10 Ways to Change Your Life at Any Age

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

10 Ways to Change Your Life at Any Agein

Things can change if you want them to, at any age.  As I awoke this morning, I marveled at my life today.  Where once I woke with dread at the thought of a new day, now I wake with excitement to begin – grateful to be doing what I’m doing for a living.  I am so happy I did what I had to do, and struggled through the tough times and the fears, and realigned my life with the things that make me happy.  When friends ask me how I did it, as they sometimes do, I tell them, “Hard work and persistence.  It’s a small price to pay for a changed life.”

Here are ten things you can do to change your life at any age:

1. Subtract the wrong things. – When things aren’t adding up in your life, it’s time to start subtracting.  Sometimes you must let go to grow.  You cannot discover new oceans unless you build up enough courage to lose sight of the old, familiar shoreline.  Be brave.  Follow your values.  Make changes.  And remember, no venture is ever a waste of time.  The ones that don’t work out teach you lessons that prepare you for the ones that do.  Read A New Earth.
2. Believe you CAN. – The biggest obstacle that stops people from achieving their dreams is the feeling that they are not good enough.  Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality.  You are good enough!  Don’t let life discourage you.  Success is often closer than it seems.  With enough determination and drive, anything is possible in time.  Everyone who got to where they are had to begin from where they were, just like you.
3. Work hard for what you want most. – Dreams don’t just magicallybecome realities; it takes a lot of determination, sweat, and hard work.  Remember, tough circumstances don’t last; tough people do.  Most obstacles melt away when we make up our minds to march boldly through them.  If you have a strong commitment to your goals and dreams, and wake up every morning with passion to work toward them, anything is possible.
4. Stand up for yourself. – You can’t force people to show you respect, but you can refuse to be disrespected.  If you always back down to keep the peace, you will forever be armed with anger and self-loathing, and fighting a war within.  Say what you need to say, do what you need to do, and don’t let anyone bully you into a corner.
5. Let go of the past. – Don’t stumble on something behind you.  Don’t let your shadow guide you. You are not a slave to your past. Let it go and move on.  Dream and give yourself permission to envision a ‘YOU’ that you choose to be – that you know you CAN be.  Read The Language of Letting Go.
6. End hurtful relationships. – Just because you have a past with someone, doesn’t mean you should have a future with them.  Just because you miss someone, doesn’t mean you need them back in your life.  Sometimes missing them is just a healthy part of moving on.
7. Be thankful for what you have. – It’s not happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy.  Even when times are tough, think of all the beauty still around you, and smile.  Life is too short to have a victim mentality.  Say to yourself, “I am not going to be bitter, I am going to be better.”
8. Dedicate some time every day to loving yourself. – Only when we can sit alone quietly and look with honest eyes at our strengths and our weaknesses, our failures and our triumphs, our humanness and our moral strength, and love ourselves in spite of, and because of all that we are, will we begin to truly understand the meaning and power of unconditional love.  Read The Mastery of Love.
9. Keep learning and embracing life’s changes. – The seeds of your success are planted in your past failures.  Your best stories will come fromovercoming your greatest struggles.  Your praises will be birthed from your pains.  Keep standing and keep pushing forward.  Even the coldest winters eventually turn into springtime.  Seasons always change.
10. Enjoy where you are now. – Sometimes we’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.  Laugh at the confusion, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life as it unfolds.  You might not be exactly where you had intended to go, but you are precisely where you need to be.

Why you're earning less than you think

Do you know how much money you’re earning for the amount of time you work? There’s a real trade-off in time, energy and money that’s directly associated with your job.

By Robb Engen | Moneyville – Mon, 11 Jun, 2012 6:59 PM EDT

Do you know how much money you’re earning for the amount of time you work?  Of course you know that your salary is “x” amount of dollars and your typical work week might be 35 to 40 hours.  However, there’s a real trade-off in time, energy and money that’s directly associated with your job.

Here are six reasons why you’re earning less than you think:

1. Transportation

Getting to and from work, whether you drive, walk or take public transportation, costs you time and money.  How long is your commute?  Calculate how much money you spend on a bus pass, walking shoes, gas, parking, tolls, traffic tickets, and car (and bike) maintenance.

2. Clothing

Do you need a special wardrobe for work?  This not only includes the obvious outfits like nurses’ uniforms, construction workers’ steel-toed boots and chefs’ aprons, but also the tailored suits, ties, shoes and accessories that are the norm in offices.

Consider the time and money spent on shopping and personal grooming.  Don’t forget dry cleaning, tailoring and other clothing maintenance expenses.

3. Meals

Extra costs for meals can take many forms – money for morning coffee and doughnuts, daily lunches, drinks after work with your co-workers, and expensive fast foods that you buy when you’re too tired to cook dinner after work.

4. Decompressing

When you come home from work are you ready to jump into your personal projects and share family time?  Sometimes you’re tired and drained from a long day at work and need to relax in front of the TV for a few hours with a drink in hand.

5. Job-Related Illness

How is your job affecting your health? Many job-related illnesses are brought on by stress, physical working conditions or conflict with employers or fellow employees.  There is a lot less illness-caused absenteeism in volunteers than in paid employees.  Think of the time spent waiting in the doctor’s office and the money spent on drugs and remedies not covered by insurance.

6. Other Expenses

Childcare expenses like day-care, a babysitter or nanny can take a big chunk out of your salary.  So can hiring a housekeeper or cleaning service.  Then there’s the hours spent reading work related material, upgrading your skills, attending seminars and conferences, and evenings spent at networking events.

The Bottom Line

Calculate the hours you spend on work related activities – what you wouldn’t do if you weren’t working – and add them to your normal work week.  Then subtract all your job related expenses from your salary to come up with your real hourly wage.

Decide whether it’s worthwhile for one parent to stay home with the kids, or use the results as criteria for accepting or rejecting a job offer when you can see clearly what it’s worth.

Robb Engen blogs at Boomer & Echo.  Reach him at robbengen@gmail.com. 

Image: Stuart Nimmo/Toronto Star.

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10 Feel Good Thoughts for a Bad Day

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

10 Feel Good Thoughts for a Bad Dayin

Sometimes I catch myself staring at the people around me – studying their mannerisms and expressions.  I wonder, “What is their story?  What are they searching for?  What makes their heart beat with happiness, with sorrow, with fear, with longing?”  And then I ask myself, “What words might I post on this blog to inspire them, and to remind them that, even on the toughest of days, our hearts all beat for these same things?”

Today I figured I’d share some of these words with you…

1. We are all in this together. – Nobody has it easy, we all have issues.  When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story.  Everyone has gone through something that has changed them, and forced them to grow.  Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours.  You will never know exactly what they are going through, and they will never know exactly what you are going through.  We are all fighting our own unique war.  But we are fighting through it simultaneously, together.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
2. You aren’t supposed to be perfect. – Live life.  Experience everything.  Take care of yourself and those closest to you.  Have fun – be a little crazy and weird.  Go out and make mistakes – you’re going to anyway.  Enjoy yourself, and exploit the countless opportunities to learn something along the way.  Figure out what works and what doesn’t.  Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human and being YOU.
3. There are reasons to smile all around you. – A teenage girl blushed when I caught her playfully tickling her boyfriend as he looked for a book in the library – I smiled.  A middle aged man got down on his knees and lovingly scratched his dog behind the ears as they waited to cross the street – I smiled.  A little girl skipped in bright white shoes that were obviously new, happily kicking her feet far out in front of her to admire them – I smiled.  On days when you don’t have much in your life to smile about, watch those who do and you’ll smile too.
4. Tough times help us grow. – We work hard to disown the parts of our lives that were painful, difficult, or sad.  But just as we can’t rip chapters out of a book and expect the story to still make sense, so we cannot rip past chapters out of our lives and expect our lives to still make sense.  Keep every chapter of your life intact, and keep on turning the pages.  Sooner or later you’ll get to a page that brings it all together and you’ll suddenly understand why every page and chapter before it was needed.
5. Repetition is not failure. – In those frustrating moments when you find yourself standing face to face with an issue you battled before – one bearing a lesson you were sure you’d already learned – remember, repetition is not failure.  Ask the waves, ask the leaves, ask the wind. Repetition is sometimes required to evolve and grow.
6. No matter what, you have a purpose. – Having a bad day?  It’s okay.  Put your hand on your heart.  Feel that?  That’s called ‘purpose.’  You’re alive for a reason.  Don’t give up.  You may lose the people you love.  You may lose the things you have.  But no matter happens, never lose yourself.  Read A New Earth.
7. Being true to yourself is always the best option. – Being true to yourself is way better than being a liar just to impress everyone else.  Don’t change so people will like you.  You may not live up to everyone’s standards, but there are people out there who will love you just the way you are.  And besides, people will judge you regardless, so you might as well be yourself when they do.
8. You don’t always have to be happy and cheerful. – Sometimes you have to deal with issues and show others your uncomfortable side.  It’s perfectly okay – it’s a natural part of being human.  And the good news is that these tough moments will often show you who will accept you at your worst and who won’t.
9. Right now is a fresh start. – Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your problems.  It’s a bright new day – a new beginning.  Your future is too bright to waste it fighting needless battles with old issues from the past.  Read The Power of Now.
10. It’s okay to let some things go. – You need to understand that none of us are playing with marked cards; sometimes we win and sometimes we lose – life always finds its balance.  Don’t expect to get back everything you give, don’t expect recognition for all your efforts, and don’t expect your genius to be instantly discovered or your love to be understood by everyone.  As you live and experience things, you must recognize what works and what doesn’t, what belongs and what doesn’t, and then let things go when you know you should.  Not out of pride, inability, or arrogance, but simply because not everything is supposed to fit into your life.  Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust.  Stop being who you were so you can become who you are.

Pure ecstasy can be ‘safe’ for adults

Pure ecstasy can be ‘safe’ for adults; should be regulated: B.C. health officer

Tamsyn Burgmann

The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER—B.C.’s top health official says taking pure ecstasy can be “safe” when consumed responsibly by adults, despite warnings by police in Alberta and British Columbia about the dangers of the street drug after a rash of deaths.

Dr. Perry Kendall asserts the risks of MDMA — the pure substance originally synonymous with ecstasy — are overblown, and that its lethal dangers only arise when the man-made chemical is polluted by money-hungry gangs who cook it up.

That’s why the chief provincial health officer is advocating MDMA be legalized and sold through licensed, government-run stores where the product is strictly regulated from assembly line to check-out.

Just like the growing chorus for marijuana legalization, Kendall believes crushing the dirty ecstasy-saturated black market and its associated violence requires an evidence-based strategy that revolves around public health.

“(If) you knew what a safe dosage was, you might be able to buy ecstasy like you could buy alcohol from a government-regulated store,” Kendall said in an interview.

He posits that usage rates would decrease.

Several studies agree the pure substance is not so “ominous,” including research by a Harvard psychiatrist that dispels more damning earlier work.

Kendall was asked whether ecstasy, after further study around correct dosage and in a setting involving strict controls, could be safe.

“Absolutely,” he responded.

“We accept the fact that alcohol, which is inherently dangerous, is a product over a certain age that anybody can access.

“So I don’t think the issue is a technical one of how we would manage that. The issue is a political, perceptual one.”

He does not advocate promoting the drug for recreational use.

At least 16 people from B.C. to Saskatchewan have died since last July from a tainted batch of ecstasy they obtained from criminal dealers, the only way an average person can acquire the drug in Canada. It was cut with a toxin called PMMA.

Police say an average of 20 British Columbians who consume street ecstasy die each year.

Kendall and several other health colleagues liken the mutation of MDMA into a contaminated street drug to the wave of bootleg beverages during the 1920s prohibition era.

“Methyl alcohol led to huge rates of morbidity and mortality in the United States under alcohol prohibition because of illicit alcohol manufacturing,” said Dr. Evan Wood, a lead researcher at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and internationally-recognized expert in drug addiction and related policies.

“PMMA is a natural and expected consequence of the prohibition on ecstasy.”

The RCMP in B.C., who have a team dedicated to dismantling clandestine drug labs, maintain no amount of the substance is safe.

“We would view ecstasy as extremely dangerous,” said Sgt. Duncan Pound, adding police don’t distinguish between MDMA and the street drug in terms of enforcement or prevention strategies.

“Not only given the fact that it’s very hard to determine what might be in any given tablet, but the fact that there’s such an individual reaction to those tablets.”

The medical literature says that MDMA — technically 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine — sends waves of serotonin flooding through the brain. The natural brain chemical makes people feel happy, social and intimate with others.

According to Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, MDMA carries a list of potential health affects that impact each user differently. They include teeth grinding, sweating, increased blood pressure and heart rate, anxiety, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and convulsions, even at low doses.

The drug’s letdown can include feelings of confusion, irritability, anxiety, paranoia and depression, and people may experience memory loss or sleep problems, jaundice or liver damage.

The deaths associated with street ecstasy, says the centre’s website, usually result from dehydration and overheating when teens gulp down a pill and dance the night away.

It’s also more likely to negatively impact people with other health problems and can interact with other medications people are taking, the centre said.

The medical establishment widely agrees MDMA is not addictive.

But new research suggests some of the drug’s long-stated ill effects are exaggerated.

Using MDMA does nothing to impair cognitive functioning, found one U.S. government-funded study published in the journal Addiction in February 2011.

Dr. John Halpern, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor who led the research, said pure MDMA can change core body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure in the short-term, and decrease immune resistance for a few days.

“But barring that, it appears . . . it can be safely administered, certainly through research,” said Halpern, who has studied MDMA for 15 years and advocates for medical, prescription-based use of the drug.

He hopes Canada leads the way in crafting a “sensible” MDMA strategy.

“We’ve got to do something to make sure that the sanctity of life is protected,” said Halpern, with McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. “It’s certainly worthy of a healthy discussion.”

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies has also administered MDMA to more than 500 people in various FDA-approved clinical trials, and there has never been a serious adverse event.

“Meaning that nobody has ever required any medical attention whatsoever from overheating or from a heart attack or from a stroke or from blood pressure going up,” said Rick Doblin, who has a doctorate in public policy from Harvard and founded the privately-funded organization in 1986.

The trials were conducted with pre-screened, healthy adults who did not use other drugs.

MDMA generally only produces the “peace-love” effect that users desire at low dosages, Doblin added.

He supports Kendall’s proposal, but agreed applying it in the real world has major challenges.

“There are problems with criminalization, there are problems with legalization,” he said.

“But the problems with criminalization are worse.”

Kendall’s harm-reduction approach flies in the face of long-standing drug laws. MDMA was criminalized in Canada in 1976 and in the U.S. 1985. It was recently boosted to the top of Canada’s drug scheduling list under the federal government’s omnibus crime bill.

Kendall argued the criminal designation is not based on pharmacology, toxicology, economic analysis “or even a really good analysis of what stops people using drugs.”

MDMA ranked 17 out of 20 drugs when compared in terms of their harms, below No.1-rated alcohol, and other drugs including heroin, cocaine, tobacco, pot and steroids, according to a U.K. analysis published in The Lancet in 2010.

The research was conducted by Professor David Nutt, a former chief adviser on drugs to the British government, who asked drug-harm experts to rank both legal and illegal drugs on 16 measures of harm to the user and to wider society.

Nutt found the legal status of most drugs bears little relation to their harms.

Health Canada approved the protocol for a Vancouver-based study of MDMA as a treatment for post traumatic stress disorder three years ago. However, researchers have hit multiple roadblocks getting necessary approvals for importing and storing the drug.

‘You’re not special’ graduation speech sparks buzz

By Pueng Vongs | The Lookout – Fri, 8 Jun, 2012

Social media was buzzing about a Boston-area high school teacher's blunt commencement speech that told students they "are not special."

Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough Jr. told graduates "You are not special. You are not exceptional," quoting empirical evidence:

"Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That's 37,000 valedictorians ... 37,000 class presidents ... 92,000 harmonizing altos ... 340,000 swaggering jocks ... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs," he said in the speech published in the Boston Herald.

He added: "Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you."

McCullough makes a statement on parents who overdo it in a modern society focused on collecting achievements. "You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie." But he adds in a video on Wellesley Channel TV YouTube page, "You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. ... We have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement."

McCullough's address does push students to recognize real achievement: "The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life is an achievement," and he encourages graduates "to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance."

Many expressed their approval of the message on Twitter:

This is awesome. I don't remember my HS commencement speech. I think I would remember this one. — S.L. Gray

Fantastic speech which sums up the neglected duty of so many Americans in 1 phrase: "Be worthy of your advantages." — Benjamin Yee

the greatest commencement speech ever. — Neil Raden

My new hero. Tells grads "You're not that Special ... when everyone gets a trophy, the trophy doesn't mean anything." — Jason Dobrolecki

The Boston Herald also reported that McCullough's words were very well received by attendees. The teacher, a father of four, admitted he's guilty of the actions he pokes fun at in his speech.

[Related video: Tornado crashes graduation?]

But near the end of the address he says, "The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special. Because everyone is."

12 Ways to Center Your Life Around Love and Happiness

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

12 Ways to Center Your Life Around

 Love and Happiness

It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis.

Today is a new day – a new beginning.  You have been given this day to use as you please.  You can waste it or you can use it for something worthwhile.  Either way, what you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.  In its place will be something that you have left behind.  Please, let it be something worthwhile.  Let it be something that spreads love and happiness.

Here’s how:

1. Be kinder than necessary. – You will never fully understand some things until these things actually happen to you.  So be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of unique battle.  And remember, you will come across some people in life who always seem to create conflicts.  When you meet them, smile and walk away.  The battle they are fighting isn’t with you, it’s within them.
2. Put sincere effort into your relationships. – Don’t confuse the people who are always lingering around with the ones who are truly there.  Good relationships don’t just happen, and they aren’t built solely on a foundation of convenience.  They take time, patience, effort, and two people who want to be together and are willing to meet in the middle. Read The 5 Love Languages.
3. Remind your loved ones that you love them every chance you get. – It doesn’t always matter where you go, what you do, or how muchyou have.  Sometimes all that matters is who you have beside you.  So be grateful for the wonderful people in your life, and let them know how much they mean to you on a regular basis.
4. Stretch yourself, and make yourself proud. – You can’t grow unless you do.  Yes, as you stretch you will feel some discomfort.  You will have to deal with the pain of the unknown as you work new emotional and intellectual muscle groups.  But don’t let that stop you.  Far too many people are fearful of the unknown, comfy with putting in the least amount of effort, and not willing to put up with short-term pain for long-term gain.  But not you – you know better.  Stretch yourself, be all you can be and seize your true potential.
5. Let your tears nourish your healing. – If tears could talk, this is what they’d say:  I am the raindrop that nourishes your healing.  Open your door to me in times of angst.  I will not stay forever.  Only long enough to clear the path of debris so hope and joy can reach you.  Only long enough to cleanse your eyes so your vision will be clear enough to recognize goodness when it comes.
6. Don’t wait for a reason to be grateful. – Just be grateful for everything you have now, and the reasons will quickly find you.  Being happy doesn’t always make us grateful, but being grateful will always make us happy.  And if you’re finding it hard to be grateful for something, sit down, close your eyes and take a long slow breath, and be grateful for oxygen.  Every breath you take is in sync with someone’s last.  Read The How of Happiness.
7. Express your appreciation daily. – Before going to bed tonight, take a moment to appreciate yourself for three things you accomplished today.  If you are in a relationship, take moment to openly discuss and appreciate three things you each accomplished today.  What we focus on expands.  What we appreciate, appreciates in value.
8. Say less when less means more. – You are as beautiful as the love you give, and you are as wise as the silence you leave behind.
9. Rediscover your inner child. – If you’ve forgotten the feel of joy, and don’t remember when you last felt wonder, let a child lead you back to the days when rocks breathed, and leaves sailed, and happiness was watching water dance through your hands.  Back to a time when you knew that every treasure worth having could be unearthed in your own back yard.
10. Be good to yourself. – Look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I love you, and from now on I’m going to act like it.”  It’s important to be nice to others, but it’s even more important to be nice to yourself.  When you act as your own best friend, you allow yourself to be happy.  When you are happy, you become a better friend, a better family member, and you inspire others to be happier too.  Read The Mastery of Love.
11. Stop waiting for the perfect moment. – Take each moment, appreciate it and make it perfect.  If you want to get really good at something or get somewhere new, let go of the notion of perfection and replace it with the notion of endless, playful exploration.  And don’t be afraid of change; oftentimes we will shed something good, and gain something even better.
12. Inject a little goodness into the world whenever you can. – When you become overwhelmed because it seems the whole world is exploding with hatred, violence, ignorance, and apathy, you have two choices:  You can either bury your head in the sand, or you can rest your cheek upon it, breathe until you feel whole again, then lift your head and ask, “How can I add some goodness?”

And remember, although every story has an end, in life every ending is just a new beginning.  Life goes on – not always the way we had envisioned it would be, but always the way it’s supposed to be.  We usually can’t choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.

10 Enemies of Personal Greatness

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

10 Enemies of Personal Greatness

Beware!  These ten inner enemies can quickly erode your grandest plans and your noblest intentions.  They can drain your life of passion and potential, and fill your spirit with lifelong regret.

1. Always taking the path of least resistance. – Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing.  Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there.  Good things don’t come to those who wait.  Good things come to those who work hard and struggle to pursue the goals and dreams they believe in.  Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
2. Comparing yourself to everyone else. – You will never fully believe in yourself if you keep comparing yourself to everyone else.  Being true to yourself in thoughts, words and actions is as important as being kind and true to others.
3. Worrying too much about what others think of you. – As long as you are worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them.  Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you ownyourself.  If you’re being true to yourself and it isn’t enough for the people around you, change the people around you.
4. Ignoring your gut instincts. – There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything.  Give yourself permission to immediately walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes.  There is no need to explain or make sense of it.  Just trust the little inner voice when it’s telling you, “This is a bad idea.”
5. Holding on when you need to move on. – Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting, it means you choose happiness over hurt.  Sometimes you have to love people from a distance and give them the space and time to get their minds right before you let them back into your life.
6. Living in the past. – If you don’t leave your past in the past, it will destroy your future.  Live for what today has to offer, not for what yesterday has taken away.  Life is a journey that is only traveled once.  Today’s moments quickly become tomorrow’s memories.  So appreciate every moment for what it is, because the greatest gift of life is life itself. Read The Power of Now.
7. Doing the wrong things just because others are too. – Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it.  Right is right, even if you are the only one doing it.  Always do what you know in your heart is right, for you.
8. Allowing small problems to overwhelm you. – Everything is going to be alright; maybe not today but eventually.  When you’re upset, ask yourself, “Will this matter to me in a year’s time?”  Most of the time it won’t.  Remember, sometimes bad things in life open up your eyes to the good things you weren’t paying attention to before.
9. Surrendering to the draw of comfort. – The most common and harmful addiction in the world is the draw of comfort.  Why pursue greatness when you’ve already got 324 channels and a recliner?  Just pass the chip dip and forget about your grand plans.  NO!  The truth is growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.  Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now, and open doors of opportunity that would otherwise not exist.  Read The Power of Habit.
10. NOT believing that you CAN. – If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we won’t bother attempting it.  All too often, we literally do not know any better than good enough.  Sometimes you have to try to do what you think you can’t do, so you realize that you actually CAN.  And sometimes it takes more than one attempt.  If ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work out, don’t fret; the alphabet has another 25 letters that would be happy to give you a chance to get it right.  The wrong choices usually bring us to the right places, eventually.  But you must believe in your own potential to get there.