There’s a distinctive signature to authentic people

There’s a distinctive signature to authentic people: they prefer meaningful conversations with a few over shallow exchanges with many. Their love is demonstrated rather than declared. Their words and actions align, even when no one’s watching. They bring a quality of presence that makes you feel truly seen, and carry a sense of peace and joy that doesn’t depend on external validation.

People don't evaluate your reasoning

People don't evaluate your reasoning. They evaluate you. We reject a recommendation from someone we don't like but embrace it from someone we admire. If you want to persuade, sell yourself before you sell your ideas.

Everyone is doing their best

It’s amazing how strong a hold our pasts can have on us. We often carry around a form of resentment for something we did or for what someone did to us. Either way, this lack of forgiveness is hurting us the most. We can’t be fully ourselves this way. You must take some time out to resolve this. You forgive yourself by finding compassion for what you did. If you look deeply, you will find a way to understand. Everyone is doing their best, given the thinking they hold to be true. Including the younger you.

A good yes and a bad yes

Saying yes to one thing is always saying no to something else. The cost of a bad yes isn't just the time it takes. It's whatever could have grown in that space instead. The point isn't to say no to everything, but simply to recognize the difference between a good yes and a bad yes. Then, try to improve the ratio in your life.

Can you make it worse?

Is there anything you can do right now that would impede progress, degrade quality, or simply make the current situation worse? Is there a way you could shift perceptions to make people more distraught, less hopeful, or even panicked? If it’s so easy to accomplish worse, why do we persist in believing we don’t have the power to make things better?

A persistent practice of being mindful

Change the people we interact with, the media we consume, and the attention we offer. Not all at once, but as a habit, a persistent practice of being mindful about the triggers and amplifiers we consume. If you’re not happy with what your attention is bringing you, you can change it. We become what we do, but before we do, we focus. And the freedom and responsibility of that focus belong to us.

Good news is always quieter than bad news

Negative examples always spread farther and faster than positive examples. In a world this big, you'll find at least one negative example every day. Don't let the existence of a bad example ruin your faith in the world. Good news is always quieter than bad news. Good behavior rarely stirs the pot or ignites emotion. But no matter. We still need role models. Continue living the best way you know how.