Matthew Kelly is a well-known speaker, best-selling author and business consultant who has dedicated his life to helping people become the best version of themselves. His books have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists, have been published in twenty-five languages and have sold more than twenty million copies. Some of them include: Rediscover Jesus, Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion and Perfectly Yourself: 9 Lessons for Enduring Happiness. Rediscover Catholicism is the second highest selling Catholic book, the first being the Bible. In 1995 the Matthew Kelly Foundation was established to help young people discover their mission in life. Matthew Kelly has changed my life with these 10 phrases and I hope that he can change yours too.

1. You are not alone. Even when you feel alone … like you’re the last person left on the planet … you’re still not alone. You have your family, your friends, and, most importantly, your God. Never forget that.
2. Ignoring things doesn’t make them go away. Most of us are guilty of this and don’t even know it. We ignore our problems, pretending they don’t exist in hopes that they’ll go away. They don’t. Pretending is fun and pretending is easy, but pretending is temporary. Eventually, our problems will resurface, sometimes worse than the first time. Problems are a reality and we need to face them head on.
3. Knowing about someone is not the same as knowing someone. We live in a social media-obsessed culture. True Story: a few days ago I went meet some friends. As I walked up to the table I heard a girl at another table say, “Hey, I know her. We’re friends on Facebook.” I glanced back to see if I knew her and had no idea who she was. She didn’t know me, she knew about me. Just because I follow you on Instagram doesn’t mean I know you. Just because I watch your two-minute Snapchat stories doesn’t mean I know you. Just because my friend knows you doesn’t mean I know you. I don’t know you, I know about you.
4. People were made to be loved, and things were made to be used. Not the other way around. It seems like nowadays we do have these the other way around. We use people to make us feel better, help us get what we want, etc. and we love our money, toys, etc. But everything was made for a purpose: people for love and things for use.
5. Wisdom lies in realizing that love is the only way. John and Matthew put this best: God is Love (1 John 4:7-8) and With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26); therefore, with love all things are possible.
6. Our inability to love ourselves may be one of the biggest problems in the Church today. Today, so many of us struggle with self-worth issues: my hair is too curly, my lips aren’t big enough, I’m too fat, my house is too small. If we don’t love ourselves, how can we understand God’s love for us? It’s time to take Justin Bieber’s advice and go love yourself!
7. The culture is full of identity confusion. Television tells us one thing, magazines another, our friends another, ourselves yet another. We need to stop being who others want us to be and start becoming who we are supposed to be.
8. Another hallmark of our culture is our inordinate desire to be noticed, to stand out, and our obsession with fame. Be noticed; Stand out. Be extraordinary in an ordinary world… But do it for the right reasons.
9. Everybody needs to forgive somebody; there can be no peace without forgiveness. For some reason the words “I’m sorry” are almost impossible to say. Just remember, choosing not to forgive someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die (anonymous).
10. We live in a hyper-opinionated culture. We have become hyper-judgmental. Sit on a public bench for 30 minutes and note all the opinions and judgments that come to mind – it’s sickening. Say goodbye to negativity and hello to positivity.

So, thank you, Matthew Kelly, for these key phrases and for helping us become the best version of ourselves.