If you read every post I write this year, you probably won’t read anything you haven’t already heard, read, or thought yourself–possibly many times before. A lot of it may be redundant. Or clichéd. Or just plain obvious.

So what’s the point of reading this blog?

I can tell you in a single word: REMINDERS.

My goal isn’t to teach you anything new. It isn’t to blow your mind with never-before-considered theories. And it certainly isn’t to enlighten you (which would seem outrageously pretentious even to presume that I could!).

I simply want to remind you of what you already know–especially the things that are so important that they deserve to be returned to and reinforced again and again (and again and again), such as:

• Be yourself.
• Live fully.
• Take time to go within.
• Keep coming back to the present moment.
• Keep coming back to love.

…as well as some of the guiding principles that I’ve found to be true in my own life, such as:

• You become what you focus on and what you do consistently.
• Your life is determined not so much by your experiences as by the meanings you assign to them.
• Beliefs are self-fulfilling prophecies, and you get to choose your beliefs.

…and of course, “The Magic Formula”:

• Gratitude – Focus on what you’re grateful for.
• Vision – Focus on the positive elements you’d like to manifest in your life.
• Action – Take steps to move toward your dreams…while appreciating where you are.

These aren’t things that you do once and then you’re set for life. For instance, you wouldn’t say, “I was grateful last year–now I’m done with gratitude forever.” Or, “I took one step toward my dream; now I never have to take action ever again!” Or, “I don’t have to come back to the present moment–I already did that yesterday!”

These are the things that you return to over and over and over. Day in, day out. Hour by hour, moment by moment. Forever.

But how do you keep yourself coming back to these core concepts? Again, I can answer in one word: REMINDERS.

Fortunately, there are reminders everywhere you look:

• Blogs – this one, as well as thousands of others (plus books, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and other forms of communication) designed to bring you back to the beautiful basics.
• Friends and Loved Ones – especially if you choose to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and remind you of what’s most important in life.
• Daily Life – which is filled with wonderful (and often unexpected) reminders that reinforce the lessons that enrich your life. (Even counter-examples can be “clarity-through-contrast” reminders of what’s most important to you.)

You can also come up with your own individual reminders. For instance, I use red lights as reminders to come back to the present moment; and each time I tie my shoes, I remember (or at least try to remember) to tap into my source of inner joy.

Do I remember to remember every time? Absolutely not! But even some of the time is better than none of the time. And that just means I’ll get my reminders elsewhere on those days. Fortunately, the supply is infinite!

So, to my devoted readers who keep coming back again and again: Don’t be shocked if you notice some recurring concepts from one post to another. This is merely a sign of something worth repeating. Something I value enough to reinforce. Something worth remembering.

You know–the good stuff: Gratitude. Vision. Action. Authenticity. Awareness. Here. Now. Love. Life. You.

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What do you think are the “beautiful basics”–the essential concepts and elements of life? What’s most important to you? How do you remind yourself to keep coming back to that?

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