The Power of Happiness
Usually if you’re not failing, that means you’re not push- ing yourself hard enough, and you’re not trying new things. It means you’re stuck in a rut and you’re just going with the flow or you’re not straying from your well-worn routine. But here’s the thing: you’ll never achieve your goals on autopilot. So I say fail often and change the meaning of failure that is in your mind. I want you to be able to say proudly, “I failed today; I tried something new.” I ask my kids all the time, “Did you fail today?” When they say no, I respond, “Well, you didn’t step out of the box or you didn’t try anything new.” I’m trying to reprogram their perception of failure, to help them perceive it as a prerequisite for success. When you embrace failure, you will no longer feel sad when something doesn’t go as planned. I’ve asked countless thou- sands of my clients through e-mails what’s holding them back from getting started on their dreams. Fear of failure is a com- mon answer. But what if you just got rid of that fearful attitude? When that happens, you replace your fear with an acceptance of changes in your life. Wayne Gretzky said it best, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” Embrace failure as a necessary part of success, and aim to do it daily. HAPPINESS HABIT #7: LET GO OF GRUDGES Another way of stating this habit is: Try not to take things personally. I know this is a tough one. But when you hold a grudge, you are holding that inside you at the expense of your happiness, health, and success. Have you ever held a grudge against a parent, boss, or relative, or somebody who did some- thing horrible to you, and you obsess about it all the time? Just so you know, that grudge isn’t affecting the offending party. As much as you boil and stew, your grudge-filled thoughts don’t harm a hair on anyone’s head. They do hurt you and your future success. You have to let go of all grudges, which I know is easier said than done.
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