People are rude. People are sneaky. People are nonconfrontational. Don’t waste your time worrying about them. Say your peace and walk away. Purge the anger and don’t harbor resentment. The universe has repeatedly taught me this lesson for the past five years. I live in one of the rudest states (in the rudest part) of the country. I was spoiled by charm and manners in my youth. Lesson: Don’t take it personally. It’s their problem, not yours.
Spend an hour alone a day breathing. Even if you don’t technically meditate, be with yourself and observe your breath and thoughts.
Think outside of yourself. True liberation is when you realize another’s happiness is greater than yours. Give to local and global causes. Purge what you don’t need.
Eat, drink, and exercise moderately. The right foods and drinks have chemicals that can help with anxiety/depression. Think beets, apples, cereal, tofu, etc. Drink and smoke for medicinal purposes only.
Recreational use of substances at age 38 serves no higher purpose. Exercise with intention: breath and movement combined so you enjoy it! If you set the goal of looking like
He-Man or Sheera, you may be disappointed. However, without expectations, you may realize you have the body you once desired. Tada. Enjoy exercise: yoga, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, etc.
Wake up early. Before Sunrise, the mind and the outside world is the quietest. If you wish to keep that frame of mind, meditate or practice yoga during this precious time period.
Sleep 7–8 hours. Quality sleep=Quality life. Avoid overusing stimulants that speed up the heart.
Don’t follow the hype, gossip or join cliques. All three have caused suffering in my life and I don’t wish to be a part of causing suffering in another human being’s life.
Treat children well. To this day, I remember every time an adult scolded me as a child. I’ve seen people be rude to babies, toddlers and personally my 4-year-old son. It is the most abhorrible thing an adult can do. Treat children with love.
Read the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Forgive. In the last three months, 4 friends of mine have lost parents. My past ain’t pretty. There are a lot of reasons for this. Initially, I blamed my parents for all my mistakes. However, I don’t hold them accountable for my mistakes. They are only accountable for their mistakes. Initially, when I became sober, I was ANGRY. Anger is healthy and I was purging. I’ve apologized to everyone. This includes my parents. If people don’t accept your apology, they don’t deserve to have you in their life.
Be Kind. If every word you speak is kind, you’ll be in a state of heaven. I’m paraphrasing Jack Kerouac. He’s a dharma bum. I’m a dharma mom.
Take annual vacations, staycations and retreats. Travel the country, the world, and learn about other cultures.
Once I felt liberated and enlightened, the first thing I wanted to was HELP other people. Don’t just stand there. Join a church group and go rebuild homes. It’s like eating a good piece of humble pie.
Material things mean nothing. I don’t wear diamonds, although I have one. I don’t dress fancy, although I could. I don’t wear makeup or hair extensions. My old 2008 Honda Civic is sitting in the driveway. I buy my son’s clothes at a consignment shop, although I don’t have to. I work, but I don’t have to. Entitled people bring nothing to this world and take resources and energy.
Stay humble folks!
