Marc Chernoff's Blog, page 54

7 Quotes to Stop You from Worrying About Things You Can’t Control

Letting go of control… and being OK with it.

That is one of the greatest struggles many of us deal with on a daily basis, myself included.

Because letting go of control goes directly against our modernized, industrialized way of living – we are go-getters, doers, architects of our destiny. We build things and make things happen on our own terms; we don’t wait for anything to happen on someone else’s terms! At least that’s what I learned growing up from teachers, sports coaches, movies, songs, magazine articles, and so forth. So allowing things to happen was not in my DNA. I had never been one to sit back and passively let go of control.

Over the years, however, my perspective has shifted. I’ve learned the hard way that a great deal of the control we believe we have over our lives is an illusion. For example, I’ve since met…. (more…)

40 Hard Truths You Should Reflect On More Often

QUICK UPDATE: Angel and I are teaming up with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist to host The Live Well Tour. Come see us in Houston, TX along with special guest Preston Smiles on Feb. 25, 2023. Tap here for more info.

I’m sitting here on the 12th anniversary of a best friend’s passing, thinking about the last conversation I had with her. It was a humbling exchange to say the least. With a soft, weak voice she told me her only regret was that she didn’t live every year with the same level of love, passion and purpose she had in the final two years of her life, after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. “I’ve accomplished so much recently. And I’ve touched so many people,” she told me. “If only I had listened to the good advice of my elders—if only I had known—I would have started sooner. I wouldn’t have wasted so much time on drama and distractions that don’t matter.”

My friend’s words were hard to hear in that moment, for many reasons. And although her sentiments—her lessons—were concepts I had listened to others say a hundred times before, I had never truly heard them until that moment. My heart broke wide open for (more…)

52 Good Morning Quotes that Will Bring You Peace and Clarity Throughout the Year

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

When you first awake, be mindful and take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and relatively healthy. Breathe onto the bathroom mirror just to see how amazing your breath looks. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one. And when you start the day in a mindful state like this, it’s easier to focus more effectively on what matters most.

If you’d like to practice starting your mornings more mindfully in the year ahead, below you will find 52 good morning quotes – one for each week of the year. I choose one of these quotes every Sunday morning and sit quietly for two minutes, repeating it silently in my mind as if I were meditating. I also write it on a post-it note and stick it next to my computer monitor for the duration of the week. This weekly ritual has helped (more…)

40 Questions that Will Quiet Your Mind as You Move Forward

Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers. Because asking the right questions is often the answer.

In a recent email newsletter I wrote: “Quiet your mind. Don’t think outside the box in the year ahead. Think like there is no box.”

To my surprise, over 100 people quoted this line and responded with the same general question: “How?”

I’ve spent the morning thinking about how to answer this question in the most universal way possible, and I’ve decided that the simplest explanation I can give is this: Ask yourself better questions – questions that (more…)

12 Simple Ways to Love Yourself Again in the Year Ahead

QUICK UPDATE: Marc and I are teaming up with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist to host The Live Well Tour. Come see us in Houston, TX along with special guest Preston Smiles on Feb. 25, 2023. Tap here for more info.

Don’t wait on others to choose you. Choose yourself starting today!

Practice loving yourself, too, instead of simply loving the idea of other people loving you. Practice respecting yourself, caring for yourself, and becoming a reliable part of your own support system in the days and weeks ahead.

Additionally, as you reflect on this past year, remind yourself that you are not behind. You are where you need to be. Don’t judge or berate yourself for how long your journey is taking. We all need our own time to travel our own distance. Give yourself credit for how far you have come.

And of course, I know that’s all much easier said than done. But consider this person’s story:

“Today I lost the respect of a few people I love, and the desire to hurt myself, when I finally (more…)

10 Quotes and Notes You Need to Read 10 Times a Day Until You Feel Stronger

Happiness doesn’t start with a relationship, a vacation, a job, or money. It starts with your thinking and what you tell yourself on a daily basis.

The best lessons we learn in life are the lessons we learn over and over again.

The human mind needs lots of reminders — lots of practice — to operate effectively.

For example, deep down we know it’s OK to…

Say “no”Speak upTell the truthBelieve differentlyChange our mindPrioritize our needsLearn from our mistakesEmbrace our imperfectionsForgive and seek forgivenessBegin again, stronger than before

Yet, we often (more…)

7 Good Reasons to Stop Proving Yourself to Everyone Else

You are GOOD enough, SMART enough, FINE enough, and STRONG enough. You don’t need other people to validate you; you are already VALUABLE.

Sometimes we try to show the world we are flawless in hopes that we will be liked and accepted by everyone, but we can’t please everyone and we shouldn’t try. The beauty of us lies in our vulnerability, our complex emotions, and our authentic imperfections. When we embrace who we are and decide to be authentic, instead of who we think others want us to be, we open ourselves up to real relationships, real happiness, and real success.

There is no need to put on an act. There is no need to pretend to be someone you’re not. You have nothing to prove to anyone else, because…

1. The people worth impressing just want you to be yourself.

In the long run, it’s better to be loathed for who you are than loved for who you are not. In fact, the only relationships that work well in the long run are the ones that (more…)

40 Quotes that Will Calm Your Mind When You’re at a Crossroads in Life

It happens to all of us gradually as we live and grow. We discover more about who we are and the way life really is, and then we realize there are some changes we need to make. The lifestyle we’ve been living no longer fits. The environments and relationships we once found comfort in no longer exist, or no longer serve our best interests. So we cherish all the great memories, but find ourselves at a crossroads, choosing to embark on the first stretch of a brand new path.

And it’s not easy. It’s painful to give up what’s comfortable and familiar, especially when you have no other choice. Marc and I have struggled through this process many times out of necessity. Over the past decade we’ve had to deal with several significant, unexpected life changes and challenges, including: (more…)

10 Regrets Too Many People Will Have in 10 Years (And How to Let Regrets Go)

QUICK UPDATE: Angel and I are teaming up with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist to host The Live Well Tour. Come see us in Houston, TX along with special guest Preston Smiles on Feb. 25, 2023. Tap here for more info.

When I think of regret, I think of my grandfather…

In the final decade of his life, my grandfather woke up every single day at 7AM, picked a fresh wild flower on his morning walk, and took it to my grandmother. One morning, I decided to go with him to see her. And as he placed the flower on her gravestone, he looked up at me and said, “I just wish I had picked her a fresh flower every morning when she was alive. She really would have loved that.” As you can imagine, my grandfather’s words touched a nerve in me. And over the years I’ve often reflected on what he said that morning, and how his sentiment relates to everyone and everything I care about.

God willing, when I’m on the cusp of my 80’s, I don’t want to sit with regrets. I don’t want to wish I had (more…)

20 Calming Affirmations You Should Say to Yourself More Often

QUICK UPDATE: Marc and I are teaming up with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist to host The Live Well Tour. Come see us in Houston, TX along with special guest Preston Smiles on Feb. 25, 2023. Tap here for more info.

Let’s cut to the chase today. What you ultimately do in life comes out of who you believe you are. You have to practice believing in yourself and ignoring the naysayers. And while you may not be able to control the impolite things some people say and do, you can press forward and decide not to be endlessly distracted by them.

I know that’s all much easier said than done of course, but you must remind yourself that it can be done!

How?

Start by leveraging the right daily affirmations. Because it’s not what others say about you, and it’s not what you broadcast to everyone else that determines the trajectory of your life. It’s what you whisper to yourself behind (more…)