10 Ways to navigate life successfully

Never gossip

Gossip is negative energy being spread about. Be impeccable with your word. You wil like and respect yourself more for it.

Don’t take things personally

May things that happen in life have very little to do with us even though we assume they do. Learn to give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

Reject conformity – be true to yourself

Follow what feels good for you, not what you think you are expected to do.

Maintain a sense of humour

Life can be tough and extremely challenging – a sense of humour can soften the edges.

Never catastrophise

Stop dreaming up worst case scenarios – put a lid on it. Catastrophising will lead you to feeling anxious and/or depressed and these situations may actually never arise. Deal with things as they present themselves rather than worrying about every possible future scenario – that’s just mental torture.

Be present as much as possible

Stop living in the past or the future. The present moment is where it’s at – happiness can only be felt now, not in the past or future.

Stop comparing

Comparing is a one-way ticket to feeling deprived and you are comparing to ‘surface’ information rather than what is really going on in other people’s lives as you don;t know for sure what is REALLY happening. Focus on your own life instead – how far you have come and where you want to go. (then back to the present…)

Distinguish thoughts from facts

Thoughts come at us relentlessly and most of them are non-productive ‘useless’ thoughts. Stop paying attention to every single thought – accept, acknowledge and dismiss..another one will be along soon. Focus on the helpful thoughts not the negative ones. When negative thoughts persist, look for any evidence to support your thinking – often there won’t be any.

Develop a strong inner core/foundation

Live a life where you obtain your strength and value from inside. not from external sources. Speak to yourself in a positive manner and focus on your strengths regularly. When we give ourselves love and acceptance, this enhances our external world immensely. We act more confidently and attract different people and experiences into our lives.

Create goals/strive for meaning and purpose

In order to have a general direction, it is important to have short term and long term goals in place. When life gets tough, having goals in place adds some structure and can help us feel that we are still on track even though presently we may feel in the middle of a sand storm.

There are many ways to improve life and cope better with life’s challenges – the above tips are brilliant ways to have that edge in life and protect contentment a little more.

Mandy X

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.