Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars,

and see yourself running with them.

?Marcus Aurelius

Your life story is an expression of who you are; the words you choose to use shape this story. Your words create the essence of your inner culture and the core of your identity and destiny.

How have you written your story so far? Have you put your words to positive use? If I eavesdropped on your self-talk or your conversations with others, would I hear statements that create happiness, or statements that refute it?

Your ability to write a happy life story hinges on your language. It is your inner and outer verbal expression that makes your joy possible and that infuses your life with purpose, meaning and vitality.

So today I challenge you to say…

1. “I have a choice.”

It is not your talents or abilities, but your choices that ultimately decide your fate.

You ARE your choices.

Until you can look at yourself in the mirror and honestly say, “I have a choice. I am here now because of the choices I’ve made in the past,” you will never be able to say, “I choose differently.”

2. “Let’s get started!”

You can’t build anything wonderful with ideas of what you are going to do someday. If you want something, you have to make a little noise, declare it and then get started.

A goal is far more than a mental exercise. In fact, without the intent of action a goal is nothing more than a lie. Make your decisions real and present in your life; give them the time and attention they deserve.

In the end it doesn’t matter what you’re thinking, it matters what you’re doing. Whatever you want to accomplish, it’s time to get started. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .

3. “I have what it takes.”

The worst enemy of today is your self-doubt. The moment you doubt whether you can do something is the moment it becomes impossible for you.

You have to believe in yourself. You have to trust yourself. You might be nervous, but don’t you ever let any source of negativity in the world convince you that you don’t have what it takes.

Give yourself a pep talk if you need one. State some facts, some evidence of your greatness. Recall your past victories. Speak them out loud – “I aced that test.” “I earned that big raise.” “I ran that 5K without stopping.” “My best friend loved my wedding speech.” And so on and so forth… Give a positive voice to your past victories and you will find the strength to repeat history.

4. “Hello, how can I help you?”

In life, you get what you put in.

Generally speaking, the unhappiest people you will ever meet will be those who are utterly self-absorbed; the happiest people you will ever meet will be those who lose themselves in the joy and challenge of helping others.

Happiness is always attained by giving it away without expectation. Those who help others are eventually helped. You have two hands, one to help yourself and the other to help those around you. If you can lie down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone’s day just a little brighter, you have something to smile about. Read 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.

5. “Look how far I’ve come.”

The way you move a mountain is by moving one stone at a time. Every stone you move, no matter how small, is progress.

Sometimes it may be hard to see your progress. Sometimes it will be frustrating when the results you seek don’t appear as quickly as you had hoped. Still, you are advancing. You may be moving along slowly, but you are still moving a mountain.

Achievement, after all, is an enduring process, not a single event. To achieve any worthwhile goal you must cover a lot of ground. You need to learn what works by trial and error. You must explore possibilities, many of which will only show you what doesn’t work. Just keep in mind that the mistakes and setbacks are a vital part of the process.

Take a break every now and then and pat yourself on the back. Applaud yourself for doing what needs to be done. And be careful not to spend so much time looking at how far you still have to go, that you forget to appreciate how far you’ve already come.

6. “I have more than enough to be happy.”

The happiest of people aren’t the luckiest, and they usually don’t have the best of everything either. They simply make the most of everything they do have. The reason so many people are unhappy is because they tend to look at what’s missing in their life, instead of what’s present.

Take a stand and flip the switch. Stop wishing you had more. Stop wishing you were somewhere else. Stop wishing you looked like someone else. Love your quirks enough to let them shine. Appreciate your body and use it to it’s full potential. Appreciate the things you have that so many others dream about. Scream it out loud if you must: “I am lucky to be alive! I am happy to be me right now! I have way more than I need and so much to be grateful for! My life isn’t perfect, it’s just pretty darn good!” Read The Happiness Project .

7. “ … ”

That blank space denoted by “ … ” is no mistake. That space represents silence.

Silence is soothing. Silence is peace. Silence is divine.

The more silent you are, the more you can hear yourself think.

Have you ever heard the silence just before the sun peaks over the horizon? Or the hush of a country road at midnight? Or the peaceful calm just after a thunderstorm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence in the back of your city library, or the eager pause of an auditorium full of people when the lights dim for the main event, or, best of all, the moment just after the front door shuts and you suddenly have the whole house to yourself?

Each silent moment is different, yet all are beautiful if you listen carefully. Leave enough space in your day to enjoy the space between the commotions. Say nothing, think quietly, just be and breathe.

The floor is yours…

What would you add to the list? What’s something positive (perhaps an affirmation) we all should say every day? Please reply below and let us know.