10. Cultivate awareness: open your eyes and look around.  Notice things.  Notice the natural world, the planet earth – trees, grass, water, birds, animals.  Be aware of all of the things that human beings have constructed in that natural world.  If you see a building try to understand what it is made of: if it is made of wood then recognize the trees and the people who cut down the trees; if it is made of glass then recognize the sand and the people who transformed it into glass; if it is made of stone or bricks then recognize the people who carried those stones or built those bricks.  Now do the same for the clothes you are wearing, the meal you just ate, the bed you are sleep on, the computer you type on, the telephone that you call on, etc.  There is literally no limit to the wondrous inventions that humankind has created.

9. Cultivate empathy and loving-kindness: at the end of the day, no matter how good it may feel and how much fun it may be, there is almost zero long-term benefit to being selfish, evil, rude, or insolent.  Although instantaneous negative re-actions are often unavoidable and seem to just blurt themselves out, when we learn to live consciously we are able to control these outbursts and thus hinder the perpetuation of drama.  Compassion for all sentient beings - as we learned in the childhood adage “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you” - is actually the only rational way of acting in the world.

8. Be a citizen of the world: until we are able to grasp the “big picture” and as much information about the evolution of humanity – politically, economically, spiritually, socially, psychologically, philosophically - we will always have an inflated sense of self-importance that is ultimately self-destructive and alienating.  Know as much about the world as possible, like how many people will die today, how many people be tortured by other people today, how many people will lose loved ones today, how many people will learn about their fatal illnesses today, how many people will lose their jobs today, how many people will go to sleep hungry today, how many people will receive inadequate medical attention today, how many people won’t have clean water today, etc.  Being a citizen of the world means not taking the privileges we enjoy for granted.

7. Be political: voting is a privilege, not a right.  Every vote counts.  Your voice counts.  There is no possible excuse to be apathetic or uninformed about politics and politicians.  We live in a representative democracy; representatives are hired and employed by you and me to represent our beliefs and opinions.  And now until at least January 20^th of 2013 you have a government with whom you can communicate instantaneously; just go to www.change.gov and let President Obama’s team know what you think.  Once you get an idea of the big picture, you will understand how great a privilege this is.  And until all of the negative situations from the number 3 above are remedied the world political machine can do better, which means that you can contribute.  If you don’t contribute to the political process then you tacitly forfeit your right to complain.

6. Cultivate your sense of wonder: there is no end to the beauty, splendor and majesty to be found in the world.  Most people don’t prioritize finding things to be passionate about or inspired by; they claim that they “don’t have the time” or “will do it later, like when they retire.”  There is only today, right now: if you always wanted to learn how to play the piano, understand opera, take a hike, learn to snorkel - whatever - do it today.  Do not put it off until tomorrow.  Go to the library.  Surf the Internet.  Take a walk in a foreign place like the beach or in the mountains.  Devote time every day to exploring your passions and potential new interests.

5. Release the future – release expectations, don’t be goal oriented, enjoy the process.  In America, often the only thing that counts is the end result; we seldom appreciate the process.  Many people nonchalantly discuss their accomplishments but most people will rarely tell you about the processes – other than that they “worked hard” to achieve what they achieved (since “working hard” is an admirable quality in the Judeo-Christian paradigm).  But did they enjoy or appreciate the journey or learn valuable lessons along the path?  In America the end justifies the means: working hard and having limited experiences for forty years is acceptable if you have enough money to retire comfortably.  This is extreme and possibly even backwards.  Learn to accept and enjoy life today and not make extreme sacrifices for some potential future goal or accomplishment that may not ever arrive.

4. Release the past – learn how to replace resentment with gratitude.  Science is obsessed with causality and psychology is obsessed with blame - blaming someone, blaming anyone.  The blame game pays remarkable dividends for a limited time but if our identity and self-worth hover around positively or negatively charged events that occurred twenty or thirty years ago then we are setting ourselves up for disaster.  Growing up in a highly competitive capitalistic society is more traumatic than most people realize; most people do believe that their parents and schools could have done better or more compassionate jobs – this is resentment and needs to be released.  We do not have freedom to experience the present in an authentic manner if we remain tied to the past and use our adolescent barometers of pleasure and pain to measure and judge our experiences today.

3. Cultivate equanimity, minimize drama, don’t be reactive.  At the end of the day, no matter how much immature glee we derive from drama, all drama is ultimately unnecessary and toxic.  It is often difficult to imagine that we are actually shooting ourselves in the feet when we ignite our friends, lovers or relatives with an incendiary comment but sadly, it’s true.  We all engage in drama; we all “lose it” occasionally.  In the “heat of the moment” there are “no holds barred.”  But once we realize that we actually have the choice to deliver our message with love and compassion or attached to a nuclear warhead, the choice in gaining your desired result becomes clear.

2. Be authentic.  Don’t be or buy into a “lifestyle.”  Don’t be a consumer.  Don’t get your status through symbols.  Don’t get your identity through product placement in the movie known as “Your Life.”  Be conscious of distractions and know their subtle propensity to eventually become afflictions and addictions.  Consciously decide who you are, who you want to be, and what type of life you want to live, and take responsibility for those decisions.  Only then will you be able to engage in the authentic loving relationships that we all yearn for.

1. Be grateful.  In some way, if you are reading this you are already extremely fortunate, already blessed.  You can breathe, you can see, you can read, you can comprehend, you can think, you can make choices, you can make decisions, you can appreciate, you can be passionate, you can experience emotions, you can be aware of your emotions… the list of things to be grateful for is infinite no matter how desperate and challenging our outer world situations may seem.