11. Stop being idle. Don’t spend too much time staring into space. Do something. Find a hobby. Read. Play computer games. Otherwise you’ll create problems that aren’t even there in the first place.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. No one feels 100 percent ready for opportunity. Great opportunities force us out of our comfort zones. That brings quite a bit of discomfort at first.
13. Stop getting into relationships for the wrong reasons. Choose wisely. Remember it’s better to be alone than in bad company. Don’t rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen — in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships because old ones didn’t work. Everyone you meet has a purpose in your life. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. Some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop competing with everyone else. Why worry if others are doing better than you? Beat your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. Jealousy is counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Count your own blessings. Ask yourself, “What do I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. A typical Pinoy trait, I have observed. Life throws you curveballs for a reason — to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect on those past negative curveballs. You’ll see that they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday.
18. Stop holding grudges. Don’t live your life hating. You will end up hurting yourself. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer. Let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you, too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you to their level. Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop explaining yourself to others. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it. Just do what your heart says is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. Take a deep breath when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best part of life are the small moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you, like your little baby.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. There is no reward for perfectionists, only rewards for people who get things done.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. Life is not easy. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. It’s okay to fall apart for a while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. Don’t be concerned with what other people think either — cry if you need to — it’s healthy. The sooner you cry, the sooner you will smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. You can achieve your dreams only if you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others, you deny responsibility — you give others power over your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Trying will only burn you out but if you can make one person smile then you can change his/her world. Narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. Worry will not take care of tomorrow’s burdens. It will strip today of its joy. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. Focus on what you want to happen. Think positively. Always wake up thinking something wonderful will happen today. You will often be right.
30. Start being grateful. Wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.
There, I’ve done the 29 things we have to stop doing and the one thing we have to start doing in 2015.
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