Three Sentences for Success in Life

Whenever someone asks me for quick advice in my other role as a life and career coach, I usually go to my Three Sentences for Success in Life. It usually does the trick of helping anyone through a variety of circumstances. See if you agree.

1. Reject all thoughts that weaken you. 

Thoughts are things. They have no special powers in themselves. When you have a thought that bothers you, take a step back and notice you are experiencing a thought about reality, not reality itself. Put it in a box, say, "this is just a thought, it has no power over me." An analogy is like the sense of taste. Suppose you eat food that is too spicy, and it bothers you. You certainly don't keep eating it. The spicy food has no power over you, it's up to you whether you choose to eat it or not. The same is true if you choose to dwell on or accept a thought or not.

2. Choose to be happy. 

Happiness is a decision. It is not "out there" just around the corner waiting to arrive "only if…" It can be here right now. We can't wait for an external circumstance to make us happy as if it is an emotion to experience. Really happiness is in the everyday. Be present in the current moment. Mindfulness meditation is a great practice to get in touch with. You can do it on a walk at the

3. Give God the benefit of the doubt. 

By God, I do not mean any particular religion, or an old guy in the sky. I'm talking about Source, or universal laws and principles. Sometimes we need to get our egos out of the way and turn our problems over to the same supreme powers that births galaxies at billions of miles a second. This is especially true when we get stuck in "how" thinking, when a problem seems too big. Maybe there is a way out where we don't see a way. This is where coaching can be very useful. Sorting out "how" could be right in front of us by going through powerful and proven tools and exercises, crafting specific, measurable action plans.

Say these three sentences aloud. "I reject all thoughts that weaken me. I choose to be happy. I give God the benefit of the doubt." Try this and see if it works. Repeat as necessary until it becomes second nature. If you still feel lousy, there's always