“More often in life, we end up regretting the chances in life that we had, but didn’t take them, than those chances that we took and wished we hadn’t.”

Anonymous

Photo by FreeWine

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Muhammad Ali

Photo by bbjee

The School of Hard Knocks has no physical location but it has millions of students and just as many teachers, but most aren’t even humans. There are no books and there are countless tests. It’s the toughest and best education you can get. Sometimes it costs you money, but other times it’s free.

People often find it difficult to graduate with a good grade, let alone a 4.0. However, in this article I will help you gain the best education and graduate the School of Hard Knocks with flying colors.

Recognize your teachers

First, you need to figure out who or what your teachers are. It can be a person, object, or event. They all can teach you valuable lessons that cannot be acquired anywhere else. Recognizing your teachers will help you stop and think so that you can get the most out of each lesson. Even the littlest of events can teach you the biggest lessons. The same goes for negative events. They may seem difficult to endure but there’s so much to be learned. Practice pausing and assessing a situation when it arises, then ask yourself these two questions: What is the reason for this? And what can I learn from it?

Study & do your homework

You also have to be your own teacher as well. Not all the information you need is going to present itself. You are going to have to seek it out, wherever it may lie. Sometimes it’s book, on the internet, or even within yourself. Do some extra studying and homework to get one step ahead of the rest.

Fail

In the school of hard knocks, it is good to fail. It is encouraged and necessary to achieve success. More often than not, failure provides you with new knowledge that success wouldn’t have provided. In the school of hard knocks you have to take chances, make mistakes, and fail, if you don’t you’ll be left behind.

Skip the parties and other time wasters

Don’t get caught up in negative things like drugs and alcohol. They don’t do anything for you but waste your time, energy, and money. There’s millions of other positive ways to have good time. Also don’t get caught up in “drama” that won’t even matter in 20 years, 2 years, or even in 2 weeks. Your time is precious.

Get a tutor

You are going to need help to graduate from the school of hard knocks. Create some contacts online with successful people, ask them questions and get advice. Even if you can’t actually contact the successful person you want, read as much about them as you can. Study their style and road to success, and replicate parts of it.

Keep notes

This is something you should literally do. Get a notebook to write down all your successes and failures so that you can better learn from them. In this notebook you can also jot down ideas and dreams. Getting things on paper is one step closer to manifesting them.

Make friends

Again, you’re going to need help to achieve success. Make some contacts with positive and successful people. It is quite easy to do so online. And also don’t be afraid to use your contacts to benefit you.

Always be ready for a pop quiz

Life is a tough teacher, it can give you a pop quiz when you least expect it. A lot of the times you’ll be tested before you have even learned anything. Always try to be ready for it. Stay sharp and don’t get complacent.

Work hard

You need to work hard to get yourself to a better place. The harder you work, the more satisfying the reward will be.

If you follow these rules, you’ll be graduating from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of your class.

Photo by justintosh

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something…almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

Steve Jobs

Photo by k4cay

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”

Earl Shoaf

Photo by skycaptaintwo

“There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.”

Steven J Ross

Photo by law_keven

We all know that person. The one who is always laughing, crackin’ jokes, having fun, and just being happy, no matter what’s going on.

Everyone is attracted to them, and perhaps you want to be like them. But maybe you think it’s impossible to always be happy. However, you most certainly can be happy like them and you SHOULD be happy like them.

They are no special secrets to how these people can have so much joy. They don’t possess anything that you don’t have. The only thing they do is practice habits that make them happy.

So here are seven habits that can be found in people who are always really happy. If you can practice these and turn them into habits you’ll be just as happy as them.

1. Don’t care what others think

They don’t care what others think or have to say. If they did, they wouldn’t let themselves free and be happy because of the possibility of scrutiny.

Really happy people also never let negative people and their attitudes get to them. Whatever the negative people say or do just rolls off the backs of the happy people.

2. Always looking at the bright side of things

No matter what situations are thrown at a happy person, they look for the bright side. Everything that is negative has a positive side to it. Negativity wouldn’t exist without positivity. Happy people know this and have practiced looking for the bright side so much that now it has become a habit. And even if a happy person can’t find the bright side of something, they’ll create it.

3. Being friendly

Happy people are always looking to make friends. They don’t care what you look like or what background you come from, they just want someone new to laugh and be happy with. And by default happy people are friendly; everyone wants to be happy as well and are drawn to them.

If you know a friendly person who is always making fun of others to bring them down, then they aren’t truly happy person. There’s something inside of them that they are insecure about.

4. Laugh & Smile

This habit goes along with being friendly. I have NEVER seen a happy person not smile or laugh. It just isn’t physically possible. However, a really happy person smiles so much that they turned it into a habit. You might even see them smiling for no real reason, it’s that natural to them. Laughing is another mandatory habit of really happy people. If you or they aren’t laughing, then there’s no true happiness.

5. Live in the moment

Really happy people make the most of every minute and day they have. They aren’t going to wait to have fun; they’re going to create fun now.

6. Push aside their troubles

Even if a happy person can’t find or create the positive side of a situation, they do the next best thing, they push it aside. They forget about it and move on because they know it’s only temporary and they know they can make their troubles leave even sooner.

7. Laugh in the face of fear

Just like the rest of us, really happy people have fears. Most of the time they just don’t display it. Happy people make jokes to lighten the mood and to make others feel more relaxed so they will too.

Photo by M@rg

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.”

Harold B Melchart

Photo by John Vetterli

“A man is what he thinks all day long.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our minds are constantly working, so much so that we have countless thoughts each hour and day. For all the things we think about, there are a lot that we neglect but are so important, vital to living the life we want.

Below is a list of 15 things to think about each and everyday. Thinking about these will only take 10 to 20 minutes. Some you’ll want think about in the morning and others you’ll want to think about at night.

1. The things you’re grateful to have

Think of the things you’re grateful for. Food, shelter, family, friends, a car, all the big and small things many aren’t fortunate to have.

2. The things you’re grateful NOT to have

Each of us can come up with something we’re grateful not to have. Perhaps you’re grateful not to have a disease, enormous debts, or perhaps you’re happy you don’t have a lot of money.

3. What you want to do today

Quick thoughts about the daily goals you want to accomplish and the plans you’ll need to take to get them done.

4. What the future holds

Think about what tomorrow, the next month, or even the next five years will bring you.

5. Think about one of your fears

We all have fears, some are big and some are small. Focus your thoughts on one.

6. Think of a way to face that fear

Think of one way in which you can face your fear. Even if it’s something small it’ll bring you one step closer to fear’s face.

7. One new thing you’d like to do

Think of something new you’d like to try. Do this every day you possibly can, you’ll never have too many goals and dreams.

8. The things you didn’t accomplish yesterday

Think about the things you wanted to get done yesterday, but didn’t. Then plan on getting them done today.

9. Your greatest qualities

Every day think about the things that make you a great person. It’ll give you confidence and ambition to tackle anything.

10. What you don’t like about yourself

We each have something we don’t like about ourselves. Perhaps you are too fearful, too quiet, or too arrogant.

11. How you can change what you don’t like about yourself

Think of some ways you can change. Sometimes it doesn’t take as long as you might think.

12. How you can make someone else’s day a little brighter

Maybe send a friend a card to show you’re thinking of them. Maybe buy a coworker just because. Or even just complementing someone can make their day a little brighter.

13. Your life goals

You won’t be able to think of all of your goals in life because you’ll always be adding more to your list. However, think about your current biggest dreams and goals. You can’t forget what you’re aiming for.

14. How yesterday’s problems are today’s motivation

Don’t let the problems of your past prevent you from moving forward. Think of how you can use the problems to motivate yourself to change and resolve.

15. You only have one life

Think about this: you only have one shot at life. So make the most out of every second you have. Reminding yourself of this will help you seize each day.

Photo by Sam UL

“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Thomas Edison

Photo by pfly