The Best Ever You Approach | 12 Practices for a Meaningful Life

By Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

Hi, I'm Elizabeth.

Over the past two decades, one question has followed me everywhere I go.

"What does Best Ever You really mean?"

I've thought about that question while writing books, coaching individuals and organizations, speaking around the world, hosting The Best Ever You Show, raising a family, navigating life's unexpected changes, and learning my own lessons about gratitude, success, peace, and purpose.

The answer has become beautifully simple.

Becoming your Best Ever You isn't about becoming someone new.

It's about becoming more fully who you were created to be.

Best Ever You has never been about perfection.

It's never been about pretending life is easy.

It's never been about comparing yourself to anyone else.

It's about becoming.

Becoming a little more grateful.

A little more peaceful.

A little more courageous.

A little more compassionate.

A little more fully yourself.

Not all at once.

Not perfectly.

But intentionally.

One pause.

One breath.

One choice at a time.

That's the heart of The Best Ever You Approach.

The Best Ever You Approach

At Best Ever You, we believe one simple truth changes everything.

We are not entitled to time.

We aren't promised tomorrow.

We're entrusted with today.

How we choose to live today shapes who we become tomorrow.

So today...

We practice gratitude.

We choose peace.

We welcome change.

We live with purpose.

We nurture meaningful relationships.

We build character.

We forgive.

We grow through adversity.

We define success by who we become.

We honor our health and well-being.

We choose courage.

We contribute something meaningful to the world.

Not someday.

Today.

One pause.

One breath.

One choice at a time.

Because when you grow...

the world grows with you.

As I reflected on nearly twenty years of building Best Ever You, I realized something that surprised even me. Every book I've written has been pointing toward the same truth. Whether I was writing about gratitude in Percolate, navigating uncertainty in The Change Guidebook, redefining achievement in The Success Guidebook, or learning to practice peace in The Peace Guidebook, I wasn't teaching separate ideas.

I was exploring different parts of the same philosophy.

It all comes back to twelve simple, lifelong practices.

These aren't twelve lessons to complete.

They're twelve invitations to return to again and again throughout your life.

Each practice strengthens the next.

Each one builds upon the others.

Together, they create a life rooted in gratitude, purpose, resilience, peace, and possibility.

Practice them often.

Return to them often.

Share them generously.

Because the promise is in the practice.

1. Gratitude

See Life Differently.

Gratitude changes the way we see and experience life. It teaches us to replace "I have to" with "I get to," transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary opportunities. Gratitude isn't simply saying thank you. It's learning to notice abundance instead of scarcity, possibility instead of limitation, and joy instead of comparison. When your roots are grounded in gratitude, everything else grows stronger.

2. Peace

Choose Your Response.

Peace isn't something we discover after life becomes easier. Peace is something we practice while life is happening. Every day offers another opportunity to Pause. Breathe. Choose. The pause creates wisdom. The breath restores presence. The choice determines who you're becoming. Peace begins within us and ripples outward into our homes, our workplaces, our relationships, and our communities.

3. Change

Grow Through Every Season.

Life is constantly changing, whether we're ready or not. Instead of fearing change, learn to grow through it. Align your heart. Align your truths. Align your energy. When your inner life reflects your deepest values, change becomes less about surviving and more about becoming. Every ending carries within it the possibility of a beautiful new beginning.

4. Purpose

Know Your Why.

Purpose isn't hidden somewhere waiting to be discovered. It's revealed through the choices you make every day. Every act of kindness, every opportunity to serve, every gift you share, and every dream you pursue helps uncover your purpose. Visualize your future. Actualize your potential. Amplify your impact. Purpose isn't discovered in one extraordinary moment. It's revealed through ordinary moments lived with extraordinary intention.

5. Relationships

Love Well.

Life is relationships.

Every conversation is an opportunity to build trust, extend grace, deepen understanding, or offer hope.

When you don't see eye to eye, choose to see heart to heart.

Listen generously.

Forgive quickly.

Repair often.

Love intentionally.

Healthy relationships aren't built because conflict never happens—they're built because people keep choosing connection over being right.

6. Character

Build What Lasts.

Character is the foundation beneath every meaningful life. It's who you are when no one is watching and who you remain when life becomes difficult. Integrity, humility, compassion, generosity, perseverance, and courage aren't inherited—they're practiced. Build your life on values that remain steady no matter what circumstances come your way.

7. Forgiveness

Travel Lighter.

Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. It doesn't erase the past or excuse what happened. It simply frees your heart from carrying burdens that no longer belong in your future. Forgiveness creates space for healing, peace, compassion, and hope. Sometimes the person who benefits most from forgiveness is the one doing the forgiving.

8. Resilience

Grow Forward.

Resilience isn't pretending life doesn't hurt. It's choosing hope in the middle of uncertainty. Every setback carries wisdom. Every challenge develops strength. Every obstacle invites growth. You are stronger than you realize, and every season—even the difficult ones—is preparing you for what comes next.

Don't just bounce back.

Grow forward.

9. Success

Define It for Yourself.

Success isn't measured by titles, applause, income, or accomplishments. Success is measured by who you become, how faithfully you live your values, and the difference your life makes in the lives of others. True success is living a life aligned with gratitude, purpose, peace, integrity, and authenticity. The greatest success is becoming someone who leaves people and places better than they found them.

10. Health & Well-Being

Care for the One Life You've Been Given.

Your mind, body, heart, and spirit work together. Honor them with rest, nourishment, movement, reflection, laughter, meaningful relationships, and self-compassion. Caring for yourself isn't selfish. It's one of the most loving things you can do for the people who depend on you. You cannot pour into others from an empty cup.

11. Courage

Be Bold. Be Brave. Be You.

The world doesn't need another copy. It needs the authentic person only you were created to be. Courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is choosing authenticity anyway. Speak your truth. Honor your values. Trust your heart. Stop shrinking yourself to fit expectations that were never yours.

The greatest gift you can give the world is becoming fully yourself.

Be Bold.

Be Brave.

Be You.

12. Contribution & Legacy

Leave the World Better Than You Found It.

At the end of our lives, people won't remember everything we owned or every accomplishment we achieved. They'll remember how we made them feel. They'll remember our kindness, our generosity, our encouragement, and our love.

Your greatest legacy isn't what you accumulate.

It's what you contribute.

One of the questions I hope you'll ask yourself often is:

Because I was here...what became better?

If you live with that question in your heart, your life will naturally become one of purpose, compassion, and service.

What Best Ever You Means

People often ask me what Best Ever You really means.

This is my answer.

It means practicing gratitude even when life is difficult.

It means choosing peace before reacting.

It means welcoming change with courage.

It means living with purpose.

It means loving people well.

It means building character that lasts.

It means forgiving so your heart stays free.

It means growing stronger through every challenge.

It means defining success on your own terms.

It means honoring your health and well-being.

It means being bold enough to be exactly who you were created to be.

And it means leaving every person, every place, and every moment a little better because you were there.

Becoming your Best Ever You isn't a destination.

It's a daily decision.

Because we are not entitled to time...

every day becomes an opportunity to choose gratitude, peace, purpose, courage, compassion, and hope.

One pause.

One breath.

One choice at a time.

Thank you for being part of this incredible Best Ever You community. Whether you've been with us for years or you've just found your way here, I'm grateful our paths have crossed.

Let's keep growing together.

Because I've learned something I know to be true.

When you grow, the world grows with you.

About Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is the founder and CEO of Best Ever You®, an award-winning author, speaker, certified master life coach, and host of The Best Ever You Show. For nearly two decades, she has inspired people around the world to embrace gratitude, navigate change, choose peace, and live with purpose. She is the author of The Change Guidebook and The Success Guidebook, and the co-author of Percolate and The Peace Guidebook with Dr. Katie Eastman. Elizabeth's greatest passion is helping people become more fully who they were created to be—one pause, one breath, and one choice at a time.