1. Positivity – The things you think about, focus on, and surround yourself with ultimately shape who you become. Choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills your heart, the peace that rests deep within your spirit, and the voice of hope that whispers, “All things are possible.” Right now, pause for a moment and repeat after me: “What I think about and thank about, I will bring about in my life.” Read The How of Happiness.

2. Patience – Using time, pressure and patience, the universe gradually changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds. You’re being worked on too, so hang in there. Just because something isn’t happening for you right now, doesn’t mean it will never happen.

3. Courage – It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you aren’t really living at all – you’re merely existing. You cannot always wait for the perfect time; sometimes you must dare to jump. Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage – just literally twenty seconds of uncomfortable bravery – and I promise you, something great will come of it.

4. Love – When love is your guiding light, you can break through barriers to be of loving service to the world. Gaining the courage and confidence to stand up for what you believe in is not always easy, but it’s fully within your reach. Focus on things that make you the most YOU – that bring out the best of you, that make you better than you were yesterday, and that allow you to shine your light into the space around you. Read The Mastery of Love.

5. Truth – Tell the truth, or eventually someone will tell it for you. Living a life of honesty creates peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless. Period. Don’t be dishonest and don’t put up with people who are.

6. Confession – Don’t criticize others for their flaws if you are not willing to confess your own. Whatever we refuse to confess about ourselves has a way of rearing its head and making itself known when we least expect it.

7. Appreciation – Sometimes we end up cheating on others and ourselves simply because we pay more attention to what we’re missing, rather than what we have. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, think about what you have that everyone else is missing.

8. Responsibility – In every situation you have ever been in, positive or negative, the one common thread is you. Responsibility means recognizing that regardless of what has happened up to this point in your life, you are capable of making choices to change your situation, or to change the way you think about it. Read Unleash the Warrior Within.

9. Growth – You can choose to let your past define you and confine you, or you can choose to learn, grow, and leave it behind you. Just like the seasons, you have the ability to change. In many ways, you already have.

10. Persistence – All things are difficult before they are easy. It’s not about falling, it’s about getting back up. Success is not a skill, it is a persistent attitude.