Nadia Khalil

Success is often defined in terms of money, power, and fame, or how much you’ve achieved in your life. Most of us want to experience at least some level of success, but the definition of success varies from person to person.  If you think about what brings you joy, meaning, and satisfaction, that’s a starting place to think about and define success—as success isn’t something that can be dictated to you, because it’s whatever you deem it to be. The problem is that many people haven’t thought much about what makes them successful. It’s an individual concept, but let the following ideas guide you. Success isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, right? You Are Doing Your Best You’ve probably read many a quote from great role models and leaders that basically say if you are putting forth your best effort every day, making do with what you have, and meeting your own personal standards, then you are in the process of becoming your best, most successful self. If you fe...

When you ask yourself if you’re showing up for your own life, it should bring to mind so many different things you do, big or small. It’s an open-ended question that hopefully inspires you to be fully present and allows you to realize all the ways you show up—whether it’s as simple as getting dressed in the morning, letting a friend do you a favor, or making yourself a meal. It could be as nuanced as feeling good about solving a complex problem by yourself, bouncing back from a perceived failure, or learning how to forgive others. As you navigate each day, notice how you are leaning in, as subtle as it may be at times. Here are some more ideas to get you thinking about what it means to show up in your own life. It Means Being Compassionate to Yourself Even when times are tough, or when you’re feeling down, or if you don’t think you deserve it, you do, in fact, deserve to be kind to yourself. It means gently accepting there’s no such thing as perfection. If you didn’t get to th...

We’re hard-wired to think. It’s what makes us human. We can’t learn from our life experiences without thinking about the past and we can’t plan for life’s next adventures without thinking about the future. So, why is it so uncomfortable for some to simply exist in the present? If today’s “you” is your only current reality, it makes perfect sense to just “be” and to be there for the one who is living in the here and now. That’s you! When you go from good to great, you’re taking care of your true self. Since we as humans have this incredible power to think, we also have the power to stay in the present moment, at least sometimes. Here are a few tips for becoming rooted in the present without obsessing over staying present. Be Mindful It’s natural for the mind to wander, but limiting the amount of time you spend thinking about the past and future and mostly trying to stay in the present is a healthy approach. You aren’t denying the past and future, you’re just choosing not to dw...