Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 medium avocados
• 1-2 medium bananas
• 5-10 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 3-6 tablespoons honey
• 3-6 tablespoons coconut or almond milk
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before – it takes something from him.

When did we lose sight of what’s important?

When we were young life was MUCH easier, right? I know sometimes it seems that way. But, the truth is life STILL is ‘easy.’ It always will be. The only difference is we’re older, and the older we get, the more we complicate things for ourselves.

You see, when we were young we saw the world through simple, hopeful eyes. We knew what we wanted and we had no biases or hidden agendas. We liked people who smiled. We avoided people who frowned. We ate when we were hungry, drank when we were thirsty, and slept when we were tired.

As we grew older our minds became gradually disillusioned by negative external influences. At some point we began to hesitate and question our instincts. When a new obstacle or growing pain arose, we stumbled and fell down. This happened several times. Eventually we decided we didn’t want to fall again, but rather than solving the problem that caused us to fall, we avoided it all together.

We started chasing the wrong things in life.

Over the course of time, we make our lives more and more difficult, and we start losing touch with who we really are and what we really need.

When you STOP chasing after the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to START catching up.

Remember, mistakes make us human, failures help us grow, hope keeps us going, and love is the reason we’re alive. So keep learning, loving, and living. Never give up on yourself, just get back to the basics.

STOP putting your own needs on the back burner.
Yes, help others, but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

STOP trying to avoid risk.
There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’ Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.

STOP trying to be different for the sake of being different.
Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity is conformity. When people try too hard to be different, they usually end up being just like everyone else who is trying to be different. Once again, be yourself.

STOP trying to fit in.
Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not. Be yourself. Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

STOP fussing with every beauty product on the market.
Good looks attracts the eyes. Personality attracts the heart. Be proud to be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.

STOP doubting others.
People are determined do remarkable things. Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.

STOP thinking about the things you don’t have.
Appreciate everything you do have. Many people aren’t so lucky.

STOP spending your life working in a career field you’re not passionate about.
Life is too short for such nonsense. The right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing. So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop. You’re on to something big. Because hard work is not hard when you concentrate on your passions.

STOP taking yourself so seriously.
Few others do anyway. So enjoy yourself and have a little fun while you can.

STOP focusing on what you don’t want to happen.
Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

STOP doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it.
Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it. Think bigger. Keep the end in mind. Do what you know in your heart is right.

STOP making emotional decisions.
Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

STOP filling every waking moment with commitments and activities.
It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to do nothing sometimes. Think. Relax. Breathe. Be.

STOP thinking others are luckier than you.
The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

STOP persistent multi-tasking.
Do one thing at a time and do it right.

STOP following the path of least resistance.
Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t find the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

STOP doing the same thing over and over again.
In order to grow, you must expand your horizons and break free of your comfort zone. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

STOP trying to control everything.
Life is an unpredictable phenomenon. No matter how good or bad things seem right now, we can never be 100% certain what will happen next. So do your best with what’s in front of you and leave the rest to the powers above you.

STOP worrying about what others think of you.
Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression (job interview, first date, etc.), don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way. What they think and say about you isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

STOP being shy.
Network with people. Meet new people. Ask questions. Introduce yourself.

STOP relationships with people who bring you down.
Saying “no” to the right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to the right opportunities. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven, and likeminded.

STOP foolish habits that you know are foolish.
Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t smoke. Etc.

STOP eating as a means of entertainment.
Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.

STOP eating junk food.
You are what you eat.

STOP being anti-athletic.
Get your body moving! Simply take a long, relaxing walk or commit 30-45 minutes to your local gym.

STOP being dramatic.
Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

STOP waiting until the last minute.
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

STOP your sense of entitlement.
Nobody is entitled to anything in this world. We are all equal. We breathe the same air. We get what we give. We get what we earn.

STOP avoiding change.
However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.

STOP beating around the bush.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Communicate effectively.

STOP letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside.
People are not mind readers. They will never know how you feel unless you tell them.

STOP making promises you can’t keep.
Don’t over-promise. Over-deliver on everything you do.

STOP the ‘easy street’ mentality.
There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society. For example, taking diet pills to lose weight instead of exercising and eating well. No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work.

STOP trying to live up to the expectations of others.
Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations. Everything else will fall into place.

STOP making mountains out of molehills.
One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years? If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

STOP blaming others for your troubles.
The extent to which you can live your dream life depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

STOP buying things you don’t need.
Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.

STOP trying to do everything by yourself.
You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you work together, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.

STOP setting such small goals for yourself.
Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail. Ironically, setting these small goals is what makes them fail.

STOP thinking you’re not ready.
Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

STOP trying to be everything to everyone.
Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.

STOP saying, “I can’t.”
As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”

STOP trying to avoid mistakes.
The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

STOP lying.
In the long-run the truth always reveals itself. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

STOP waiting.
What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action.

STOP holding grudges.
Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.

STOP complaining.
Do something about it.

STOP dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future.
Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. Don’t miss it.

STOP comparing yourself to others.
The only person you are competing against is yourself.

STOP trying to be perfect.
The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

START noticing how wealthy you are right now.
Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

START focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes.
The mind must believe it CAN do something before it is capable of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you DO WANT to happen, and then take the next positive step forward. No, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on.

START concentrating on the things you can control.
You can’t change everything, but you can always change something. Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery, and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control, and act on them now.

START actively nurturing your most important relationships.
Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people. Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty. Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.

START taking full accountability for your own life.
Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them. Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them. But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.

START being more open about how you feel.
If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about it. Talk to those closest to you. Tell them the truth about how you feel. Let them listen. The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open is your first step toward feeling good again.

START working toward your goals every single day.
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Whatever it is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it happen. Get out there and DO something! The harder you work the luckier you will become. While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it. By ‘working on it,’ I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end result.

START accepting things when they are less than perfect.
Remember, ‘perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’ One of the biggest challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes it’s better to accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal. No, you shouldn’t accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect.

START noticing the beauty of small moments.
Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day. Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your mate.

START being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks.
Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.

START listening to your own inner voice.
If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition. Be true to yourself. Say what you need to say. Do what you know in your heart is right.

START helping those around you.
Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.

START forgiving yourself and others.
We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

START looking for the silver lining in tough situations.
When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.

START cheering for other people’s victories.
Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.

START competing against an earlier version of yourself.
Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others, but know that competing against them is a waste of time. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. Aim to break your own personal records.

START giving new people you meet a chance.
It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.

START entering new relationships for the right reasons.
Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.

START believing that you’re ready for the next step.
You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.

START giving your ideas and dreams a chance.
In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.

START creating your own happiness.
If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it. If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it. But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too.

START enjoying the things you already have.
The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.

START being more polite to yourself.
If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will.

START valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you.
Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing, and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.

START noticing and living in the present.
Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.

START being yourself, genuinely and proudly.
Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.

START making your own happiness a priority.
Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.

START being honest with yourself about everything.
Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.

START facing your problems head on.
It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.

START spending time with the right people.
These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• Dash of celtic sea salt and ground pepper (if desired)
• 1 pound salmon