The Secrets To A Successful And Happy Life

silhouette of happy young woman on a swing with sunset background

Dearest Avery,

My beautiful daughter. Mommy and I are so very proud of the young girl you are.

You have many gifts and talents that are going to serve you well in life. But I want to tell you the secret to a successful and happy life:

Perseverance and a positive attitude.

I would love to tell you that you will get every role you audition for.

I would love to tell you that every boy you fall in love with will fall in love with you.

I would love to tell you that you will get straight A’s without even trying.

Life usually doesn’t work that way.

I wish it did. Believe me I wish it did.

But most of us are not blessed with that kind of luck. Most of us have to fight through adversity.

Most of us will have at least one defining moment in our life where our back is against the wall. Actually, most of us have many moments when our backs are against the wall.

 

The question is how will you react when your back is against the wall?

 

The answer is with perseverance and a positive attitude.

Perseverance and a positive attitude get you through the tough times. It’s easy to be positive when everything is going your way.

You’ve got the wind at your back. You have confidence. You can conquer the world.

 

It’s just the opposite when you are knocked down.

 

  • You lose your confidence in an instant.
  • No one wants to talk to you.
  • No one returns your phone calls.
  • You’re all alone.
  • And you’ll want to run away.

It sounds crazy, but that’s what happens when things aren’t going your way.

 

What are you going to do Avery?

 

I can tell you all the stories you want about my life. I hope they inspire you and give you strength.

However, the strength to persevere comes from within you. And strength starts with a positive attitude.

 

Okay, so how do you develop a positive attitude?

 

Here are the things I do every day to stay positive:

  1. Meditate. Some sort of mindfulness practice (meditation in my case) really works. Try and start the day with it. There are a lot of great resources online to get you started. You can use YouTube or www.calm.com to learn more.
  2. Exercise. Or walk every day. I exercise or I go for a run everyday. You get the endorphins going and feel great.
  3. Eat healthy. A good diet full of lean proteins, fruits and veggies makes me feel really good too.
  4. Read. Specifically, read something inspirational. There is some great non-fiction out there. You can use audible.com to read/listen while you’re driving or running.
  5. Visualize your success. I visualize a positive next day when I go to bed every night. I also visualize before I go to bed an important long-term goal that I have. I do the same thing each morning when I wake up.

You are bombarding your brain with positive messages when you take these five steps every day.

 

Okay, so how do you develop perseverance?

 

You’ve already taken the first step by committing to having a positive attitude. A positive attitude brings with it resilience and perseverance.

 

You have already overcome a lot of failure to get where you are

 

Think about it, Avery.

You’ve already experienced a lot of failure. We all have:

  • We’ve all fallen down when we were learning to walk.
  • We’ve all cried before we learned to talk.
  • We’ve all had friends turn on us at exactly the wrong time.

It sucks Avery, doesn’t it?

But here’s the thing: it didn’t kill you, did it?

Yes, it hurts really badly when things don’t go your way.   Believe me, I know the pain all too well.

However, the key to a happy and successful life is getting up each and every time you get knocked down:

  • Recognize the pain you are going through isn’t permanent.
  • Use your support network (those who really love you) to get you through the tough time.
  • Get up again.
  • Just keep moving forward.
  • Keep a positive attitude.

 

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger:

 

One of the tricks I like using is reminding myself of the worst things I’ve been through. I tell myself, “I survived that issue, so I know I can make it through this current problem as painful as it is.”

 

Remember your positive moments when you’re battling through adversity:

 

Avery, I know you have it in you. I’ve already seen it.

Remember your June piano recital? Mommy and I could hear you were struggling.

 

But you didn’t quit, did you?

 

You fought through the recital and you ended up achieving your goal of Top Talent.

You achieved an even bigger and more important goal whether you realize it or not:

 

You showed that you’re willing to fight when things aren’t going your way.

 

And that makes me happier than any award you will ever get because I know you are on your way to a happy and successful life.

I love you,

Daddy

 

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