I have this habit of writing down and collecting words of wisdom, aphorisms and idioms from everything I consume – podcasts, books, news articles, interviews, etc. I have pages and pages of them; from Mike Tyson and Marcus Aurelius, to Peter Crone and Paul Chek, and everyone in between. Sometimes it’s just a couple words, other times an entire paragraph.

But most of what I write down comes from people I don’t know or who I’d never known before; random CEOs and business leaders, authors, coaches, creatives, even lion trackers and MMA fighters to name a few. Their unique life experiences and insights help jolt me out of my personal generic programming. And ruminating on their words helps me get a little closer to the idealized version of myself that I’m always striving to become.

Here then are three of my favorite gems that you can use and apply to your own life and health and wellness journey.

Stay open…

This was the mantra an author used to get through a particularly difficult time in her life. Her world was crumbling all around her (divorce and a book deal gone bad) and she was feeling desperate and defeated. It was what she held onto during her darkest moments… We can all get stuck there, feeling cornered. Or, we can recognize that this hardship, like everything else, will pass. But we have to stay open and literally aware, awake and alert to all the opportunities around us in order for that to happen. If we shut down or close ourselves off, we lose sight of the lifelines all around us. The solutions and peace we seek may not come in the form we’re looking for, or expect or are accustomed to. But if we stay open to all possibilities, we will ultimately find our way.

Your guru is everywhere, and in everything, all the time…

If you think your guru (teacher) is some old man with a foreign accent dressed in flowing garbs seated cross-legged atop a mountain, think again. You can learn more about patience, empathy and philosophy when your 4 year-old is having a meltdown in the middle of the store then you ever will from some self-appointed muse. You can learn about (and practice) self-control and relaxation and stress management when you’re stuck in traffic en route to an important meeting. And if you tune in and pay attention, you can learn about simplicity, happiness and unconditional love by observing your loyal, adorable dog. The lessons we need and the guidance we seek does not come from a spiritual leader; it comes from the world around us.

Challenge your absolutes…

Who would have known that two postmenopausal women on a podcast would have inspired me to reconsider so many of my own behaviors and habits. One of the podcasters, a heavy drinker who was obese at the time and swore she couldn’t change, took those words to heart and went a full 90 days on a raw vegan diet with not an ounce of alcohol – proving that everything we do is actually a choice. Those words are pretty much a stroke of genius, and a reminder for all of us to dig a little deeper when we tell ourselves what we can and can not do… Think you can’t get through the morning without coffee? Or dinner without wine? Or get up at 5 a.m. to workout? Or can only eat at certain times? Or can’t do a 24 hour water fast? Don’t have the time to meditate? Can’t imagine living an entire day without your phone? Those are all just absolutist beliefs. Challenge them and ask why. And then do that thing you think you can not do.