Created for a 2016 telesummit, yet the principles of the 10 Life Lessons are still beneficial at any time. I am so glad you decided to take this journey. I hope you will make these lessons apart of your everyday life, that will last a lifetime. Namaste.

  
Know That You Are the Most Important Person
Perhaps this is not a foreign concept to you. Perhaps someone told you before, that you can’t take care of others until you take care of yourself. Maybe you do your best to take care of yourself, but as life gets busy, you are no longer a priority. But from this day and everyday forward, YOU MUST BE THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE. This I not meant to neglect love ones, but yet to be able to show up more able to serve others as you serve yourself.

1. Get no less than 6 hours of sleep each night; ideally 8-10 hours eight.
2. Devise and maintain a daily spiritual practice that works within your schedule.
3. Devise and maintain a physical exercise program /regime that you can maintain at less than 3 times a week.
4. Eat the colors of the rainbow by having a healthy variety of fresh food on a daily basis.
5. Make sure to do something on a weekly basis that is just for you. This event doesn’t have to cost you a thing. This time is about your connection with yourself.
6. Whenever you leave your home, present yourself to the world as if somebody loves you. I also say, present yourself as if you are going to a job interview. This job may not be a corporate 500 company. This could be a job at the gym, or at your child’s school, or perhaps, the market. This means, do your hair. If you wear a head wrap, tie it beautifully and artistically. If you wear makeup, apply it for the occasion. Don’t go out in flannel pajama pants. Don’t allow your nail polish to be chipped off. Put on another coat until you have time to deal with it or take it off. As you consider greater attention to the way you show up to the world, you will see an increase in your confidence that others will notice. One of the most attractive and sexy attributes we can present to the world is confidence and it is free.

Footnote: To dress like someone loves you, this person is actually YOU loving YOU. Find a good resale store if you need. There are some good items on the cheap in some of them. Lastly, find an inexpensive dry cleaner for those things that need it. I have a $1.99 per item cleaner and they do a great job. I tested them the first time with a .99 sweater I got at a thrift store.
 
Live Present in the Moment.
Your life only truly exists in the here and now. The past moment is gone and the next is not promised. To live the life that is meant, as it is gifted form the Universe, you must;

1. Acknowledge that you are not perfect.
2. Give yourself permission to fail at something, but learn the lesson meant in the failure.
3. Accept Yourself Now; you are created as a spiritual being having a physical experience.

Now this doesn’t mean that you become reckless, stop paying your bill, stop going to work or school or stop preparing for the future. Of course you do all these things, YET continue on while you recognize that the very moment you are in throughout the day is gifted to you and needs to be appreciated.
 
Practice Gratitude Daily
There is power in the spoken and written word. Create a notebook or journal to show your thanks.

1. In the morning, take a few moment before you get up to verbally be thankful for something, anything.
2. In the evening, write at least 5 thinks that you have been thankful for during that day. If 5 things seem hard at first, work your way up to that. This is a challenge for you to be more attentive to the gifts you are given throughout the day.

 
Express Gratitude to Others
Maya Angelou said it best. “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

1. Whole-heartedly express thanks to people for even the seemingly small things they do for you throughout the day.

 
Live Fearless
When my son was 11 years old, he had the chance to dance on stage during a performance of Morris Day and the Time. The crowd was large and this was no school recital. He was nervous, but I had been telling him, “Sometimes in life baby, you get one chance, just one. You have to jump in and just do it”. He did and the experience is a lifelong memory to propel him into future endeavors.

1. Know that perfect doesn’t really exist.
2. Some things just have to be done scared.
3. Jump outside your comfort zone and try something new.

 
​Know that Suffering is a Choice
Suffering comes from the desire to have something a way it is not going to be. It is not the “thing” but your reaction to the thing. It is an expectation that needs to be changed to appreciation. There is always a lesson to be learned in the journey of the unavoidable adversities of life.
 
Experience Joy
Joy is in abundance each and every day in your life. It is in the large and small things. It is your duty to recognize joy when it is offered to you, so bathe in all that is offered.

1. Joy comes from various places.
2. Joy comes from a variety of experiences
3. Joy is greater than happiness.
4. You define your joy.

 
You Can’t Spend Yourself Rich
People often spend too much time thinking that they need material things to complete them. It is just not true. Know that it is the experiences in life that are the most memorable not material things. Plan for a vacation with friends or family. Go out to dinner with love ones. Have a potluck party at home. Live more, spend less!
 
Pay Attention to Seasonal People
People came into your life for a reason or a season, and sometimes both, yet they are not there to stay. Hear me now! YOU are not meant to keep seasonal people in your life forever. Like the seasons of the weather, they come and go. They change and during those different times of year, you have different experiences. Seasonal people are here to teach you something or help you experience something and then move on. The problem comes with our own attachments. Learn the lesson and let them go.
 
Learn how to do something you are passionate about and find a way to get paid to do it.
Be it a crafty new skill, owning a boutique or helping others eat better and lose weight, we are all here to discover our gifts and get about the job of during it. Living your life authentically will promote all of the principles of genuine intimacy for your life in 2017 and beyond.