Successful Women Think Differently – Valorie Burton
I’m not sure how I came across this book or who gave it to me but I really like the insights on happiness and what that really means, cultivating positive emotion, getting to know your weaknesses versus trying to fix them, and not having to go it alone.
Highlights
- One step at a time, one day at a time, expand and explore your options. Take action. Notice what works and what doesn’t. Make adjustments. Take another step.
- Your feelings are valid. Whatever they may be.
- Successful women are confident enough to dream authentic dreams.
- We are poor predictors of what will make us happy. Time and again, we proclaim, “If only I had X, I would be happy” or “If only I could do X, I would be happy.” However, when we get X or do X, we soon find ourselves saying the same thing – but this time instead of X, it’s Y.”
- Take a moment to jot down your specific measures of success right now.
- How is someone’s life better because he or she has crossed your path?
- Knowing what will make you happy is of no use unless you start making choices that set you up for a lifestyle of happiness.
- If you give, you’re going to get.
- Do your best each and every day. When you know you did the best you could, you got to bed happy.
- Know your why.
- Help others.
- No matter how difficult the task, you can figure it out if you seek the answers.
- Happiness is not simply about what happens in your life. It is about what you do, how you think, and the environments you put yourself in.
- What’s already in you?
- Self-control is the ability in the heat of the moment to resist temptation or embrace that which will move you in the right direction. Discipline is consistency in addition to perseverance.
- Don’t be afraid to shed light on areas where you could improve.
- The only way to be lucky is to be prepared.
- Dissatisfaction can be a catalyst for change, as long as you are honest about where you are dissatisfied.
- Don’t wait for everything to be the way you want it to be to have joy. Choose joy in the midst of trouble. It’s a choice.
- Don’t make choices out of fear.
- Over-analysis can lead to paralysis.
- You don’t have to entertain every option that comes your way. You make choices daily. Make them consciously. Own your decisions.
- What’s really holding me back? What am I afraid of? What if I fail at this? What if I am not good enough? What if I don’t know enough? Who do I most want to impact and how? What is my top priority in life right now?
- Self-awareness is impossible when you are on autopilot. You can’t constantly go-go-go. You have to catch your breath, notice your thoughts, and see the impact of your actions.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
*I take no credit for any of these points.