10 Truths About Life by Chris Prentiss

There are people who teach you something valuable, there are books that change you forever, there are phrases that you only realize how true they are after you hear or read them. It's safe to say that among these inspiring people is world-renowned author and mentor Chris Prentiss. He has managed to change the lives of many with the concepts of positive thinking that he teaches in an accessible and practical way.

Today, we look at some of the key concepts he talks about in detail in his book, Be Who You Want, Have What You Want: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life. To each of these statements he applies examples and practical exercises. Here are 10 of the wise thoughts on life told in the book.  

All things are possible for those who believe that all things are possible

Chris Prentiss is convinced that there is nothing we cannot achieve in our lives. However, in order to do this, we need to be absolutely confident in our own abilities, have a clear goal and never stop pursuing it.

Learn to take events positively

Things that happen to us are not inherently good or bad. Only the way we perceive them makes them so, says the author. He advises us to learn to look at events as if they were perfect for us.

Build a personal philosophy of life and follow it 

A philosophy of life is actually a series of personal truths that we believe and are guided by. In his book, Chris Prentiss gives a number of examples of what phrases guide the personal philosophy of many: "Don’t trust anyone," "It’s a dog-eat-dog world," "I’m not a particularly lucky person," etc. In order to live a happy life, our personal philosophy needs to contain more phrases like, "I am a lucky person," "I can see goodness in people," "Everything always turns out for the best," and so on.

Circumstances are actually "work out" situations

Prentiss also elaborates on a theory that has been explored by a number of authors in the field. It generally states that everything that happens to us comes to teach us something and help us grow and be better. If we miss the lesson, the incident will repeat itself over and over, and we will keep "practicing" on the same situation until we learn what we need to learn.    

Life is a mirror   

This is hard to accept, especially for people who don't like to look for the problem in themselves. It states that everything that happens to us is actually caused by ourselves and the way we look at life. If we constantly complain about not having money, for example, it is almost certain that we will continue to have no money. If we curse our luck in love, we won't meet the right person. According to Prentiss , if we are dissatisfied with the reflection in the mirror of life, we need to change ourselves.   

You have the power to fulfill any commitment you make

The mentor is adamant that this issue is black and white. Whenever we make a commitment to ourselves or to someone, we have no choice but to follow through. And no excuses, circumstances or obstacles can stop us. So, Prentiss says – the power to fulfill every commitment arises within you at the time you make the commitment.  

How can you know if something is perfect? If it happened, it is  

Everything is exactly as it should be, the author says. And he recommends - instead of complaining about our fate, accept that whatever we're going through is perfect for us, it's exactly as it should be and will bring us everything we need.

Always utilize your qualities to the fullest

The message here is clear - there are no half measures. We must use all the qualities we possess to their full capacity. Prentiss says - it's not enough to be almost a good friend, to be almost in shape, to be almost truthful, to be almost on time, to almost succeed. You always have to give 100% of yourself to live life to its fullest.

We are all unique and perceive things differently

A chocolate bar can be delicious for some and terrible for others? One person can be attractive to ones and unattractive to others. The same goes for every other thing in our lives. Prentiss advises us to remember that we are all different and perceive events differently. 

You affect everything and everyone around you 

The author reminds us that we need to be careful about our words and actions because we tend to forget that we influence everything around us with our behavior. When we say and do certain things, they are not without consequences. And that is a really valuable reminder.