The three ideas I have to be happy & successful in life, can easily be substituted by the proper synonym. However, I feel as though these three ideas fit right in to everyday life.
1. Sacrifice; This is a noticeable word, but often has negative connotations (as it should). When you sacrifice SOMETHING of VALUE, you wish you could have it back. If it is community service, organizing your family reunion, or trying to grow your business, sacrificing your time will take its toll on the structure of your life. While you're giving energy to the new challenge, 100% effort must be put in to ensure proper functioning of the event. This will be another chance for us to sacrifice time/effort in our attention to detail, being sure not to miss any opportunities for improvements. If we are trying to improve our position in life we will need to sacrifice time developing skills to advance in to more prestigious responsibilities. All the volunteering in the world will more than likely not pay the bills. You will need to figure out skills to trade for money to trade for other goods & services. If you are lucky enough to be working or running a business that provides all that your family needs, you have won at life. If you hide in the bathroom at work or despise going to the place where you make money, CHANGE IT! You have control over this. Perhaps you're not ready to truly SACRIFICE something of value to better your situation.
2. Sweat; This is where all the work must be done. If you are able to do what you are passionate about and make money, there will still be days where you DO NOT want to sacrifice the necessary time. If you feel yourself at this point, please read #1. When you're ready to WORK for your goals, the sweat will be so much more fulfilling. I am a trainer. I train groups of people. I train partners. I train individuals. In order to maintain a level of competency, I must increase my knowledge, I must take thorough notes (for modified activities), and I must lead by example. Reading alone isn't enough. I have to be able to share the information I have retained. I have to transfer the information in a non-technical fashion, so my clients can retain & share it. I do workout ALMOST EVERYDAY, but not working out like you may think. I incorporate flexibility & recovery days, as a way to decrease injury potential. With the mix of weights, flexibility, and Jiu-Jitsu my 5-6 days are covered. My body & mind are a part of a billboard of my services, so it must be well kept. On a daily basis, get a mental sweat and/or physical sweat!
3. Smile; When the day is easy or filled with enjoyable activities smiling isn't a problem. It is when the day is filled with frustration, discomfort, and misery that it will be much more difficult to crack a true smile. However, If you can see the how much worse the situation could be, this should be just enough positive stimulation to raise a GENUINE ear to ear grin. Find small things to appreciate during the unfavorable time. Perhaps you are in the shitty situation with a friend, in that case think about future plans or times when things were much worse. This should lighten the mood and give your mind something to focus the energy on. Stay positive and remove negative thoughts. This negative energy is quite powerful and dangerous. Negative energy creates momentum quickly. It must be destroyed by visualizing a favorable outcome. The power of visualization is underrated. Your mind must be able to create the idea that task completion is even possible for us to have a fighting chance. These thoughts alone will not generate the victory. Please see #2 for ways to achieve victory. When you are faced with adversity, smile while you think of ways to conquer.