Day Six: Money Isn't Everything...

At some point, your life will become less about what's pricey, than it is about what's priceless. Be sure to save the best parts of you for the moment when that happens.

People are far too obsessed with labels these days. It's all about whose name your wearing: If it's not (insert latest designer name here), then it's garbage. Or, if you're still wearing shoes by so and so, then you need to get caught up.

Well, my philosophy has always been, if it feels good, looks good, and the price is right, then I'm all over it—but I realize I'm in the minority. The point is, trends change. What was hot a year ago is not likely as hot now and chasing after what's "in" is bound to drive you crazy at some point.

You have to begin to understand the part of you that isn't obsessed or concerned about the materials you possess. You have to become cognizant that, in order to grow, you have to be deeper than the surface.

Why?

Well, believe it or not, at some point material things will play a secondary role in your life.  You'll want more for yourself than just a nod of approval from your "crew". You'll want to know that you are respected—no matter who you're wearing—because you are a person of quality and dignity.

Am I saying that there's something evil or wrong with wearing designer clothing? Absolutely not. But, when you take those labels and make them a criteria for judging the worth of yourself or others, then that's a problem.

It may sound cheesy but, in the long term, what do you want people to say about you when you're gone: that you were a great dresser or you were a great person?

Think about it.

Day Five: Change Is....Good?

People are who they are. You can try and change them but, in your attempts at doing so, ask yourself this: would you be open to someone trying to change you?

You hear a lot of chatter, particularly in relationships, about a person who seems unwilling to compromise. He or she just isn't willing to bend long enough to understand "my perspective", "my needs", or "my point of view". The belief behind that is simple: if they do things my way, things would be much better between us.

Understand something, most people aren't willing to be changed by any one person. They feel good about who they are and what they've done and, honestly, if their philosophy on life and dealing with people has, successfully, gotten them this far, why should they feel that doing things your way will be any better?

The important thing to do when you recognize an incompatibility, is to see just how much of an issue it truly is in your relationship. Is it a deal-breaker? Does it truly change the dynamic of your communication approach so much that you find yourself unhappy? Is it something you simply cannot live with?

If the answer to any of those questions is a solid yes, perhaps the only change you should be making is in the person you've chosen to spend your life with.

Nobody is perfect, so the best decision you can make for yourself where relationships are concerned is to not allow your time to be wasted by any one who isn't on the same page as you because, no matter what your circumstance, we are all worthy of a life more divine than the one we'll just settle for.

Day Four: Free Thinking Individual…

Your mind is Your own. You can think what You like, have an opinion on whatever You want, and know that there is very little that any one can do about it.

The beauty of living in a free country is you don't have to apologize for being an individual. So long as your beliefs don't infringe upon another's right to live, you can pretty well do and say as you please. So, why do people feel a need to follow the "herd mentality"?

You see, it's one thing to research and take on an issue because it genuinely moves you, but it's quite another to take something on because some television host told you it was important.

Chances are, if it wasn't that important to you before, it won't remain so for very long after, therefore you've wasted the personal efforts of yourself and the time of those truly devoted on an endeavor you didn't care that much about in the first place.

Be your own person.

Discover the things in this world that mean something to you—even if they seem ridiculous—and give those things your all. But, by all means, do it because YOU want to, not because someone else said you should.

Day Three: Friendships Shouldn't Be Built On Lies...

You Weren't put on this earth to be a 'yes man'. If youHave to be that in order to remain A person's friend, keep walking, life is too short to spend it kissing someone's backside.

A true friend isn't going to be critical of you for having an opinion. There are always situations where your silence or tact are necessary, but you should never be okay with compromising your beliefs for the sake of pleasing another.

The true definition of friendship lay in the ability of two people to be honest with one another, no matter what the circumstance, and to, within that honesty, find comfort in the knowledge that it comes from a place of respect and love. If that can't happen, the friendship is doomed to fail because neither of you is "keeping it real".

Leave the phoniness at the door where your long-term relationships are concerned. No one needs a union based on BS.

Day Two: Whose Life Are YOU Living?

You can either let others live for you or you can live your own life. Take a stand, be proud of who you are, and remember that you are your own legacy—leave something behind that you can be proud of.

It's a simple concept, really, most of us have no idea how to live our own life. We are all constantly influenced by the environment around us: people, places, commercials, television, movies, friends, colleagues, etc. There is, literally, no way of understanding where the "I" begins because it is so intertwined in the "we" of society.

So, how does one detach from the madness long enough to gain an understanding of who they actually are—minus the bull? Well, there are no hard-line answers to that question, but there is a methodology to it all that can make that act a lot easier:

1. Make a list of everything you think defines you.


2. Mark off all the items that relate to your profession, your material  possessions, and your education.


3. Now, look at that list...what's left?

If the answer is "nothing", you have a lot of work to do. However, if what you see in front of you is a list filled with possibilities, something you—the person—can build on, start from there.

The point is, no one is looking for you to lead a perfect life and, the pursuit of said perfection will never grant you the happiness that you're looking for. Stop wasting time looking for that elusive and fantasy-born ideology of a "happily ever after"—it's not there.

Start living the life that makes YOU happy and let that life make this world a better place to be present in—for you, for others, and for the legacy you haven't created yet.

Day One: Selfishness Is Sometimes Necessary

It's impossible to please everybody, so stop trying. Keep it simple, concentrate on you, and tell everyone else to take a number.

There's nothing wrong with being a little selfish.

Sometimes, in our desperate attempts to be kind, empathic, sympathetic, and productive, we forget that we are human first. We all need to be taken care of—even those of us who might not realize it. It's important to remember to take time for yourself—you are not obligated to set aside your needs for that of others. By doing so, you only serve to short-change yourself and them because you cannot fully commit yourself to one person, one project, or one act if you are spreading yourself thin.

Be the conduit through which all good things can flow, as opposed to the clog where all bad things build—eventually, sullying the good around you.

Even more, don't feel guilty for taking time to enhance you because, while no one should expect you to be perfect, there's nothing wrong with striving towards some semblance of excellence.