This post originally appeared on BrandMentalist.com.
1. You feel proud of yourself.
Regardless of where you are in life, you feel proud of yourself for having achieved what you have and having done what you've done -- whether it's good or bad. Because life is not about going from one point to the next. Life is about the journey -- and the key to loving life is to enjoy the journey.
You're proud of yourself and for everything you've been through because every turning point in life leads you to another. Every change leads to a new destiny. When one door closes, another door opens. No matter what happened in the past, you are who you are because of everything that's happened and you're proud of who you've become.
"Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it."
-- Charles R. Swindoll
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2. You feel happy with where you are and where you're headed.
You know that you've done well in life when you're happy with where you are and where you're headed. You might not be where you dream of ultimately achieving but you're happy that you're on the right path. You know who you are and you're doing things that align with your values. You don't do things that go against who you are at the core. You are in touch with your soul, with yourself, and you know that no matter what happens, you will be okay. Life will lead you down the right path.
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3. You are better than you were yesterday, last week, and last year.
You might not be the best you could be yet but at least if you're better than you were yesterday and the day before, then you've done well in life. Sometimes we do stupid things. Sometimes we do things we should not have done. But as long as we realize this and aim to become a better person each day -- mentally, emotionally, physically, and intellectually, then you're further along in life than most people.
"The minute you stop improving yourself is the minute your life becomes stale. Never stop challenging yourself to become the best you can be."
-- Mo Seetubtim
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4. Your relationship with your family has improved.
Not everyone grow up having the perfect relationship with their family. Most of the time we don't. Personality clashes are common occurrences. Let alone having controlling parents or abusive parents who don't seem to have it all together. While growing up, sometimes we need to push them away in order for us to grow and become mentally strong and well. Sometimes we have to ignore them in order to get rid of the pain and the burden inside our heart. But as we get older, we realize that no matter how bad our parents might seem at that time, they're our parents. They might not be amazing at parenting. They might not be as selfless and caring as other parents are. But at least they have our best interest at heart. And even if we don't, we learn to accept it. We learn to accept the reality and understand why they are the way they are. We learn to understand their circumstances and upbringing that shaped them up to be who they are. We are now mature and wise enough to learn to manage our emotions and handle conflicts with the only people in our life we can never completely detach from -- our parents.
As we get older, we realize that there's not much time left for us to be with them. So instead of feeling bad about the hurtful past, we re-create the bond with our parents and make sure they know how thankful we are for the love and care they've ever given us. Because after all, we wouldn't be here today without them.
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5. You're passionate about your job, your hobbies, and your life.
After all, what is there to enjoy if we don't enjoy life? You know you've done well in life when you love your job, have hobbies that you enjoy doing, and just love waking up everyday. You feel excited about what the day will bring and whom you will meet. Isn't life just wonderful?
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."
-- Steve Jobs
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6. You live in the present.
Instead of focusing on the past and wish things were different or worry too much about the future, you focus on the present. You realize that everything is fleeting and that life is uncertain. The only thing you have control over is the present moment. You know you've done well when you focus on making the moment in front of you the best moment it could be. You are mindful and know that our wandering thoughts can create illusional emotions that shouldn't be there to start with. The only way for us to truly enjoy life is to live in the present.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
-- John Lennon
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7. You know who your true friends are.
One of the most beautiful things in life is true friendship. They are the people who accept you for who you are and no matter what happens they're there by your side. True friends are the rarest gifts and we should show our appreciation more often. You know you've done well in life when you know you have a group of people you can turn to to celebrate your success and to be your shoulder to cry on. They are the people you can trust wholeheartedly. Having these people in life means that you're a true friend to them yourself. Being a true friend is a reciprocal process. You just don't form a strong friendship if you only take and take, you have to give and you have to take. If you have a group of people who are there by your side for years to come, you know you've done well in life.
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8. You realize that you've become more non-judgmental and open-minded over the years.
One of the things that can show our maturity is how we care for others. Over the past years, have your eyes become more open? Has your horizon been broadened? Have you become more open-minded, non-judgmental, and more understanding of the world and of people around you?
No matter who you are as a person, no matter what you do, if you have no sympathy for others and no understanding of the world, then you might be missing out on something good in life. Life is more than just about work and play. Life is about experiencing and understanding other human beings and other culture. Life is about experiencing love, joy, happiness, tears, and sadness. Life is about escaping from suffering as much as it is about pleasure.
You know you've done well in life when you no longer judge people for what they're wearing or for what they're doing. Rather, you try to understand. After all, everyone's story is different. You never know what they've been through and what happens behind closed door.
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9. You know how to manage your emotional well-being as well as your mental well-being.
As good as it sounds to be smart and successful, it is never a true success if your home is a mess, your family life is in chaos, and your emotional health is nothing to be proud of. Your emotional intelligence is even more important than your intellectual intelligence. It is never good to be an aggressive, abusive boss who is successful and can close any deals. It is never nice to be a strong breadwinner of the family when you abuse your wife and scream at her under pressure and stress.
You know you've done well in life when you have your emotional well-being under control and when you no longer feel like you're falling apart inside because you're breaking down. Stress is sometimes inevitable in life. However, learning to manage it and getting better at this is crucial and essential to a happy and healthy living.
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10. You do things that are good for yourself, body, and mind.
Some people work too hard that they forget to take care of the most important things in their life -- their health, body, and mind. Without good health, life is not enjoyable. What's the point of being wealthy if you don't have time to enjoy life with the people you love? You know you've done well in life if you make your health and well-being your priority. You make sure you eat well, exercise, and take some time off to relax and recharge. You meditate. You read. You do things that vitalize your soul. At the end of the day, no matter how big your home is, your body is your true home.
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11. You don't regret anything you've done because life is about moving forward, not backward.
There are always things we did in the past that we are not proud of. If we could turn back time, we might actually not start doing it. However, there is no point thinking about it this way. If you're smart enough, you learn from your past and have become a stronger and better person because of it. There's no point in looking back and regretting, because everything happens for a reason and it leads you to where you are today.
You know you've done well in life if all you look forward to is moving forward. You focus on making today and tomorrow better. That's the only outlook on life that one should have.
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12. You feel thankful and are excited about life and the future.
Your life can be truly amazing and wonderful, however, if you don't appreciate what you have, then you'd never feel truly happy. You know you've done well in life if you feel thankful for being alive and appreciate what you have, rather than looking at what you don't have. Life is a gift in itself. The key to this is to look at it with gratitude. After all, it is what it is. Everything and every person come into your life to teach you something. See it as a passing experience and learn from it. Be thankful for whatever has happened because without it you would not have grown and be as well-equipped as you are today.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
-- Steve Jobs
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Mo is the founder of The Happiness Planner, beautiful daily planners that focus on positive thinking, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-improvement. A perfect inspirational Christmas gift for anyone who loves inspirational quotes and strives to be a better person than they were yesterday.
Follow her on Instagram @HappinessPlanner and Twitter @BrandMentalist.
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