Quick, close your eyes and think of someone you know and admire for their ability to never worry too much or become overwhelmed with fear. If you can't think of someone real, a fictional or movie character is OK, too, or you could imagine a person composed of elements from separate people you know.

Important Qualities

Now, ask yourself what qualities this person possesses. Do they:

• Have a ridiculous sense of humor
• Never seem to rush
• Seem to have deep inner calm about life in general
• Have some spiritual or religious conviction that seems to strengthen them
• Participate in calming hobbies like meditation or long walks
• Know how to have fun
• Know how to laugh at themselves
• Know how to put up with uncertainty without being stressed by the unknown
• Step away from unnecessarily stressful situations
• Have a support network to help them through difficulty

What else can you add to that list?

How Does That Relate to You?

In your journal, pick just one or two of these characteristics and make a small goal for yourself to nurture that characteristic in your own personality. If you admire someone's ability to always be able to laugh at themselves instead of worrying about failure, for example, set yourself a goal to achieve that.

How to Do It?

If you have chosen, as a goal, to learn to laugh at yourself, deliberately do something a little scary or outside your comfort zone, find the funny aspects of the situation and laugh at yourself, whatever the outcome.

If you admire someone's commitment to their meditation practice, vow to meditate for twenty minutes today, and actually do it.