Before starting any task or even getting out of bed, pause to generate a positive, long-term motivation focused on not harming others and benefiting them as much as possible. This practice ensures your actions are wholesome and aligned with deeper purpose, rather than self-centered desires.
Actively work to counteract self-centered motivations by opening your heart to want to benefit all living beings, regardless of whether you like or know them. This goes beyond caring only for loved ones and helps fulfill your human potential.
Prioritize working on yourself to avoid anger and uncontrolled actions that harm others in your relationships. People on their deathbeds often regret relationship issues, so fostering peace and compassion now leads to a life without regret.
Counteract the high-achiever mindset by adopting the belief that who you are, what you have, and what you do is ‘good enough.’ This perspective fosters contentment and allows for deeper connection with others, rather than constant striving.
Consciously decide that what you currently possess or experience is ’enough,’ rather than constantly seeking more. This philosophy helps overcome the feeling that ’there is never enough’ and allows for creative contentment, even in scarcity.
Before eating, engage in five contemplations: reflect on all the causes and conditions that brought the food to you, consider your current state of mind, and affirm your motivation for eating as nourishing your body to practice and benefit others. This practice fosters gratitude, improves your mindset, and helps prevent overeating or mindless consumption.
When criticized, reframe the experience as beneficial, viewing it as an opportunity to counteract arrogance and be brought down a few notches. This perspective helps dismantle afflictions like arrogance that keep you in a cycle of suffering and harm others.
Focus on developing inner beauty rather than external appearance, as external beauty is fleeting and leads to superficial connections. Cultivating inner qualities builds genuine, lasting friendships and a more profound sense of self-worth.
As you age, intentionally cultivate qualities such as graciousness, ease, and freedom from complaint, bitterness, or grudges. This proactive approach helps you become a ’nice old person’ and avoids negative traits, fostering a positive inner state.
Understand ’niceness’ as polite, cooperative, kind, and clear communication, rather than subservience or suppressing your truth. This allows you to communicate effectively and compete without being cruel, maintaining dignity without imitating aggressive behaviors.
Separate your self-esteem from your financial earnings, recognizing that your worth is not dependent on the amount of money you make. This detachment fosters contentment, allowing you to make do with what you have and avoid the emotional pain of linking self-worth to wealth.
Incorporate formal seated or walking meditation into your routine, even if you already practice mindfulness ‘on the go.’ Formal practice strengthens your ability to be mindful during daily activities, creating a self-reinforcing cycle for greater overall presence.
Acknowledge that noticing yourself on autopilot or being mindless during the day is a form of mindfulness and a sign of progress. This recognition helps avoid self-flagellation and instead celebrates these moments of ‘waking up,’ incentivizing continued mindfulness.
When you notice yourself waking up from a period of mindlessness, celebrate that moment instead of punishing yourself for having been distracted. This positive reinforcement incentivizes your mind to wake up more frequently, fostering the development of mindfulness as a skill.
Implement small, physical ‘hacks’ or habits in your daily routine, such as touching a doorframe when entering a new room, to serve as triggers for moments of mindfulness. These simple actions can help you ‘wake up’ and be present throughout the day.
Consider reducing your attachment to smartphones and other modern conveniences to experience greater freedom and avoid constant availability. This practice helps you discern what you truly need versus what you merely desire, fostering a more present and connected experience with others.