1. Being ungrateful for every day.
A lot of people waste time complaining about what they lack or the problems they have in their lives instead of appreciating the here and now. "Be thankful for everyday and remind yourself each morning when you wake up that you have another day to be thankful for. Gratitude is the root of happiness," noted Sweeney.
2. Being afraid of fear.
"Fear is the most powerful, yet least understood components of personal growth and most adults do their best to avoid it," admitted Sweeney. "Scare yourself once a month on purpose and learn to recognize the physical manifestations--because you can use those the way mothers can lift cars off their trapped children."
3. Wasting time and energy on things you can't control.
There is no single person in the world who can control everything. So stop trying to be that person! "From the weather to traffic to your boss's mood, if you create internal stress over things you have no control over, it will gnaw at your happiness every moment," Sweeney emphasized.
4. Focusing only on making money.
"No one has ever been on their deathbed wishing they made an extra $100k. The biggest regret people have at the end of their life was waiting too long to go after their 'bucket list' experiences, not spending enough time with family and friends, or not making a difference in the world," narrated Sweeney. "Do something great now, even if it costs you money. The world is full of people who say 'I wish I could do that' or 'Someday I'll get to...' Most of them are so focused on their bank balance, or so afraid of what might happen they never do it and then get old telling their grandchildren not to make the same mistake they made. Don't be one of them."
5. Being obsessed with being right.
People love being right, even when they are wrong. It gives them a sense of control and power over others. But it also stunts growth and diminishes your circle of influence. "The need to be right is symptomatic of a lack of confidence and over active ego," added Sweeney. "Curiosity is the antidote, whenever you catch yourself trying to be right, ask yourself if the opposite of what you believe could be true and get curious."
6. Keeping score on compliments, praise, or love.
People want to feel loved, but looking for signs of love or praise from others might turn into a greater frustration than the fulfillment you seek. Instead of looking for praise and signs of gratitude from others, dish it out yourself. "You have an unlimited supply of random acts of gratitude and praise, which are life-changing for both parties. I share my gratitude each night with whomever I eat dinner with, no matter how bad your day was, you always can find something to be thankful for," Sweeney suggested.
7. Lying to yourself and others.
"Lying, making up excuses and not being true to yourself uses up so much energy to just manage a web of lies that it can take away from living in your passion and genius," said Sweeney. "Have faith that your beliefs, your honesty and your opinions are valuable enough."
8. Making enemies and carrying grudges.
Everyone has conflict with others at some point. But regardless of whether you inflict pain on others or are the one hurt by them, carrying pain and anger only makes your life more miserable. "Realize that everyone is on this earth to teach you something. You decide if you learn the lesson the hard way or the easy way," recommended Sweeney.
9. Fighting against the world.
Survival can be brutal and often gives people the misperception that the world is hostile and unfriendly. "It took me 40 years to realize the world is a very friendly place," revealed Sweeney. "I was always getting ready for a fight whenever I wanted something. Then I realized if I had an open mind, and open heart--it opened many more doors than a closed fist."
10. Ignoring the world around you.
"I tell my kids every couple of days to look up. We live in the mountains and it's the most beautiful place on earth, but it's so easy to get caught up in everyday deadlines, chores, work that we forget to look around us and appreciate everything we have that's great."
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