This is a list, by no means comprehensive, of things to dothat will improve your life and mine in some small way. It's a start,
I'm in list mode right now and there will be subsequent lists on other subjects as well. Hope you enjoy and feel free to contribute to the discussion.
1. Wake up Early: This gets the day off to a great start. The early morning hours are full of spiritual energy and prana (life force) and are an ideal time for your daily sadhana (meditation, yoga or other spiritual practice).
2. Sweat Everyday: If possible try to break a sweat everyday. This means to get some form of exercise and keep the body in tiptop shape. The body is not you, but it is the vehicle through which you live and worship, so treat it like a temple and take care of it.
3. Daily Meditation: This is the most important. What you do EVERY day will affect you your whole life long. Do a bad thing every day and you will be a “bad” person. Do a good thing, everyday, loyally. Religiously (!) And you become a “good” person, or at least a better one!
4. Spend Time in Nature: The spiritual path can be described in 1 word – connect. If you can connect with the world around you, you can realize your true nature. You, as a human being are part and parcel of this world. You are also divine and above it – of it, above it and in it. Be so, comfortably. Spend time in nature to know your true nature.
5. Do Your Duty: Don’t procrastinate, don’t delay, don’t put off what needs to done. Life, the moment, provides challenges to you and when you meet them, life opens up. If they linger, they are like blockages, they prevent your life from moving forward. Your inner voice will constantly remind you what needs to be done. Listen, act and achieve.
6. Spend Time Alone: Each day we should try to make some space for being alone. With only ourselves, only our inner voice. We should spend this time not in entertainment. In other words, sitting watching TV, or surfing the Internet, or locking your worries away in unconsciousness and going to sleep does not count. One should try to just be alone without stimulation and awake. When one is alone in this way, it will give one visibility into the self. This is essential.
7. Do Your Daily
Accounting at the End of the Day: This is a wonderful meditation to bring into your
lifestyle. It does not require much effort to do and the rewards gained
from this simple technique are enormous. At the end of the day spend some
time and reflect back on the day from the time you woke up to the present
time. Look back. Especially reflect on the challenges that were
emotional in nature. Were you overly reactive; did you respond too
quickly; did you really listen, or were you just waiting for the other person
to stop talking so you could start; were you honest and forthright? So much
self-knowledge can be gained. It will balance your life, prevent
incomplete emotions from spilling over into the subconscious mind and give you
tremendous insight into yourself and others.
8. Do at Least One Good Deed: Everyday do something good for someone else. Do something thoughtful, kind, generous, and unexpected. Greed, aggression, competitiveness, arrogance, ambition are so widespread, take a moment and contribute to the energy of thoughtfulness, generosity, compassion, humility and giving. Do it without focusing on the reward. Just do it because it was a nice thing to do. Do more than one!
9. Get Some Entertainment: You need to relax and enjoy yourself daily as well. You will find that when you don’t endless pursue the pleasure principle all day, the time when you do indulge, is so much more fun and enjoyable. You will really be able to laugh and be happy. You will be full of joy and humor. So spend time in healthy entertainment everyday as well. It is important for your mind, body and spirit.
10. Do Something Difficult: Everyday you should take on the challenge of doing something which is outside your comfort zone. It is easy to live in a phone booth (Remember those?), with a do not disturb sign on the door, but then chances are you are not growing and are instead falling into a pattern. So have courage and take on the challenge of doing those things, which you know deep inside you need to do, but have been able to cleverly avoid. It does not have to be running a Marathon, it could be as simple as making a difficult phone call, to turning off the TV, to volunteering. Perhaps your challenge is to go to sleep on time and wake up early instead.
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