Start Doing The RIGHT Things

Last Wednesday I asked if life had to be so complex (http://buff.ly/X4Epd4) and I promised some ideas on simplifying things. As promised her goes:

1.  You look to everyone else for the answers only you can give yourself. For much of our lives – especially at the beginning – we get told what do, how to think, what looks good, what “success” is, etc. You don’t have to buy into any of it anymore. Feel free to think for yourself. Listen to yourself. Break the mould. When you stop doing what everybody else wants you to do and start following your own intuition, you are more likely to find exactly what you are looking for.

2.  You let others make you feel guilty for living your life. As long as you’re not hurting anyone else, keep living your life YOUR way. Sometimes we get lost in trying to live for someone else, trying to meet their expectations, and doing things just to impress them. Take a moment and think about it. Are you doing things because you truly believe in them? Remember your own goals. Live, do and love so that you are happy, because when it comes down to it, relationships can end in an instant, but you will live with yourself for the rest of your life.

3.  You allow toxic people to affect you. You don’t ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. It doesn’t matter whether someone is a relative, romantic interest, colleague, childhood friend or a new acquaintance. You don’t have to make room for people who cause you pain or make you feel small. It’s one thing if a person owns up to their behaviour and makes an effort to change. But if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries and continues to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go.

4.  You are part of the drama circle. How would your life be different if you walked away from drama, gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day you speak only about the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same. Those that refuse to support you CAN be ignored by you. It’s as simple as that.  Incredible things happen when you distance yourself from negativity and those who create it. Don’t get caught up in drama. Just walk on by.

5.  You assign negative intent to other people’s actions. Another driver cut you off in traffic. Your friend never texted you back. Your colleague went to lunch without you. Everyone can find a reason to be offended on a daily basis. So what caused you to be offended?  You assigned negative intent to these otherwise innocent actions. You took it as a personal insult – a slap in the face. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t take things personally. Don’t assign negative intent to the unintentional actions of others. Let today be the day you look for the good in everyone you meet.

6.  You are too worried that people will steal what you have. Let this be your wake-up call, especially if you’re an artist, writer, entrepreneur or creative type: There is always more to be gained from sharing knowledge than from hoarding it. Don’t worry about people stealing your work; worry about the moment they stop. Be honest, helpful and undeniably good at what you do. No clever marketing scheme, social media buzzword, or competitor can be a substitute for that, ever. Whenever people want what you have, regardless of the circumstances, you’re doing it right.

7.  You’re trying to compete with everyone else. If you compete with everyone else, you will become bitter.  If you compete with a previous version of yourself, you will become better. It’s as simple as that.

8.  You have been too much of a taker. One way to deal with stress and loss is to immerse yourself in doing good for others. Volunteer. Get involved in life. It doesn’t even have to be a big, structured event. Say a kind word. Encourage someone nearby. Get away from your self-preoccupation for a while. When it comes down to it, there are two types of people in this world. There are givers and there are takers. Givers are happy. Takers are still unhappily wondering what’s in it for them.

9.  You choose popularity over effectiveness. Seek respect, not attention. It lasts longer and it’s far more useful in the end. Above all, never confuse popularity with effectiveness. Being popular means you’re liked for a while. Being effective means you’ve made a difference.

10.  You keep cutting corners and taking the easy way out. Do what is right, not what is easy. And do the right thing even if no one else will ever know. Why? Because YOU will know.

Your turn…...... 

As you know, when we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life gets easier. It just makes sense. So how have you been making your life harder than it has to be? What can you do today to simplify things?  Leave a comment below and let us know.