Everything you need to change your life is already within you. Therefore, continual growth and life transformations cannot be attributed to external factors or people. In no particular order, here are ten concepts that, if applied correctly, can help you generate the life you want to live.

1. Your Thoughts Become Things

Choose your thoughts wisely. You become what you think about. If you think of limitation and fear, you will see more of these things manifest in your life. However, if you shift your perception and think of love, happiness, kindness, and belief, you will form experiences representing these things. Spend more time thinking about what you want in life rather than what you don’t want. A fun and creative way of doing this is through visualisation. At the start of every day and before going to sleep, spend at least five minutes imagining yourself as the person you want to be. Visualise all that you seek without letting fear, doubt, or worry enter your mind. As you mentally create your most desired self, all that want will begin to attract itself to you.

2. Let Go Of Resistance And Control

Fight less with what you cannot control and spend more time focusing on your reactions and perceptions. Wisdom and freedom come from knowing and changing what you can do and letting go of what you cannot. However, those who resist situations usually find them more challenging to face and handle. So instead of focusing on what is beyond you, focus on what you can change— your mindset and responses. Become aware of where your energy is going and question whether you are resisting particular circumstances.

3. Give More, Love More

The more time, energy, love, patience, and resources you give to others and yourself, the happier you will feel. Giving is a crucial component when it comes to self-growth and transformation. However, it is essential to note that there are two different types of givers: people who give to get and those who give to give. When you give something away, expecting the receiver to return the favour, you’ll most likely be disappointed. Yet, when you give from your heart, you will open doors to love and leave lasting impressions in your life and the lives of others. Therefore, giving should only occur when the intention and willingness are pure and sincere.

4. Give Thanks

Gratitude places us and those around us in a positive vibration. It changes our outlook and perception and helps us create more of what we want in our lives. To make gratitude a part of your daily practices, list at least ten things you are grateful for each day. Then, when you write these things down, become emotionally involved by acknowledging why you are thankful for each one. The more you appreciate and focus on the good things in your life, the more of it you will manifest and create.

5. Set Daily Intentions

Along with your daily gratitude practice, writing out your intentions, your to be list is just as important. Each morning, write down all the things that you want to be in that day. For example, you may want to focus on being kind, compassionate, patient, loving, caring, and aware. Take the time to list as many you feel are relevant to you and actively find ways to be those things throughout your day. When you do this, you align with your true self and live from a place of love.

6. Listen More

When you are communicating with someone, choose to be the active listener. Make a conscious decision to listen more and speak less by being present to the person/people speaking. To do this, rather than spending time thinking about what to say back, dedicate more time to what you are hearing and seeing. During these times, you will find that you will learn more about yourself, the other person, and about life.

7. Choose Your Time Wisely

What you do with your time and who you spend time with will impact your outcomes and results. We often hear people say, “I do not have the time to read, educate myself, study or work on my personal development.” Since they have told themselves this, they believe it to be true. However, the reality is, we all have enough time to do what we want to do. If learning and growing is something you want to do, then you will find the time to do it. Just as you have the power to choose your thoughts, you have the opportunity to choose education over entertainment and learning over escapism.

8. Remain Calm

Every time you are in a situation, you are choosing what you think and how you act. It can be either a reaction or a response. Reactions are based on your habits and practices, whereas responses are the outcome of you thinking consciously. You may not like your circumstances, but how you handle them will determine how you feel and the vibrations and results you create. Know that you will not get the outcomes you want when you react in a negative manner. To become aware, next time you are presented with a problem, tell yourself that the situation is neither good nor bad; it just is. It is vital to stop, take a few deep breaths, think, and choose a calm and collective response. All experiences become easier when you remain calm.

9. Have More Fun

Unfortunately, as people get older, they seem to have less fun in their lives. Pressure, stress and hardship become the centre of their minds, leaving little room for fun and pleasure. However, regardless of age, laughter and joy should be a part of your daily life, just as it is for brushing your teeth. Fun activities can be found in the simplest ways, such as laughing, dancing, telling jokes, singing, reading and writing. Each day, think of different ways to embed fun into your life by asking yourself, “How can I have fun today?” Not only will this benefit you, but it will also help those around you.

10. Have Faith

Both faith and fear are choices and beliefs. Faith creates love and peace in your life, while fear generates scarcity and pain. In each moment, you have an option to choose hope and optimism, or you can create stories that bring on worry and doubt. It is important to note that no amount of apprehension or anxiety will change a negative situation into a positive one. Suffering is the result of fear, and peace is the product of faith. To overcome worry, think of fear as false events appearing real – in other words, there is no truth to your fearful thoughts. The power to choose faith or fear is always yours. What will you choose?