Regularly ask yourself what truly matters in your life and how you want to spend your limited time, reflecting on death and impermanence as a powerful motivation to live in alignment with your deepest values.
Focus on understanding your inner life, spending time with friends, and cultivating a sense of purpose, as these are essential for a meaningful and conscious existence, unlike chasing algorithmic dopamine hits.
Shift the primary focus from AI’s development to humanity’s growth in compassion and wisdom, as this capacity is essential to manage and harness the enormous power of AI effectively.
Develop a ‘spiritual compass’ by focusing on five key areas or toolsets to navigate the current period of rapid technological and societal change.
Delve into the unconscious narratives, myths, and stories that developed from past experiences or trauma, as these often run your life and distort your perception of reality.
Make space for and clearly acknowledge all your emotions, including arrogance, envy, and rage, rather than suppressing them, because denying these aspects can lead them to manifest as unexamined ‘shadows’ in unskillful ways.
When you feel triggered or overreact, pause and inquire with loving curiosity about the underlying story or pain that is being ignited, seeing it as valuable information for self-understanding rather than a flaw.
When others try to manipulate you or express anger, instead of blaming them, look inward and become curious about what specific narratives or identity aspects within you are being ‘charged’ or revealed.
Understand that after every great experience, the next moment brings a sense of hollowness as the external stimuli fade; practice becoming comfortable with this inner hollowness through meditation and self-reflection.
Recognize that ’there’s nothing to do, there’s no one to be, it’s already here,’ and sit with the possibility that there is nothing missing from this moment, as it is the only moment that’s real.
Shift your focus from striving for external perfection to discovering and connecting with the inherent perfection or ‘Buddha nature’ already within you, recognizing that life is beyond just rules and guidelines.
Develop the ability not to be owned by your thoughts, which is a crucial skill for maintaining sanity, equanimity, and resilience in a time of dizzying change.
Actively work to increase your ‘presence span’ – the number of moments in a day you are truly present and aware – rather than constantly being driven by fear or future-oriented doing.
Focus on connecting to presence, mindfulness, love, and other positive qualities within yourself, rather than striving for a perfect external life situation, and make the best of your current circumstances.
To enhance presence, prioritize daily engagement with nature, spend time with family and friends, and commit to some form of inner or contemplative practice.
Actively schedule time for nature, friends, and inner connection on your calendar, making these elements primary rather than secondary, to ensure they align with your true values and happen consistently.
Establish firm boundaries for the first and last hour of your day, dedicating them to nourishing, supportive, and regenerative activities that are not about consuming but about connecting, like meditation or being outdoors.
Start your day with a 30-minute meditation practice, followed by getting outside as quickly as possible for fresh air, such as running or walking, to feel more alive and regenerate.
In the evening, get outside, lower the lights in your house, and prepare for sleep to allow your nervous system to relax and regenerate.
Avoid engaging with technology for the first hour or two of the day, starting with work in natural sunlight, then meditating. In the evening, put your phone away at dinner, watch TV, then turn it off for walking meditation and reading before bed.
Dedicate your daily ‘bookend’ hours to activities that nourish you and foster connection, rather than consuming information or entertainment, to counteract the constant consumption driven by technology.
Before reaching for your phone or engaging with technology, pause and ask yourself: ‘What do I want right now? What do I need right now? Why am I doing this?’ to bring intentionality to your actions.
Cultivate presence by simply walking when you walk, standing when you stand, and making eye contact with people during everyday interactions, rather than immediately reaching for your phone out of boredom.
Acknowledge that you will inevitably lose the present moment many times, but continuously practice returning to the question, ‘Am I here now? Am I with this moment right now?’
Cultivate a background of mindfulness through practice, as it can help you naturally disengage from addictive technology (like TikTok) when you realize it no longer feels good or serves your well-being.
Understand that technology, especially ad-based platforms, is designed by smart people to consume your attention and keep you glued to screens, and recognize when you are being drawn into this game.
Actively teach social media algorithms to feed you more meaningful content by engaging with positive or uplifting material (e.g., animal videos, comedy, reunions) rather than conspiracy theories or ‘shit posters.’
Experiment with your technology use, such as spending a day entirely on your phone versus a day without it, to personally observe and understand how different usage patterns impact your quality of life.
Carry a ‘metaphone’ (a translucent plastic phone replica) in your pocket while leaving your actual phone at home to provide a sense of comfort and reduce anxiety during digital detox periods.
Engage in meditation practices that teach you how not to believe everything you think, as this helps in detaching from thoughts and gaining mental clarity.
Sign up for and attend weekly live guided meditation and Q&A sessions to deepen your practice and receive guidance from teachers.
Approach the advent of AI not just as a threat, but as an ‘invitation’ and an opportunity for humanity to transform and bring forth something better, despite potential challenges.
Engage in a ‘humanity race’ to prioritize collective human growth in compassion and wisdom, recognizing that the potential of AI is diminished unless humanity evolves to manage it responsibly.
Strive to transcend the current societal divisions, identities, and friction (e.g., political polarization) to foster a collective capacity for care, love, and expanded connection among all human beings.
Recognize that humanity may face intense challenges (’nightmares’) that force collective surrender and letting go, and consider how to cultivate this capacity to adapt and grow.
Consider the necessity of reinventing or adapting capitalism, potentially through new forms or universal basic income, to ensure economic systems work for people in an age where AI will displace many jobs and concentrate wealth.
Support government-imposed guardrails and an AI tax system to create a level playing field and ensure that AI companies are structurally incentivized to act in humanity’s best interest, rather than relying solely on their good intentions.
Advocate for and support new social media models, such as subscription-based platforms or those limiting posts, to shift incentives away from constant attention-seeking towards quality and user well-being.