To share a dose of positivity I wanted to talk about a word that is overlooked a bit in positive psychology - Cheerfulness. When you encounter someone that is cheerful it completely shifts your energy, bringing a smile to your face and a skip to your step. Not only will incorporating cheerfulness in your life improve your mindset and lead to more positive experiences, but it actually creates a positive cycle within your health and wellness. That is summarized in today’s quote “Cheerfulness is the very flower of health.”

The first and more obvious side of the cycle is how your happiness impacts your health. There are countless studies that show how things like gratitude and compassion generate measurable health benefits. More indirectly, cheerfulness helps you reduce negative self-talk and avoid stress-inducing thought patterns. Your happiness, mindset, and perspective produce good health.

The second, less obvious side of this is what’s referenced in the quote. “Cheerfulness is the flower of health”, meaning that a happy demeanor is also the byproduct of good health. This is because our psychology is extremely influenced by our physiology, and when we’re fueling our bodies right, exercising often, and getting good rest, it creates an environment for our psychology that is conducive to positive experiences.

Now for me if this is a self-fulfilling cycle the question becomes which comes first? Should I focus on my happiness and let that impact my health... Or should I focus on my health and let that influence my happiness? While the answer is of course "both", like the quote suggests I would advise to focus on the health side first. Your body is quickly responsive to changes, your psychology is notoriously slow at adapting, and if you want to be more cheerful I’d encourage you evaluate your health habits first.

To wrap this up let ask you this - In what area could you most improve your health?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

Something I’ve been committed to doing over the last year or so is re-reading books. To be honest, I have pretty bad reading comprehension and I don’t always get as much as I want from the books I read.  It has been helpful to revisit major topics and themes multiple times, but what has been most eye-opening is how the same book can have two very different meanings depending on when you read it.

That’s because everything we’re exposed to is contextual. Imagine you see a woman wearing a bikini in an airport, that’d be pretty unusual right? Now what if she’s wearing a bikini by the pool. Same behavior, different context, very different outcomes.

Similarly the phase of life that you’re in dictates the way that you approach the lessons you learn. One line in a book can leave two different impressions on you based on how you’re integrating the information. We can only add value to the present moment, which includes what you’re working on now and what you’re excited about now. Whatever is top of mind becomes a lens on top of what you’re learning. 

That’s why re-reading a book can be so impactful. Depending on where you’re at, you will extract completely new takeaways and ideas because the meaning has changed so significantly.

This is all a representation of what happens in our lives on a larger scale. No two experiences, conversations, or moments are the same because meaning always requires context. So if we approach everything with more curiosity (the more redundant and mundane stuff too) we’ll be able to uncover the lessons we’re looking for that will help us advance our lives.

To help this all integrate let me ask you this question - What book would you most benefit from re-reading?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

I think a human need we all share is we want to feel special. We want to live a life others look up to. We want to inspire others with our gifts and talents, and we believe that there’s something unique inside of us that makes us different in the best of ways. But the acknowledgment of all of those qualities requires that we’re seen, heard, appreciated, and expressing our essence into the world.

But I think that’s the problem. Many people are afraid to be seen. People don’t feel comfortable standing out and being different. So instead of doing the things that make us unique and differentiated we pull back and do what it takes to fit into the crowd and check the box. This really is motivated by fear - The ways we’re insecure about who we are, the fear of being embarrassed, ridiculed, or mocked, and the vulnerability of putting ourselves out there and realizing we might not be good enough.

Consciously we know that’s not how we want to live - Who wants to be just one person lost in the crowd? Of course we want to feel special. But unconsciously that’s what happens because we don’t dare to allow our truest selves to be shared with the world.

So today I want to encourage you to set an intention. Do not hide. If you feel like doing something but you’re worried how others might perceive it, do it! If you’re excited about trying something new but social conditioning is telling you that’s not how it’s ‘supposed’ to be, trust your intuition over the voices of people who are living by the book. I believe that when you least want to do something is when you most need to do it because it strengthens your belief that you can be the person you want to be.

So commit to trying this for a month, a week, or even a day. Do not hide and let your true self shine! Speak up about your preferences. Say what’s on your mind. Take steps toward what you care about. Because when you do your life will begin to adjust and mold around the things you want most. And to wrap this up let me ask you a question - What are you hiding from right now?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

I read something in Quincy Jones book “12 Notes” that I thought was awesome. He said that a mentor once told him “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.” We all know this to be true - We need to put in the work to get results, and accomplishing meaningful results leads to success. But I want to slow down and dissect this thought a bit more.

First, the definition of success is so elusive. One person could feel completely fulfilled and successful, and another could feel lost and anxious… When doing the exact same things. What we perceive as success is entirely contextual to our own values, frame of reference, and interpretation.

But what’s unavoidable is that no matter what form success takes, doing the work must come first. If success is having the financial comfort to travel and do the things that you enjoy without worry, then you need to grow in your career and earn a good income. If success means making a difference in the world, you need to play a tangible role in creating something impactful. If success is having a happy and healthy family, you need to have conversations with your partner and invest in that relationship.

As was showcased in that last example - Oftentimes we don't consider the things we do naturally as "work". But don’t get confused because doing the work exists in everything. Any outcome you have requires the input of your effort, attention, energy, and time. So don’t discount the way you’re investing yourself in the things you care about. Results don’t come about on their own. They require doing specific work every time. Hopefully now you might have a little more perspective that will help you see how you are doing the work that helps you achieve successes you desire.

You’ve probably asked yourself this question before but I’m going to ask it again - What does success look like for you?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

We live in a world that is constantly in motion. The physics of our existence involves dynamic equilibriums rather than static states, and the vitality of our bodies require constant circulation of blood and other fluids. Similarly in the things we experience things are constantly moving, but there are two schools of thought that explain how we permit this motion - Flow and force.

The difference is clear in this metaphor. Think of a river with a dam. Basically a dam is in place to prevent the water from going where it’s intended to. If you were to lift the dam, that’s flow. It’s the natural path that something wants to take and it happens with very little energy or effort. When the dam stays up, it creates force. There’s an energy and momentum associated with meeting resistance to the natural flow, but with enough force it can overcome it.

We must become very aware of when we’re experiencing dams in our life. Culture has taught us to grind it out and work hard, using force to break down the dam. That works in certain occasions, pressing to meet deadlines, hustling to open doors (and there’s definitely a time and place for it), but it can only be relied on in short bouts because it’s unsustainable. An appropriate application is how force can be used to build the infrastructure required so that everything flows from then on out. You can be effortful to invest in building the system that produces ongoing, easy results.

Sometimes things just seem harder to do than they should be, and that’s for a reason. It’s often a sign that there’s a more natural way to go or a better path to take. Sometimes we need to be more open-minded to things being different and less critical when things don’t go according to plan. There’s an intuition to knowing what’s flowing and what’s not.

In the metaphor of the river there are two things you can do to create flow. You can be patient and wait to see if a new stream emerges from the blocked river, or you can permit flow by opening the dam. When it comes to more flow in your life I can provide you the latter. I can help you get unblocked and open the protective dams you’ve put in place without even knowing it. I’d love the opportunity to walk you through it in a recorded, 10 minute, guided self-reflection exercise.

You can gain free access to that here: https://grow.selfimprovementdailytips.com/get-unblocked

One step at a time, we can get you to live what you're capable of! This reflection exercise might be the first step that unlocks it all, I encourage you to check it out.

I wanted to feature a classic phrase that we all know and love to give it a little extra texture and meaning. Oftentimes after someone gets through something tough, and they feel like the end is in sight and the worst is behind them, they’d say something like “Things are looking up!”

Thinking about this from the literal lens, if things are looking up then previously they were looking down. Looking down hunches your shoulders and creates a closed body posture. What we often overlook is how our physiology creates our psychology. This is known as bottom-up processing where the neurotransmitters our neurons secrete are dependent on the information being communicated by our bodies. So look up and open up that posture!

You also need to consider this quote from the lens of your attention. If you’re looking down then you’re occupied with what is immediately in front of you. You can be so consumed with the details, nuances, and short-term priorities that you lose sight of the bigger picture. Without that added context your effort can feel futile and as if you’re not contributing toward anything or making progress. Look up and see what’s ahead of you! Broaden the scope of your experience, and connect in with why you’re doing it and what opportunities you see on the horizon. Looking up gives you more forward direction that can motivate you and pull you toward a better future!

Then the last way to think about it is like a line graph. All a line graph does is communicate how one variable fluctuates over time. When things are looking up, the arrow is pointing up, suggesting that more results and good things are to come! You’ve already passed that inflection point where things are no longer trending down for you and you can feel more optimistic about where things are headed.

I challenge you to see the good side of the bad, the up side of the down, and convince yourself that things are looking up! Because if that’s what you believe then the world will adjust to make it true. So let’s do that now - What is your next breakthrough? Make it happen right now by reframing how you think about it.

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day.

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

I heard something on Ed Mylett’s podcast that really stood out to me as something I wanted to explore more. He talked about 3 tiers of influence - Being motivational, inspirational, and aspirational - and the progression people go through as they become more influential.

First is you need to be motivational. This means that you make someone feel a certain way, whether that’s on a stage, in a phone call, or through your actions and lifestyle. Motivation gives someone a motive for action and that extra burst to make a better decision.

Next is inspirational. Beyond making someone feel something emotionally, this takes it one step further and helps them connect to their purpose and bigger reasons for doing things. Inspirational is ‘in spirit’, and the result of being inspired is a more sustaining desire than a temporary injection of motivation.

Then last is aspirational. This is where people look at you and they want to be like you. They look at who you are, what you do, and how you do it, and want the exact same for their life. They look to you and your actions as a standard that they aspire to achieve for themselves. It’s an incredibly humbling acknowledgment, and when you have this much of an influence on someone, you’re blazing the path that they get to walk down next.

I want to qualify this all with one last thought. You don’t need to be a celebrity or influencer or anyone recognizable to be motivational, inspirational, or even aspirational. This is not something that is reserved to be done in public, but it exists in your private life and  relationships too. And if you believe that making one life better is a life worth living, then I encourage you to be the example that motivates, inspires and aspires other people to pursue more in their life.

To bring this all together for you let me ask you a question - Who do you have the most influence on in your life, and what is it you want to show them?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.

Have you ever been really dedicated to something, investing a ton of time, effort and attention into it, yet you don’t seem to make progress on it? It’s frustrating because you know you’re doing everything right, but the results just aren’t coming. There’s nothing wrong with your effort, or your capabilities - There’s something else at play that you’re not focused on. Sometimes root problems have very unexpected symptoms.

Your body is an ecosystem. Independent units called cells join together to form tissues. Those tissues link up to create organs that then function collectively as organ systems to conduct your body's natural processes. Our nature is designed to be collaborative in this way. Now imagine if something is stuck or not flowing properly? Of course it will affect things downstream of the issue.

The same happens in your life. Your physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and intellectual bodies all exist as an ecosystem that collectively create you. It’s incredible how intricately it all works, but there’s a problem - The flow is determined by your limiting factor. Another way of putting it is “you’re only as good as your worst player.”

If you want to breakthrough limitations and live up to the expectations you set for yourself, you need to get unblocked. You need to identify the core blockage that is restricting your body’s flow and remove it so that the system can function properly. Of course then there will be another blockage, and another, and another, but at least you’re making progress. And if you stay committed to working through whatever is holding you back, you’ll continue setting new limits for yourself and uncovering what you’re truly capable of.

Now a question for you - How are you blocked in your life right now? That might be tough to answer so let’s get to the bottom of it! I put together a customized, guided self-reflection session that will help you truly get to the core of what is holding you back so that you can leave your uninhibited, unstoppable mark on the world.

Click here to input your email and I'll send it over right away! https://grow.selfimprovementdailytips.com/get-unblocked

It’s generally not a good thing to be picky. It means you’re choosy, difficult to satisfy, and kind of closed minded. Picky people aren’t fun to be around because they come off as smug and even selfish at times. Whether you’re picky about the food you eat, the people you are attracted to, or the way you organize your environment, it can be perceived a certain way by others if it comes off as picky.

But making choices and having preferences is important, and it’s all about how you choose to relate with them. If you have reasons to justify why you like certain things a certain way, then it becomes a standard for you. Standards help you stand up for yourself and how you want things to be in your life. Standards establish what you think you’re worthy of and what you’re willing to tolerate. When you’re picky it comes off as a superficial preference, you want things a certain way ‘just because’, but when you have standards those same preferences become valid because you have experience to back them up. Having standards is a strong display of confidence, and I think we all want to get better at raising the standards we live by.

Do you know what you want in a partner? Good! Do you have an early bedtime that your friends sometimes don’t understand? So what! Embrace your preferences but also know what informs them. Enforce the way you want the world to be around you while also staying open minded to new information that might change your expectations. As long as you continue to view things with a lens of curiosity, you won’t be picky because you aren’t so rooted in your own ways. You’ll have justified, well-intended standards that you live by.

To integrate this idea into your life today I’m going to leave you this question - Where do you think you should have higher standards?

Shoutout to my buddy Case Kenny for the inspiration behind today's thought.

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

If you’re looking to grow alongside a community of like-minded improvers, then click here to join the Better Together Community.