“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Isn’t life beautiful? All it takes is a minute to admire the sunrise (assuming you’re up early enough) or another person’s smile. But often we miss out on great things like this because we’re too busy with work or other distractions. What a shame.

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; the pessimist fears this is true.” – James Branch Cabell

Cultivating gratitude is so important. It’s about taking a few minutes everyday to think about all the great things in your life. The fact that you’re reading this implies there have got to be plenty of those. Why not start a journal and reflect on all the things, both big and small, that make your life special? It sure beats complaining about traffic!

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens

A great way to realise how good you have it is to consider the lives of those less fortunate. There are millions of people all over the world who need our help. We can’t simply stand by and leave them to fend for themselves. We need to take a stand and do whatever we can to alleviate their pain.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson

Ultimately, we all have a desire for contribution. It’s a human need instilled deeply in us all. It’s not about gaining recognition or admiration from your peers; it’s about acting selflessly to help those in need. It also doesn’t take a lot to make a difference. Simply talking about a problem is a step to solving it. Everything else builds from there.

“If the good has a cause, it is no longer the good; if it has a consequence – a reward – it is also not the good” – Leo Tolstoy

In closing, I’d like to offer a quote from Melody Beattie: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

(For more resources and tips, download your free copy of “Work in Progress” exclusively from www.varsityblah.com/about and read this too)

“Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.” – H.L. Mencken

As a follow-up to last week’s post on values for life, I thought I’d share some ancient wisdom from Confucius. It’s my favourite quote from The Analects (also available in South Africa) and I think it captures the essence of living a principled life. Clearly, the man is timeless for a reason!

“There are nine things the gentleman turns his thought to: to seeing clearly when he uses his eyes, to hearing acutely when he uses his ears, to looking cordial when it comes to his countenance, to appearing respectful when it comes to his demeanour, to being conscientious when he speaks, to being reverent when he performs his duties, to seek advice when he is in doubt, to the consequences when he is enraged, and to what is right at the sight of gain.”

(Eugene Yiga is the editor of Varsity Blah and his latest book is available free, exclusively from www.varsityblah.com/about)

“When I do good, I feel good and when I do bad, I feel bad. That is my religion.”- Abraham Lincoln

Several months ago, I was going through some of my old journals when I came across a little gem. It was a ten-point “manifesto” I wrote after first reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People way back in high school. Even though I wrote it ages ago, it still feels relevant to me and I hope it’s relevant to you too. Here goes…

I will value the innate beauty present in all people. We may all be different in many ways, but we’re ultimately more alike than not and remembering that helps.

I will be empathic to the needs and feelings of others. Take the time to really understand where other people are coming from and consequently connecting in meaningful ways.

I will maintain balance between courage and consideration. Stand up for yourself by being assertive but don’t cross the line to aggression.

I will be realistic in my expectations of life. Not all things will work out perfectly and keeping this in mind will save you a lot of unnecessary stress.

I will be open and honest regarding my thoughts and feelings. Don’t feel guilty about having an opinion and wanting to express it because you deserve to have a say.

I will control the things I can and ignore the things I can’t. Learn to accept the fact that there are a lot of things that you have no power over and instead focus on the things you can actually change.

I will take full responsibility for my happiness. It’s not about waiting for circumstances to change; it’s about taking the initiative to change them yourself.

I will seize each day and utilise all opportunities for development and growth. Life is short so don’t waste any time when it comes to following your dreams.

I will actively nurture my body, mind, heart, and soul. Life is a gift and needs to be treated as such.

I will always value who I am and not base that value on the opinions of others. Have a strong sense of worth and learn to love who you are regardless of what others may think.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain

(For more resources and tips, download your free copy of “Work in Progress” exclusively from www.varsityblah.com/about)