Using quotes to build self-confidence is a very effective strategy. The great people of history have our respect. I have picked a few to develop your self-confidence and remove the nagging self-doubt which is crippling you.

Put these quotes where you can see them. On your dashboard, desk, phone, any place you visit. This will help you remember them when you are overwhelmed.

Here are four quotes from famous people that deal with self-doubt.

William Shakespeare

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” - William Shakespeare

Self-doubt is crippling because it stops us in our tracks. It tricks us into believing not to try at all. He talks about fear. Like it or not, fear is the root of self-doubt, and we’ll never know what good we’re missing out on because of it. Treat those feelings of doubts like the traitors Mr. Shakespeare recognized them as. Fight them, ignore them, do whatever you have to do to keep them from forcing you into “fearing to attempt” to do what you’ve set out to do.  

Dale Carnegie

"It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." – Dale Carnegie

So often we focus on what we have, who we are, or who we think we should be, that we forget about being happy. Instead, we let the self-doubt creep in and question everything we do, everything we are, and everything we have accomplished. Don't let self-doubt destroy your happiness. Instead, make it a habit to think about all the good you've done and everything you've accomplished so far. And the key creating this or any practice is to make yourself do it every single day until it becomes a habit. Stick the quote by Mr. Carnegie on your bathroom mirror and use it as a reminder to practice thinking about all your positive accomplishments.  

Robert Frost

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

Here’s an interesting quote by Robert Frost that has an essential lesson about doubt in general and self-doubt in particular in it. It’s not evident at first glance, but in our context, this quote is all about making choices – even the unpopular ones and sticking to them. Self-doubt is often fueled by a lack of confidence in ourselves. And the end result is not taking action on anything. Instead, we become paralyzed into not doing anything, lest we make the wrong choice, or not choose the right road. Frost teaches us that it’s ok to use the road less traveled. The only wrong choice when you come to a fork in the road is not to make any choice at all. Standing there at the fork in the road without choosing your path is what gets you stuck. Make a choice and see it through and who knows where your path will lead you.  

J.K. Rowling 

“Failure is a stripping away of the inessential. “ – J.K. Rowling

It’s an interesting idea, isn’t it? We are so afraid of failure, when it may just be something we should embrace instead. Because when we fail, we learn. Think back to your childhood days. You made lots and lots of mistakes every single day. You had to make every single one of those of errors to get to where you are today. Yet, as adults, we suddenly expect to get it all right on the first try. Take that pressure off yourself and embrace failure. Look at it as a way to get down to what’s truly important and essential. This little shift in perception takes away the bad feeling and self-doubt associated with fear. And suddenly fear no longer paralyzes us into not doing anything, but instead motivates us to take massive action, fail fast and get to the solution that actually works.

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I was talking to Todd today. This story came to mind. It helped me keep the course and not quit many a time. I thought I would retell it here for you. Maybe it will help you as it did me.

Once a little boy was playing outdoors and found a fascinating caterpillar. He carefully picked it up and took it home to show his mother. He asked his mother if he could keep it, and she said he could if he would take good care of it.

The little boy got a large jar from his mother and put plants to eat, and a stick to climb on, in the jar. Every day he watched the caterpillar and brought it new plants to eat.

One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting strangely. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon. The mother explained to the boy how the caterpillar was going to go through a metamorphosis and become a butterfly.

The little boy was thrilled to hear about the changes his caterpillar would go through. He watched every day, waiting for the butterfly to emerge. One day it happened, a small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle to come out.

At first, the boy was excited, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard to get out! It looked like it couldn’t break free! It looked desperate! It looked like it was making no progress!

The boy was so concerned he decided to help. He ran to get scissors and then walked back (because he had learned not to run with scissors…). He snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger and the butterfly quickly emerged!

As the butterfly came out the boy was surprised. It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the swollen body. He knew that in time the body would shrink and the butterfly’s wings would expand.

            But neither happened!

The butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly…

As the boy tried to figure out what had gone wrong his mother took him to talk to a scientist from a local college. He learned that the butterfly was SUPPOSED to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly. The boy’s good intentions hurt the butterfly.

As you go through school, and life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any growth experience. In fact, it is the struggle that causes you to develop your ability to fly.

As instructors, our gift to you is stronger wings…

via Butterfly Struggle Story

Image by smarko from Pixabay

Repetition is a powerful tool that helps us learn and master skills. When someone takes piano lessons, they will be given a series of exercises to repeat. These tasks are usually scales and arpeggios. But, after the student masters these they are given more difficult exercises to practice.

Learning a foreign language also requires repetition. By repeating unfamiliar words or using them in sentences, it will become more natural for the learner. People study the words, and they repeat them until they understand what they mean.

In sports, we find repetition in drills, etc. Coaches give the players a series of drills to repeat until it becomes second nature. When the player masters the skill, they won’t even need to be told to use them. Coaches only need to help the players put together a plan on when to use them.

When we were given homework in school, it was often in the form of repeatable tasks. Think back to when you had to learn multiplication tables. You simply keep repeating these until you could rattle them off without effort.

The biggest problem with repetition is people get bored. We love new experiences and the excitement that comes with them. But, when we must repeat tasks often we would rather be doing something else. That is why it’s difficult to bring ourselves to practice the piano or repeat the same words when learning a foreign language, etc.

To help alleviate the boredom of repetitive tasks, you should try to limit the time spent on them. It’s better to practice something in short durations consistently than to try and put several hours into the repetitive tasks. The key is consistency. Try to practice your skills for 15 or 20 minutes per day and then step away from it.

Another problem with repetition is we tend to fall back on it, right when we should be surging ahead. This concept is known as a plateau. When you repeat something to the point that you get good at it, you feel satisfied that you can do the task. When you try to advance to a new level, you tend to revert to this previous task and level. If this happens, try to focus on how you felt when you become skilled at the previous task. That can help you look forward to mastering the new one.

Sometimes, you may need to revisit a previously mastered skill. For instance, after you have mastered it, you set it aside and forget about it. You are a little rusty when you revisit it. The good news is it won’t take much to get it back by using repetition.

You always have good intentions, yet procrastination cripples you. You find yourself looking for the magic wand on how to overcome procrastination. Here are 10 action steps that will lead you to become the person you always admired.

1. Set a Goal:

Let your mind develop a picture of the result you want. Now that you have the goal set, putting together an action plan will be easier. With the pictured outcome and a plan of action, you are armed for success.

2. Clear Your Mind:

Begin by clearing your mind of the clutter. Like a computer that is overloaded it crashes. You restart the computer and this gives you a fresh start. Put the pen to the paper and just write down every thought that comes to you. No editing necessary. Now your mind is clear and the plan of action is on the screen.

3. Make a List:

Write down the actions you will take the following day.  This is the work order your sub-conscious mind needs to develop a plan to accomplish the actions you have listed.

4. Small Steps:

We have devalued the penny to where it is worthless. No matter how you count it takes 100 pennies to make a dollar. It is the same with small steps. We have devalued small steps, always looking for the big score. Start taking small steps and you will bring back that sense of accomplishment to your life.

5. Be Accountable:

Pick a safe person to tell about your plan on how to overcome procrastination. This will help motivate you to take action. It is easy to tell yourself some silly excuse, but telling another person the same silly excuse will not be as easy. Talking about your accomplishments will give you a sense of pride. You will also get feedback on the steps you plan to take. Brainstorming is by product of these accountability sessions.

6. Remove Distractions:

Block out a period of time when you will take some action. No email, phone calls and social media and you will increase productivity. A singleness of purpose will get you to your desired goal faster than multi-tasking.

7. Change Your Mindset:

Use affirmations to change the negative scripts you have been telling yourself. Envision an action taker and give yourself the starring role in this movie. Do this all in the present tense. You have been doing this in the future tense and that has failed.

8. Stop Waiting For The Perfect Time:

The perfect time is very elusive. Few are the ones that find it. Right now is all you will ever have.  Start where you are with what you have.  These are the ingredients for the "Perfect Storm".

9. Be Consistent:

Do something every day that will lead you towards the end result you are looking for. This is how you discipline yourself and develop the habits you need to overcome procrastination.

10. Remove Analysis Paralysis:

Start making mistakes is the way to remove analysis paralysis from your life. Second guessing yourself and over-worrying about getting it wrong are crippling traits. No one has ever failed by making a mistake. You only fail when you quit trying.  When you make a mistake you will see a new path to achieve the desired result. Using these 10 action steps is how to overcome procrastination.

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If you genuinely want to be your best you, to have a happy and healthy life, you need to learn the critical elements for creating healthy boundaries. Boundaries are being clear about what your limits are, and they are necessary to ensure you do not get overwhelmed by the demands of other people. Without limitations, you are likely to be overburdened, stressed, and resentful, and it is up to you to set and maintain your limits.  You are responsible for your happiness and wellbeing. No one else can do it for you.

If you find it hard to say no, and it is affecting your wellbeing, you need to stop and recalibrate. Here are some critical elements for creating healthy boundaries:

1. Know your limits

Knowing yourself is the key to building and maintaining your personal boundaries. Know your emotional, mental, and physical limits. Work out what makes you feel uncomfortable or stressed and what feels right.

2. Learn how to read your feelings

In assessing where your limits are, you will have felt a range of different emotions. Two basic emotions that signal that your boundaries are being crossed are resentment and discomfort. If you think you are being taken advantage of, not appreciated, or even being exploited, that is a sign you are being pushed beyond your boundaries, and it is time to reassert those boundaries and say no.

3. Give yourself permission to enforce your boundaries

It is okay to say no. In fact, it is necessary for your self-respect to maintain your boundaries and refuse an unwelcome request.  Quilt and self-doubt will be the two things you will wrestle with when staying true to yourself. Having clear boundaries and sticking to them is not selfish. In putting yourself first, you are ensuring that you will have the energy to do the things you want to do and be there for people when it is right for you.

4. Be clear about what's up for negotiation

Know what you need to stay happy and healthy, whether it is your daily walk, a social get together, or alone time. Make it clear that these are non-negotiable parts of your regular schedule. Similarly, be clear that you will not host family parties, but you will contribute with food or drinks. Being clear and direct about your boundaries leaves no room for doubt, guilt, or leverage.

5. Be direct

When you are clear about your boundaries, you do not need an excuse, a backstory, or a second party's approval. Be direct and leave it at that. You can be polite and kind about it, but in the end, it is okay just to say no and keep your boundaries strong.

This may look like an overwhelming task. Implementing the critical elements for creating healthy boundaries may be the hardest thing you ever do in your life. So give yourself the credit you deserve when starting this task of following the 5 points to creating healthy boundaries in your life. Having some that will keep you accountable to your boundaries is very helpful. Make a boundary that any success in implementing healthy boundaries is to be celebrated.

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Happy, successful people know how to use the power of positivity in your life. They know what they want and use their outlook to get it.

The movers and shakers in this life spend their time talking and thinking about how to achieve what they want from life. Focus your thoughts on happy things; your body will release endorphins. These endorphins give a feeling of well-being. Take time to let yourself absorb this feeling. It will not take long to acquire a positive attitude.

The Importance of Optimism

Psychological testing shows optimism allows them to live a better life. This quality that successful people use, the power of positivity, is within everyone's reach. If you think your case is different, stop, optimism is a learned behavior. If you were lucky enough to grow up in this atmosphere, good for you. If not find positive people and surround yourself with them.

The Happy Find The Good In The World

The optimists have two distinct ways of dealing with the world. Positivity is the advantage they have:

• First, they have pictures of their dreams. They stay focused on their vision and educate themselves on how to achieve it. They also remain confident in fulfilling their dream.
• Second, the optimist's do not feel like a victim in problematic situations. When things start to go south, they filter the lesson and use the knowledge to improve their performance.
Whatever you focus on will become larger. Actively look for the best in every person and situation will give you a cheerful, positive attitude.

The Power Of Positive Thinking
Optimists look at events logically and stay in control of their emotions. They do not seek to lay blame outside themselves. Putting blame takes up too much of the most precious thing we have, time.

Positive thinking has several benefits for your life:
Motivation: Discipline and positivity are traits of a sharp mind. Pessimistic thoughts result in adverse actions. To reshape your future, replace pessimism with optimism.

Healthy Relationships: Birds of a feather, flock together. Surround yourself with happy, successful people, and you will attract more positive thinking people into your life. Trusting people are positive people. Without trust, you can not build strong relationships. It is in our DNA to seek faith.

Confidence: Negativity corrodes our self-esteem and confidence. Loving yourself is the key to a happy future. Optimists glow, stand taller, love freely, and laugh at themselves.

Healthy Mind & Body: Negative thoughts suck the life out of you physically and mentally. Insomnia and struggling to rise in the morning are side-effects of negative thinking. Your mind and body will pay the price of fatigue, weakness, depression, and lack of motivation because of negative thoughts.

Choose Happiness
Is the glass half full or half empty, the choice is yours. Be grateful for what you have instead of what you do not have. Most people are honest and kind. Look at people and see they are doing the best they can with what they have. Tom T. Hall says it best "Lord do not let me judge them, but if I do, let me give them lots of room."
It is easy to be happy when you are dealt good cards. Your real character shows through when you play every hand with enthusiasm. Develop the power of positivity in your life; it will pay off.

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Once you build self-confidence, your life will take a turn for the better. Building confidence you will start to take risks. This puts you on the road to a brighter future, which before you could only dream about. When you establish the habit of taking risks, you put fear behind you. Self-confidence is the process of admitting you have things you dread doing, yet you are willing to push through and find a way to keep your fears from ruling your life. Feel the fear, just do not succumb to the fear. From here go out and build self-confidence for a better life.

Take Responsibility

When you establish self-confidence, you have gained control of your life. You will learn to accept the consequences of your actions good or bad. A self-confident individual will feel motivated to take responsibility while honestly looking at their mistakes and incorporating what they learned into their next adventure. Self-confident individuals will be at the head of the line when an opportunity presents itself.

The paradox is when you are willing to take risks to better your life, you are actually more relaxed. You will relax when plans go awry. An example, you had plans to accomplish something outdoors, and the weather changes you shift gears and find something else to do with your time and are just as happy with this activity.

You will need to learn how to trust yourself if you wish to be successful at bettering your life. A side-effect of believing in yourself is you will be able to trust others. Putting trust in others is difficult to do, yet when you trust yourself, you have the capacity to trust others. Sometimes your faith may be misplaced. Through experiencing your own failings, you are able to forgive others of theirs and move on.

Take Risks

You have a creative and analytical mind. Using both the creative and analytical as a team, you will create a life beyond your wildest dreams. Getting comfortable taking risks lets you entertain new ideas, that before would have been discounted as ridiculous. This world is full of options. You are the only one that can implement them in your life.

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More often then not, you will feel uncomfortable. This is a normal side-effect of taking risks. Keep your eye on the goal, and you will be willing to accept these painful times. The willingness comes because you can no longer accept the status quo. You must create "Your Hearts Desire." 

The key that unlocks the door of happiness is acceptance. When you learn to accept both the good times and the bad times, you have now entered a new dimension of existence where the outside world does not dictate how you feel. If you still use the events happening around you as the primary source for your feelings, reread this article and try again.

Do not tell yourself this must be what God wants for me. Dream big and go for it.  We put limitations on ourselves, no one else.  You are the only one who can build self-confidence for a better life.

People have a lot of different views about what it takes to succeed and what success indeed is. Believe it or not, success is not so much about what you achieve and your position in life, but the courage you had to stick it out and stay there, the journey that got you there in the first place and continues to keep you there.

You need the courage to hold on to your success. That courage and resilience are genuinely strong traits, not the achievement itself. Winston Churchill said it best, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

In this article, we are going to explain how success is not necessarily about the place you reach, but the courage it took you to get there. By the end of this article, we hope you will have the drive to show courage and resilience in fighting to hold onto your success.

Success is not final

As the famous quotation from Winston Churchill starts, “success is not final.” It is not a state that, once you reach it, you can not lose. You have to work to keep your success, and that work takes courage. You can not give in to failure, obstacles, or any other challenges. That courage and resilience will define your character as a successful individual. Successful people never give up or back down.

You can always come back from failure

No matter how bad the failure seems, there’s still a way back. There is always something you can do to come back from the defeat, so long as you dare to stick it out and get through it. That courage defines more of your success than achieving success in the first place. Success is not something you merely achieve and keep; you have to hang on to it and fight for it.

Your courage speaks for more than any success you achieve

Sure, achieving success in the first place is a feat, but holding on to it is the real success. The courage takes to overcome obstacles, potential failure, and hold on to your success no matter what speaks far louder than achieving success. Some can fall into success, but those people are far more likely to lose it.

Do you know who you are? Knowing yourself is crucial when making decisions about a path you are about to take. Unless another person truly knows you, do not let them influence you. Chances are they will have you do what is right for them not you. They mean well but will be destructive in your life.   Taking an inventory of our weakness, strengths, what gives us personal satisfaction, and where our does stress come from will help guide us onto the road to finding our happiness and sense of accomplishment we all need and desire.

Having done this, writing in a journal will bring about a deeper understanding of our weakness, strengths, and what gives us that sense of personal satisfaction that will provide us with the focus to follow through to the goal of our choice. Here are 12 questions that will get you started. They are designed to get us in touch with our inner feelings and beliefs. With the clarity that comes from journaling making choices in relationships, work life, and our personal experience will be more satisfying.                                                                                       

1. What is truly important to you? Describe this in as much detail as possible.                                     
2. Describe your values and why you treasure them
3. Describe what you would fight for to keep from losing.
4. What brings out that sense of achievement and happiness?
5. What does your life to look like in 5 years, ten years
6. What are your unique talents or gifts?
7. In the next year, what skill would you like to develop?
8. Imagine yourself 20 years from now, what would you regret not doing?
9. Describe your most significant achievement to date.
10. Describe your disappointments, failures, and sadness.
11. What angers or frustrates you?
12. Who is a significant influence or mentor in your life? How did they earn this position in your life?

Right or wrong usually is someone else’s idea for your life. There is no place for it when journaling. Answer these questions thoughtfully and honestly, a picture of your dreams and goals will materialize in front of you. Use these revelations in making decisions to shape your future.

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Do you know how to accept the events in your life as they occur in your life? Do you have the power to make the changes in your life that will allow you not to take this life so serious? The people that can laugh at themselves are in more control of their lives and accomplish more in less time.

When you accept things as they are in life, both in other people and yourself, now you are in charge. With this new power, you can see how to better your personal life. Discovering who you are is a side effect of this new found power.

When we act the same way at all times, we have found our identity. Every day we experience emotions, thoughts, behaviors, actions, and these influences cause us to see the world a little different. Every day we experience something new, our personality will reflect these events.

 Find Yourself

The world we live in desensitizes us. We're surrounded by the influences on TV, in the media, on radio, in homes, government, schools, etc.  To each his own, but it is easy to see the flaws in them. Seeing these flaws takes no effort, which is why it is easy. We cannot alter their behaviors and way of thinking, but we may change ours. Our attitude is a component of learning and accepting the realities. The best way to take charge of your life is to become your influencer and let others influences make another person's life unserene.

As you accept yourself as you are, laughing at yourself will become normal. For example, if somebody makes you crazy, you will see the futility in getting upset over their actions.  You will be able to see the humor in your behavior if you make an error and feed into their stupidity. Once you begin to see the humor in life, you will feel better inside as you start to permit yourself to make mistakes. When you learn to change to better you, others might follow. Your conduct will be far more effective at changing others than words could ever accomplish.

 Become the Channel

As you grow, it will be like a snowball rolling down a hill. It will get bigger and bigger with every movement. New ways to improve your mental and physical health will pop into your mind on a regular basis. Before when these ideas came they were discounted. Now that you allow yourself to make mistakes you can take chances on these thoughts. In time as you begin to feel better, you will see a need to exercise, eat correctly, and hang out with positive influences and so on. Once you grasp this energy, putting forth the effort to achieve your goals will not be an effort.

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Many things can make us happier or less happy, and there's no 'magic switch' that will automatically turn you into a happy and serene individual wearing life like a loose garment. That said, there are certainly some things that appear to play a particularly large role in affecting whether or not we're happy.

Social Comparison Theory

One theory that has been put forward as having a lot to do with how happy we ultimately are is something called 'social comparison theory.' Postulated initially by social psychologist Leon Festinger, "The Social Comparison Theory" is the idea that most of our self-worth comes from our comparing ourselves to others. Many times this is with people we know nothing about. While there are many aspects of this theory, the basic idea as it relates to happiness is that many of us aren't happy because we are always comparing ourselves with others who are better off. In other words, while you might be incredibly wealthy and successful, you won't feel that way if the people you spend the most time with are actually more wealthy. Do not minimize the time you spend reading and watching the lives of those better off. Similarly, you may be dissatisfied with your relationship if you are only seeing the masks your friends are wearing. This goes for the car and house you own.

Making Matters Worse…

Regrettably, today's lifestyles being internet based are designed to make matters worse. It started with Facebook, allowing us to show the ideal version of our own lives. This means that we are continually seeing the best of life materializing in the lives of our friends. This may consist of spectacular holidays, party's, vacations, new homes, or advancements in their careers. The list can go on forever. At the same time, the media is continually showing us the lifestyles of the rich and famous – people who want for nothing.

How to Overcome Social Comparison Theory

So how do you overcome social comparison? The obvious is to eliminate Facebook, though many of us can not comprehend that concept. It also seems like double talk coming from someone who is starting a social media site. The irony did not escape me.

To overcome comparing yourself with others demands that you focus on your own dreams and goals and keep a realistic view of your life as it compares with others. Yes, that person has become incredibly successful but is it exactly what you would want to do? Focus on your dreams and how they differ from those of other people.

Meanwhile, make sure to be grateful for what you do have, and enjoy what you have. Do not waste your time with words like could, should, and if only. Think about what you have overcome and accomplished in your life. Seeing that in the right light. What is there that you can not achieve moving forward?

The Good Life Mall is designed to be a community where we can show our selves as we see ourselves and get positive feedback and help to soar to new heights.

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A couple of months ago I ran across a video of Seasick Steve. One of the songs was "It's a Long Long Way".  He gave such a powerful performance. He is a giver. I have watched his videos since then. Bought a few of his CD's.  He is one of those performers who is better live. He is a showman that engages the audience not just with the feeling his words produce. His actions on stage bring the best out of people. 

His lyrics and actions make me reflect on my life and how I treat people. The little things he does that warm hearts. I watch for opportunities to make the people I pass in life feel good for having met me. When Steve performs his song "Walking Man" he shows how to make someone feel good for having met him.  We can all do this in our own lives. Everyone has a cross they must bear. What can I do to make that cross easier to carry. Somedays it is holding a door. Somedays it is buying them a meal. Somedays it is listening to them. The opportunities are endless. I have people come back to me 15 years later and tell me the little bit of time I spent with them meant so much to them.

I grab these chances to bring these moments to others, for these four reasons.

1. I know how much it meant.
2. I am repaying the debt I owe.
3. I enjoy doing it.
4. I know that by so do this, I am ensuring that when needed again, someone will be there for me.

Reflecting on death has given me an outlook on life, that I cherish. I believe that the only thing you take with you when you leave this life is what you have given away. I have never given what will happen at my funeral service any thought. I always thought whoever is left will do what comforts them. Until now, Seasick Steve sings the song "It's a Long Long Way". When I heard the song, I thought that is going to be played at my funeral service. 

 This is the version that I want played.

It's a Long Long Way
Seasick Steve

It is Sunday morning and I have just taken a shower. Something we all probably take for granted. I started the shower with the thought of gratitude, that I was even taking a shower. I have been in bed sick for 3 days. I lay there thinking. I should eat something. I should take a shower. I will feel better. Did not eat much of anything. No shower. It would take to much effort. I talked myself out of doing anything. It was never a long conversation. Inaction won the battle for 3 days.

I knew taking a shower was the key to my new life. When I was growing up and was sick, after 2 or 3 days my Mom would come into my room and say "Okay, get up take a bath. You are done being sick". I do not know how she picked the number. But it was correct. A shower is a sign of change. You want to feel different. Take a shower. 

I could have taken the shower at midnight. Yes, I reasoned it would be better to wait till later. So I took my shower at 9. Gratitude would have taken the shower at midnight. Gratitude crept in a 9 am with my Mom's voice. I thought of the hot water experience and was grateful for the hot water. I was grateful for the Doterra shampoo that lasts me 6 months. I was grateful the drain was not frozen. I was grateful I did not drop the soap. I was grateful for the breakfast that was waiting for me.

Taking a hot shower. Most of the people in the world would gladly switch with me. Lots of people have never experienced a hot shower. In Russia, the hot water gets turned off every summer for as long as a month. Lots of people do not even have a shower. Lots of people do not have clean drinking water, let alone a hot shower.

I held my attention to each of these as I took my shower. Really enjoying my life as it was unfolding this morning. The thought came to me yesterday you need a subject for an article to get The Good Life Mall rolling. Today you have one, “Grateful to Take a Shower”.

Happiness is not getting what you want. It is being grateful for what you have. I am grateful today for what I have. Thanks, Mom for the orders. I would have chosen at least an extra day. My life would have been a lot shorter.