10 Things We Often Wait Too Long to Do for Ourselves 17.12.23.

, 19:56

10 Things We Often Wait Too Long

to Do for Ourselves
Written by Marc Chernoff // 11 Comments

Opportunities are like sunrises — if we wait too long, we miss them.

Too often we waste our time waiting for the ideal path to appear. But it
never does of course. Because we forget that paths are made by walking,
not waiting. Let this be your wake-up call!

If we always sit around until we feel 100 percent ready for the journey, we
will likely be sitting around for the rest of our lives. Most of the time we
just have to get up and go for it. And no, we shouldn’t feel any more
confident before we take the next step. Taking the next step is what
gradually builds our confidence. Now is the time!

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Yes, it’s finally time to admit that…

1. We often wait too long to explore the things

that call to us.
The world isn’t really as it is, but as we see it, and we all see it differently.
So if you spend all your free time following trends and doing what
everyone else is doing, you’re missing out. Try things out for yourself — try
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many things. Explore! See what calls to your soul, or what entices you to
step forward, and then go for it. Find out everything you can about it. Find
other people who love it too. Don’t waste precious time pretending to
like things just because other people do — don’t end up with a bunch
of mismatched circumstances in your life. Enjoy what you enjoy, listen
to your intuition, and you will end up with more circumstances in your life
that make you feel alive.

2. We often wait too long to take meaningful

action.
Some people wait all day for 5pm, all week for Friday, all year for the
holidays, all their lives for happiness. Don’t be one of them! The world
does not owe you a living; you owe the world a life. So stop daydreaming
and start DOING things that matter. Take responsibility for your life today
— take control! You are important and you are needed. It’s too late to sit
around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is
now; the somebody the world needs is YOU.

3. We often wait too long to trust ourselves with

life’s challenges.
Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Every great
success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there. So give
yourself some extra credit along the way. Remind yourself that you’re
doing the best you can, and that sometimes it takes an overwhelming
series of little breakdowns to have an undeniable breakthrough. When in
doubt just take the next small step. Sometimes the smallest step in the
right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Truly, there’s a
time and place for everything and every step is necessary. Just do your
best right now, and don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life.
It will happen, when it’s time.

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4. We often wait too long to appreciate what we

have.
We often take for granted the very aspects of our lives that most
deserve our presence and gratitude. How often do you pause to
appreciate your health, your family, your home, or other seemingly stable
fixtures in your life? Remember, nothing in life is fixed or guaranteed
forever. Living in the present is a basic notion, but as with most simple
things we often find a way to complicate it. So check yourself — there’s
nothing complicated about learning to notice and appreciate your life as
it’s happening.

5. We often wait too long to be kind to others.

When you grow older and you look back on your life, you will inevitably
forget a lot of the stuff that seemed so important when you were young.
You probably won’t remember what your high school GPA was. You will
look at your old classmates on Facebook or Instagram (or some other
social network) and wonder why you ever had a crush on that person. And
you will have the toughest time remembering why you let certain people
from your past get the best of you. But you will never forget the people
who were genuinely kind — those who helped when you were hurt, and
who loved you even when you felt unlovable. Be that person to others
as often as possible. (And as you know, what goes around eventually
comes around.)

6. We often wait too long to be kind to ourselves,

also.
More likely than not, the first person who caught your eye wasn’t “the
one.” And the second, third or fourth probably wasn’t either. You know
why? It’s because YOU are the one! Seriously, in your own life it’s
important to know how spectacular you are. You really have to look in the

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mirror and be kind, because what we see in the mirror is often what we
see in the world. Our disappointment in others often reflects our
disappointment in ourselves. Our acceptance of others often reflects our
acceptance of ourselves. Our ability to see potential in others often
reflects our ability to see potential in ourselves. Our patience with others
often reflects our patience with ourselves. You get the idea — you’ve got
to show yourself some love and kindness, first and foremost.

7. We often wait too long to embrace the truth.

Too many of us prefer gentle lies to hard truths. But make no mistake, in
the end it’s better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie. And
lying is a cumulative process, so be careful. What starts as a small,
seemingly innocent lie (possibly even with the intention of not hurting
anyone) quickly spirals into an mounting false reality. We lie to one
another, but even more so we lie to ourselves most often to protect our
“oh so fragile” egos. We may even be inclined to lie to ourselves while
reading this, not wanting to admit how often we have eluded the truth.
(Note: Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the Relationships chapter
of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

8. We often wait too long to create and uphold

healthy boundaries.
Your mind is your private sanctuary; do not allow the negative beliefs of
others to occupy it. Your skin is your barrier; do not allow others to get
under it. Take good care of your personal boundaries and what you allow
yourself to absorb from others. And if someone in your life is constantly
being disrespectful‚ call them on it. If things don’t change, you need to
limit the amount of time and influence they have in your life. We need
people in our lives who challenge us respectfully, so we can see things
from new perspectives, but we don’t need to be constantly torn down by
those who don’t respect us. Bottom line: Distancing yourself from

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people who always give you negative vibes is self-care. Stepping

back from situations where you feel unappreciated or disrespected is
self-care. Choose to honor your feelings and boundaries, gracefully.

9. We often wait too long to close old chapters in

our lives.
You’re going to mingle with a lot of people in your lifetime. You’re going to
have first kisses you feel all the way down to your toes and think “Oh my
gosh, I love him,” but really… you loved the kiss. You’re going to meet a
friend you think you will know forever, but then something will change and
you two will go your separate ways. You’re going to explore different parts
of your life with different people who aren’t in it for the long haul, and that
isn’t a bad thing. Life is a series of stories, and the way our stories
intersect is remarkable. Sometimes people are in our lives for the whole
story. Sometimes they are in just a short chapter or two. It takes a brave
person to know when that chapter is over, and then to turn the page.
Be brave. And remember that almost every “goodbye” you receive in life
sets you up for a new “hello.”

10. We often wait too long to accept and flow with

life.
Don’t stress over things you can’t change. Live simply. Love generously.
Speak truthfully. Work diligently. And even if you fall short, keep going —
keep growing. In the end, loving your life is about trusting your intuition,
taking chances, losing and finding happiness, cherishing the memories,
and learning through experience. It’s a long-term journey. You have to
stop worrying, wondering, and doubting every step of the way. Laugh at
the confusion, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life as it
unfolds. You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but I
promise you will eventually arrive precisely where you need to be.

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Now, it’s your turn…

Yes, it’s your turn to stop waiting and start paying attention to the beauty
and practicality of living a more intentional life as you wrap up this year
and head into the next. But before you go, please leave Angel 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.

Photo by: Adam Lerner

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