25 Things You Should Never Stop Doing for Yourself

Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you and your life,
not what’s best for everyone else.

When I was 16 years old and too young to fully grasp the sensitivity of the situation, I interviewed my grandmother’s friend, JoAnn, who was terminally ill, for a school project entitled “The Speed of Life.” About five minutes into the interview I began questioning JoAnn about her illness and her life situation.

“So,” I tried to delicately ask, “What is it like to wake up every morning and know that you are dying?”

“Well,” she replied, “What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend that you are not?”

Whoa! In an instant, JoAnn’s response opened my young eyes to one of life’s greatest truths: Today is the oldest each of us has ever been and the youngest we will ever be again.

In other words, life is short and the clock is ticking. It’s kind of scary, but it’s true. If there was ever a perfect day to stand strong beside your values, your ambitions, and what’s best for you, that day is today.

So today I challenge you to…

1. Never stop stretching and improving yourself. – Always dream and shoot higher than you think is possible. Do not bother trying to be better than your peers or predecessors. Try to be better than you ever knew YOU could be.
2. Never stop listening to your own inner voice. – The unhappiest folks are those who care the most about what everyone else thinks – those who let everyone else drown out their own inner voice. So stand strong beside yourself. There’s great freedom in leaving others to their opinions. (more…)