I wrote these in order to improve my life and reduce anxiety/ doubt before undergoing anything challenging. Perhaps it will help some of you.

First 6 I came up with in my 20s last bit was in my 30s.

  1. Do not care about what people think. They will hate you for any reason: religion, skin tone, jealousy, etc.
  2. Eliminate self-doubt. You fail before starting. How can you succeed if you don’t believe in yourself?
  3. Learn from your failures. Failures are lessons and stepping stones to your goals.
  4. Stop negative thinking. All it does is hold you back. Challenge those self-limiting beliefs.
  5. Stop being overly critical of yourself. This is also limiting and unnecessary.
  6. Do not take things personally. Language is flawed. You may misinterpret someone as being rude. Maybe they are, but taking things personally never helps. Doing so all the time shows a fragile ego.

Now here are the more recent ones I’ve learned, 7 to 12:

  1. Belief systems are not necessarily facts or concrete truths. They are perceptions. Analyze the good and the bad. Keep what benefits you.

  2. Persistence is important, but not when it becomes detrimental, inefficient, or unstable. Fix, adapt, reassess, test. It’s important to stick with a plan, but eventually, you have to evolve.

  3. Retreating from life leads to regression. Do not let certainty stop action. No one can predict everything before starting on an endeavor. It's impossible to foresee and have the foresight to see all obstacles.

You can gain clarity by moving forward like a guided missile, learning from failure. Uncertainty shouldn't stop you, accept it and move forward.

  1. Boundaries and self-respect. People will test them. Don’t let them. It is not rude to have boundaries and self-respect. You do not owe people anything, and they do not owe you. Don’t sacrifice yourself for the sick games of others. They will drag you down. Don’t let them define you.

  2. Self image. Don’t let others define or distort your view of yourself. Don’t let them hurt your ego. There are bad actors who want to see you fail. Your self image matters. Protect it.

  3. Think for yourself. Allow yourself to obtain input from others, but ultimately think for yourself and make your own decisions.