Dr. Phil's 10 Life Laws Can Help Everyone Live Their Best Life

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Dr. Phil's 10 Life Laws Can Help Everyone Live Their Best Life

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few decades, you know that Dr. Phil McGraw is world-renowned for his life advice. You can see him on TV everyday helping troubled people change their lives for the better, but he's also a best-selling author and a successful businessman and philanthropist. If there's anyone who can help you get your life on track it's him, but that's easier said than done. Even if you have a stack of Dr. Phil's books sitting in your bedroom, you might feel unfulfilled, like you're struggling to make a meaningful change.

This is the perfect starting point: Dr. Phil has condensed his wisdom into his 10 Life Laws. Along with being great advice, they're also a helpful way to identify exactly what you're not doing to change your life, and what to focus on next.

1. You either get it, or you don't.

If you often feel like your life is totally directionless, start here. Dr. Phil says that your goal is to become "one of those who gets it," a person who has a strategy for their life and a plan to accomplish their goals. That means being open to change and ready to learn, but also using all your knowledge and skills to stick to your plans for the future.

2. You create your own experience.

Nobody wants to be one of those people who are always blaming somebody else, or their own bad luck, or anything but themselves for their faults.

Owning up to your shortcomings can actually be empowering. It lets you remind yourself that you have control over the parts of life that bother you, and the power to fix them. Think hard about your choices, and how they'll impact your life.

3. People do what works.

Life follows the path of least resistance, and you should too. We fall into destructive and rewarding habits because  - usually - they're easier than what we should be doing. Focus on identifying the reward good behavior will bring you in the future, and chart your progress. Also, recognize the hidden impact of your bad behaviors, so you can stop yourself before they become a habit.

4. You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.

How can you hope to solve any of your problems if you refuse to face them? Dr. Phil recommends you "get real with yourself about life and everybody in it." Sit down and have a "talk" with yourself about the problems in your life, and how you plan to solve them. Remember, Dr. Phil says "your life is not too bad to fix, and it's not too late to fix it."

Click the next page for the rest of Dr. Phil's 10 laws of life!

5. Life rewards action.

We all know what we'd like to change about our lives, but that won't get us anywhere, will it? It's crucial to think about your goals, reflect on your progress and plan the next step, but ultimately you need to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

"Learn that the world couldn't care less about thoughts without actions," Dr. Phil says.

6. There is no reality, only perception.

That sounds a little philosophical, but this is really simple: "Identify the filters through which you view the world." We tend to limit ourselves based on what we've been taught to expect.

If your parents tell you every day that you'll never amount to anything, you're bound to believe it yourself, but we know that's not true at all. Identify the self-perceptions that are holding you back and "shake up" these thought with reminders about your real value and abilities.

7. Life is managed, it is not cured.

The best laid plans of mice and men still fall apart, so you need to stay on top of your goals every day. It's crucial to be proactive, to deal with things that scare you including your own doubt.

If you ignore your problems, little by little they form into bad habits and even bigger problems that are harder to resolve. Take Dr. Phil's advice: "life is a long ride, and you are the driver every single day."

8. We teach people how to treat us.

If you're unhappy with a friendship or your partner, you need to "renegotiate" that relationship. It can be hard to own up to, but Dr. Phil says you're "partly responsible" for the way you're treated. Don't let yourself be a doormat, an underachiever or a dead weight, because people will learn to see you that way.

9. There is power in forgiveness.

"Ugly emotions change who you are and contaminate every relationship you have," Dr. Phil says. "They can also take a physical toll on your body."

Let go of negative emotions and remember the Dalai Lama's advice about letting positivity guide your life. Holding onto grudges only makes your life worse.

10. You have to name it before you can claim it.

If you have no idea what you want from your life, your job, your personal relationships, how do you expect to get anything productive from them? You'll only wind up settling for the wrong thing if you don't reflect on what your hopes and dreams are. Know what you deserve from life and ask for it!

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