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18 Chances You Will Not Regret Taking in Life

In life you get just about as many chances as you’re willing to take.

Almost two decades ago, when I told my grandmother I was worried about taking a chance and regrettingmy choice, she hugged me and said, “Trust me, honey, that’s not what you’re going to regret when you’remy age. If anything, you will likely kick yourself a lit t le f or not taking more chances on the inf inite number ofopportunit ies you have today.”

And the older I get, the more I realize how right my grandmother was. Lif e is about trusting yourself andtaking chances, losing and f inding happiness, learning f rom experience, appreciating the memories, andrealizing that every step is worth your while… But you’ve got to be willing to take each step. You’ve got togive yourself a f air chance.

So here are some chances I would take if I were you – chances I have taken that I know you will not regret:

1. Trusting your intuit ion on new opportunit ies. – Lif e is too short to wait. Every new day isanother chance to change your lif e. Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try. Trust that lit t le voice inside your head that says, “What if …” and then GO DO IT. Give yourself a f airchance. You would be surprised how of ten “what if ” works. And no, you’re not obligated to win everytime. You’re obligated to keep trying – to do the best you can do every day – to improve upon whatyou learned yesterday.

2. Believing in your own abilit ies. – You have everything you need within you to become the bestpossible version of yourself . Believe that you CAN. Believe that you’re capable of pushing harderand f arther than you have bef ore. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, smart enough andstrong enough to achieve your goals. Don’t let f alse belief s stop you f rom moving beyond yourself . And certainly don’t get sidetracked by other people who are not on track.

3. Making moves in the face of fear. – It ’s of ten dif f icult to grow into your greatest self , but it ’s atragedy to let the lie of f ear stop you. So realize right now that f ear doesn’t exist anywhere exceptin your head. Be courageous. Go af ter your goals. Never let your f ear steer your present or decideyour f uture. And remember, courage is not the absence of f ear, but rather the judgment thatsomething else is f ar more important than f ear. (Read Start: Punch Fear in the Face .)

4. Taking a step forward today. – You will be dead one day. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it ’s true. The question is: Are you choosing to live right now? Take a moment and think about. Lif e doesn’tstart when “this, that, or the other thing” is resolved. This IS your t ime. Lif e is now. Do somethingwith it. Don’t wait it away.

5. Making your goals a priority. – If you want to live a happy, f ulf illing lif e, t ie yourself to meaningf ulgoals, not just to people and things. Never put of f or give up on something that’s important toyou… not because you still have tomorrow to start or try again, but because you may not havetomorrow at all. Lif e is shorter than it sometimes seems. Make today count. Take just one smallstep a day. Approach the start of every day with one litt le goal and end the day with one litt le word. DONE!

6. Working hard even when it hurts. – Remember, personal growth in all walks of lif e is a slow,steady process. It can’t be rushed. You need to work on it gradually every day. There is ample timef or you to be who you want to be in lif e. Don’t settle f or less than what you think you deserve, orless than you know you can be. Despite the struggles you’ll inevitably f ace along the way, never giveup on yourself . You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, andtwice as capable as you have ever imagined. Keep going.

7. Upholding your standards. – What’s dreadf ul is to pretend that second-rate is f irst-rate. Topretend that you don’t need love and respect when you do. To lie to yourself and say everything isOK, when it isn’t. Or to convince yourself that you like your work when you know darn well you’recapable of much better. Bottom line: Love yourself enough to never lower your standards f or thewrong reasons.

8. Bouncing back after rejection or failure. – When you are rejected f rom something good, it of tenmeans you’re being redirected to something better. Be patient. Be posit ive. And remember, nomatter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyonewho isn’t trying. (Angel and I discuss this in detail in the “Adversity” chapter of 1,000 Little ThingsHappy, Successful People Do Differently.)

9. Owning your situation. – Even when the going gets tough, own it! If you’re struggling at a job youdon’t love, look at it this way: you’re choosing to make a living to pay your mortgage, support yourf amily, and f uel your dreams. Don’t resist it; own it – that’s where your power is. If you’re in arelationship that’s causing you pain, you’re choosing to be in it. Maybe staying will lead to essentialgrowth or a breakthrough or a deeper understanding of love. Or not. But you’re choosing to be in orout, right now. Whichever you choose, own it – that’s where your power is.

10. Smiling anyway. – Don’t let one bad moment ruin your day. Think of it as a bad minute, not a badday, and you’ll be OK. Stress begins when your worry list is longer than your gratitude list. Happiness begins when your gratitude list is longer than your worry list. So f ind something to bethankf ul f or today. Be sure to appreciate what you’ve got. Be thankf ul f or the litt le things in lif e thatmean a lot.

11. Being sincerely kind to everyone. – Kindness in words creates conf idence and motivation. Kindness in thinking creates posit ivity and possibility. Kindness in giving creates strength and love. Through kindness you have the ability to make a prof ound dif f erence in every lif e you touch,including your own. When you guide someone who is lost and conf used, when you hold someonewho is sad and grieving, when you hug someone who has lost all their hope, you too will f eelyourself healing and growing stronger. So do your lit t le bit of good right where you are, because it ’sthese litt le bits of good put together that change the world.

12. Helping others create a better life for themselves. – Who you af f ect is more powerf ul than whoyou are at any given moment. Because nothing is as enduring as a great memory. In the end, its onlyintangible ideas, concepts, belief s, and f eelings that last. Stone cracks. Wood rots. Skin dies. Butgreat thoughts, beautif ul experiences, and inspiring legends… they live f orever. If you can changethe way people think and f eel, the way they see themselves, and the way they interpret the world, itmeans you can change the way they live their lives, and how they af f ect others. That is, by f ar, thelongest lasting thing you can create.

13. Living with integrity and honor. – Integrity is choosing your actions based on moral values ratherthan personal gain. It ’s about living honorably. It ’s about doing the right thing, no matter what, evenwhen nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. At the end of the day, your reputation iswhat other people know about you. Your honor is what you know about yourself .

14. Being weird in your own way. – We are all weird. Lif e is weird. And when we f ind weirdness in theworld that makes us want to work hard, we call it passion. And when we f ind someone whoseweirdness is compatible with ours, we call it love. And if we zoom the lens way out, so we can see allthe weird people of the world doing their thing, we realize being weird isn’t that weird af ter all. It ’shuman nature.

15. Opening yourself to love. – Your greatest task isn’t to f ind love, but to discover and eliminate allthe barriers within yourself that you have built against it. Even when you’re af raid, keep trusting –keep your heart and mind wide open. Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of love. As you f ind the good that exists in others and situations, you discover the love that exists withinyou.

16. Closing the door on old news. – Holding on to what’s no longer there holds too many of us back. Some of us spend the vast majority of our lives recounting the past and lett ing it steer the course ofthe present. Don’t waste your t ime trying to live in another t ime and place. Let it GO! You mustaccept the end of something in order to begin to build something new. So close some old doorstoday. Not because of pride, inability or egotism, but simply because you’ve entered each one ofthem in the past and realize that they lead to nowhere worth your while. (Read Loving What Is.)

17. Taking t ime to simply BE where you are. – You will always be missing out on something. Yousimply can’t have it all. Thus, it will always seem like something wonderf ul might be happeningelsewhere. And that’s OK. Let it go, and realize you have everything right now. The best in lif e isn’tsomewhere else; it ’s right where you are at this moment. You have to accept that some things willnever be yours, and learn to value the things that are only yours.

18. Putting yourself out there and truly LIVING. – To laugh of ten and love genuinely. To respectothers and judge less. To win the af f ection and sincere smiles of children. To earn the regard ofhonest peers and endure the betrayal of f ake f riends. To appreciate the beauty surrounding youwherever you are, whenever you are. To f ind the good in people and situations. To give what youcan and leave the world a litt le better than you f ound it. To have explored ideas and passions andsung at the top of your lungs in delight. To know that at least one lif e has breathed easier becauseyou have lived. This is what LIVING is all about.

The f loor is yours…

What are some other chances worth taking in lif e? What’s one chance you have taken that you know youwill never regret? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.