As you’re moving at the speed of life, it’s easy to overlook the basics – the simple, good decisions that make life sweeter.

Regardless of how we advance and grow as a society – with new technologies, skills, and ideals – the fundamentals in life haven’t changed. It’s still best to be cordial and kind, to keep an open mind, to make the most of what you have, to work hard for what you believe, to stand strong and learn from your mistakes when things go wrong, etc. If you aren’t doing so already, you’ve waited too long.

It’s time to…

Be present. – Being completely present is extremely important – being actively in the ‘here and now’ for yourself and for the ones you love. Fortunately, doing so is an easy thing to accomplish. It’s enough to simply take a few deep breaths, pay attention, and let go of thinking and planning for every other time and place. Just come back to where you are, breathe in, breathe out, and smile. You are right here, right now in this moment we call life, which is in itself a miracle worth paying attention to. Read The Power of Now . Leave the past behind you. – You act like it’s you against the world, but it’s really just you against yourself. You become a prisoner in your own mind when you cling to the pains of the past. Instead, be free and cling no more. If you’re brave enough to say “goodbye,” life will always reward you with a new “hello.” So keep your faith as you put one foot in front of the other; it won’t make things any easier, but it will make things possible. Make conscious choices. – All the choices you’ve made in your lifetime have brought you to this point. Where do you want to go next? You’ve learned many things from the path you’ve walked in the past. What do you wish to learn today? From an infinite pool of possibilities, you have selected specific goals and specific ways to spend your time. What are the possibilities that most interest you now? Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens because of you – it’s what you choose to think, do, and create in each moment. So what do you choose? Right now is an opportunity of a lifetime. Work hard for happiness. – You are allowed to cry. Extremely happy people cry too. The reason they are happy is because they understand that unhappy moments are fleeting. Instead of dragging them down, the weight of rejection, the disappointment of failure, and the pain of heartache fuels them. It motivates them to make positive changes going forward. Because they realize that happiness is NOT a fleeting state of mind; it’s is a lifestyle choice that requires the willingness to work through the tears, and do what’s necessary to make tomorrow a better day. Start DOING. – Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from what you can do. No more excuses, no more wasting precious time. This moment is as good a time as any to begin doing what matters most. Start exactly where you are right now. Do what you can with what you have right now. Stop over-thinking and start DOING! Read Getting Things Done . Take baby steps. – It only takes a couple minutes to make a little progress, and a little progress quickly adds up. It only takes a couple seconds to express a little kindness, and a little kindness can mean all the difference in the world to those around you. It only takes a simple attitude adjustment to build a little positivity, and little positivity is what makes great things possible. Get in the habit of making small positive changes like these, and soon you’ll be experiencing big accomplishments that once seemed entirely out of reach. Halt the negative judgments. – Don’t speak if it’s not kind; speak only words of kindness. Don’t see everyone’s flaws; look for the good in people. Don’t listen to everything you’re told about others; not everything is truth. Be careful placing judgment upon someone, for you are unaware of the battles they are fighting. Instead, pay closer attention – figure out why they live the way they do. Every person in this life has something to teach you, and as soon as you accept this you open yourself to truly listening and learning. Give yourself more credit. – What if you started giving yourself more credit? What if, for today, you choose to believe that you have enough, you are enough, and that you’ve come far enough to be worthy? What if, for today, you choose to believe that you’re strong enough, wise enough, kind enough, and loved enough to move forward? What if, as the sun sets on today, you choose to believe that you did a pretty good job? And what if tomorrow morning, you choose to believe it all over again? Read Awaken the Giant Within . Appreciate the good life you have. – The secret to a good life is to pay more attention to the beginnings than the endings. So many people say they want a new life, but then they take the new one they get every morning for granted. Don’t do this. Don’t wait until your life is almost over to realize how great it has been. The good life begins right now, when you stop wanting a better one.