Hello,
I'm Ian Tucker and welcome to 10 Steps for a Better Life.
Are you at a crossroads?
Do you ever feel that there has to be more to your existence?
The sole purpose of this recording is to reconnect you to what truly matters.
Each step lessens the grip of what no longer serves and will liberate you to create a life of authenticity and meaning.
So welcome to 10 Steps for a Better Life.
Step 1 Live just for today.
Your past is now your story,
Nothing more.
It has gone forever.
Regret is a total waste of your time.
See that what came to test you is an opportunity to grow.
And when you do look back,
Be kind to yourself and focus on cherished memories.
But what of the future?
Well,
99.
9% of anything that you and I have ever worried about has never happened.
In fact,
Worrying is like praying for things you don't want.
Step 2 Remember all that you have in life.
Anything that truly means something to me in my life very rarely has a monetary value.
In a world that tells us every day that we need more to be happy,
It becomes easy to focus on what we don't have.
So consider this.
The simplest things deliver your deepest needs.
Step 3 Practice kindness.
A sense of concern for others gives our life meaning.
It is at the root of all human happiness.
The best way to show that we care is to be kind.
Give a random act of kindness to a stranger each day.
What may seem like nothing to you could change someone's life forever.
Step 4 What goes around?
Give as you wish to live.
If you want honesty,
Be honest.
If you want respect,
Be respectful.
And if you want love,
Give love.
It all comes back to you,
And that's without exception.
Step 5 Find the gift.
Life isn't about some kind of flatline clinical existence.
We cannot truly appreciate happiness until we have felt sad,
Or know how fortunate we are until we have known lack.
Things will come to test you in life.
You can either let it define you and hold you back,
Or find the gift and embrace the lesson.
Step 6 Use the F-word.
What is it about forgiveness that frightens us so much?
Begin to see forgiveness as a way of freeing yourself from an emotional tie to a person or situation.
Forgiveness never condones another's behavior.
It simply confirms that you choose to travel light,
And are no longer going to let it control you.
Step 7 Take care of yourself.
Say exactly what you mean.
Don't be a people pleaser.
Never put yourself down.
It is okay to say yes,
And it's okay to say no.
Nothing drains your energy like not being true to who you are.
Step 8 Enjoy the silence.
Find time each day to become silent.
Just 10 minutes or so to consciously quieten your mind.
Tell up a simple practice where you can be alone,
Close your eyes,
And gently deepen your breathing.
In creating a space between the noise and stress associated with our everyday lives,
We have an opportunity to remind ourselves that all is well.
Step 9 Follow your heart.
Studies show that when we look back at our lives,
And we will,
It's the things that we didn't do that hang heavy.
Imagine suddenly realizing that you have never truly lived.
Ask yourself what is really important,
And have the courage and willingness to build your life around the answers.
Step 10 And so to what really matters in life.
As you get older,
You will begin to understand that it is not important what you look like or what you own.
It is all about the person that you've become,
How you have made others feel,
And that how at peace you are is your true measure of success in life.
Thank you for listening to 10 Steps for a Better Life.
I wish you well.
