To achieve lasting happiness and optimal wellbeing toward personal self-transformation, one needs to take time on a regular basis (preferably daily) to engage in the renewal of all aspects of our nature – physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual. It means taking care of ourselves, holistically, exercising all dimensions of our wellbeing, regularly and consistently in a wise and balanced way.
- Physical: listening to your body; getting sufficient sleep, ample exercise, good nutrition, healthy dose of sunshine, daily meditation
- Intellectual: maintaining a sense of curiosity, an appetite for learning new things, staying hungry and foolish;
- Emotional: letting go of toxic emotions, cultivating positive emotions of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, appreciation, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity, contentment, and inner peace;
- Social: making time for family and friends, giving support to and accepting support from others, contributing to the community, volunteering for a cause you believe in; and
- Spiritually: living authentically – acting from your Deepest Truth, connecting to your Highest Self – knowing that we’re all connected – finding purpose, meaning, fulfillment.
Physical
Taking care of the body by:
- Practicing good nutrition and healthy eating
- Getting sufficient rest and relaxation
- Exercising on a regular basis
- Engage in daily meditation to create an inner space
- Getting a dose of sunlight every day
- Limiting alcohol and avoiding cigarettes and other drugs
Intellectual
- Keeping an active mind
- Engaging in continuing education and learning
- Finding time to do a hobby which engages our mind
- Picking up new skills
- Reading broadly and getting exposure to great minds, good literature and to a variety of subjects
- Traveling to distant lands to expand our cultural awareness and our sense of self
- Writing a journal to reflect on one’s daily experience
- Organizing and planning out purposeful activities for the week
Emotional
- Identifying and dealing constructively with mood
- Recognizing and managing your own emotions
- Cultivating a sense of contentment and positive outlook in life
- Being proactive in dealing with life’s challenges, focusing on the circle of influence of which you have control
- Relinquishing the need for external approval
- Don’t judge others, and don’t judge yourself
- Removing toxins from daily life: food, thoughts, emotions, environment, relationships
- Keeping your promises
- Smiling often, radiating positive energy
- Engaging in meaningful, creative work
Social
- Making time for family and friends; communicate with empathy
- Sharing your problem with others who have had similar experiences
- Giving support to others and accept support from others
- Always looking for a point of agreement rather than differences
- Treating others with respect
- Exercising patience with others
- Always saying please and thank you
- Be friendly and caring
- Assuming the best of others
- Seeing others not as they are, but as they can be
- To listen more than speak; be a world-class listener
- To give more than to take
- Do volunteer work
Spiritual
- Embrace silence and spend time on daily meditations
- Practice mindful awareness by living in the present moment
- Know yourself and your values by engaging in daily self-reflection
- Find a role model; discover the heroes and heroines within you, create your own heroic story of life and participate consciously in the writing of that next chapter
- Take time out every day to express appreciation and gratitude for what you have
- Immersion in great literature, art or music
- Frequent communion with nature
- Reading and reflecting on spiritual scriptures and inspirational work
- Develop a personal life mission statement and regularly renew your commitment to it
- Perform anonymous service
- Replace fear-based thinking with love-based thinking
- Practice the timeless wisdoms of nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, and generosity
- Commit to the spiritual life by practicing loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, with the integrity of thought, word, and action
- Live a life of mindful awareness and expanded consciousness, by shifting the internal reference of the self from skin-encapsulated ego to the expanded spirit, elevating our awareness of the relationship between ourselves, our world, and the Universe
- Get in touch with our essential nature by consciously and regularly asking the questions of ourselves at the deepest level: Who am I? What do I want? How can I serve?
- Strive for your highest purpose by following your heart, pursuing your most cherished dreams, and finding fulfillment for your deepest aspirations and desires.