life transformation – Live Laugh Love Do http://livelaughlovedo.com A Super Fun Site Wed, 03 Sep 2025 04:59:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 7 Mindful Things You Should Insist on Doing for Yourself More Often http://livelaughlovedo.com/7-mindful-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/7-mindful-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often/#respond Wed, 03 Sep 2025 04:59:52 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/09/03/7-mindful-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often/ [ad_1]

7 Mindful Things You Should Insist on Doing for Yourself More Often

You can’t lift a thousand pounds all at once, yet you can easily lift one pound a thousand times. Tiny, repeated efforts will get you there.

I have witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages — 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and more. How did they all do it? In a nutshell, they started being more mindful about making progress in their lives, step by step. And by doing so they changed the trajectory of their lives.

What you need to remember most right now is that it isn’t too early or too late to start making positive changes in your life. Your future is always affected by what you start doing today. Yet so many people wait around for some arbitrary date and time, like tomorrow, to take action. Don’t be one of them! Be mindful, and make yourself a bigger priority right now. It’s time to…

1. Insist on embracing your humanness.

“Human” is the only real label we are born with, yet we forget so easily. To become attached to a loaded label of overweight, divorced, diseased, rejected, or poor, is to be like the rain, that doesn’t know it is also the clouds… or the ice, that forgets it is water. For we are far more than the shape we’re currently in. And we, like the wind, water, and sky, will change forms many times in our lives, while forever remaining beautifully human.

So forgive yourself for the bad decisions you made, for the times you lacked understanding, for the choices that accidentally hurt others and yourself. Forgive yourself, for being young and reckless. These are all vital lessons. And what matters most right now is your willingness to grow from them.

Once we forgive ourselves and fully embrace our humanness, it’s almost funny to see how seamlessly we can adapt to life’s transitions — how we outgrow what we once thought we couldn’t live without, and then we fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted. Take this to heart. And don’t forget to pause regularly to appreciate how far you’ve come. You’ve been through a lot, and you’ve grown a lot too. Give yourself credit for the steps you’ve taken, so you can step forward again with grace.

2. Insist on subtracting what doesn’t belong in your life.

When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy — something that truly matters to you — care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. And if you find that you don’t have enough time for what matters, stop doing things that don’t. In other words, start subtracting what isn’t working for you.

Every time you subtract negative from your life, you make room for more positive. Let that sink in. When things aren’t adding up in your life, begin subtracting. Life gets a lot simpler and more enjoyable when you clear the emotional and physical clutter that makes it unnecessarily complicated. And there’s so much you can let go of in life without losing a thing. It’s called growth. Letting go of the old makes way for the new. Letting go of what isn’t working makes way for what will. When the pain of holding on is worse than the pain of letting go, it’s time to let go and grow.

3. Insist on leaving other people’s judgmental opinions alone.

When Marc and I first started writing on this blog, I’d agonize over whether people would think what I was writing was good enough. I desperately hoped they’d like it, and oftentimes I’d catch myself imagining they didn’t. Then one day I realized how much energy I was wasting worrying about it. So I’ve gradually learned to relax with simply not knowing. Some problems in life, such as not knowing what others think of you, are not really meant to be resolved.

What you need to remember is that you can’t control how other people feel, or how they receive your energy. Anything you do or say gets filtered through a mindset occupied by whatever they are going through at the moment, which likely has nothing to do with you. Just keep doing your thing with as much love and passion as possible.

4. Insist on upholding your boundaries.

When it happens, be sure to tune out the cheap shots people take at you. Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all. So before you waste it on anger, spite, or frustration, think of how precious and irreplaceable your time is, and carry on with grace.

And remember that not all toxic relationship situations are agonizing and uncaring on purpose. Some of them involve people who care about you — people who have good intentions, but are toxic because their needs and way of existing in the world force you to compromise yourself and your happiness. They aren’t inherently bad people, but they aren’t the right people to be spending time with every day.

You simply can’t ruin yourself on a daily basis for the sake of someone else. You have to create boundaries and make your well-being a priority. Whether that means breaking up with someone, loving a family member from a distance for a little while, letting go of a social obligation, or removing yourself from a daily situation that feels painful — you have every right to create some healthy space for yourself. (Note: Marc and I discuss this in more detail in the Relationships chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

5. Insist on putting your heart and soul into the things you do.

There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Starting today aim for the latter. Too often we wait around because we think we need to “find” something new or different to be passionate about, but that’s not true. If you want more passion and satisfaction in your life, act accordingly right now. Put your whole heart and soul into the next thing you do. Not into tomorrow’s opportunities, but the opportunity right in front of you. Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks. Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run. Not into tomorrow’s conversations, but today’s conversations…

In the end, purpose is the reason you journey and passion is the fire that lights your way. So start believing in your heart that you’re meant to live each day full of purpose and passion — that each and every moment is worthy in its own way. I’m absolutely certain you have plenty in your life right now that’s worth your time, energy, and passionate focus. You have people and circumstances in your life that need you as much as you need them. You have a massive reservoir of passionate potential within you, just waiting. Stop waiting! Put your heart and soul into what you’ve got right in front of you! Become it, let it become you, and great things will happen for you, to you, and because of you.

6. Insist on stretching yourself in the right ways.

Again, many great things can be done in a day if you don’t always make that day tomorrow. Will it always be easy? No, but remember that when you’re struggling to make progress that’s when you actually are. You want to be stretched to the edge of your ability — it needs to be slightly hard and uncomfortable sometimes. Of course most of us don’t want to be uncomfortable, so we subconsciously run from the possibility of discomfort. The obvious problem with this is that, by running from discomfort, we are constrained to partake in only the opportunities within our comfort zones. And since our comfort zones are relativity small, we miss out on most of life’s greatest and healthiest experiences, and we get stuck in a debilitating cycle.

Choose differently starting today… Go to environments that expand your mind. Spend time with people who inspire you to stretch yourself. Read books. Grow. Get better. Your life is in your hands.

7. Insist on reminding yourself why every step matters.

In the end all the small things make a big difference. Every step is crucial. Life isn’t about a single moment of great triumph and attainment. It’s about the trials and errors that slowly get you there — the blood, sweat, tears, and the small, inconsequential things you do on a day-to-day basis. It all matters in the end — every step, every regret, every decision, every minor setback and minuscule win.

The seemingly useless happenings add up to something. The minimum-wage job you had in high school. The evenings you spent socializing with coworkers you never see anymore. The hours you spent writing thoughts on a personal blog that no one reads. Contemplations about elaborate future plans that never came to be. All those lonely nights spent reading novels and news columns and comic strips, questioning your own principles on life and sex and religion and whether or not you’re good enough just the way you are.

All of this has strengthened you. All of this has led you to every success you’ve ever had. All of this has made you who you are today. And all of this proves that you have the strength to deal with the challenges in front of you. So keep giving yourself grace, and carry on. (Note: “The Good Morning Journal: Powerful Prompts and Reflections to Start Every Day” is a great tool for this kind of self-reflection.)

Now it’s your turn…

Yes, it’s your turn starting today. I hope you will have a delightful one, that you will dream boldly and dangerously, that you will leverage the reminders above to create something that didn’t exist before you took action, that you will love and be loved in return, and that you will find the strength to mindfully accept and grow from the outcomes you can’t change. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and wisdom in this crazy world), that you will, when you must, be wise with your decisions, and that you will always be extra kind to yourself and others.

But before you go, please leave Marc and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this essay. Your feedback is important to us. 🙂

Which one of the points above resonated the most today?

Finally, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.

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]]> http://livelaughlovedo.com/7-mindful-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often/feed/ 0 The Questions That Helped Me Reclaim My Life http://livelaughlovedo.com/the-questions-that-helped-me-reclaim-my-life/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/the-questions-that-helped-me-reclaim-my-life/#respond Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:52:20 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/08/22/the-questions-that-helped-me-reclaim-my-life/ [ad_1]

“You can rewrite the story. You just have to pick up the pen.” ~Unknown

I remember the exact moment I started disappearing.

It was my wedding day. Just before I walked down the aisle, my mother gently reached for my hand and said, “Your hands are freezing!”

She was right. I was ice-cold.

At first, I laughed it off—after all, it was February in Connecticut. Cold hands made sense, right? But that day, something didn’t add up.

We were in the middle of an unusual Indian summer. The air was warm, the sun soft and golden. People were sipping champagne outside without jackets.

And yet, I was frozen. Not just my hands—me.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this wasn’t about nerves. It wasn’t about cold weather or wedding day jitters. It was my body sounding the alarm. A deep, internal signal that something wasn’t right.

Beneath the lace and lipstick, behind the practiced smile and the applause of the crowd, there was a whisper.

“Don’t do this.”

But how could I possibly listen to that voice?

The guests were seated. The music had started. My fiancé stood at the end of the aisle with hope in his eyes. My parents had planned the wedding of their dreams for me, and the entire day was unfolding like the last few pages of a fairy tale.

How could I pause it all for… a whisper?

So I smiled. I walked. And with every step, I tucked away another piece of myself.

At the time, I didn’t realize it. But in that moment, I began the slow, quiet process of disappearing. Not all at once. Piece by piece. Smile by smile. Year by year.

On paper, everything looked beautiful. Picture-perfect, even. A supportive husband. A charming home. A life that earned approving nods at dinner parties. But inside? I felt like a ghost wearing the costume of a woman who was supposed to be happy.

And perhaps the most painful part was this: I couldn’t point the finger at anyone.

My husband wasn’t the villain. He was kind and supportive.

My family didn’t force me down the aisle. They loved me deeply.

There was no one to blame—except maybe the version of me that believed being loved meant being pleasing, agreeable, convenient.

I had built a life around what made others proud. I had excelled at being the daughter, the wife, the “put-together” woman.

But I had no idea how to be… me.

Maybe you’ve felt this too.

Maybe you’ve found yourself living a life that looks good from the outside, while quietly wondering on the inside, Is this really it?

A job that pays the bills but dulls your spirit. A routine so rehearsed it feels like a loop you can’t break. A relationship that’s functional but not fulfilling. A version of yourself that checks every box—and yet still feels like something essential is missing.

That’s where I found myself. And let me tell you, it’s disorienting. Because how do you start over when you don’t even remember where you veered off course?

For me, it began with paying attention to that whisper. The one I’d been ignoring since the altar. It didn’t yell. It didn’t beg. It simply waited. Until one day, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

I started to unravel the layers I had built around myself—layers of expectation, perfectionism, people-pleasing.

I started asking hard questions:

  • Who am I when I’m not performing for someone else’s approval?
  • What do I actually want?
  • What parts of my life were chosen by habit or fear instead of by intention?

And that’s when everything started to shift.

I realized that being “stuck” wasn’t a personal failure. It wasn’t a character flaw. It was the natural result of abandoning my truth for too long.

When you spend your life tuning out your inner voice, the world will gladly offer you a script.

Go to school. Get the job. Marry the person. Smile. Say thank you. Be grateful. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t ask too many questions. Especially not the ones that start with what if…

But here’s the thing: That whisper inside of you? It doesn’t disappear. It waits. Patiently. Kindly.

It shows up as restlessness. As burnout. As Sunday-night dread. As the weird ache in your chest when you realize your calendar is full, but your soul feels empty. And eventually, it becomes too loud to ignore.

So if you’re reading this and thinking, That’s me, I want you to know this:

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re waking up. And waking up is messy. It means grieving the life you thought you wanted so you can build the one you actually desire.

It means being honest about what’s not working.

It means risking disappointment or disapproval so you can live in alignment.

It means trading “perfect” for peace.

And it’s not always easy. But it is worth it.

You don’t have to disappear to be loved. You don’t have to shrink to fit in. You don’t have to betray yourself to belong. You just have to listen.

Start small. Ask yourself: Where have I been quieting my own voice to keep the peace?

Then ask: What would it look like to honor that voice, just a little bit today?

Maybe it’s saying no to something you’ve outgrown. Maybe it’s signing up for that class you’ve been secretly dreaming about. Maybe it’s sitting quietly for five minutes and asking your inner voice, What do you need from me right now?

You don’t have to burn it all down to begin again. You just have to be willing to begin.

Because the truth is… the life that’s calling you? It’s not waiting for the “perfect” moment. It’s waiting for you.



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]]> http://livelaughlovedo.com/the-questions-that-helped-me-reclaim-my-life/feed/ 0 53 People Share The Ups And Downs Of Having A Partner Who Went From Rags To Riches http://livelaughlovedo.com/53-people-share-the-ups-and-downs-of-having-a-partner-who-went-from-rags-to-riches/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/53-people-share-the-ups-and-downs-of-having-a-partner-who-went-from-rags-to-riches/#respond Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:28:56 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/08/13/53-people-share-the-ups-and-downs-of-having-a-partner-who-went-from-rags-to-riches/ [ad_1]

Couple sharing a tender moment on a subway, illustrating the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. My husband and I started dating in high school. We both came from poor families and had no money. Our dates were composed of a lot of walking and meeting in public places because we didn’t have a car and couldn’t afford restaurants.

He got a full scholarship to a private university and I went to a cheaper public university. He graduated first and started making good money. He helped me pay for college and started to buy me nice things. We got engaged, then I graduated and we started saving for our wedding. We saved for a house, had a kid… and we’re thinking about having a second. Money didn’t change him. He’s still frugal and scolds me when I spend too much, but he takes good care of us.

EmLockette , Jonathan Borba/unsplash Report

Ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches shown by a stressed woman and distant man at home. They changed, they cheated and they left me. I was there supporting their dreams, I was there with them foot to foot supporting their venture only for them to turn around and bite me in the a*s. Now they have nothing and I on the other hand is doing well for myself.

SensitiveCorner2379 , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Male doctor with stethoscope working on laptop, representing ups and downs of partner's journey from rags to riches. I was with my ex through medical school and residency. He tried to become a plastic surgeon and was rejected two years in a row. He ended up in family medicine. Once he learned how much money he could make through telehealth, he didn’t care about anything else. He quite literally didn’t do anything but work, eat, sleep, and maybe watch tv occasionally for a year and a half. He went from making $50k to probably a half mill a year. He ended things with me after I told him I was tired of him only caring about making money. He knew I was right, but I don’t think he was able to step up and be the partner I deserve.

We broke up three years ago. Last I heard, he had a bit of a mental break and moved to Hungary. Still doing telehealth, still single.

Best decision someone ever made for me. I’m now in a really happy, loving relationship with someone who makes me a priority. And I kept the dog.

srhdbvg , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Two people having a serious conversation at a table, reflecting on ups and downs of a partner who went from rags to riches. We went from making very little money to him making half a million annually. He began to resent me for still being in graduate school and this continued into me building my career. I would say money made him mean. We divorced a couple of years later.

360degreesoffreedom , Vitaly Gariev/unsplash Report

Woman covering her face stressed while partner sits distant on bed, illustrating ups and downs of rags to riches relationships. When we met he was so broke but I don’t care about that kind of stuff so I helped support him and cheered him on while he tried to make his big comedy break. It ended up happening and he signed a huge contract. He dumped me that day lmaoooooo should’ve seen it coming.

basswitch69 , Curated Lifestyle/unsplash Report

A cozy outdoor scene with a covered chair in front of a caravan, illustrating ups and downs of rags to riches. My sister was dating a guy who inherited a large sum of money. Their relationship accelerated and they moved states , moved In together, bought a house, car, motorbike, huge boat, farm and anything they fancied. Had a child together.

In 18 months they were homeless and bankrupt after gambling and partying flat out. They borrowed money against there assets for investments that went sour fast and had to sell everything for less than they paid for it and ended owing 20-30k which they couldn’t pay. Court bankrupt order was placed on them and they separated.

Five years later the same thing happened again with a large inheritance on his side and they got back together. Travelled constantly and blew enough money that could have bought a new house, furniture, and a car. Separated again and living in a caravan park.

Milled_Oats , Olena Bohovyk/unsplash Report

Woman relaxing on a lounge chair by the pool, illustrating themes of having a partner who went from rags to riches. Can’t comment for myself but my dad’s wife did when she was with her ex husband. She already had a successful career herself, but her brother sold his share of a big company, became nearly a billionaire and the whole family got rich, because he’s a generous guy.

Her ex husband didn’t take it well. It hurt his masculinity, and he became a raging alcoholic. Family tried to help him, but he was a lost cause, so they divorced.

He died last year.

Routine-Crew8651 , Wesley Tingey/unsplash Report

Couple cuddling in bed, sharing intimate moments reflecting the ups and downs of having a partner from rags to riches. My wife and I have been together since we were broke college students.

I make good money but she makes $350k. Nothing has changed in our relationship since she started making this kind of money 3 years ago.

MsCardeno , Toa Heftiba/unsplash Report

Couple sharing a moment in their kitchen, highlighting the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. Nothing really changed in our relationship. The extra money absolutely made our lives easier, and helps remove most stressful things in our life. I cant imagine having to deal with some of the s**t we have to deal with without money. Met my wife in undergrad and been with her ever since, she is now a professor of plastic surgery at a university.

Rollthembones1989 , AllGo – An App For Plus Size People/unsplash Report

Man and woman enjoying drinks at a bar, illustrating the ups and downs of a partner who went from rags to riches. While I was in grad school, this happened to me. My (ex) partner and I were both teaching part-time, so we didn’t have a lot of extra money to throw around. He started a tutoring company as a passion project with some grad school friends, and it ended up being quite successful. Not a billion dollar venture, but he did become a millionaire through it.

And yeah, he broke up with me soon after, when he started getting lots of female attention due to the level of income. He mostly dated teenagers for some time after he got successful and dropped out of the grad program, but recently (allegedly) got into quite some trouble with the tax man.

Ancient-Reporter-735 , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Man proposing with a ring to his partner, illustrating the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. Person i know basically went from “I am dating…” to “we’re seriously dating -> engaged” immediately after he found out she had been gifted a large investment portfolio – locked them down so fast

Things are going well for them but I’ll never look at them the same way. He’s referred to the marriage as a “financial opportunity” multiple times and it’s kind of crass.

Even_Zombie_1574 , Gift Habeshaw/unsplash Report

Man in blue shirt looking thoughtfully out window blinds, reflecting on having a partner who went from rags to riches My first husband is staggering wealthy. His dad is the ceo of a casino/resort group and he inherited his grandfather’s entire estate and he was a property developer in the west. He cheated on me, so we got divorced. I opted for no alimony, because it was such a short relationship. He has been married another 2 times and is generally unhappy. Always cheats. If I had as much money as him, I would probably have sought therapy. So I often laugh when people say money can buy you happiness. Didn’t buy mine enough to stay with a cheater and he certainly isn’t happy. Although most of his problems are self-caused.

Weak_Pineapple8513 , Ethan Sykes/unsplash Report

Stylish woman wearing sunglasses and a burgundy coat holding shopping bags, illustrating partner rags to riches lifestyle. My girlfriend’s family got super rich. When we met they were solid middle class. Her dad got a huge legal settlement for millions. She moved back home and cheated on me a bunch.

I-Trusted-the-Fart , freestocks/unsplash Report

Couple sharing a tender moment outdoors, representing the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. I’m 38. When I was 30 I was a barista and had started dating a single mother of 2. Sweet girl, she pushed me to finish school and for the next 3-4 would take classes online and work full time during the day. She was super chill and never expected too much of my time and was happy to just have me over doing homework quietly late into the night. I finished my Software Engineering degree at 34 and got my first industry job making 80k. At the time this was already pretty life changing for the both of us. She was making maybe 25k at the time. Fast forward 4 more years, I jumped into a big tech company and managed to skip a few levels of the bat, got a massive promotion the year later, followed immediately by a corporate acquisition that left me with an enormous tranche of company stock in a major AI player. In 4 years I went from working part time at Starbucks for $15/hour to having a 7 figure net worth.

Life’s the same. I had just bought a 265k house where I live in a LCOL area and she’s moved in, my interest rate is 3.75%. She’s still the sweetest most easy going girl. She doesn’t care too much about the money but it does make life a little easier but we keep almost all of it invested. I did end up buying her a car and paying it off outright. Looking to maybe get hitched in the next couple years. I do get asked sometimes by people who don’t know us why I’m dating a single mother of 2 in my position but I think it’s pretty obvious why.

Itaki , Edward Cisneros/unsplash Report

Man with tattoos reading a colorful book to a baby in a cozy room, illustrating ups and downs of a rags to riches partner. I was basically gifted the company I work for the day I found out I was pregnant and as a result my husband got to take at least 4 years off work and be a stay at home dad. We met when we were both 18 but I never had more than a summer job til I graduated college and he had been working since he was 15 with no help from his parents so it feels like everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

Rrmack , Toa Heftiba/unsplash Report

Couple discussing and signing documents representing the ups and downs of having a partner rise from rags to riches. We started from scratch. Met at university, got married and had kids young. She went back to uni to retrain and ended up in a profession earning up to $400k/year. Combined we earned almost $600k/yr

We built up a multimillion $$ asset base in large part for our retirement, but also for the kids. Fast forward a bit and she developed alcoholism. Four-ish years later we separated, and after that she became a d**g a****t and is no longer working.

Three years later and many $$$ spent on lawyers we dealt with our financial separation. Im now financially ok, while she is spending the rest of her $$$ on her new “lifestyle”.

My kids are no contact with her and so it’s up to me to ensure something is passed on to them for their future.

Top_Chemist7078 , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Young woman looking thoughtful and distant on bed, with partner blurred in background reflecting ups and downs of rags to riches relationships I was already pretty okay but during the course of 6 years, I got in a really good place where I can FIRE in two years. Him, an emergency room doctor but thought he could be a stand up comedian, stopped practicing medicine, got involved in real estate, while people made money during COVID out of real estate market, he lost money. Had to sell his house in Arlington, paid off the creditors, moved into a 1 bedroom apartment. Still no job, just side hustles with no money. Wanted to move in with me. He has 2 kids that he still needs to pay child support on. I said can’t move in with me, but I am open to moving in together to something we can buy together or rent. Does not have good credit for anything. We agreed to mutually break up because he said if we are not going to take the next step into our relationship, then we should not be together. I knew if we moved in together, he would continue to drift. He is back at practicing medicine after having to redo his credentials but still drifting as he cannot hold a job. Last I saw him, it looked like he was living in his car.

He went from owning multiple cars and homes to where he is today. It is not luck, he just does not want to work hard. His uncle is a big Bollywood character actor, and his cousin was a main lead actor before his career stalled due to some issues with a powerful bollywood family.

I knew if we moved in together, I would be doing his laundry, cooking and cleaning, taking care of his 2 teenage boys, one of them is special needs.

I just could not do it. We were not on the same page financially or mentally. I am on the path to FIRE, buying a place in Dubai to be closer to my family. He is still trying to be a stand up comedian.

chauhans55 , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Woman in striped outfit smiling indoors, illustrating the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. My parents got divorced when I was about to turn 10. It was messy and the shared custody was pretty awful afterward.

I spent most of my time with my mom who had to move between different family members houses as she tried to build a life for herself, my brother, and me. I felt a deep dislike for my dad and my new stepmom as their life seemed to continue on and got better every year while my mom struggled.

I vowed to work hard and get a good career to be able to take care of me and my mom. It was always us against the world. She claimed she was taking care of me then so I could help her later. During that time she remarried an amazing person who made her happy and took care of her. Right before I started grad school he passed away due to cancer.

He had a sizeable life insurance policy that left my mom over $400k. That money completely changed her. She started spending money on extremely frivolous stuff.

Things like renting a hotel room because she didn’t remember the password to the the home network. Buying cars full in cash to “avoid debt”. Not paying her house off “since the mortgage helps with taxes.”

She had her kitchen and bathroom remodeled and spent almost $90k because she couldn’t be bothered to challenge the contractor on crazy expenses. My brother at the time didn’t really understand what she was spending and I was away at school.

She then went on to get a masters and PhD which in itself is fine. But she choose really expensive programs which further drained the money. She then refinanced her house further to partially fund the last of her student loans. The best part is that she isn’t using the degree for anything. She had no intention of using it to better her career other than having letters added to her name. Which no one asks about anyway since it’s not required of her job.

I just spoke to her about finances since she’s planning to retire soon. The life insurance money is all gone. She has little to no retirement as she’s hoping her deceased husbands benefits will be enough. She still owes $400k on a house she bought for $300k. And another $100k in student loans for which hasn’t benefitted her career in anyway.

Her response, “my life insurance policy should help and then you and your brother can take care of the rest.”.

ChapKid , Daiga Ellaby/unsplash Report

Man in a suit adjusting his jacket, symbolizing the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. My husband and were high school sweethearts, and both came from low income families. We married young & had our first child soon after.

My husband has an incredible work ethic paired with the ability to make good decisions and calculated risks. He now makes approx 100k a month and we have invested in shares and real estate, (both holding investments and flipping properties). I’ve seen him go from a broke highschool kid to a multi-millionaire now at 32.

He has of course matured with age, but I would say the most change I’ve seen has been in his confidence in himself and his abilities. He was also very hesitant to ever spend money on himself, but now will buy himself a shirt if he likes it. He’s incredibly generous & and attentive and loving husband and Dad.

There have been times along the way where he has been obsessive with working, difficult to live with and not very emotionally present. But now that we have “made it” and I think that external (and internal) pressure has lifted- he is back to being “him”. The guy I fell in love with and would see reappear on holidays 😅

Our relationship is wonderful and it’s been such an amazing journey building the life of our dreams and raising our little family together! Some bumps and tough spots along the way, with a whole ton of sacrifices…. But delayed gratification and being dedicated to making our marriage do the distance has proven to be a working combination for us!

ginghamandtea , Hunters Race/unsplash Report

Person drying dishes with a towel, illustrating the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. My partner inherited hundreds of thousands when her father passed away so she quit her job and lived off it for many years while I worked full time. We have separate finances and her inheritance is hers- it wasn’t a free gift, she lost a parent at a very young age. I held some resentment at the imbalance but she did most of the house chores which bought me a lot of free time outside of work.

Adventurous_Tour1267 , Daiga Ellaby/unsplash Report

Couple discussing finances thoughtfully, illustrating challenges of having a partner who went from rags to riches. Now-husband got a $110k payout after a work accident. We were 20 and had been dating a few years. He got me an engagement ring, put the rest in high-interest for a few years and then we used it for a house deposit.

The work accident itself happened when we’d only been together a few months but it really was a make-or-break for our relationship.When he got the payout we viewed it as money to build our future and sort of communal.

When we retire we’ll 100% be living off my savings so it’s sort of all balancing out in the end.

Amazing-Hippo8523 , Milles Studio/unsplash Report

Young man sitting in a dark room with striped shadows, reflecting on the ups and downs of a rags to riches partner. Married my high school sweetheart at 23, both of us from a poor background. He got a job in the oilfield and within 2 years, started making checks we had never imagined. We bought a house, filled it with furniture and all the things we had ever dreamed about owning.

Divorced at 29 after he became emotionally a*****e and incredibly mean. Literally moved me back to my hometown and started dating his younger insubordinate. It’s been over a decade since and I’m married to a wonderful man while he bounces from relationship to relationship with nothing but his bank account to keep him warm.

galeforce13 , Nedo Raw/unsplash Report

Couple smiling and talking on a couch, representing the ups and downs of having a partner who went from rags to riches. Met my wife when I was 20. We were poor students, she in a bit better situation, but still sharing burgers and beer. She was going faster through career while I was struggling. I really had my lows at some point.
But, we went out of it and we both earn a lot now, not millionaires but more than we ever needed.
Nothing changed between us, happily married after 15+ years.
My learning from my life with her: you need someone who will constantly push and support you to be the best version of yourself.

nedo_medo , A. C./unsplash Report

Couple enjoys baking together in a kitchen, sharing moments of joy and connection in their rags to riches relationship. When I started dating my high school sweetheart I was broke. I had to take two buses to go on a date with her, and choose dinner based on the price column. Her parents were well off and were nice to me although I know they wished she dated a doctor (like she was studying to be one).

We’ve been together 25 years. She was with me through my university, multiple dead end jobs, and even supported me when I decided to quit my average paying job to have start a company without a salary. She then saw my startup slowly going bankrupt while she was doing two or three night shifts – and still didn’t complain. 

I earned a tenured government position through Brazil’s public exam system, which is a big deal here. And then decided to turn it down to work under a 21 year old who wanted to pay me in made up coins. She still supported me.

Turns out, I made the right decision and it turned out great. 

Never for a minute I would not consider that a shared success. She earned every penny I ever made because I don’t think I would be able to do what I’ve done without her support for all these years. .

avsa , SJ Objio/unsplash Report

Woman shopping for fresh produce in a grocery store, illustrating the ups and downs of partners going from rags to riches. Got financially abused. I had to pay for groceries, electrical and water bills and on top of that half of his mortgage. I was pushed into giving him money when he wanted to play the pokies, when he wanted to do dr*gs and when his friends wanted money too – yet I still got cheated on even though I was benefiting him in every way living together, including upkeep on daily chores of the apartment, laundry, cleaning and dinner was ready every night when he finished work for him. Oh but I paid for all the furniture and left him with an empty place when I moved out, so jokes on him 🫣.

T01C , Getty Images/unsplash Report

Two golden cryptocurrency coins representing Bitcoin and Ethereum in front of a digital financial chart showing market ups and downs. I made a ton of money off of bitcoin and eth, and still hold most of it. It basically ruined my life, I lost my friends as they invested and did not hold or wait, as soon as they lost money they sold and blamed me. My wife at the time had huge resentment that i would not sell all of it, bitcoin was 40k at this time, I paid all her school and credit card debt, bought her an SUV and it still was not enough. We started a long divorce, my friends who lost money rallied around her, and the orbiting friends fell into place. I lost all I had except money but actually i lost a good deal of that too,

I got a gf, she too is mad Im holding btc, despite the fact I am not broke or employed and i provide a lot for her, nearly every day. I don’t talk about crypto it all the time, I’m not an annoying crypto bro, I do not have a huge high paying job, I sell small amounts and buy nice things, it truly sucks, I thought being rich would solve most if not all my problems, it did not, it made them worse.

Disastrous_Feed9031 , Pierre Borthiry – Peiobty/unsplash Report

We went from making $23000 for two people to… well I do not want to say but a lot. We are happy with our income. We are not millionaire, “yet”, we are getting there…

I was a PhD student at a top university, so I was making peanuts (about 20 years ago). We married when I was still PhD student. We struggled a lot, I mean, a lot. Anyways, I graduated and I helped her finishing her graduate schools. I supported her career development. She started making a lot too because she is much more hardworking than I am. I am mid-senior, and when she advances to mid-senior, she will make more than I am doing now because she works in finance. We have had ups and downs over the years, but we still love each other. Still kicking after 20 years!

melekin Report

I ran engineering at a startup and we went from combined annual £300k (me) + £180k (her), which is admittedly pretty amazing, to me getting a £10m+ payout on my stock at exit.

What happened is we moved to a nearby country where her family lives, bought a lovely farmhouse, had two children, and are living happily with the understanding and practice (only joint accounts) that all assets are 50/50, since this is very much like a lottery win. She’s now a SAHM, and I’m running a few small SaaS companies that cover our £180k/year worth of expenses (private schools are nearly half of that). We have the normal ups and downs of every marriage but we agree that having taken the money arguments off the table at the very start of our relationship, when we were on £150k + £50k has made it all much much easier.

Sal-Hardin Report

Kinda the flip case for me? I went from making $20k a year in grad school (which took nearly 7 years to finish) to making a strong 6 figure salary. I’m no millionaire, but I’m doing well.

I met my gf in grad school, and she was with me throughout that long brutal process. She was with me when I was unemployed for 6 months living on food stamps and my credit card and trying to land a job. And now, she’s with me while I’m making good money working remotely.

If anything, the money has made our relationship better; we’ve taken multiple international trips together, we go see live music more often and we go out to dinner more often and at nicer places. We basically just have more fun together because going out doesn’t break the bank like it used to.

I suppose The opportunity is there for me to run off and go wild with sugar babies or whatever, but that doesn’t appeal to me at all. It’s way more fun going out and traveling and planning s**t with a partner, and I’ve got a great one who loves me for who I am. That’s everything.

TheBurnerAccount420 Report

Ooh, story time. My grandma remarried when she was middle aged to a man who had a some low value Texas land. They had lots of money issues and my grandma ended up working until she was 70 when she finally retired and they lived frugally. During this time my grandpa developed increasingly progressive dementia, and also fracking made it so the land suddenly became worth a LOT of money.

Well, my Grandpa’s mostly estranged daughter starts to reinsert herself into the picture at this point. One day the daughter told my grandma she was taking my grandpa to church. When they later came home, my grandma asked, “How was church,” and my grandpa said “We didn’t go to church, we went to change the will.” This was a minor miracle, because my grandpa had such profound dementia that he usually couldn’t remember what happened the moment before. The daughter apparently slunk out without saying anything.

Anyways, legal fight ensues, and my grandma is able to get the old will restored. The daughter tried to get everything given to her and have my grandma left with nothing. The daughter would’ve been given a shitload in the original will, but she tried to take absolutely everything.

SenHeffy Report

My wife was an accountant making just a little less than me. My career exploded to where I am making 4-5x her salary, however work load/stress is increased. We decided to have her stop working to take on more of the work of managing the house and kids, and it works for us. It’s like a job for her and it allows the free time that I do get, to be high quality family/wife/kids time. For our family it has worked out well.

namron79 Report

Yup, my ex. We were together for over 12 years. Then his dad died of COVID and he inherited an insane amount of money, turns out the guy had way more properties and assets than anyone knew. As soon as the money came in, I wasn’t “good enough” anymore and he traded me for a 25-year-old with a perfect b**b job.

Lachicadelosjazmines Report

Not wealthy, but very comfortable. Ex husband struggled for years to pass his boards, and he was just about ready to give up and work a lower paying job instead. I happily supported us during that time, because I believed in him, and in marriage. Even when it sucked after having a baby, and PPD, I couldn’t reduce hours at work, because we couldn’t afford to. Also paid off his and his parents’ loans because we agreed to joint finances, and I figured life is long – there will be times I’d earn more, and times he would – so it shouldn’t hold us back from doing what was good for our family.

I pushed him to go for one last exam. He passed, got licensed, and everything changed.
He became obsessed with making and spending money, working more hours than the average person in his field. Soon, he no longer wanted joint finances. His money was his money, and he would contribute what he decided was enough. Discussions about finances stopped being discussions and started being a*****e. He also stopped being involved with the kids, working all the time and buying status symbols instead, only hanging out with friends who ‘respect’ wealth. After a few years, I stopped asking him to contribute for groceries and basic kids needs when physical abuse escalated (to avoid conflict). I figured out how to make do with my salary, and divorced him. Because after many many years of thinking this was a phase, I finally came to the realization that money doesn’t actually change people, it just amplifies traits that were already there. Being poor just kept his a*****e nature in check because he needed my money.

knocknock52 Report

Honestly? The biggest change was just a massive, collective sigh of relief. We paid off our student loans, our parents’ mortgages, and took our first real vacation in ten years. The first “rich person” thing he did was buy a ridiculously expensive, custom-built gaming PC just to play Stardew Valley in 4K. Man’s got his priorities straight. We still argue about whose turn it is to do the dishes, the sink is just in a much nicer kitchen now.

Sajil_ali Report

She always had a high paying career and we saved aggressively.

The power of compounding intrest is wonderful.    

Not much has changed.

TeacherRecovering Report

I got fairly wealthy after about year 8 of being together. Nothing changed really aside from me now buying fancy purses and the home for our future kiddos! My fiance still chooses to live like the poor college kid I fell in love with though. So basically only things around us changed.

quirksnglasses Report

When we met, I was making good money and he was barely making anything. He was just surviving with nothing left after wages and didn’t have a proper job but was job hunting. I supported both of us all this time. I work 14-16 hours a day.
Now over time he is earning well. I’m around the same income range. Working the same hours. And now I’m told all I do is make money and have no other value around the house. Times change. Circumstances change. And people change too I guess.

Exotic_Truth5616 Report

I haven’t been but my friend inherited a lot of money in her last relationship. at first she didn’t tell anyone because she didn’t want people to look at her differently, but after talking to her mom she decided to tell her boyfriend. they had been dating for 6 years but he didn’t want to make the leap for commitment so anytime they talked about marriage it was in the future sometime! and anytime they talk about moving in together it was coming soon! just after he finishes this one project. 

anyway you can guess where this story goes. he took ownership over the money, they started getting in lots of fights because she wouldn’t spend it how he wanted to, suddenly he was totally fine with living together especially if it meant he didn’t have to have a job… broke her heart. she hasn’t dated since, but she’s rich as f**k.

Aggravating-Vast5016 Report

Idk if “very rich”, but way above average. We live very comfortably and manage to still save money every month on a single income in a big apartment with a garden in the most fashionable neighborhood of our country. He’s been supporting me through unemployment, but at times when I do have a job (unstable industry) I’ve made more than him.

We’re a team, best friends. Getting married in October.

MagpieKaz Report

Money makes life easier, and more fun. It doesn’t solve an individuals problem. Met my wife when we were both broke, early on she told me she’s betting on me making it big because she believed in. She was right, and it was a wonderful ride, until it made her complacent in life. We lived the 1% lifestyle in the most expensive city in the US. Home ownership, 2nd home, kid in private school, luxurious vacations, etc.

She became depressed ~4 yrs ago and didn’t seek the right help because she thought we had enough money for her to sit and do nothing all day. That was never our agreement, I loved the ambitious woman she was, couldn’t care less about her success but loved that she tried and cared and tried to be the best human she could.

When she stopped all of that, I started to resent her. Warned her after 3 yrs of this, I’m at the end of my rope if she didn’t try to recover from the dark hole she’s in. Finally hit my breaking point and told her she needs to check into a rehab facility to work on her demons, or I want out. She chose the easy path out, we’re in the process of getting divorced.

TLDR- making a lot when you come from nothing is amazing, and best shared, as long as you continue to share the same values.

defnotjaywtf Report

We were poor for a long time about 8 years (he refused to work and argued he was better than working for someone else). So did as many jobs as possible cause I believed he could accomplish something great. We then decided to start a business together but he kept me off all the paper work. 

In about a year or two he was making bank from the company that we both worked on. He didn’t have me as an employee and wasn’t paying me so I had to get a second job. Found out later he was cheating on me. I divorced him and since he didn’t add me to any business documents I couldn’t claim any of the business as mine. During the divorce found out he was paying himself over 50k a month. Money tends to make s****y people reveal themselves. Now I’m starting all over again cause I never focused on my career, I focused on keeping us alive. It sucks and is hard. .

MrsPotpie Report

Wife and I meet at Microsoft in 1994. We were both “paper millionaires” from stock options. Then hit it again when I worked at Google and wife worked at Amazon. Finally big increase, bitcoin. Several times with bitcoin.

As for wife and I? Still married. 26 years this October. Having more money didn’t change us much. We are big savers, still have 97% of our Microsoft/Amazon/Alphabet stock. Put all bonuses into savings/investments. 35%-40% wages go into savings/investments.

Maybe lucky we both were very financial literate at an early age. Wife has a trust. My parents made sure their kids knew financial issues-savings-investments-how to pay for education/housing.

So when we hit several increases in wealth. And getting into 7 digit income on a yearly basis. Money just isn’t much of an issue. We talk about what we want and work with our advisors. We do monitor spending, more so to prevent fraud-skimmer(which we have had happen a few times).

We set goals, quarterly-yearly. And talk with our 4 children about financial matters. Especially since we are in our 50s and setting our portfolio to carry through our letter years, properties in trusts-investments to cover monthly costs-long term investments-inheritance. Our NW has grown to higher 8 digits. So planning to enjoy life and be able to pass to our children/grand children with minimum hassles….

Substantial-Ad-8575 Report

I was the one that had my income skyrocket, first by making six figures in a certain stock years ago and then that was followed by a six figure promotion and an inheritance. From working in the mountains as a 13 year old because we were so poor to this.

I made sure to never let the money affect me, and parts of me are still the frugal boy. I need to buy myself clothes. Anyway, my partner was with me through it all and she has more creative passions, so I offered to support her and our son without her having to work. But, she insists, so I make sure she is the most comfortable she could ever be.

I changed our money, but I didn’t let it change me.

Justhrowitaway42069 Report

Made our lives significantly easier and I was able to pay for my wife to finish college. She had dropped out prior to us dating due to life and costs. Now without having to worry about work since I can reasonably cover us both she can finally get her education.

CabbageStockExchange Report

Didn’t happen to me, but I’ve seen friends change once they started making real money. It’s like the wealth doesn’t change them it just reveals who they always were underneath. Has anyone actually had it go *better* after money entered the picture?

KeywordKriminal Report

They changed fast, priorities flipped, and suddenly you’re dating their bank account more than the person. Money magnifies everything, good and bad.

Salty-Rooster-3796 Report

Met my wife when we were broke college students, been married 28 years. Over time, my income continued to grow until I was making close to 7 figures a year. Our expenditures grew in concert until it felt like we were still living paycheck to paycheck. I hate my job, so we finally got to a point where we have enough money in the bank to retire, if we downsize and live a frugal life.

Well, that’s a non-starter. After discovering my wife had been spending $200k+ a year on the credit card, she blamed me for “not saving properly for the kids college” and investing poorly. She also refuses to get a job.

Needless to say, I’m the bad guy. We are separated and headed for divorce. I’m just hoping to not come away destitute at this point.

NuggetsAreFree Report

An old work buddy of mine went from begging me for money, and asking me for a place to crash because he and his wife were on the verge of divorce to winning $500k on a scratch off. He was generous with his money but also dumb as f**k with it (going to the casino every weekend and buying full books of scratch offs after work most days). Needless to say, he won his money in March and by December he was going through a divorce and back to begging me for money and a place to stay.

shartywaffles5 Report

I went from being the starving artist in a relationship with someone who made six figures to someone who made their own six-figures (but my ex still made like double what I pull in).

He really seemed to resent the work I put in to get that – I went to grad school in another state and he said he’d come with me but then just didn’t show up for several months and kept having excuses to go back home after a week out there (Tbf: it was a boring city where we didn’t know many people during covid shut downs).

When I graduated I eventually got a few more higher paying jobs that required longer hours while he started working less (but still pulled in more than me, and we lived in a LCOL spot so we were perfectly fine supporting ourselves on lower income anyways). But he ended up spending all his free time staying out and doing d***s while I worked and then had to clean the house/take care of our pets because he was hungover all the time and wouldn’t do any chores. He also started ignoring me for other women and stomping all over the boundaries I set because I “wasn’t there for him like they were so he should be allowed to do this”. We were in an open relationship but, yknow, with limits.

I eventually told him I wanted to live separately because he was causing more difficulties managing a home together than being apart and I could afford covering a place by myself. He said if I moved out then we were over. So I moved out and our 10+ year relationship ended.

I really appreciate that having the money meant I didn’t have to put up with a relationship that was hurting me for so long and we weren’t stuck living together until I could get money together to move out/furnish a new place. Even if it kind of felt like getting to that place was what ruined the relationship (I know it wasn’t actually what did it).

gluekiwi Report

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]]> http://livelaughlovedo.com/53-people-share-the-ups-and-downs-of-having-a-partner-who-went-from-rags-to-riches/feed/ 0 7 Things You Should Insist on Doing for Yourself More Often in Life http://livelaughlovedo.com/7-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often-in-life/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/7-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often-in-life/#respond Sun, 06 Jul 2025 03:02:36 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/07/06/7-things-you-should-insist-on-doing-for-yourself-more-often-in-life/ [ad_1]

7 Things You Should Insist on Doing for Yourself More Often in Life

You can’t lift a thousand pounds all at once, yet you can easily lift one pound a thousand times. Tiny, repeated efforts will get you there.

I have witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages — 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and more. How did they all do it? In a nutshell, they started making gradual progress in their lives, step by step. And by doing so, they changed the trajectory of their their lives.

What you need to remember most right now is that it isn’t too early or too late to start making positive changes in your life. Your future is always affected by what you start doing today. Yet so many people wait around for some arbitrary date and time, like tomorrow, to take action. Don’t be one of them! Make yourself a priority starting now! It’s time to…

1. Insist on embracing your humanness.

“Human” is the only real label we are born with, yet we forget so easily. To become attached to a loaded label of overweight, divorced, diseased, rejected, or poor, is to be like the rain, that doesn’t know it is also the clouds… or the ice, that forgets it is water. For we are far more than the shape we’re currently in. And we, like the wind, water, and sky, will change forms many times in our lives, while forever remaining beautifully human.

So forgive yourself for the bad decisions you made, for the times you lacked understanding, for the choices that accidentally hurt others and yourself. Forgive yourself, for being young and reckless. These are all vital lessons. And what matters most right now is your willingness to grow from them.

Once we forgive ourselves and fully embrace our humanness, it’s almost funny to see how seamlessly we can adapt to life’s transitions — how we outgrow what we once thought we couldn’t live without, and then we fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted. Take this to heart. And don’t forget to pause regularly to appreciate how far you’ve come. You’ve been through a lot, and you’ve grown a lot too. Give yourself credit for the steps you’ve taken, so you can step forward again with grace.

2. Insist on subtracting what doesn’t belong in your life.

When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy — something that truly matters to you — care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. And if you find that you don’t have enough time for what matters, stop doing things that don’t. In other words, start subtracting what isn’t working for you.

Every time you subtract negative from your life, you make room for more positive. Let that sink in. When things aren’t adding up in your life, begin subtracting. Life gets a lot simpler and more enjoyable when you clear the emotional and physical clutter that makes it unnecessarily complicated. And there’s so much you can let go of in life without losing a thing. It’s called growth. Letting go of the old makes way for the new. Letting go of what isn’t working makes way for what will. When the pain of holding on is worse than the pain of letting go, it’s time to let go and grow.

3. Insist on leaving other people’s judgmental opinions alone.

When Marc and I first started writing on this blog, I’d agonize over whether people would think what I was writing was good enough. I desperately hoped they’d like it, and oftentimes I’d catch myself imagining they didn’t. Then one day I realized how much energy I was wasting worrying about it. So I’ve gradually learned to relax with simply not knowing. Some problems in life, such as not knowing what others think of you, are not really meant to be resolved.

What you need to remember is that you can’t control how other people feel, or how they receive your energy. Anything you do or say gets filtered through a mindset occupied by whatever they are going through at the moment, which likely has nothing to do with you. Just keep doing your thing with as much love and passion as possible.

4. Insist on upholding your boundaries.

When it happens, be sure to tune out the cheap shots people take at you. Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all. So before you waste it on anger, spite, or frustration, think of how precious and irreplaceable your time is, and carry on with grace.

And remember that not all toxic relationship situations are agonizing and uncaring on purpose. Some of them involve people who care about you — people who have good intentions, but are toxic because their needs and way of existing in the world force you to compromise yourself and your happiness. They aren’t inherently bad people, but they aren’t the right people to be spending time with every day.

You simply can’t ruin yourself on a daily basis for the sake of someone else. You have to create boundaries and make your well-being a priority. Whether that means breaking up with someone, loving a family member from a distance for a little while, letting go of a social obligation, or removing yourself from a daily situation that feels painful — you have every right to create some healthy space for yourself. (Note: Marc and I discuss this in more detail in the Relationships chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

5. Insist on putting your heart and soul into the things you do.

There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Starting today aim for the latter. Too often we wait around because we think we need to “find” something new or different to be passionate about, but that’s not true. If you want more passion and satisfaction in your life, act accordingly right now. Put your whole heart and soul into the next thing you do. Not into tomorrow’s opportunities, but the opportunity right in front of you. Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks. Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run. Not into tomorrow’s conversations, but today’s conversations…

In the end, purpose is the reason you journey and passion is the fire that lights your way. So start believing in your heart that you’re meant to live each day full of purpose and passion — that each and every moment is worthy in its own way. I’m absolutely certain you have plenty in your life right now that’s worth your time, energy, and passionate focus. You have people and circumstances in your life that need you as much as you need them. You have a massive reservoir of passionate potential within you, just waiting. Stop waiting! Put your heart and soul into what you’ve got right in front of you! Become it, let it become you, and great things will happen for you, to you, and because of you.

6. Insist on stretching yourself in the right ways.

Again, many great things can be done in a day if you don’t always make that day tomorrow. Will it always be easy? No, but remember that when you’re struggling to make progress that’s when you actually are. You want to be stretched to the edge of your ability — it needs to be slightly hard and uncomfortable sometimes. Of course most of us don’t want to be uncomfortable, so we subconsciously run from the possibility of discomfort. The obvious problem with this is that, by running from discomfort, we are constrained to partake in only the opportunities within our comfort zones. And since our comfort zones are relativity small, we miss out on most of life’s greatest and healthiest experiences, and we get stuck in a debilitating cycle.

Choose differently starting today… Go to environments that expand your mind. Spend time with people who inspire you to stretch yourself. Read books. Grow. Get better. Your life is in your hands.

7. Insist on reminding yourself of why every step matters.

In the end all the small things make a big difference. Every step is crucial. Life isn’t about a single moment of great triumph and attainment. It’s about the trials and errors that slowly get you there — the blood, sweat, tears, and the small, inconsequential things you do on a day-to-day basis. It all matters in the end — every step, every regret, every decision, every minor setback and minuscule win.

The seemingly useless happenings add up to something. The minimum-wage job you had in high school. The evenings you spent socializing with coworkers you never see anymore. The hours you spent writing thoughts on a personal blog that no one reads. Contemplations about elaborate future plans that never came to be. All those lonely nights spent reading novels and news columns and comic strips, questioning your own principles on life and sex and religion and whether or not you’re good enough just the way you are.

All of this has strengthened you. All of this has led you to every success you’ve ever had. All of this has made you who you are today. And all of this proves that you have the strength to deal with the challenges in front of you. So keep giving yourself grace, and carry on. (Note: “The Good Morning Journal: Powerful Prompts and Reflections to Start Every Day” is a great tool for this kind of self-reflection.)

Now it’s your turn…

Yes, it’s your turn starting today. I hope you will have a delightful one, that you will dream boldly and dangerously, that you will leverage the reminders above to create something that didn’t exist before you took action, that you will love and be loved in return, and that you will find the strength to accept and grow from the outcomes you can’t change. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and wisdom in this crazy world), that you will, when you must, be wise with your decisions, and that you will always be extra kind to yourself and others.

But before you go, please leave Marc and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this essay. Your feedback is important to us. 🙂

Which one of the points above resonated the most today?

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