I cannot remember where I read these, probably from an instagram post. I believe these are from Warren Buffet, but I could be wrong. Regardless of the origin, these are some solid principles.
1. Know that your only competition, is who YOU were from Yesterday.
2. Earn, Save, Invest - BEFORE SPENDING.
3. Avoid Negative People. LIFE is too short.
4. If you don't go after what you want, you will NEVER get it.
5. Don't view failure as an end, but rather a BEGINNING.
6. Our HABITS decide our FUTURE.
Do any of these resonate with you? I am sure they all do to some extent. I know they do for me.
Examples.
1. When I was pursuing the craft and business of photography, I constantly compared myself to other photographers. The photos they made, the locations, their editing, their branding, the list goes on. The times when I shifted focus to bettering myself and abilities, business was a booming.
2. Still a struggle. Having 5 children is quite the roller coaster ride with spending. Things come up! A better plan is to Save, Invest then Spend so we have it when we need it. Breaking the cycle of paycheck to paycheck is really not that hard if you change your habits and behaviors. That part is easy, NOT. Changing Habits is hard. I do not care what anyone says. Is it worth it, YES. The struggle is real. Remember all good things come out of Struggle.
3. I think we all have struggled with negativity and negative people over the course of our lives. Especially living through 2020. It was hard to turn any corner and not face negativity. Being an empath, I feel for the negative folks. I want to help them see hope and joy. As much as I would like to witness change in them, it rarely happens. For an empath, this can be draining and leaving you with a feeling of failure. I am constantly trying to improve my interactions with negative people/situations. Yes, I try to avoid them more than 'fix' them, these days. You cannot want it more than they do. Misery loves company. There is a lot of truth in that little statement.
4. Figuring out what it is you want, may be the biggest challenge. I believe as I continue to minimize, simplify and declutter - "what I want" will continue to be more lucid. The fact that I am on this journey to simplify, says a lot. It means, I am so filled up with clutter (mentally, spiritually, physically) that the first thing I want is more peace. My wife and I are on this journey together. We have set a goal to move into a different home, within the next year. The current house we live in, is my previous marital home. That negative energy still pops up once in a while, in this home. As much change we have implemented in the house (paint, flooring, furniture, etc) - the underlying vibe still exists. It is not all bad for sure! It's just noticeable and Katie and I want our own 'first home' together.
5. I have failed many times in all aspects of life. There are times when I have been ready to throw my hands up and say I quit. Thankfully, my spirit is strong and is kind of stubborn too. I march on. The difference now, is I am marching on, making better decisions and the end results are getting better. If you want a different outcome, you MUST MAKE CHANGES. Failing Forward is a term I read many years ago and it has stuck with me. When you Fail, find the silver lining and take that onto the next adventure.
6. HABITS. Man have I had some terrible habits. For example: Food and Alcohol. I went from being a strict veggan (Vegan + Eggs), no alcohol, little processed food - example of health, to an overweight, tired, unable to focus, stressed, depressed, anxious and overwhelmed over a few years. What the hell happened? I got comfortable. One cheat meal turned into a cheat day, into a cheat week, then cheat month and finally cheat year. Too much of anything is not a good thing. Late in 2020 I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol. I thought I was on the right track, eating a Veggan based diet again, exercising and still feeling terrible. I was told to lose weight, so I kept working at it. Eating less and moving more. It wasn't working. Every time I would check the scale, I was heavier. Beyond frustrating! Back in May 2021 I got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Awesome, just what I wanted to hear. Now what? More Meds? Yep you guessed it, more meds. Enough is enough. I was done. A few weeks passed and I was eating less (especially sugar), moving even more, yet same results. Tired, brain fog, couldn't focus, stress, etc. I got on the scale and I gained a few more pounds. I talked with my Dad, who also has Type 2 diabetes, and he suggested getting a blood sugar monitor. I jumped on Amazon and ordered one. Once I started testing my blood in the morning and evening, things started to make sense. I researched more on Type 2 (I was at the entry level and my doctor said it is reversible) and decided to give the Keto Lifestyle a try. I am so glad I did. In a little over a month, I am down 14lbs! My energy levels continue to increase. My stress is fading. My focus is sharper. My clothes are getting big. My outlook is more positive. I think I am really onto something here. The first few days were hard from sugar/carb withdrawal, but after that, sticking to my new habits has been a breeze. I no longer feel hungry all day long. I eat when I need to. My portions are so small because I get full so fast. No more eating and then passing out from exhaustion. Sugar really is the devil in food. If I can make one suggestion to anyone trying to improve their health, it is to ELIMINATE ADDED SUGAR from your daily eats and drinks. Read the labels. Try to keep your carbohydrate load under 30 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. You can thank me later.
These 6 principles are a good starting point to apply in our lives. If you want to grow and move forward, the sooner you begin making changes and remembering principles like these, the better.
1. Know that your only competition, is who YOU were from Yesterday.
2. Earn, Save, Invest - BEFORE SPENDING.
3. Avoid Negative People. LIFE is too short.
4. If you don't go after what you want, you will NEVER get it.
5. Don't view failure as an end, but rather a BEGINNING.
6. Our HABITS decide our FUTURE.
Do any of these resonate with you? I am sure they all do to some extent. I know they do for me.
Examples.
1. When I was pursuing the craft and business of photography, I constantly compared myself to other photographers. The photos they made, the locations, their editing, their branding, the list goes on. The times when I shifted focus to bettering myself and abilities, business was a booming.
2. Still a struggle. Having 5 children is quite the roller coaster ride with spending. Things come up! A better plan is to Save, Invest then Spend so we have it when we need it. Breaking the cycle of paycheck to paycheck is really not that hard if you change your habits and behaviors. That part is easy, NOT. Changing Habits is hard. I do not care what anyone says. Is it worth it, YES. The struggle is real. Remember all good things come out of Struggle.
3. I think we all have struggled with negativity and negative people over the course of our lives. Especially living through 2020. It was hard to turn any corner and not face negativity. Being an empath, I feel for the negative folks. I want to help them see hope and joy. As much as I would like to witness change in them, it rarely happens. For an empath, this can be draining and leaving you with a feeling of failure. I am constantly trying to improve my interactions with negative people/situations. Yes, I try to avoid them more than 'fix' them, these days. You cannot want it more than they do. Misery loves company. There is a lot of truth in that little statement.
4. Figuring out what it is you want, may be the biggest challenge. I believe as I continue to minimize, simplify and declutter - "what I want" will continue to be more lucid. The fact that I am on this journey to simplify, says a lot. It means, I am so filled up with clutter (mentally, spiritually, physically) that the first thing I want is more peace. My wife and I are on this journey together. We have set a goal to move into a different home, within the next year. The current house we live in, is my previous marital home. That negative energy still pops up once in a while, in this home. As much change we have implemented in the house (paint, flooring, furniture, etc) - the underlying vibe still exists. It is not all bad for sure! It's just noticeable and Katie and I want our own 'first home' together.
5. I have failed many times in all aspects of life. There are times when I have been ready to throw my hands up and say I quit. Thankfully, my spirit is strong and is kind of stubborn too. I march on. The difference now, is I am marching on, making better decisions and the end results are getting better. If you want a different outcome, you MUST MAKE CHANGES. Failing Forward is a term I read many years ago and it has stuck with me. When you Fail, find the silver lining and take that onto the next adventure.
6. HABITS. Man have I had some terrible habits. For example: Food and Alcohol. I went from being a strict veggan (Vegan + Eggs), no alcohol, little processed food - example of health, to an overweight, tired, unable to focus, stressed, depressed, anxious and overwhelmed over a few years. What the hell happened? I got comfortable. One cheat meal turned into a cheat day, into a cheat week, then cheat month and finally cheat year. Too much of anything is not a good thing. Late in 2020 I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol. I thought I was on the right track, eating a Veggan based diet again, exercising and still feeling terrible. I was told to lose weight, so I kept working at it. Eating less and moving more. It wasn't working. Every time I would check the scale, I was heavier. Beyond frustrating! Back in May 2021 I got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Awesome, just what I wanted to hear. Now what? More Meds? Yep you guessed it, more meds. Enough is enough. I was done. A few weeks passed and I was eating less (especially sugar), moving even more, yet same results. Tired, brain fog, couldn't focus, stress, etc. I got on the scale and I gained a few more pounds. I talked with my Dad, who also has Type 2 diabetes, and he suggested getting a blood sugar monitor. I jumped on Amazon and ordered one. Once I started testing my blood in the morning and evening, things started to make sense. I researched more on Type 2 (I was at the entry level and my doctor said it is reversible) and decided to give the Keto Lifestyle a try. I am so glad I did. In a little over a month, I am down 14lbs! My energy levels continue to increase. My stress is fading. My focus is sharper. My clothes are getting big. My outlook is more positive. I think I am really onto something here. The first few days were hard from sugar/carb withdrawal, but after that, sticking to my new habits has been a breeze. I no longer feel hungry all day long. I eat when I need to. My portions are so small because I get full so fast. No more eating and then passing out from exhaustion. Sugar really is the devil in food. If I can make one suggestion to anyone trying to improve their health, it is to ELIMINATE ADDED SUGAR from your daily eats and drinks. Read the labels. Try to keep your carbohydrate load under 30 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. You can thank me later.
These 6 principles are a good starting point to apply in our lives. If you want to grow and move forward, the sooner you begin making changes and remembering principles like these, the better.