easy for a person to belittle themselves than it is for us to give ourselves credit for everything we have achieved, no matter how small it is. I can relate to this post and thank you for sharing!
subs says
This is so amazing. whenever I read your weekly article It’s exactly resonates me that I’m going through in my life. Thanks a bunch to both of you. Keep inspiring and make us feel that we are not alone.
Micheal A says
We will definitely not always be good enough as we may wanted or assume to be. But when you have good posts or books to read to bring you out of your momentary self-hatred, it is really nice.
Thank you for this post.
Nechama says
I have a chronic illness, so I have found so many helpful things to fall back on. I find that the most important thing is to have a solid plan before you hit a low point, especially if like me, you have a illness whose flairs mush your brain and leave you exhausted. I have discovered many coping tactics. I find that online support groups-both asking and giving help are very therapeutic-I even created 2 facebook groups myself to help other with chronic illness through hard times. And I guess that’s my advice to everyone who is suffering – find supportive people who empathize with you, who go through what you do. Be there for them, and they will be there for you.
Dan Murray says
There’s always been pressure to conform and fit into the expectations of my family from a young age. Even now, at 42, I still feel the pressure when it comes to weekend gatherings and holidays. It’s about letting go of all that and just appreciating that regardless of their ideas of comparisons of what I could or should be, I am complete and whole as I am.
Just being mindful moment to moment and finding that peace in stillness is a real way to overcome this.
Thanks
Dan