Letting go of control… and being OK with it.

That is one of the greatest struggles many of us deal with on a daily basis, myself included.

Because letting go of control goes directly against our modernized, industrialized way of living – we are go-getters, doers, architects of our destiny. We build things and make things happen on our own terms; we don’t wait for anything to happen on someone else’s terms! At least that’s what I learned growing up from teachers, sports coaches, movies, songs, magazine articles, and so forth. So allowing things to happen was not in my DNA. I had never been one to sit back and passively let go of control.

Over the years, however, my perspective has shifted. I’ve learned the hard way that a great deal of the control we believe we have over our lives is an illusion. For example, I’ve since met…. [Read more…]

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

When you first awake, be mindful and take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and relatively healthy. Breathe onto the bathroom mirror just to see how amazing your breath looks. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one. And when you start the day in a mindful state like this, it’s easier to focus more effectively on what matters most.

If you’d like to practice starting your mornings more mindfully in the year ahead, below you will find 52 good morning quotes – one for each week of the year. I choose one of these quotes every Sunday morning and sit quietly for two minutes, repeating it silently in my mind as if I were meditating. I also write it on a post-it note and stick it next to my computer monitor for the duration of the week. This weekly ritual has helped [Read more…]

Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers. Because asking the right questions is often the answer.

In a recent email newsletter I wrote: “Quiet your mind. Don’t think outside the box in the year ahead. Think like there is no box.”

To my surprise, over 100 people quoted this line and responded with the same general question: “How?”

I’ve spent the morning thinking about how to answer this question in the most universal way possible, and I’ve decided that the simplest explanation I can give is this: Ask yourself better questions – questions that [Read more…]

QUICK UPDATE: Marc and I are teaming up with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist to host The Live Well Tour. Come see us in Houston, TX along with special guest Preston Smiles on Feb. 25, 2023. Tap here for more info.

Don’t wait on others to choose you. Choose yourself starting today!

Practice loving yourself, too, instead of simply loving the idea of other people loving you. Practice respecting yourself, caring for yourself, and becoming a reliable part of your own support system in the days and weeks ahead.

Additionally, as you reflect on this past year, remind yourself that you are not behind. You are where you need to be. Don’t judge or berate yourself for how long your journey is taking. We all need our own time to travel our own distance. Give yourself credit for how far you have come.

And of course, I know that’s all much easier said than done. But consider this person’s story:

“Today I lost the respect of a few people I love, and the desire to hurt myself, when I finally [Read more…]