Words to live by

I subscribe to a newsletter at work that comes from a psychologist and it discusses effective ways to live a better life. I love the things that this newsletter conveys and wanted to share part of the one I received today:
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1. Personal Effectiveness Tips

A. Keep in mind that, when holding grudges, the only person that really suffers is the person doing it. It’s also an unfair way to deal with people-nobody is perfect, and it is difficult if not impossible to deal with someone who is always bringing up imperfections, mistakes, or other things that happened previously. Deal with things as they happen, and move on.

B. Get fierce about your time management. This means:

i. Scheduling priorities at the beginning of the week. This entails actually
putting them down on your calendar.
ii. Eliminating as many time wasters (internet, TV, conversations with coworkers
that love being paid by the hour, etc) as possible
iii. Building flexibility into your week. Do things when you have the energy to
do them-even if it means working at midnight and napping at 11 am on a
Tuesday.
iv. Blocking out chunks of time to do things that have nothing to do with career
or your profession. This allows you to recharge your battery on a consistent
basis.

C. Practice being more responsive. Return emails and calls more quickly, listen better for longer periods of time, and start offering those around you more reasons to hang out with you. You’ll surprise most people, and stand out in the crowd.

Nobody controls your life but you. Some situations and events are outside our sphere of influence, certainly, but in the end, it is you that controls how you react to things around you. You are directly responsible for the quality of your daily life, and for the quality of your relationships. So, before you begin complaining about your lot in life, stop for a second and figure out what it is that you have done to bring about these consequences. You may not have had a choice in being fired, or divorced, or any other unfortunate event, but you certainly had a choice in how you responded to that event and portrayed it to others.

Work to eliminate excuses. You’ll find out that you actually have much more influence over your life than you previously thought. You’ll also be a much more productive and well-adjusted individual.
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Everytime I read one of his newsletters I just have this feeling of wanting to make my life better. And I like how he gives it to you straight...I am not a beat-around-the-bush type of person. Be honest with me, don't sugar-coat things for my benefit. That only makes me feel patronized and that you don't think I can handle the truth.

Whoa. I just had "A Few Good Men" moment.