5 Ridiculously Easy Things You Can Do Every Day to Feel Happy

Matt Fore
July 5, 2016
Can you see it? You live on a tropical island. You get up when you like and you do what you
want. Some guy named Jeeves brings breakfast. From a reclined position on your balcony, all
you can see is the ocean and your feet. Ah, the life of the young and retired.

We all dream of being happy someday. Until then, we are overworked, overstressed and under-
happy. The dream doesn’t seem possible without a lottery win or a call from a wealthy uncle in
poor health. But what fun is life if we aren’t happy about it?

Related: 17 Quotes to Help You Find Your Happiness

The good news is, you can add happiness to your life now. Just a few serotonin-producing
activities can reduce stress and make the wait for Utopia easier to bear. Here are five
ridiculously easy things anyone can do every day to feel happy.

1. Speak daily affirmations.

Did you hear the bad news? If not you haven’t been paying attention. The barrage of
pessimism from the media and even your own friends has a way of pulling you down. How do
you pull yourself back up? By proclaiming the positive.

What do you believe about yourself that is affirming? Are you strong? Are you capable? Are you
determined to win regardless of the obstacles? When you speak what you affirm out loud, it
affects your emotions. It creates a feeling of confidence or, for lack of a better word, happiness.
It sounds crazy and may feel silly at first, but the rush can become almost addictive. Write out
your affirmations and begin your day with at least 20. These incessant and positive
proclamations often annoy the negative people. When that happens, say them louder. More
happiness.

2. Give.

As I’ve always said, “It is better to give than to receive.” Or maybe someone else said that.
Giving is one of the most powerful happiness-creating actions of all time. But don’t go pass out
hundred dollar bills until your bank account is dry. That does create happiness but not for you.
Instead, offer microscopic acts of philanthropy.

What do you have that you can give? Offering a word of encouragement to a friend, a helping
hand where needed, a crazy eye-popping tip to the waitress or a surprise cup of coffee to a co-
worker—all those things can create a delightful feeling of selflessness. In her World of
Psychology article, “How Giving Makes Us Happy,” Theresa J. Borchard explains that it’s the
personal experience of benevolence that generates the greatest bliss when giving fosters a social
connection.
3. Accomplish something early.

Do you ever get to the end of the day and wonder what you actually achieved? To combat that
gnawing uneasy feeling, plan the night before what you absolutely must complete the following
day.

What are you determined to get done even in the face of a natural disaster or a missed television
show? Write that report, finish that article, walk that mile around the neighborhood. After your
affirmations, put on your blinders, forget everyone else’s agenda and, by George, get it done. The
rest of your day will be built on a feeling of accomplishment. And that’s pretty happy.

4. Take a dark chocolate break.

According to an article in Health magazine by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, “6 Foods That Can Make
You Happier,” dark chocolate triggers the walls in your blood vessels to relax which lowers blood
pressure and improves circulation. It also contains magnesium, a mineral shown to help
alleviate fatigue and depression. And, as if that weren’t enough, dark chocolate enacts a sense of
euphoria. Or maybe I just made all that up. Either way, it’s a great idea.

5. Quit.

You’ve heard the saying, “Nobody likes a quitter.” That may be true in team sports but, as a daily
happiness activity, quitting is vital. The truth is, there is no end to the tasks at hand. There
comes a time when you have to walk away.

Oh sure, if you don’t hold your feet to the fire and stay late the earth will be pulled into a black
hole and humanity will be lost, but, alas, the work is waiting for you the next morning. Quitting
at a certain time each day gives your mind a place to stop. It also frees up space for the little
things in life like talking to your spouse and introducing yourself to the kids.

One of the keys to a happier life is to be proactive about your own welfare because no one will do
that for you. Take back control and do what is in the best interest of your mental well-being. By
doing so, your days will be filled with many additional smiles, even if you never win the
Powerball and all your relatives are healthy.

5 Times to Trust Your Gut

Margie Warrell
November 10, 2017

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know
what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” —Steve Jobs
A quirky urge. A queasy feeling in your gut. A subtle sense of foreboding or a quiet whisper,
“This feels right.” I’m sure you’ve had those intuitive whispers before. The question is, how often
have you trusted them?

Related: Go With Your Gut: The Science of Instinct

Beyond our conscious awareness, our intuition is informed by minuscule untaught signals that
point us to pay attention to something or someone. Uninhibited by our biases, and wired only to
perception, our intuition can guide us to predictions we later marvel at.

My own intuition has served me countless times over the years. None more than when, at 21, I
set off for a year to travel around the world with little more than a backpack and sense of
adventure. Along the way, I met a rich diversity of people and developed a keen sixth sense
about those whom I could trust, and those whom it was better to steer clear. I remember getting
a lift with a man I met on an Amtrak train. Upon learning that Miami’s Amtrak station was miles
from the South Beach hostel where I was meeting up with my friend, and that the public bus
schedule on Sundays was very limited, he offered to give me a ride. Not only would it save me a
hefty cab fare, but many hours on public buses. While I’m sure most parents would have been
mortified knowing their daughter was jumping in a car with a “stranger,” I just knew this man
was genuinely trying to help. My intuition proved correct.

In the months ahead as I continued traveling through Europe, Africa and Asia, I continued to
extend trust to numerous other equally generous and genuine people, all the while guided by my
gut feeling. I also met a few that I didn’t feel were so well intentioned and always gave them wide
berth. Not once did my intuition let me down. Nor has it done so in the years since, as I’ve built
my business around the world.

Related: Why You Should Rely on Your Intuition

Of course, I am not encouraging young women to accept rides from strange men. We know too
well many do not have their best interest in mind. But too often today, I meet people, young and
old alike, who have been conditioned by their environment (and yes, their well-intentioned but
overly protective parents) to be so fearful of every stranger and every unfamiliar situation that
they are no longer able to discern between genuine threats to their safety and those merely in
their imagination.

Given that the headlines are dominated by news meant to incite fear, it’s little wonder that so
many people today live in a constant state of low-grade anxiety, walking through life on high
alert for danger—killer viruses, catastrophes, predatory people. They have little capacity left to
pick up the subtle signals their intuition may be feeding them about their environment. Of
course, the sad irony is that their constant fear doesn’t make them safer; it makes them less so.

As chronic fear diminishes our capacity to tune into our intuition, it limits our ability to
accurately assess risk, develop our business acumen and judgment, tune into our physical well-
being (or lack thereof), seize opportunities, help those around us, and perform at our peak.
Needless to say, it takes courage to listen to your intuition, but the more often you do, the better
you get at it. Don’t put it off any longer because, as Gary Klein wrote, “The longer we wait to
defend our intuitions, the less we will have to defend.”

Related: Why You Might as Well Jump

To help you on your way, here are five gut instincts to pay particular attention to.

1. I can do it.

If I had a dime for every time an incredibly capable person balked at the moment they needed
to take a bold leap forward for fear of not having what it takes, I’d have a lot of dimes! So if you
know deep down you have what it takes to do something, be careful you don’t let head (and fear)
hijack your heart. If you’ve prepared yourself for it, park the doubt, trust your gut and go for it.

2. Something’s amiss in my body.

Your body is a powerful intuitive communicator. Most gut instincts are accompanied by some
kind of physical sensation—from goose bumps to a tightness in our chest. Sometimes it gives
you early warning signs that something is amiss in our body that you need to attend to. Never
ignore it. EVER.

3. I’m in danger.

We have unconscious radars that can alert us to people and places that could put our safety in
danger. Other times we can find ourselves getting an “off” feeling in the company of someone
who is just not good for us, whether they’ve got bad intentions or otherwise. Either way, if you
have a sense you should steer clear, do so.

4. It just feels right!

It’s counterintuitive, but the less you analyze the pros and cons when it comes to the big
decisions in life, the more likely you will make a decision you are happy with in the long term.
Studies have found that the longer people mull over big decisions, the less satisfied they are
afterward than had they spent less time deciding and simply “gone with their gut.”

“The longer we wait to defend our intuitions, the less we will have to defend.”

When it comes to big and often complex decisions—buying property, changing careers, getting
married—our cautious rational mind can lead us to overthink, overanalyze and make poorer
decisions than if we just follow our intuition and do what “feels right.” Indeed, fear of making a
wrong decision can keep you from making a right one!
5. They need help.

While gut instincts have evolved to help us avoid danger, we human beings have an equally
powerful capacity to sense when others need our help. Compassion, like fear, is one of our most
primal emotions, giving us the ability to read faces and pick up unspoken emotional cues. So if
you sense someone needs your help in some way, don’t hold back for fear of looking foolish. Too
often people do.

I invite you to take two minutes right now to close your eyes, follow your breath and just sit with
the question: What does my intuition want me to know right now? Perhaps it’s a decision
you’ve been struggling with. Perhaps it’s how best to approach a person you sense may need
something from you, or you from them. Perhaps it’s just a prod to do something you’ve been
wavering about. Just stop what you’re doing and tune in. If you don’t get any clear cue right
away, that’s just fine. By tuning into your intuition, you will find that you’re more open to a cue
it may send you later today, or tomorrow. All that matters is you’re open to hearing it and have
the courage to act on it.

You’ve Gotta Do the Work

Josh Ellis
|
November 6, 2017

“You don't just absorb all this stuff and magically become a new person. All you'll
have at the end of the day is a weird taste in books and an expensive habit that uses
up your free time.” —Josh Ellis
Why a ‘Success List’ Is Better Than a To-Do List
For your best productivity, prioritize what’s really important.
Sam Milam

November 19, 2017

As you write your to-do list for the day, does it feel like a vine, growing and pushing your
attention from one mundane task to the next? There is essential work on that list, but you’re
focused only on checking off items, regardless of which is most important. How do you
choose what to focus on when you are caving beneath the mammoth pressure of obligations?
What if someone told you to burn that to-do list, and then handed you a blank slate and asked
you to write out a short “success list”? Could you do it? What would you write?

A success list focuses on a small number of tasks—the vital few—essential to achieving your
long-term goals. These tasks are the most important things that you can do right now to grow
exponentially. You aren’t looking for balance here. A balanced life means you never push
yourself to extremes, and success lies in those extremes. In The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly
Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, Gary Keller writes, “The question of balance is
really a question of priority. When you change your language from balancing to prioritizing, you
see your choices more clearly and open the door to changing your destiny.”

Related: 3 Productivity Habits of Successful People

A to-do list encourages multitasking, even when research overwhelmingly finds that
multitasking is ineffective. On the other side of the coin is your success list, which promotes
focused time. You create focused time by eliminating distractions and interruptions—social
media, redundant meetings, emails, phone calls—which take up 28 percent of the average
workday, and dedicating set hours to the most important work each day. The morning is ideal
for doing your crucial work because your willpower hasn’t been drained by tedious tasks. With
focused time you can achieve meaningful work in fewer hours. You don’t need overtime; you
need efficiency.

Set three specific goals that you can do right now that will result in measurable progress toward
your dreams. Be bold in your actions and never fear failure. Success is built upon failure. Devote
time to your vital few. When you devote your full attention without distraction, every day,
you achieve more in less time. That also means you need to schedule time off. Plan vacations
and activities that recharge you. Focusing on the vital few allows you to take time off because
you are spending more concentrated hours lifting yourself to new heights. It takes courage to
discard several half-executed dreams for a tunnel-vision focus on your big dream. Ready?

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Motivation
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Following Your Dreams Isn’t Foolish
Brendon Burchard
|
November 17, 2017

Sometimes your dreams for living a great life and having more personal freedom can seem so far
away. Yet, no matter where you are on the path, never let your small beginnings make you small-
minded. When people express that your ambitions are impossible, keep going. When your
dreams don’t come true instantaneously, remember it is through struggle, effort and desire that
you get from here to there.

Related: The 4 Essentials of Achievement

Following your dreams isn’t foolish; what’s foolish is not believing in your dreams and following
other people’s path instead of your own. You become who you want to become by enacting
habits that move you forward every day. The choices and practices you make in life are the
building blocks that build a better reality.
Often, you don’t even know what’s possible until you’ve marched toward your dream; only with
momentum does the path reveal itself and the goal get clearer. Epiphanies come as you move
toward something that matters.

No matter how small you start, start something that matters.

Never let your current conditions or circumstances limit your vision or actions. Never let your
current skill set limit your belief of what is possible for you or what you’re capable
of. Wherever you are today, you can develop new habits to get you to your dream.

Success and fulfillment come from your unflagging ability to believe in what other people call
impossible. Chase your dreams, believe in yourself, and you will start to experience incredible
levels of engagement and enthusiasm with life. No matter how small you start, start something
that matters.

How to Find the Thing That Gives You Joy

Listen to the spark that lights inside you.
Emma Johnson
November 20, 2017
Listen. That is the best business advice I’ve heard and heeded in my lifetime. Listen to the spark
that lights inside of you. Follow that spark and nurture it. Listen to your market, whether your
market is clients, people you mentor, those you serve through volunteer work or members of
your community. Your market will tell you what works and what doesn’t. Your spark, you will
find, aligns with what your market tells you. Effectively serving your market will fan that spark,
which makes you more effective and more powerful, which only feels amazing. It’s a feedback
loop that is one part tactical, one part magical.

I often meet people who are stuck, unsure how to find a job or hobby or service project that
really lights their spark. Here is my advice to them and you:

Act.
Don’t take time off to think about your life path, or stay put until lightning strikes. Get out there.
Try new things. Be active. Meet and spend time with new people. Travel. Explore. Work—work
really hard. As famed chef Julia Child said, “You must have discipline to have fun.”

Serve.
All of the science is with me on this: Humans are happiest when they serve others. At every
juncture of your passion-finding, ask: How are my time, energy, focus, skills and talents best
used for a greater good?

Have fun.
See Julia Child’s quote above. Never feel guilty for spending time on something that gives you
joy.

Related: 3 Ways to Discover Your True Passion

Listen to the spark that lights inside you. Follow that spark and nurture it.

Matt Schulz

44; founder of TalkingInClass.org; Austin, Texas

I have long been aware of the dire credit and debt problems Americans face, thanks to working
in personal-finance media for a decade. But when I spoke with my son’s fifth-grade class about
credit, it really ignited my passion for making a difference in financial literacy. I was blown away
by these 10-year-olds’ interest in the topic and the thoughtful questions they asked. I realized
that with my connections to the personal finance community, I have a powerful Rolodex of
influential, money-savvy people who could have similar experiences to mine in classrooms in
their community and have a real impact on the future lives of kids who rarely get the basic tools
they need to make smart financial decisions. That inspired me to launch TalkingInClass.org, an
organization dedicated to recruiting personal-finance experts to volunteer in classrooms across
the U.S., to make a real difference in childhood financial literacy. When I recruit my colleagues
for this effort, I see the same passion I felt when I spoke to that first class.

Jodi Ashbrook

35; speaker, author, traveling yoga instructor, entrepreneur and life coach; Hamilton, Ohio

At 24, my life had become a string of negative thought patterns and why-am-I-even-here?
moments. I tried to find comfort in food, which led to an 80-pound weight gain. I found myself
disconnected from all of my relationships and in debt up to my ears. A few months after a
suicide attempt, I faced death again from two blood clots in my lungs. I made a commitment to
no longer live my life in fear, to say yes to risks and opportunities, and to follow my passion—no
matter how scared I might be. Through teaching yoga and my coaching practice, I found that
helping others, as opposed to focusing on my own problems, gives me the greatest joy. Since
then, I launched my first business, became a yoga instructor and studio owner, and began living
a mobile life committed to wellness advocacy and personal growth. Today I am free.

Meredith Cohen

35; occupational therapist; Plymouth, Massachusetts

After college, I worked in one of the nation’s largest advertising agencies as a senior media
planner until my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I knew there wasn’t much
medicine could do to stop the disease, but we could improve his quality of life. This led me to
research and find strong evidence between Tai Chi, yoga, boxing and improved sense of balance,
strength and confidence for those living with Parkinson’s. I also looked at my quality of life
and satisfaction with my career. This was the catalyst that called me to do something more
meaningful with my professional life. I contacted a friend at Massachusetts General Hospital
who set me up to shadow nurses and physical and occupational therapists, and I immediately
fell in love with the art of occupational therapy. I gave my two weeks’ notice at the advertising
agency and started the arduous process of beginning a new career. In the past several years as an
occupational therapist, I’ve received multiple awards, become an advanced clinician and created
multiple programs specifically for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. It was
a scary process, but each day when I help make someone’s life better, I know it was all worth it.

If You Want to Change Your Life, Change What You Think

Steve Rizzo
August 24, 2016
I sometimes tend to think of life as a battlefield—albeit, a metaphorical one, very different from
the horrors of war. Can anyone deny that bloodless battles rage around us every day, often
fought against familiar enemies that loom from the past? The cause of these everyday battle
wounds vary: a bitter divorce, the loss of a loved one, financial problems, unemployment, health
issues, and the list goes on and on. However, one thing is certain; these emotional casualties
sustained on the battlefield of everyday life can be as devastating to your long-term well-being.

Related: 13 Ways to Take Care of Yourself Every Day

It’s easy to become overwhelmed and crushed by a negative situation, and to give up before you
give yourself a significant chance to rebound. It’s at these times that you are at your most
vulnerable; your emotional warning system is at red alert and you can easily enter the negative
zone where it seems like the entire world is against you. That’s when the launching of fearful,
destructive thoughts begins, like a salvo of rockets aimed at nothing in particular. It’s at these
times especially that you must be hyper aware of both your mental and verbal output.

The shrapnel of those explosive thoughts and words inflict emotional wounds that cause you to
believe that you are being victimized and cheated. This is a situation in which a “foxhole
mentality” can be of value. If it comes down to you (and your inner thoughts) against the world,
wouldn’t you want a companion who isn’t willing to make a quick surrender?

My life isn’t working. (Boom!)

I’ll never live my dream. (Bang!)
I’ll never find someone who will love me for who I am. (Incoming!)
I don’t have what it takes to handle this. (It was really an honor to serve alongside myself.)
My life is one big mess. (We are sorry to inform you that your confidence is dead. There was
nothing we could do.)

Related: Say This, Not That: 7 Responses for Common Negative Thoughts
This constant bombardment of fearful negative thoughts and words explode with tremendous
force in your subconscious and cause you to see (and further create) a reality that you believe to
be true. The result: You have lost the battle. You have let your defenses down and your life has
been taken over by your own rogue thoughts and words, and you are vulnerable to hopelessness.

Hopelessness is dangerous because when you concede all hope, you actually seal your fate
and finalize your destiny. If you find yourself stuck in hopelessness, lock your car doors and call
someone you trust to come give you a jump, ASAP. Without hope, there is no room to even
consider other options, let alone a miracle.

I’m not passing judgment on anyone who allows dark moments to take control of their emotions
(I’ve been there myself at times). Certainly there are valid reasons for bad feelings to occur
during difficult times, and it takes an incredible amount of fortitude to give thanks for the good
things when so much is lost. However, if you expect to prevail during tough times, you must
understand that it is your current perception of the situation that either gives you hope or makes
you want to give up to a lost cause. If you’re always thinking about how badly life is treating you,
if you are always telling stories about how you can’t get a fair shake, you will always feel
miserable.

Ever hear the old saying, “Misery loves company”? Being miserable doesn’t exactly attract good
things, does it? If you want to change your life for the better, start by consciously changing what
you think and what you say.

5 Toxic Personalities Successful People Avoid

Tyler Leslie
April 26, 2016
One of my favorite quotes is by Jim Rohn: “You are the average of the five people you
spend the most time with.” These words opened my eyes to the fact that the people we hang
out with, the people we call friends, they all have an influence on the decisions we make in life,
and therefore the success we have (or don’t have).

Unfortunately, not everyone pushes us to be better. Some people stop us from following our
dreams or talk us out of taking a risk, and we don’t always realize that it’s happening. So it’s
important to be aware and consciously choose who we spend time with, to limit spending time
with toxic people—like these five personalities you should avoid when chasing goals.

Related: 12 Ways Successful People Handle Toxic People

1. The Complainers

Complainers are people who are always complaining about how bad their life or job
or whatever is. They constantly whine about everything but never do anything about it.

Being around a complainer can take a toll on you—maybe you begin to join in on the complaints,
and before you know it, you adopt their same way of negative thinking. That pessimism is
contagious. Which is why you should think twice before sitting down with a complainer.
2. The Entitled

These are the people who feel like they are entitled to certain things in life, like they do not have
to work for anything, that the people around them owe them something. They are also the ones
who will try to talk you out of following your dreams.

This mindset can be deadly to a person trying to be successful. It blocks your determination and
can kill your motivation in a heartbeat. Know this: You, or anyone else, are not entitled to
anything. If you want the good life, you have to create it.

3. The Conformers

Conformers are the most popular of all. They are the ones who conform to the limits set on
them. They do not have any dreams they are chasing after, and they are not doing something
that goes against the status quo. They are simply living like robots—waking up, working 40
hours a week at a job they hate, going home, sleeping and doing it all over again.

There are many people who are content with this, and that is perfectly fine. But a person who is
following their dreams simply cannot conform to the average life. So while working your full-
time job, put in the extra effort on the side to start building toward something that’s more in line
with your dreams. And eventually you will be able to leave your day job to pursue your
passionfull time.

4. The Party Animals

They’re the one who’s planning happy hours five days a week, the one who lives to go out every
night. Sure, the party animal might be fun, but beware—they can distract you from your dreams.

Don’t get me wrong, you should take time to relax and clear your head on occasion, but bar
hopping is not the solution and it’s not going to get you the life you’re after. By making partying
a priority, you’re distracting yourself and breaking focus on your goals—things bigger than
dollar beers and half-price apps. In order to grow as a person, you have to grow up first.

5. The Doubters

Doubters can be downers—they will listen to your big dreams, but they will be the first ones to
tell you they don’t think it is a good idea or not to get your hopes up. They are the ones who
believe you have to “be somebody” in order to do something extravagant.

As somebody who is chasing their dreams, this can be very discouraging, so identifying the
doubters in your group will be beneficial to you and your success in the future. Likewise, it is
extremely important to keep supportive people around you, people who encourage you and lift
your spirits when you are losing motivation.

So, surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you to chase your dreams,
through the good and the bad. Your success depends on it.
15 Inspiring Quotes About Giving
'We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.'
Lydia Sweatt
December 22, 2016
One of the best feelings in the world is giving. The positive energy is contagious. With just one
act of kindness, you can inspire others to go out and plant seeds of happiness through giving,
too.

Your greatest gift is the ability to share your blessings; it’s what makes life meaningful.
Remember what it means to be a giver with these 15 thoughtful quotes.

Related: True Success Begins the Second You Start Giving Back

1. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” ―Anne Frank

2. “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving
more.” ―H. Jackson Brown Jr.

3. “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of
thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt

4. “We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves
that produces the generous harvest.” ―Orison Swett Marden

5. “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ―Winston S.
Churchill
6. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ―Charles
Dickens

7. “For it is in giving that we receive.” ―St. Francis of Assisi

8. “Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” ―Ben
Carson

9. “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of
what he takes out of it.” ―Albert Einstein

10. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
―Pablo Picasso

11. “Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.” ―John D. Rockefeller Jr.
 12. “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the
giver.” ―Maya Angelou

13. “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” —
Mahatma Gandhi

14. “The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away.” —
Dorothy Day

15. “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” —Booker T.
Washington

4 Lessons I’ve Learned From a Life of Giving

Ron Carter
November 20, 2017
I was raised in a small North Carolina town where everyone knew everybody, and at that time, in
the mid-1960s, people seemed to genuinely care about their neighbors. My paternal
grandmother, Florence, was not a wealthy woman. She worked hard to make sure there was
enough food to feed her large family, yet if there were a need in the community—for example, if
she heard of a family who were hungry and going without—she would find a way to help.
Sometimes this meant taking food from her own table and sharing it with others, which she was
thrilled to be able to do. If there were people who, for whatever reason, had become homeless,
she opened her home to them.

Related: The Most Important Lessons My Grandma Taught Me

The joy she experienced helping others showed on her face and in her actions. She beamed when
she was able to positively impact another person’s life. Her glow was real. There was no pretense
at all. She loved helping others, and as a result, her life was full and rich.

Both my grandmothers, actually, led lives of giving. Looking back, these are the lessons I learned
from the examples they set.
1. Giving is its own unique joy.

Cultivating and embracing that fullness and richness of spirit helped me to understand my place
in the world. We are often taught that acquiring knowledge, money, health and security are the
keys to living a successful life, but it was the benefits of charity, kindness and service to others
that both my grandmothers passed on to me, which have proven to supersede those other
pursuits. My grandmothers lived by the biblical principle of putting others’ needs ahead of their
own. It sounds cliché, but both of these women were the type who gave unselfishly of themselves
and received great joy in the process. The end result of giving, no matter how big or small the
sacrifice, is a unique joy.

2. Find ways to give on a consistent basis.

Growing up around my grandmothers’ almost daily manifestation of unselfishness made it clear

that these were not occasional impulses of charity. They were the work of rigorously devoted
hearts. As I sought a career, it was a no-brainer that I would seek out a field wherein I could
make a difference in others’ lives. I have spent most of my adult life in positions of service, from
working within the ministry to a career in nonprofit child assistance that now spans nearly 30
years. I consider myself extremely blessed that I have opportunities on a near-daily basis
to positively impact the lives of children and their families. Even at the end of a long, hard day at
the office, I can go home most evenings with the knowledge that I made a difference. My actions
provided someone else with hope and opportunity. Perhaps I brought a smile to a child’s face.
And that feels good. Just like the work you put into your career, your looks and your bank
account, find a way to exercise your ability to do good for someone else on daily basis.

Related: 15 Inspiring Quotes About Giving

3. Giving is an act of power that feeds itself.

Helping others also helps us to find peace, contentment and joy in our own lives. As a firm
believer that we—the universal we—are all connected, I have found over the years that when I
take an action that benefits another person, I feel fulfilled and good about myself at the core of
my being. I feel at one with the universe around me, as if I have found my purpose amidst a
world of chaos. I feel like an agent of change, which makes me want to keep giving and continue
that cycle. We can give in difficult times. We can reach out to others who are different or far
away, because we have confidence that the persistent practice of heartfelt charity, in connection
with our universal soul, has given us the spiritual “muscle memory” to do so.

4. Every act of giving changes the world for good.

I believe that we all want to be agents of change. Despite the overwhelming negativity in the
news, I truly believe that we all desire to raise one another up. Sometimes, we fail to act simply
because we do not know what to do or for whom to do it. In truth, we all have opportunities to
touch others’ lives every day. We can do the hands-on work of volunteering at a food bank or
homeless shelter, or we can financially support a charity of our choice. Whatever amount of
money or time we have available to us, we can find opportunities to begin to change the world
around us. Even the smallest act makes a positive impact.

By making the practice of giving part of your life, you’ll discover a sense of contentment and self-
worth that may have been missing in your life before. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “For it is in
giving that we receive.”

15 Quotes to Inspire You to Never Stop Learning

‘It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.’
Lydia Sweatt
November 16, 2017
More than a decade of structured education gives us a blueprint to build a pretty good life.
You’ve probably learned so many valuable things along the way to get where you’re at today.

But are you still learning?

Related: 22 Ways to Become a Relentless Learner

When you’re done with school and learning is no longer required, don’t let your curious spark
die out. You already have an excellent foundation to build upon, so keep going. With this
incredible groundwork, you can learn to master almost anything.

These 15 quotes are a true testament to the power of going beyond what you know. Never stop
learning.

1. “The world is a university and everyone in it is a teacher. Make sure when you
wake up in the morning, you go to school.” ―T. D. Jakes

2. “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” ―Sydney J.

Harris

3. “You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it
up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it.”
―John Updike
4. “There is divine beauty in learning.... To learn means to accept the postulate that
life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their
footsteps.” ―Elie Wiesel

5. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who
prepare for it today.” ―Malcolm X

6. “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” ―William Arthur Ward

7. “Learning life’s lessons is not about making your life perfect, but about seeing
life as it was meant to be.” ―Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

8. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” ―John Wooden

9. “No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why
knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.” ―L. Frank Baum
 10. “Shall I tell you a secret of a true scholar? It is this: Every man I meet is my
master in some point, and in that, I learn from him.” ―Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that
person will be an expert on that subject.” ―Earl Nightingale

12. “Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.” ―Alan
Moore

13. “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your
temper or self-confidence.” ―Robert Frost

14. “Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.” ―Terry Goodkind

15. “Our job is obvious: We need to get out of the way, shine a light, and empower a
new generation to teach itself and to go further and faster than any generation
ever has.” ―Seth Godin