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The Universe Has Your Back Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Are you ready to deepen your spiritual connection? If so, “The Universe Has Your Back” by Gabriele Bernstein and this book review are perfect for you.

Book Review

This book was exactly what I needed to progress on my spiritual journey and stay calm and faithful in the face of horrific global events.

I especially loved the prayers and guided meditations that the book offers.

If you are looking for inspiration and tools to strengthen your certainty in life and connect more deeply to the Universe, this book is perfect for you.

Lessons

1. Fear is a sign that you rely too much on yourself and too little on the Universe

“The moment you choose to disconnect from the loving presence of the Universe, you lose sight of the safety, security, and clear guidance that is otherwise available to you.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

Why should you feel afraid if you know that the Universe has your back? Why worry if you know that everything happens for a reason and perfectly divine timing.

The Universe doesn’t make mistakes, but humans do. If you rely only on your planning, skills, and knowledge, it is easy to fear that you will mess up in one way or another.

But of course, releasing this fear and need to control is easier said than done, especially if you were taught that you should be independent and that the world is cruel.

One way to do so is by closing your eyes, feeling the fear flow through you, placing it visually into the hands of the Universe, and watching it be swept away.

2. The quicker you can release your emotions, the happier you are

“Our happiness is a direct reflection of how quickly we can restore our fear back to love.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

Happiness is always difficult to measure, and we often trick ourselves into believing we are happy when we are not.

It is nice to have a benchmark we can fall back on.

In this case, the time it takes you between being overcome by emotions and reverting to a loving state.

Careful! Don’t attempt to go all the way to ecstatic. Love is neutral on the spectrum of emotions.

Being calm, content, grateful and loving should be your goal. Happiness will follow automatically, but nobody can always feel positive emotions.

So, the next time you feel angry, annoyed, sad, or panicked, don’t just wallow in it. Instead, actively try to release the emotions.

The more you practice it, the quicker you will get.

3. The Universe presents you with Universal Assignments to help heal you from the past

“Freedom from the past is available to you when you show up for the assignments in the present.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

The struggles you encounter in life, especially repeated ones, are sent to you by the Universe to help you heal from the past.

For example, if you go through one relationship after another and they all end in a nasty heartbreak, there is a Universal lesson you need to learn.

Once you complete the Universal Assignment by learning the lesson and leaving the past behind, you won’t encounter this same struggle anymore.

Changing your outlook on these issues into something more appreciative and looking forward to the lessons you’ll learn will be life-changing.

The more open you are to the Universe serving you instead of punishing you, the smoother you will overcome these Universal Assignments and heal from your past.

4. Obstacles are disguised roadsigns

“Obstacles are detours in the right direction.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

As already mentioned, obstacles in life can be Universal Assignments that are meant to teach you a lesson to heal from the past.

However, obstacles can also be roadsigns trying to direct your focus and efforts into a better direction.

For example, getting turned down by your University of choice might seem like the premature end of your dreams.

However, later on, as you find yourself at another University studying something entirely different, perhaps, you might just realize what a blessing it was to get turned down.

Frequently, we don’t realize there is a better option waiting for us out there. So while we fight tooth and nail to get what we think is the best option, the Universe throws an obstacle in our way to lead us to an even better place.

Try to see obstacles for the disguised blessings they really are. Or, at the very least, trust that the Universe has your back and won’t lead you astray without a good reason.

5. The energy you embody attracts the reality you live in

“The frequency you embody supports the experiences that you have.
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

Manifesting your reality with the Law of Attraction is not only about thinking positive thoughts, using pretty affirmations, and imagining nice scenarios.

More than anything, it is about embodying the energy of the reality you seek to attract.

Positive thoughts, affirmations, and visualization are only tools meant to help you with that.

You can think of as many affirmations as you want; as long as you don’t feel them, you won’t attract what you want.

So make sure to do multiple emotional check-ins throughout the day. The more often you can remind yourself to embody the right energy, the more powerful your attraction will be.

6. Pray daily to tap into the Universal support

“When you pray you get out of the way. Making prayer a daily practice will help you feel the flow of synchronicity and universal support all the time.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

For me, praying has always been a religious tool. Even as I became more spiritual, I had never even considered integrating prayer into life.

That changed once I read The Universe Has Your Back.

Suddenly, I realized that we can use prayer even without subscribing to one specific religion.

And what’s more, I realized that we are not only allowed but even encouraged to pray for small daily matters.

It isn’t selfish or greedy to pray to the Universe to help you find a good parking spot or ask the Universe for clear skin or a calm mind.

There is no topic too big or too small for prayer.

And the prayer itself doesn’t have to be some special formula. Instead, we should see it as a simple conversation between the Universe and us.

So the next time you find yourself worrying about or hoping for a specific outcome (e. g. hopefully it won’t rain; hopefully, my period won’t hit on Tuesday, I’m worried I won’t get the bananas at the store today), remember that this is a perfect opportunity to turn towards prayer and to release your worries to the Universe.

7. Goals and intricate plans will restrict the Universal guidance you receive

“When you overplan, you limit your capacity to co-create with the Universe. Rigidly sticking to a plan forces you to rely on your will, which cuts you off from the support and wisdom of the Universe.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

Of course, we modern girls (and boys) are all about organization, S.M.A.R.T. goals, and productivity.

We are determined to actively co-create our reality and therefore take a very hands-on approach.

Thankfully, The Universe Has Your Back shares a lesson few people ever tell us: Our goals and intricate plans restrict the universal guidance we receive.

In other words: the more you plan and anticipate, and the more strictly you follow these plans, the less room there is for the Universe to guide you down the path of least resistance.

After all, aren’t you planning out every little step because you trust yourself more than the often unpredictable guidance of the Universe?

There is definitely some merit to planning out your action steps. It increases your efficiency and keeps you from getting overwhelmed.

However, you should leave room for the MESSY and INSPIRED part in the messy, inspired action required to succeed.

Always look out for Universal guidance and be willing to make changes no matter at which stage of your plan you are.

Do not put your plan above Universal guidance!

8. Surrender means trusting the Universe more than yourself

“You know you’ve surrendered when you trust that the Universe has a better plan than you do. You’ve surrendered when you no longer manipulate and force outcomes.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

This lesson adds beautifully to the previous one.

It is often difficult for spiritual beginners to recognize whether they have surrendered properly or not.

After all, surrender isn’t anything tangible or visible. It’s more of a feeling, and those are always difficult to imagine if never felt before.

One great way to check whether you’ve surrendered is by asking yourself who you trust more, the Universe or your plans.

Do you feel nervous and impatient about what’s to come?

Do you have a plan B ready for when your manifestation doesn’t work, just in case?

These things indicate that you haven’t fully surrendered.

But don’t worry, it is never too late to surrender.

9. Confronting the world’s darkness will motivate you to shine brighter

“Being conscious of the darkness in the world fuels our desire to bring more light.”
– Gabriele Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back)

It’s understandable to want to shut yourself off from the world’s news.

After all, no matter where you look – television, radio, social media – there is a never-ending focus on bad, horrific, and depressing news.

These events will inevitably affect us.

However, we get to choose if the effects will be entirely negative or if we turn them into something positive.

Modern spiritual women and men don’t hide away from the world’s darkness.

Instead, they turn it into a fierce determination to shine their light into the world’s darkness.

They donate, send kind words and prayers, organize campaigns, and do more.

What will you do? Hide or act?

Well, what was your favorite lesson from The Universe Has Your Back? Have you read the book already, or is it still on your reading list?

As always, we’d love to hear from you.

And if you are determined to deepen your connection to the Universe and truly feel its support, write ‘SUPPORTED’ into the comments.

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

36 Habits Quotes To Inspire Better Habits

Blog, Personal Development, Quotes

Want to build some new good habits but can’t find the motivation to do so? Don’t worry, here are 36 habits quotes that will inspire you to ditch your bad habits.

“Habits are important. Up to 90 percent of our everyday behavior is based on habit. Nearly all of what we do each day, every day, is simply habit.” – Jack D. Hodge

“Not managing your time and making excuses are two bad habits. Don’t put them both together by claiming you ‘Don’t have the time’.” – Bo Bennett

“Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.” – William Makepeace Thackeray

“It’s not about who you are today, it’s about who you want to become and the price you are willing to pay to get there.” ―Tom Bilyeu, Founder Impact Theory

“Psychological studies reveal that 95% of everything we feel, think, do and achieve is a result of a learned habit.” ― Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

“If your habit doesn’t line up with your dream, then you need to either change your habits or change your dream.” – John Maxwell

“I have learned that champions aren’t just born; champions can be made when they embrace and commit to life-changing positive habits.” – Lewis Howes

“Habits are behaviors that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Whether you realize it or not, your life has been, and will continue to be, created by your habits. If you don’t control your habits your habits will control you.” ― Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning

“And actually, it’s not repetition that creates habits. It’s emotions that creates habits.” ―Rangan Chatterjee

“I realized that success is not a one-time act or a moment of luck and that “Overnight Success” is never true. Success is created through and by creating a habit caused by proper self-discipline.” ― Jan Mckingley Hilado, Rich Real Radical

“Habits gradually change the face of one’s life as time changes one’s physical face; & one does not know it.” ― Virginia Woolf

“First we form habits, then they form us.” ― Mark Matteson, Freedom from Fear

“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” – Samuel Johnson

“The problem is that your brain can’t tell the difference between bad and good habits, and so if you have a bad one, it’s always lurking there, waiting for the right cues and rewards.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit

“The habit of doing more than is necessary can only be earned through practice.” ― Seth Godin

“Good habits are hard to form and easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with. Pay attention. Be aware . If we don’t consciously form good ones, we will unconsciously form bad ones.” ― Mark Matteson, Freedom from Fear

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while… you don’t do things right once in a while… you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.” – Vince Lombardi

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Will Durant

“Humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time. On the other hand, if you force yourself to push through it, the grit begins to grow in you.” – Travis Bradberry

“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” ― Aristotle

“Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits.” – Twyla Tharp

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Napoleon Hill

“The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits. We can never free ourselves from habit. But we can replace bad habits with good ones.” – Steven Pressfield

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” – George Washington Carver

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

“Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” – Vince Lombardi

“Positivity is like a muscle: keep exercising it, and it becomes a habit.” – Natalie Massenet

“Doing one thing by yourself, for yourself, that creates joy is such an important habit.” – Jay Shetty

“A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.” – Desiderius Erasmus

“Make a habit of two things: to help; or at least to do no harm.” – Hippocrates

“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” – Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit

“You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, ‘I release the need for this in my life’.” – Wayne W. Dyer

“Positive results will come when you start to replace your negative thoughts and habits with positive ones.” ― Robert Tew

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” – Tony Robbins

“I can predict the long-term outcome of your success if you show me your daily habits.” – John Maxwell

“Happiness is a habit. Cultivate it.” – Elbert Hubbard

What bad habits do you want to ditch, and what good habits are you trying to build?

Comment ‘CONSISTENCY’ if you are committed to stopping the excuses and taking massive action instead.

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

11 Things You Should Do Before 8 AM | Productive Morning Routine

Blog, Personal Development

Who doesn’t like a good morning routine? In case you need some new inspo for yours, here are 11 things you should do before 8 AM.

1. Make Your Bed

Making your bed first thing in the morning is your first accomplishment and sets you up for a good day.

Also, it helps you fight that urge to lie back down later on during the morning.

And lastly, it creates order in your room which helps you be calm and focused straight from the getgo.

2. Drink lots of water (and take any supplements you have)

I don’t need to tell you how important hydration is. It’s necessary for clear skin, optimal focus, efficient learning, and overall health.

Also, from a purely practical perspective, it’s good to drink a lot early on because you most likely won’t drink as much while out of the house.

After all, not everyone has the free water refillers at school or at work, and don’t even get me started on the horrors of public restrooms.

So, drink a good amount of water early on.

The easiest way is by pairing it with your supplement intake since many supplements are supposed to be swallowed with water anyways.

3. Write down three things you are grateful for

The more you practice gratitude, the more often you will feel grateful for the life you live.

Gratitude is also great against any negative emotion. You can’t feel truly grateful and yet angry or anxious simultaneously. Instead, focus on gratitude to get out of your emotional slump.

Now that we’ve cleared a few reasons why gratitude is worth practicing let’s talk about why we should do it as one of the first things every day.

The reason is that your brain is especially receptive in the early minutes of wakefulness.

Also, your morning tends to preclude the rest of the day. So if you start the day strong, it’s easier to continue like that throughout the rest of the day.

In other words, a grateful morning increases the chances of you finding things to be thankful for throughout the rest of the day.

4. Write down three positive affirmations

Affirmations help you focus on your goals and prime your mind to achieve them.

Ideally, you should use affirmations throughout the day every time you feel worried or insecure about something.

However, the best time to let affirmations work their magic is in the mornings when your brain is still in a more receptive state.

Make sure to formulate them positively and in the present tense, such as ‘I’m punctual instead of ‘I am not going to be late.’

Also, avoid writing the same three affirmations every morning. And make sure to not only focus on your long-term goals but also on small goals like having a good day at work or finding the perfect parking spot.

5. Write down one character trait, skill, or experience that makes you feel worthy of your dream life

A lack of self-worth is the root of many of our self-sabotaging habits and problems in life.

Logically, you might believe yourself to be worthy of success, health, and loving relationships. But unconsciously, it’s very likely that you still harbor some self-worth issues that date back to your childhood.

Things as simple as your friends complaining about you being annoying once can create the deep-rooted fear of not deserving their love.

Or perhaps your teacher or parent made you feel like you are less intelligent than others. This can cause you to subconsciously sabotage your success as an adult because you still think you’re not smart enough to deserve it.

As you can see, it is almost inevitable that you have some mental baggage affecting your self-worth. Furthermore, there will be plenty of situations in the future that will create new baggage.

That’s why it’s so important to work on your self-worth consistently.

A small but still valuable way to do so is by pointing out one of your character traits, skills, or experiences that make you feel worthy every morning.

6. Eat breakfast

This is a bit of a controversial topic. Many people don’t eat breakfast, and others seem to have a whole feast.

Personally, I really enjoy my cereal. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of the morning.

In the end, it’s your own choice of what you do. There are supporters of both sides. At the very least, make sure to get hydrated properly and not just by drinking coffee.

7. Move your body, work out or do yoga

Movement gets your blood pumping and helps you to wake up properly.

Also, unless you absolutely adore working out, you will likely use your busy day as an excuse to avoid working out in the afternoon or evening.

But the morning belongs to you alone. You don’t have to work yet and can wake up early enough to get in at least 10 minutes of some movement.

8. Do you skincare

Skincare seems unnecessarily tedious and expensive; I get it.

However, if you’ve ever seen the picture of the old truck driver, whose face is immensely wrinkly on the side that got all the sun for years, you should understand the importance of skincare and suncream.

Also, if you have acne or any other skin condition, it is a good starting point to take more care in treating your face.

Just make sure to select products with healthy ingredients. They don’t even have to be expensive. There are websites and apps that can give you a quick analysis of the ingredients of most products. Use them!

9. Checking off your habit tracker for the previous day

Of course, this can be done either in the evening or directly after accomplishing each task.

But hopefully, you are so in the flow of things that you don’t even think about your habit tracker during the day.

And by doing this the next morning, you’ll have a great motivational boost for the day ahead.

Seeing your consistency laid out like that before you will make you want to uphold the habit streak even more.

Also, looking at your habit tracker in the morning can be a good reminder of any new habits you’ve planned to do but might easily forget otherwise.

So take those couple minutes every morning before 8 AM and keep track of your habits.

10. Check your plan for the day

Optimally, you already planned your day in advance the evening before; if not, do this now.

It doesn’t have to be an intricate plan with specific time slots for every task.

It’s more than enough to write out a short to-do list with the most important tasks and appointments you have coming up.

Just make sure to keep it short. We have the tendency to underestimate how long something will take, so make sure to keep your to-do list below what you think you can get done that day.

If needed, you’ll surely find enough tasks that can fill any spare time.

If you did your planning before going to bed, make sure to bring that plan to the forefront of your mind again. This way, you won’t forget anything and be set up perfectly for a productive day.

11. Spend a few short minutes updating yourself on the latest relevant news

It’s often difficult to have a healthy relationship with the world’s news.

Some people watch and listen to the news all the time, be it through a news broadcast or social media. And while it’s great that they stay up to date with what’s going on in the world, it also means they get bombarded with negative headlines over and over again.

Other people are tired of this constant anxiety-producing negativity and shut the news out altogether. This might make them feel better but can eventually pose problems when they miss out on important information.

So what to do about it?

First of all, make sure to not consume any news – be it political, weather or gossip – for the first hour of your day.

We do our gratitude and affirmations during that time because our brain is especially receptive during the first wakeful moments. Logically, that means we should avoid negative input of any kind during that time.

Later in the morning, take a few short moments to update yourself.

I’ve recently started doing this through a few Podcasts. The individual episodes range from 100 seconds to 15 minutes. So it’s a very low-time commitment that is easily squeezed into the day.

Are you ready to uplevel your morning routine with these ideas? If so, write ‘MORNING’ in the comments down below.

Also, what additional ideas do you have for things you should do before 8 AM?

We always love to hear your recommendations.

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

36 Entrepreneur Quotes That Will Inspire You To Succeed

Blog, Quotes, Success

Building a successful business is hard work. That’s why we can all benefit from motivational and inspiring entrepreneur quotes.

Use the quotes to learn from the decades of experience these business owners and investors have to offer you.

Sometimes one short quote can leave a ripple effect that impacts you years to come. So don’t underestimate these entrepreneur quotes.

Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board for go-to motivation. Print them and hang them around your desk. Or journal about how you can apply them to your own life.

But for now, just soak up the inspiration and motivation and then go and take MASSIVE INSPIRED ACTION!

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

“Constraints drive innovation and force focus. Instead of trying to remove them, use them to your advantage.” ― 37 Signals

“Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.” – Oprah Winfrey

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“I have had all of the disadvantages required for success.” – Larry Ellison

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker

“When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.” – Larry Ellison

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter Drucker

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” – Peter Drucker

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.” – Peter Drucker

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” – Peter Drucker

Entrepreneur Quotes For Aspiring Business Owners

“Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.” – Peter Drucker

“The purpose of a business is to create a customer.” – Peter Drucker

“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business and your business in your heart.” – Thomas J. Watson

“You can be discouraged by failure, or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes, make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success – on the far side of failure.” ― Thomas J. Watson

“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” – Thomas J. Watson

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity.” – Thomas J. Watson

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” – Thomas J. Watson

“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” – Thomas J. Watson

“Really big people are, above everything else, courteous, considerate and generous – not just to some people in some circumstances – but to everyone all the time.” – Thomas J. Watson

“Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.” – Thomas J. Watson

“I had no dreams of such economic success. You should have fun and not be so weighed down by expectations.” ~ Sergey Brin

“Money is just a consequence. I always say to my team, ‘Don’t worry too much about profitability. If you do your job well, the profitability will come.'” – Bernard Arnault

“In business, I think the most important thing is to position yourself for long-term and not be too impatient, which I am by nature, and I have to control myself.” – Bernard Arnault

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

“I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.” – John D. Rockefeller

Quotes For Future Forbes Listers

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller

“A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.” – John D. Rockefeller

“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” – John D. Rockefeller

“If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.” – John D. Rockefeller

“Believe in your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.” – Walt Disney

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” – Walt Disney

“The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.” – Walt Disney

“The difference in winning & losing is most often, not quitting.” – Walt Disney

Well, did the entrepreneur quotes get you fired up? If you are now ready to take massive inspired action towards your entrepreneurial dreams, write ‘Let’s Get It!’ into the comments.

Also, what was your favorite quote? And do you already know what kind of business you want to have?

We always love hearing from you.

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

Essentialism Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Blog, Books, Personal Development

Essentialism by Greg McKeown helps you achieve more happiness and success while doing less. Here are its book review, lessons, and quotes.

Book Review

Ok, first of all, let’s talk about aesthetics because the layout really made this book stand out to me. I absolutely adored the black pages and large quotes! The graphics and small summaries were also helpful.

Content-wise, Essentialism was a refreshing reminder of how small but important changes can make life so much easier and more fulfilling. The book was easy to read, motivating, and inspiring.

Lessons

1. Say NO the majority of times and YES only sometimes

“The overwhelming reality is: we live in a world where almost everything is worthless and a very few things are exceptionally valuable.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Humans are social creatures wired to seek approval and acceptance because being cast out of the tribe meant certain death.

So unsurprisingly, we succumb easily to self-sabotaging habits such as people-pleasing, FOMO, and peer pressure.

Most of the commitments and opportunities we say yes to are sadly a waste of time.

They’re neither the best way we could have used this time nor do they bring us a significant amount of joy.

So really, it’s only logical that we should say NO more often.

But getting over old habits is hard. You don’t just have to behave differently; you need to be a different person – an essentialist, to be exact.

And for essentialists, the default answer to any opportunity or request is NO. Only in the rare case that the choice you are presented with ticks all the boxes should you say YES.

But remember, that’s not going to happen very often!

2. If you didn’t already have this task/object, how much would you give to get it?

“By quietly eliminating or at least scaling back an activity for a few days or weeks you might be able to assess whether it is really making a difference or whether no one really cares.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

A great tip to separate what’s essential from what is unnecessary is by asking yourself how much you’d be willing to do or give to have this in your life.

So, if you weren’t already offered this job opportunity, how much effort would you put into getting it?

If you weren’t in a relationship with your partner already, how badly would you want to start dating?

This line of questioning is immensely valuable to outplay the Endowment effect, leading us to believe that what we own is more valuable than we’d see it as otherwise.

As a result of this effect, we tend to have difficulty letting go of burdensome tasks and possessions.

So make sure to ask this question often and rid your life of the baggage you carry around.

3. Work smart, not hard!

“Pushing oneself to the limit is easy! The real challenge for the person who thrives on challenges is not to work hard.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

We live in a hustle society that praises hard work. We celebrate people who pull all-nighters, study 12h a day, camp out on a ratty couch while building a business, and walk around groaning about their business.

Despite its name, ‘hard work’ is not actually hard for many people nowadays. Instead, it seems to have become their default state.

Sure, hard work is, to some extent, vital to succeed in this world. But isn’t it far more impressive to see someone achieve success through a minimum of hard work and while having a high-quality life?

4. Prioritizing sleep boosts your work

“Our highest priority is to protect our ability to prioritize.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

All-nighters are not the way to go for great success. On the opposite, it robs you of the mental energy to produce work of high quality.

So cherish those 7 to 9h of daily sleep! Without it, you have to work much longer hours and will most likely still not be able to reproduce the results you’d get in a high-energy state.

5. When making a decision, if it’s not a clear YES, it then should be a NO

Essentialists are cutthroat when making decisions. They are not willing to spend their time on anything but essential tasks.

One very quick way to filter for those high-value tasks is by watching your initial reaction to them.

If you immediately think ‘heck yeah, ‘ you should most likely go for it.

However, if you need to weigh the pros and cons before finally convincing yourself to take someone up on their offer, then you should rather not do it at all.

Of course, this tool needs to be applied carefully. After all, there are many tasks we dread doing, even though they are good for us.

Especially anything that gets you outside your comfort zone and fights against limiting beliefs or bad habits.

6. Cut your losses and uncommit

In psychology, the term sunk-cost bias describes the resistance we feel against abandoning a project in which we’ve already put a considerable amount of time, money, or effort.

This tendency is understandable; after all, it could always take just a tiny bit longer till success strikes.

What separates the most successful people famously from the rest is their perseverance and resourcefulness in times when everyone else would have given up.

However, there is a fine line between heroic persistence and foolish stubbornness.

Essentialists cut their losses sooner than most people. This saves them a lot of time, money, and effort to invest in more productive pursuits.

7. Establish your boundaries early on and don’t allow exceptions

“Boundaries are a little like the walls of a sandcastle. The second we let one fall over, the rest of them come crashing down.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Many people let others stamp over their boundaries as if they weren’t there at all.

They think, ‘oh, just this one time, I’ll make an exception. Unsurprisingly, it rarely stays at that.

Essentialists know that their time is one of their most valuable assets. So what would it say about their self-worth if they’d just give it away like sweets to everyone who wants it?

That’s why they have unwavering boundaries that stand firm even at the cost of upsetting others.

8. Build in a buffer of 50% to any plans you make

“Essentialists accept the reality that we can never fully anticipate or prepare for every scenario or eventuality; the future is simply too unpredictable. Instead, they build in buffers to reduce the friction caused by the unexpected.”
– Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Let’s be honest; we all tend to underestimate how long something will take. Especially if it’s not something, we regularly do.

Planning in too little time for a task ends in stress, disappointment, anger, and guilt.

Luckily, there is a very easy way to avoid all this unessential drama: Building in a buffer.

You can, of course, decide for yourself how much of a buffer you need. For example, Greg McKeown recommends planning 50% more time than your first estimate.

So if you think it’ll take you one hour to drive to work, you should get out of your house 1 1/2 before you need to be there.

9. Always remove the biggest obstacle first

There are always multiple obstacles we need to overcome between any goal and us.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of dealing with the smallest obstacles first, especially when you are overwhelmed and would rather not do anything.

But essentialists know that your energy is most effectively used if directed at the biggest obstacle first.

Removing this one big obstacle can make everything else far easier while chipping away at one small goal after the other isn’t going to make the biggest impact.

10. Make sure to always have a crystal clear intent

Without clear intent, you spend your time and energy on many different things which will not all lead in the same direction.

By comparison, if you can channel all this hard work in the direction of your intent, you will stop running in a hamster wheel and instead make leaps and bounds ahead.

So why don’t more people determine their intent before they take any action?

Well, it takes both time and undivided focus to find your intent.

Also, you might just learn that there really is no sense in what you are doing. And that is always uncomfortable to admit.

11. You can multitask; you just can’t multi-focus

I’m sure you’ve heard by now of the scientific finding that your brain can’t multitask. Instead, it switches rapidly between the tasks you are doing at the same time.

However, Greg McKeown says that yes, you can multitask. After all, we drive a car while singing to a song and cook while listening to a podcast.

The key is to combine a task that requires focus with a task that you’ve done so often it’s become mindless to you.

You can multitask as long as you don’t need to multi-focus!

Well, that’s it for Essentialism 101. To get a deeper understanding of the topic, you should get a copy of the book. It’s definitely worth a read.

If you intend to do so, or if you’ve already read to book, comment ‘ESSENTIAL’ down below.

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

11 Ways To Live A Miserable Life | Habits Of Miserable People

Blog, Personal Development

Hey there, folks! Ever wonder what it takes to live a life that’s, well, less than inspiring? You’re in the right place because we’re diving headfirst into the world of miserable habits. No, we’re not here to promote gloom and doom, but rather to help you identify those joy-stealers and kick them to the curb. Whether you’re guilty of a few of these yourself or just plain curious, join us in this eye-opening journey to explore 11 ways to live a miserable life. Trust us, by the end of this, you’ll be itching to embrace the brighter side of life.

1. Staying in Your Comfort Zone

So, you’re all snug in your comfort zone, watching life pass by. But here’s a harsh truth – there’s no growth to be found here. Real progress, those big leaps toward your dreams, they happen when you embrace discomfort.

Yep, that’s right, stepping out of your cozy cocoon is the first step toward personal growth. Imagine a world where you only do what’s comfortable – dreams would stay dreams, and life would become a mundane loop.

Worse still, staying in this comfort bubble will make you anxious when life throws a curveball your way. So, if you’re looking for a recipe for a miserable life, make comfort your best friend.

2. Settling for the Bare Minimum

Greatness is achieved by going above and beyond. But not just in the things you enjoy doing but in everything else as well.

After all, how you do anything is how you do everything!

By only doing the bare minimum in life, on the other hand, you will only ever experience the bare minimum of life as well.

And life is hard. Everyone has experienced this at one point or another.

The extraordinary often makes life beautiful, like that especially gorgeous sunset or this thrilling love story you’ve never experienced before.

However, the extraordinary is only achieved through exceptional effort. This is why a sure way to live a miserable life is by only doing the necessary.

3. Choosing to Settle for What You Have

We all hit rough patches, times when life deals us a less-than-ideal hand. The easy route is to settle, to accept that things are as they are and we should make peace with them. You know, the whole “better the devil you know” idea. But guess what? That’s a recipe for misery.

Escaping your current situation and forging a better path takes courage, determination, hard work, and a sprinkle of patience. It’s not a cakewalk, but the transformation is undeniably worth it. Don’t be the one who settles, be the one who thrives.

4. Unshakable Realism

You should be realistic, right?

After all, there is no use in chasing unattainable dreams and getting disappointed, right?

Wrong.

Strict realism is only going to create a miserable life for you.

Think about it. Have you ever met a so-called ‘realist’ who seemed to glow with happiness and who was passionate about their life?

Most likely not. Most people who call themself realists have more the vibe of a depressed and cynic pessimist.

They don’t dream big and enjoy the magic of visualizing themself living a dream life.

They don’t believe in miracles and don’t feel looked out for by the Universe or God when a ‘coincidence’ happens.

They don’t realize that by staying realistic, they rob themselves of some of the most important keys to a happy life and create a miserable life instead. Don’t trap yourself in this limiting mindset.

5. People Pleasing Over Self-Prioritization

People will always have requests, and sometimes, they’ll demand you to be someone you’re not. The easier path? Give in, avoid conflict, and follow the crowd. But let’s be real – this is a one-way ticket to misery.

True happiness thrives when you’re free to be who you are and do what you love. It’s not selfish; it’s essential.

Remember those airplane safety videos that remind you to secure your mask before helping others? That wisdom applies to life too. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s how you become the best version of yourself.

So, put your oxygen mask on first.

6. Chasing Instant Gratification

In a world where you can get almost everything on demand, it’s no wonder we have become impatient.

We can watch thousands of movies and series with only a few taps on a screen.

We can purchase most items with a few clicks and get them delivered within the next few days.

In other words, we’ve been terribly spoiled.

And while we know that spoiling a child rotten will create problems later on, we don’t realize that the instant gratification of our every want is sabotaging us as well.

Because a lack of patience will lead you to a miserable life.

Patience is needed to develop every skill, especially since the beginning tends to be frustrating and full of failure.

The best things in life require patience and faith in the eye of a snail-like process.

You can’t build a successful blog or YouTube channel overnight.

You can’t become the leading expert in your field within a few weeks of work.

And you certainly can’t have a deep and passionate relationship within a few dates.

So a great way to join the rank of miserable people is by following the path of instant gratification with every decision you make.

7. Isolating Yourself from Others

Listen, I get it. Being around people can be exhausting. Sometimes it seems like every annoying or stressful situation could have been avoided if we’d just stayed at home.

Especially introverts know that much happiness can be found in solitude.

However, the pandemic has shown more clearly than ever to most of us that self-isolation eventually leads to unhappiness.

We all crave a friend to share a meme with, to celebrate wins, and to rant about life’s curveballs. Social media friendships, though valuable, can’t replace the richness of real-life connections.

So keep that in mind the next time you isolate yourself from your friends. This could be the beginning of a miserable life.

8. Living on Autopilot

Routines are comfortable and efficient. But they’re also terribly boring after a while.

Humans need safety and enough variety in their lives to find real happiness.

A life purely by routine doesn’t provide that variety. Surprise, spontaneity, and adventure do.

But most of the time, we have to push ourselves to be spontaneous or go on adventures.

It takes courage to do something new, especially if you’ve been stuck in your routine for a long time.

But hey, you won’t have to bother pushing yourself if you’d rather be miserable for the rest of your life.

9. Stop Learning Actively

Consistently learning new things and adapting to our rapidly changing world has never been more important than right now.

As Tony Robbins said: “If you are not growing, you are dying.”

Life will become much harder if you don’t keep up to date with technical, economic, and societal changes. Your career will also plummet if you let everyone overtake you.

Last but certainly not least, actively straining your mind by learning new things is a good habit to keep your brain in great shape as you age.

Despite all these good reasons to actively learn new things, most people decide that the end of school also means an end to intentional studying.

And hey, if your goal is to live a miserable life, keep on doing that!

10. Ignoring Stress Management

Being stressed not only puts a great strain on your happiness but it also has tragic and lasting consequences on your physical and mental health.

Some amount of stress can’t be avoided in our fast-paced world. However, great amounts of chronic stress are down to the habits in your life and can therefore be broken by implementing better habits.

Things such as meditation, a digital detox, changing your job, spending more time in nature, going to therapy, and moving out of the city can all work wonders on your stress levels.

But hey, if you enjoy living a stressed and miserable life, go right ahead and keep doing what you are doing.

11. Living in the Past or Future

Being mentally stuck on the past or the future instead of focusing on the present at hand is a miserable mindset. The past is often filled with regrets and other negative feelings while anticipating the future can make you very anxious.

Of course, there is also joy in good memories or the hopes for a better future. However, you need to be in the present first and foremost, or else you’ll be sure to create more regrets and miss out on a great future.

And there you have it, folks – a closer look at 11 habits that can seriously put a damper on life’s grand parade. But remember, life is too short to let misery take the reins. So let’s make a pact to bid farewell to these gloomy tendencies and make way for a brighter, happier, and more fulfilled version of ourselves. We’ve got this!

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and here’s to a future filled with positivity, joy, and all the good stuff that makes life truly amazing.

Cheers to a brighter tomorrow! 🌟😊