Have you shrunk yourself out of fear of change, failure, or the unknown? Have you carved out big plans for yourself, only to continue putting them off year after year? We've all been there. Ah, yes, that nagging self-doubt that all but paralyzes us from working toward goals big and small -- and induces us to give up prematurely. No one says you have to give in to those pesky negative thoughts. When they resurface, stop and ask yourself this question: "Who says I can't succeed?" If it's you, it's time to reframe your thinking. And if it's others who are attempting to demotivate you, you're certainly in the wrong company. As a matter of fact, if you're willing to invest the time, energy, and resources into making your dreams a reality, you can achieve anything! Rather than harp on what may go wrong, why not envisage things going well for you? If you always fear failure -- keeping you ensconced in your cozy comfort zone -- you ma...

One of my favorite movie quotes comes from "Under Siege 2," a rather obscure 1995 action thriller starring Steven Seagal. During an exchange between the two main villains, one assures the other that our hero (Seagal) disappeared and is presumably dead. Then the other curtly asks, "Did you see the body?" before delivering a powerful line I've never forgotten since watching the movie as a kid: "Assumption is the mother of all f*ck-ups." We've all been there. We (or someone we know) make a choice without doing our due diligence -- perhaps out of sheer laziness or carelessness -- and later say, "I just assumed so and so." Later, we feel a sense of regret and wish we had done our research. For example, my wife often assumes that just because she sees a product being advertised on the website of a given retailer -- say, Macy's -- they're bound to have that very item available at our local store. Such a faulty assumption resu...

Don't preoccupy yourself trying to be more successful than your friends, neighbors, or coworkers. Instead, focus on improving yourself. Concentrate on being better than you were a day, a week, even a year ago -- whether that means getting in better shape, becoming more productive, having more money in the bank, or just becoming a better person all around. Comparing ourselves to other people can only lead us down a path of jealousy, resentment, and frayed relationships. We must all concede that there will always be someone more popular, attractive or successful than us. But that doesn't mean we have to begrudge them their fortune. And it doesn't mean we have to emulate them either. Their lives are theirs alone. You have your own life in which to achieve the goals that you've chosen to pursue. Those goals won't always align with others', and that's okay. Not all of us want to be rich doctors, parents to four children, or globetrotters. Some of u...

Each day brings challenges, to be sure, but it also brings at least one reason to smile and cherish life. Maybe it's the mere fact that you're alive to see another day. Maybe it's your spouse, kids, friends, or pets. Perhaps it's your extensive book collection, side business, or the charities you're active in. Whenever I feel the urge to complain about something, I quickly try to cancel out that negative feeling by thinking about something I'm deeply appreciative for and passionate about. As bad as things get, there's always a silver living that can turn our frown into a smile -- however fleeting it may be.  Even if you've come across a string of bad days, if today is even slightly better than yesterday, that alone is a step in the right direction. For example, let's say you're on a diet and are aiming to drop 20 pounds. After a day or so of dieting, you weigh yourself and, to your dismay, you've actually gained a pound. You repeat t...