Actively train your brain and mind, as neuroplasticity demonstrates that the brain can change throughout life, allowing for continuous personal development.
Actively cultivate and express compassion and warm-heartedness, as it is a core human capacity wired into us via evolution that can profoundly impact others and enable species survival.
Concentrate on cultivating compassion in your current life rather than worrying about past or future lives, as this offers significant and immediate benefits.
Aim for “permanent happiness” or “Buddhahood,” which involves cultivating a fundamental contentment and serenity that allows you to feel okay regardless of external circumstances.
Actively cultivate your inherent “Buddha nature” by nurturing your natural propensity for happiness, altruism, basic goodness, and pro-social behavior, as it needs cultivation to be realized.
Cultivate patience with yourself by adopting a “long view” on personal development, recognizing that not everything needs to be achieved in a single lifetime.
Engage in compassion meditation practices to positively alter your epigenetics, as scientific research shows this can benefit future generations biologically.
Develop “respectful not-knowing and humility” when encountering concepts beyond mainstream understanding, avoiding knee-jerk dismissals and allowing for uncertainty.
When receiving profound or ambiguous comments, resist immediate interpretation; instead, let them sit and avoid concretizing them in a literal way.
Immediately share profound or deeply moving experiences with others to help preserve the feeling before it fades.
Cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciate the “magic” of existence by reflecting on the vast, improbable chain of events that led to the present moment, even without believing in the unprovable.
When experiencing rare and powerful encounters, rest in the uncertainty of their meaning while cultivating deep humility and appreciation for the unique opportunity.
Strive to cultivate a calm, smiling, and utterly at-ease presence, as demonstrated by the Dalai Lama, which can profoundly impact those around you.
Download and use the “10% with Dan Harris” app to access guided meditations for stress, anxiety, sleep, focus, and self-compassion, and to engage with a community and teachers.
Join the free “Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness” meditation challenge on the 10% Happier app to integrate lessons from the podcast through daily videos and guided meditations over 10 days.