- Find pleasure in what you have, and appreciate it deeply. Not saying all ambition should be quelled, but if you can’t appreciate what you have now, chances are that you won’t be able to appreciate what you obtain in the future. Take time to enjoy the things that you once looked forward to but currently take for granted.
- Be a better listener.
- Change your habits to reflect what you really care about. Identify the things you spend more time doing than is consistent with your values. Explore your cognitive dissonance and take action to realign your actions with your values. So much unnecessary suffering is the result of people habitually acting outside of their values.
- Smile more. Find a reason to smile every time you’re about to enter a room full of friends, coworkers, family, or strangers.
- Complain less. Sure, it feels great to complain sometimes, but how often do you actually enjoy hearing someone else do it? Unless you’re a comedian, chances are that people feel uncomfortable, impatient, or annoyed when they have to listen to you go on about some problem that you’ve made no effort to solve.
- Contribute to charities that are carrying out missions you care deeply about. Alternatively or additionally, volunteer to help with things that are important to you.
- Eat less meat, even if it’s just some of the time.
- Before sharing posts on Facebook, re-tweeting on Twitter, or recommending an article to someone, read the whole thing first. If it’s an infographic or a picture with some text on it, fact-check the claims being made before passing it around as if it is true. Avoid distributing false or misleading information, even if it does support your stance on an issue.
- Turn all of your screens off (phone, computer, TV, tablet) for at least a couple waking hours every day.
- “Don’t follow your passion. Bring it with you.” — Mike Rowe
Even if your job isn’t directly related to your passion, find ways to bring your passion to your work.
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