1.  What would make you proud of yourself?

　　When you follow your heart and intuition, people won’t always agree with you.  When you find something that makes you happy, not everyone will be happy for you.  When you show unwavering kindness to others, some people will question your motives.  When you are honest to the core, some folks will attempt to use your honesty against you.  When you look for the best in everyone you meet, a few of them will take advantage of it.

　　Don’t let any of these people stop you from doing these things.  These people don’t matter.  In the end, what does matter is how you feel about yourself and the life you have led.  You will ask yourself one question: “Am I proud of how I lived?”  Make the answer: “Yes!”  Read 1,000 Little Things.

　　2.  How can you make a positive difference?

　　Even when it seems like a hopeless effort, do the right thing.  Always live firmly by the forces of love and truth.  The bullies and cheats who seem unstoppable in the short term always fall from power in the end.  Love and truth always rise to the top.

　　Keep injecting your goodness into the world, one small act at a time.  It’s these small acts of goodness stacked together that eventually change the world.  You may never see the full result of your positive actions, but they will be accounted for and realized in time.  If you do nothing, there will be no result – no positive change ever.

　　3.  What are you trying to accomplish and why?

　　Know the answer to this simple question and remind yourself of it every single day.  You must identify, without any doubt, the specific reason you do the work you do.  Success can only occur when there is a target and a reason to hit it.

　　When you have a reason to do something, you have a legitimate purpose behind your efforts.  When you connect this reason to a desired result, you’re able to summon the discipline and persistence necessary to get the job done.  Give yourself a good reason and you will find a way to succeed.  Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

　　4.  What are the roadblocks standing in your way?

　　A roadblock is only a roadblock if you don’t know about it.  If you know about it, it’s just a challenge.  Look around and evaluate the challenges you face; within them lie the opportunities to make lasting progress.  You are in the best position to make the most of these opportunities, because you know exactly where you are, where you want to go, and what resources you have at your disposal.

　　Remember that the roughest roads often lead to the top, and the best way to get over a roadblock is to go through it.  Thus, you must run toward your challenges with all your might, because the easiest way through them is to trample them beneath your feet.  You have what it takes right now.  You know what you must do and you know why.  Step confidently into your challenges until you reach the road on the other side.

　　5.  What’s the next step?

　　Remember, you will never make a bigger mistake than sitting back and doing nothing simply because you can only do a little.  So go head and start small.  Take a small step, and if you can’t take a small step, take a tiny one.  Do what you can with the resources you have right now.  Get yourself moving in a positive, productive direction.

　　The best thing about big success is that it comes one step at a time.  A flash of success, no matter how small, creates the momentum necessary to create even more success.  Every positive step forward puts you in position to take the next one.

　　6.  What are your flaws and faults?

　　You will never be flawless.  You will never be faultless.  Acknowledge your flaws and faults and accept them.  Let the difference between your flaws and the flaws of others be that you have accepted their existence and moved past them, while others are hopelessly trying to hide them.  Let the difference between your faults and the faults of others be that you have addressed them and learned from them, while others are still living in denial.

　　Don’t fall victim to fabricated illusions.  Don’t hide from reality.  Face your deficiencies and use them to bask in the glory of your personal growth.  Read The Untethered Soul.

　　7.  What issues do you need to resolve with yourself?

　　When you feel lonely you look around for someone to fill the void in your life.  You assume that your loneliness stems exclusively from being alone.  But once you find company, it doesn’t take long before you realize that there’s still a void in your life.  You still feel lonely and unfulfilled, so you blame it on your company and you move on to someone else… and then someone else.  This cycle perpetuates for months, or even years, until you are eventually ready to face the truth.

　　The truth is, a partner, or even just a friend, can add lots of beauty to your life, but they can’t fill a void that exists within you.  You alone are responsible for you own fulfillment.  If you feel desperately lonely when you’re alone, it means you’re in bad company.  It means you need to work on your relationship with yourself first.  To believe otherwise is to delude your mind and perpetuate your loneliness as you hop from one failed relationship to the next.

　　8.  How are you burdening yourself?

　　If you feel like your back is breaking from the weight your mind is carrying, perhaps it’s time to lighten the load you carry.  There are many burdens you can easily let go of if you’re willing.

　　Start by leaving your worries behind you; worries only fill your mind with negativity.  Instead take constructive action – get involved in something worthwhile that takes your mind off of things.  Next, drop your grudges.  Grudges and resentments simply suck energy and time away from you without any positive return.  Once you’ve gotten this far, it’s time to stop pretending like you know everything.  Rather than attempting to prove yourself, open your mind, eyes and ears to new and real possibilities.  And before you wrap things up, let go of your impatience.  Two of the most vital virtues of your personal growth will be your patience to wait for the right moment and your courage to make the best of it.

　　As you can see, dropping burdensome negativity from your life is fairly easy once you realize how much of it you’re carrying around with you.  Do yourself a favor today and lighten your load.

　　9.  How have you celebrated your progress lately?

　　Focus on the progress you’ve made, on the next positive step, on the silver lining between where you once were, where you are now, and where you’re headed.  Do not think of yesterday’s failures, but of the success that is possible today.

　　Be proud of yourself.  The fact that you’re trying is immensely impressive.  You have conquered complacency.  You are crushing your fears with every new effort you put forth.  You aren’t where you want to be yet, but you’re making progress.  Step by step will get you there.  Even if you feel like you’re running in place, you aren’t.  No effort that you make to attain something worthwhile is ever lost.  It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t give up.  Read The Success Principles.

　　10.  What do you love about your life?

　　Life is a series of highs and lows.  There will be times when bad things happen.  When these times strike, it’s important to keep things in perspective.  How you respond to life’s inevitable difficulties defines the strength and growth of your character, as well as the quality of your life.  The idea that you are a victim of any particular circumstance is simply inaccurate.

　　The fleeting ups and downs that occur on a daily basis are tiny threads in the overall fabric of your life.  Each one adds to your personal growth.  The quality of your life is ultimately your choice.  You can choose to be immobilized by the gravity of your disappointments, or you can choose to rise from the suffering and treasure the most precious gift you have – life itself.