If you don’t own it - your life, your past, your story - it will own you.
The messiest times in life are often, looking back, the most interesting and nearly always a source of growth. Hold your nerve, stay the course. Trust it will all work out.
A life filled with magic, adventure and fun does not just happen. You have to make the choice to cultivate those things in your life, every single day.
Playing small doesn’t serve you, only the people around you who want you to stay that way.
“See what happens” is not a cop-out, it’s a way of taking the pressure off. Letting things evolve naturally is a lesson in grace and patience.
You can't change anyone. People only change because they want to and there’s got to be something in it for them to do it.
We all have a choice in how we want to live - the trick is to make conscious choices rather than unconscious ones.
Tables always turn.
It is possible to be strong and fragile at the same time. Both are courageous.
Change is what it is. It’s all about how you negotiate it.
Anyone who believes gossip and lies about you before hearing your side of the story was already looking for a reason to be against you. Let them go.
Protect your mental health and inner peace by any means necessary. You never have to apologise for protecting yourself.
Old ways will rarely open new doors.
Perspective is everything (thank you Sandi Sieger).
Your passions are not accidents. They are the clues to where you will find meaning in life. Embrace them. Follow them.
Three things always come out - the sun, the moon, and the truth.
You have to go out on a limb in life, because that’s where the fruit is. Corny but true!
There are many universal needs that human beings have - one of them is to feel appreciated. Showing gratitude, for others and for life, as often as you can is an instant mood lifter.
Love will never feel like love unless you also love yourself.
Comparison is the quickest route to despair.
No is a complete sentence. And you can say it - just do it politely and fast.
Most people deserve a second chance. But no one deserves a third (see point 12).
Likes and follows are empty calories that never satisfy. Find what really feeds you instead.
There is no shinier, more successful, more likeable, more accomplished, more together you waiting in the future. You are only you, now. You are only ever here. Accepting that will make life so much easier, and sweeter.
Confidence doesn’t come from achievements, it comes when you decide to have it. Confidence is a choice.
So is self-pity.
You are the only one who can give yourself what you’re seeking from others.
When change comes, it’s likely that opportunity will also knock at the door. Keep an ear out.
Nothing is forever - pain or joy.
Boundaries will protect you, and allow you to love and give more freely. Without them, you will be constantly resentful and disappointed.
It’s amazing what can happen when you drop all your expectations and attachment to an outcome.
Continuing to choose joy in the face of adversity is an act of courage and resistance (thank you Holly Ringland).
Meanings of words change all the time. “Success” is probably the most mercurial. You do not have to hold yourself hostage to past definitions if they no longer serve you.
You can endure a lot more than you think you can.
If it makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else.
Slow progress is still progress.
It is possible to one day laugh in places where you used to cry. Know that you can always change the story.
Failure and defeat are better judges of character than success.
Fighting ageing is a battle no one has ever won, and getting older is a privilege denied to so many. Look forwards, not backwards.
When in doubt, be bold, generous, loving and unafraid.