16 Pieces of Advice for 2016

16. Realize that life is life and stuff is stuff. Brand name clothes or a laptop is not going to change your life no matter how convincing that theory is when you’re buying it. Material doesn’t change your life. People change your life. Experiences change your life. Fill your life with meaningful people and moments rather than things.

15. Don’t finish mediocre books. Don’t stay in mediocre relationships. Don’t listen to mediocre music. If you want a great life, you can’t choose mediocre.

14. Be around people who aren’t afraid to be passionate, grasp dreams and fail in the process. Surround yourself with those confident in what they want and are constantly working on themselves in the present to prepare for their future in order to get it.

13. Know that it is okay to be sad. You don’t have to apologize for being sad. You don’t have to feel guilty for being sad. Sad is an emotion and you are entitled to it as a human being.

12. Appreciate technology but do not overuse it. Choose people over your phone. Save the Instagram and Facebook scrolling for when you are alone.

11. Don’t limit yourself because someone can do it better. There will always be someone who has done it longer or done it better in your opinion. That should not hinder you from continuing your passion. No one has ever done it like you and that’s what is significant about your delivery.

10. If it could potentially bring people to laughter while not harming or insulting anyone else, whether they are in the room or not, say it. Because laughter is worth it.

9. Know it is okay to feel like a mess. We are all messes. Learn to accept that and keep moving. The most adventurous way to function is by mispronouncing simple words and by living life with our zippers down every once in a while.

8. If you want to change the world, just be kind and love. Love is greater than pride, ego, or anything else in this whole world. Loving people is the kindest thing you will ever be able to do.

7. Find something that inspires you. It might be a book, movie, quote or even a blog site. Make a point to read or look at it every day to remind yourself that you can also be and do great things.

6. Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy and life is too short to live without joy.

5. The greats are no different than you. The most brilliant ideas come from everyday people. All the movies you have seen, the books you have read, the songs you have heard all come from a sprout of imagination while on a subway or walking a dog. The brilliance and innovation of the earth is discovered in the common souls.

4. There are variations of smart. Just because you can’t write an essay well doesn’t mean you can’t fix a computer. Just because you can’t pass a timed test, doesn’t mean you can’t change the world

3. The hardest part of the day is to just get out of bed and get going. After you’re up, life starts happening. Get out of your metaphoric bed as well.

2. Doubt is going to make you fail before you have even begun. Think good thoughts and know you are well capable. The impossible has been done before and will be done again; the question is if you want to be apart of it.

1. Your personality and how you make others feel about themselves is 100x more important than your appearance. Seriously, no one really cares how your hair looks while you are insulting them.

 

Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in 2016!