“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln
These are some of my favorite quotes, thoughts, and philosophies on life based on my experiences. (Note: While I agree with everything written here, practicing what I preach is still a work in progress in some aspects of my life. Progress, not perfection!)
Why 333? That is the code between me and my Grandmother Grace. Seeing that number is like a hug from her.
These ideas are listed in no particular order:
#1 Do things out of your comfort zone. Often. Shake it up. Traveling to a place
You have never been is a great way to do that.
#2 Be in motion. Don’t just think about it. Or even spend too much time in the
planning of it. Do the thing.
#3 Cherish your friendships. Check in with people. Really listen to them.
#4 Always look people in the eye when talking and listening to them.
#5 Think before you speak. Take a breath.
#6 If you are unsure how to reply to someone or are afraid it might be hurtful, tell
them you need time to think about it, and you will get back to them the next
day.
#7 Don’t do self-doubt.
#8 Avoid being in reaction mode whenever possible.
#9 Never stop learning.
#10 Don’t tell people what you think they “should” do; tell them what you do or
have done. Be an example.
#11 No matter how insignificant it may seem, take the following steps to get where
you want to go.
#12 Don’t sweat the small stuff.
#13 Think about the bigger picture.
#14 Be aware of your mindset. It’s a choice.
#15 The best way to get out of survival mode is to get into service mode. Help
someone else.
#16 Know that you are whole and perfect as you were created
#17 Before you go to sleep each day, capture at least one thing you are
grateful for
#18 Look for the joy in ordinary days.
#19 Narrow your focus!
#20 Minimize your possessions; expand your space, and your mind and creativity
will maximize.
#21 Look for your job, business, and passion to solve a problem for yourself and
others.
#22 Ask others if you can help them from time to time or volunteer to do so
#23 Get out of your own way!
#24 Don’t worry about what other people think or say. It doesn’t matter. Most of
what people say or do has much more to do with them than it ever did with
you. And there are so many people (billions in the world!) who have no idea
that you even exist or care that you do! You Do You! for yourself and your
loved ones. Follow your passion.
#25 Other people’s opinions do not predict your outcomes
#26 Keep moving forward. You can’t change the past. Only learn from it.
#27 When all else fails, get outside and go for a walk. You’ll be surprised how
much better you feel.
#28 Life matters. Your being here matters
#29 Live a life that will matter for generations to come.
#30 Journal. It’s the best way to get to know yourself better, improve and figure
things out.
#31 Failures should spark curiosity, not shame. Failure is an occurrence, not a
person.
#32 Be an encourager
#33 Don’t ever hesitate to admit when you are wrong.
#34 Don’t have regrets. What good does that do? If you make a mistake,
acknowledge it, learn from it, never repeat it, and move on.
#35 Live in the present as much as possible.
#36 Do your best to remember other people’s names and acknowledge them when
you meet them.
#37 Find ways to be an inspiration to others.
#38 Listen
#39 When one door closes, another opens if you look for it.
#40 Don’t expect others to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.
#41 Tell those you care about how you feel about them and how important they are to
you.
#42 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (Better to have a sure thing versus a
couple of maybes.)
#43 You reap what you sow.—The Bible
#44 “Put your feet on your prayers.”—My Grandmother Grace (Your results are based
on your efforts, not just hope or prayer, though that doesn’t hurt. It is just not
enough.)
#45 Look for ways to compliment others sincerely.
#46 Don’t pay full retail prices unless you are on vacation or out of options.
#47 Laugh more.
#48 Don’t hide your feelings unless it hurts someone else. Write about them. It will help
you sort it out.
#49 Watch more sunsets.
#50 Watch more sunrises.
#51 Really notice the moon and count the stars.
#52 Have art, family photos, collections, and colors around you that will make you smile and brighten your mood when you see them.
#53 Declutter so you can actually see what is important to you.
#54 Be curious.
#55 Dream big.
#56 Take a picture to remember the moment.
#57 Take consistent action toward your goals every day.
#58 This, too, shall pass.
#59 Just be kind.
#60 Make your bed every day when you get out of it. You’ll be surprised how even a
cluttered bedroom will look more organized with the bed made. It’s a great start to
your day!
#61 Drink lots of water. Your body will thank you for it.
#62 Greet others with a smile and smile often, even if no one is around.
#63 When your mind starts racing with thoughts, ask yourself if what you feel anxious
about is really true.
#64 One of my favorite lyrics from a Tom Petty song, “Crawling Back to You,” is:
“Most things I worry about never happen anyway.”
#65 Another favorite from “Walls” is: “Some Days are diamonds, some days are rocks.
Some doors are open; some roads are blocked.” Yes, I love Tom Petty.
#66 Listen to good music as much as possible. It can instantly change your mood. It
can have you recall memories and motivate you throughout your day.
#67 Limit your time watching the evening news. You can’t change any of it. It will
only leave you anxious by wishing you could.
#68 Be mindful of what you consume and how much time you waste distracted from
television and social media.
#69 Don’t gossip.
#70 Read at least one book a month.
#71 Don’t go to bed without washing and moisturizing your face, starting as a teenager.
#72 “Start with the end goal in mind.”—Stephen Covey
#73 Simplify your life as much as possible.
#74 Have a morning routine.
#75 Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and thank others.
#76 Karma is a real thing!
#77 Have something in every room of your home that brings you joy.
#78 There is a huge difference between a house and a home.
#79 Cardinals bring smiles from loved ones.
#80 Listen even more.
#81 Breathe.
#82 Spend time with a child.
#83 Watch your favorite movie.
#84 Pets aren’t any more perfect than humans, but they love unconditionally.
#85 Stop & look up for pictures in the clouds.
#86 Buy flowers for yourself.
#87 Find the humor in life.
#88 Paint or color
#89 Find a hobby
#90 Write a letter and tell those you love telling them why they are so special to you
#91 Donate
#92 Volunteer your time
#93 If one item comes into your home…take one or two items out. This will keep your
home from being over-cluttered.
#94 Sit in silence for a few minutes a day
#95 Hug your loved ones
#96 Go to a park.
#97 VOTE!! It is so important. Really. Your vote matters.
#98 Plant a seed, flower or tree.
#99 Plan 3-4 short or long trips per year. Always have something to look forward to.
#100 Find a new restaurant to visit. Bon appetit!
#101 Buy & appreciate Art.
#102 Support local artists
#103 Visit a museum
#104 Be a tourist in your hometown
#105 Read the “Motivation Manifesto” by Brendan Burchard
#106 Watch a movie in a theater
#107 Go to a play
#108 Plan your day with at least 3 action items
#109 Try a new recipe
#110 Laugh
#111 Never go to bed angry or upset. Write down your feelings to work through them
#112 Fly a kite
#113 Find something to celebrate today.
#114 Remember when you couldn’t wait to grow up? Be very specific about what
you want.
#115 “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
—Maya Angelou
#116 “When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our
calm, not join their chaos.”—L.R. Knost
#117 If you want to learn something but are unsure how to go about it, find someone
who has already succeeded at the thing and model them and/or ask them to be
your mentor.
#118 Surround yourself with positive people who will cheer you on
#119 Make some progress towards your goals every day.
#120 Your life should be congruent with what you say is important to you.
“Everything is Figure-out-able!”—Marie Forleo
#121 Personal development is a destination that you never reach
#122 People are relying on you. They need to hear your story.
#123 Your self-talk matters
#124 What energy are you going to bring into this day?
#125 “Don’t die with your music still in you.”—Wayne Dyer
#126 “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it
done.”—Bruce Lee
#127 “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you
could miss it.”—Ferris Bueller
#128 “A well done is better than a well said.” —Benjamin Franklin
#129 Perfection is not required to be successful.
#130 When you look at a field of dandelions, you can either see a hundred weeds or
a hundred wishes.
#131 The biggest wall you have to climb is the one in your mind.
#132 “A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going
down.”—Arnold Glasow
#133 “ I personally love therapy. When you have a great therapist you trust, you can
open up and discover why you act and feel the way you do. It’s like your brain is
full of cars (your thoughts) on the Interstate, going by so quickly, and after
speaking to a professional, you detour onto a country road where you can quietly
figure things out and hear the birds chirping again.”—Me
#134 “Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also
wants you. But you have to take action to get it.”—Jack Canfield
#135 “Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith. Feed it truth.
Feed it with love.”—Unknown
#136 “If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you will find
an excuse.”—Jim Rohn
#137 “You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people
get what they want.”—Zig Ziglar
#138 It’s okay to lick the spoon as long as you don’t put it back.
#139 Don’t double dip.
#140 “Oh, honey, don’t do that! Don’t lift up the mixing beaters. Oh. Oh my. Grab a
rag.” —My Grandmother Grace
#141 Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
#142 “The one thing you can control is how you treat yourself. And that one thing can
change everything.”—Leeana Tankersley
#143 Visit Disney World or Disneyland, at least once as an adult and be a kid again.
#144 “There’s a great BIG beautiful tomorrow…” (from Carousel of Progress 🙂
#145 Try a new restaurant
#146 Support a local business
#147 Carbs are not the enemy, but they are not your best friend either.
#148 Everything in moderation
#149 Get out and walk in nature.
#150 “Don’t play the flute when you would really rather play the drums.”
—Me at Age 14
#151 Never ever give up!
#152 Walk by the ocean. Put your feet in the sand
#153 Delicious cheesecake is a little slice of heaven.
#154 Nothing tastes as wonderful as a great prime rib unless you’re a vegetarian.
#155 “Life is short but Art is long.”—John Ringling
#156 “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by
the content of their character..”—Dr. Martin Luther King
#157 Those who fail to respect their history are doomed to repeat it.
#158 Blaze your own trail.
#159 Stay in your own lane.
#160 Keep everything in perspective.
#161 Practice what you preach.
#162 Walk your talk.
#163 “Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered.—Giorgio Armani.
#164 Take it one day at a time.
#165 “If you want to be happy, you have to be happy on purpose. When you wake up,
you can’t just wait and see what kind of day you will have. You have to decide
what kind of day you will have.”—Joel Osteen
#166 Be kind to yourself.
#167 Make your Birthday Special. Celebrate you. You are worth it.
#168 Sparkle!
#169 Get to know the names of natural plants, trees and birds that frequent where
you live.
#170 Enjoy a thunderstorm. Indoors.
#171 Root for the underdog
#172 You can’t put a square peg in a round hole.
#173 Research your Ancestry
#174 Reconnect with family members you have lost touch with.
#175 Give yourself credit where it is due
#176 “Believe” —Ted Lasso
#177 “The sun will come out tomorrow,”—Annie
#178 Christmas…”It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
#179 Enjoy color. White walls are boring.
#180 Be curious. Learn something new today!
#181 Keep promises to yourself & to others.
#182 “Have patience with all things but first of all with yourself.” —Francis de Sales
#183 Don’t be afraid to pat your own self on the back when it is deserved. And it’s
probably more deserved than you give yourself credit for.
#184 Seek clarity
#185 “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.”
— Connor Franta
#186 Choose a favorite number.
#187 For a moment…Just be.
#188 Walk through how you want a future event to play out, to work out. Have a clear
picture of it in your mind. Then, when it actually happens, you won’t be surprised
and will feel much more confident in the moment.
#189 Do something more adventurous today.
#190 Trust your intuition.
#191 “I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean…”
—LeeAnn Womack
#192 If you want to get more done, set more deadlines for yourself.
#193 Look up more often. You’ll be surprised by what you see when you change
your perspective.
#194 This week, start that project you have been putting off
#195 Don’t compare yourself to others. We are all unique.
#196 Focus on the bigger picture.
#197 Forgive the faults of those you love, especially your own.
#198 If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
#199 Pay off your credit bills every month. Don’t go into debt. If you can’t do that,
don’t buy it.
#200 Save money for the future and future generations.
#201 Every day, be the best you can be.
#202 At least look over the instructions.
#203 Don’t be late. Be a little early or right on time.
#204 “You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
#205 You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink
#206 “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and
you feed him for a lifetime” — Lao Tzu
#207 If you are lost, follow your GPS. When all else fails, stop and ask a local
for directions.
#208 Don’t dress like a tourist.
#209 Flashing like a used car lot
#210 There is nothing like walking into a room and having heads turn and smile.
Just once.
#211 Show up for those you love & for the causes you believe in.
#212 Don’t knock someone else down to build yourself up.
#213 Progress, not perfection
#214 You choose your friends, not your relatives
#215 Enjoy the journey
#216 Learn the difference between need and want
#217 Time heals all things.
#218 Multi-tasking doesn’t work. Work on one task at a time (you don’t have to
finish immediately!) and then move on to the next. You can’t focus on more
than one thing.
#219 Pick out your clothes to wear the next day, the night before.
#220 Take care of your teeth. See a dentist a least twice a year.
#221 Learn something new.
#222 At least the day before you want to get it done, plan what you want to
accomplish on a particular day.
#223 Make room for creativity & inspiration by clearing off your workspace &
removing the clutter.
#224 Breathe
#225 Take pictures of nature: trees, birds, butterflies, water, etc. to enjoy later when
you are stuck indoors.
#226 Get a small aquarium & a couple of fish for your workspace. It’s calming to
watch them swim around
#227 I wish you could buy produce that would stay fresh until you are ready to eat it.
#228 Feel the sun on your face. With sunscreen of course.
#229 There is no better sound than that of a child’s laughter.
#230 It is a lot easier to achieve something if you know the beginning, middle,
and end of it.
#231 Routines are as important for adults as they are for children. It’s freeing to do
something automatically without using too much brain power.
#232 Go one month without buying anything new unless it is to replace something
that’s completely necessary and in its current state is unusable unless you can
come up with at least 3 reasons why it is needed as an addition to what you
already own. If after one month that seemed easy, go for 2 months and then
keep it going. Invest what you save.
#233 Allow yourself to sit and rest a couple of times a day. Or walk away from a project
you’ve been sitting at for a while. It’s ok. It can wait a minute.
#234 Don’t get lost in distraction for too long. If necessary, set a timer.
#235 Save for big-ticket items that you really want such as electronics, cameras, art,
home decor, etc
#235 Plan and save ahead to buy gifts for family & loved ones for their Birthdays
& Holidays.
#236 Christmas comes on December 25th every year, whether you plan for it or not.
#237 Choose to be happy
#238 Choose to be kind
#239 Share your talents with others.
#240 Be present with the people you love.
#241 Seize the day!
#242 Your attitude is everything!
#243 “You can almost measure where you are in life by the degree in which you have
begun looking back rather than ahead.” —Ted Koppel
#244 Invest in good bedding and pillows for a great nights sleep
#245 Don’t give up whole found groups (like carbs) to lose weight. You’ll just gain it
back and then some when you start eating them again. No one should be
expected to give up dessert! Just don’t eat it every day.
#246 Everything in moderation.
#247 Set 3 goals to achieve each month and work on them daily.
#248 Whatever task you are delaying, do that first & get it out of the way.
You’ll feel so accomplished!
#249 “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
—Robert J. Collier
#250 “Slow and steady wins the race” —The tortoise
#251 “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”
#252 Do what you say you are going to do. For yourself and for others.
#253 “If it is out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too”—Ivan Nuru.
#254 “The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity
to diminish us than exposed ones. They erode our strength, our self-esteem, our
very foundation.” —Cheryl Hughes.
#255 “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”—Maya Angelou
#256 Don’t put things away for a special occasion. Every day is special. Use it, display it, or give it to someone who will love it more.
#257 Call, text, or visit someone on your mind today.
#258 “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”—Benjamin Franklin
#259 “When humor goes, there goes civilization”—Erma Bombeck
#260 You’ll never know unless you try
#261 “Pain is what the World does to you, but Suffering is what you do to yourself.”—Brendon Burchard
#262 Do your research before you buy, especially items over $100
#263 “My ducks are absolutely not in a row. I don’t even know where some of them are. I’m pretty sure one of them is a pigeon.” —Unknown
#264 Enjoy the sound of silence.
#265 “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
#266 Age doesn’t matter unless you are a cheese.
#267 “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude towards it. Don’t complain.” —Maya Angelou.
#268 “Maybe the world hasn’t given you what you want because, based on all your distractions, it is simply not sure what you are asking for.”—Brendon Burchard
#269 If it is going to happen…. you need to Plan it, Schedule it and Block out the Calendar.
#270 I can’t imagine my life without music.
#271 “Done is better than good.” —Carole Gilbert
#272 “If you are lonely at the top, you did it wrong!” —Brian Tracy
#273 There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
#274 It’s just part of the process. Keep moving towards the goal.
#275 It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. It stings a little at first, but it’s quickly forgotten.
#276. It all works out in the wash.
#277 If something happens to me, I’d rather it be on an adventure versus a comfy chair.
#278 Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes
#279 Find a colorful jar or vase and start placing your ideas and thoughts of gratitude in it. When it is full, take out the notes and see how many ideas you have already implemented, or you can begin now and enjoy the memories and feelings of gratitude once again.
#280 “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” — Confucius
#281. Where there is a will, there is a way
#282. “Use a little elbow grease”—My Grandmother Grace
#283. If the Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise.
#284. Seek first to understand.
#285. Be the captain of your own ship. Don’t let anyone in your past or present take the wheel.
#286. Shop & eat local
#287 Get to know & serve your community
#288 “You may delay, but time will not.” —Benjamin Franklin
#289 “You can have it all. Just not all at once.” —Oprah Winfrey
#290 “Try and fail, but never fail to try! —Jared Leto
#291 “Life is about trying things to see if they work.” —Ray Bradbury
#292 “Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been. —David Bowie
#293 “We should try to hold on to the Christmas spirit, not just one day a year but all 365.”—Mary Martin
#294 Feel the joy.
#295 Don’t ever stop dreaming.
#296 Every once in a while, sing at the top of your lungs with the car radio.
#297 Always keep your head above water.
#298 “You meet people at the right time, at that very moment they’re the ones you need.”- Rubyanne
#299 The graces of a heart of service cannot be satiated.—Hebrews 12:28-29
#300 “If God is for us, who can be against us? -Romans 8:31
#301 Some days I amaze myself; other days, I put my keys in the fridge.
#302 “The less you try to impress, the more impressive you are.”—Denis Waitley
#303 “Hurrying and delaying are like ways to resist the present.”—Alan Watts
#304 They can send a man to the moon. They need to invent a way that produce doesn’t go bad until you’re ready to eat it.
#305 Life is never about the destination.
#306 “A flower doesn’t compare itself to the flower next to it. It just blooms”—Unknown
#307 Events come in threes
#308 Be happy for others and you will never run out of your own happiness.
#309. Perfection is overrated. Consistency is king.
#310. Do your best not to be the rebound person.
#311. To me, there are two super peaceful physical places… the beach & the mountains. Nothing better than being at both at the same time.
#312. The Subconscious mind does exactly what the Conscious mind tells it
to do
#313 I would love to own a refrigerator that can tell you what food is inside all the containers and foil and when said food needs to be eaten today or else.
#314 “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” —Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni and the Theosophists
#315 “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” —Proverb
#316 “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish,
you feed him for a lifetime.”—Proverb
#317 ” We must remember we are not the sum of our intentions but of our actions. Bold and discipline initiative is our savior. It allows us to rise, to leap, to soar to the heights of true greatness.”— The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard
#318 Intending to do something does not Make it happen, Action does. Moving one step forward everyday matters.
#319 A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything (Irish proverb)
#320 The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.—Viktor E. Frankl
#321 Every day, be grateful for another opportunity to serve others and to be the best You, you can be!
#322 “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.”—Irish Proverb
#323 When you choose to collect experiences rather than things, you never ever run
out of storage space —Joshua Becker
#324 The third time is the charm.
#325 Don’t just be a consumer. Be a creator. It is a way of giving back to the
universe.
#326 Light a candle.
#327 You can’t get blood out of a rock.
#328 “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”
— Randy Pausch
#329 “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are
almost indistinguishable.”—David W. Augsburger
#330 ” A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best
friend.”—Unknown
#331 “I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining…”—Raindrops Keep Falling on
My Head
#332 What you give is what you will receive, and sometimes what we receive is so
much more than what we give.
#333 “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and
again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does
actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the
end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”—Theodore Roosevelt
——————————————-
BONUS QUOTES:
#334 “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”—Oprah Winfrey
#335 “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”—John F. Kennedy
#336 “Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” —Eckhart Tolle
#337 “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.”—Buddha
#338 “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”—Thornton Wilder
To be continued….. (I’d love to see some of your favorites in the comments)
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