Living a Meaningful Life

After a while you no longer need stuff and your attention turns to purpose.

Things don’t excite you as much as experiences and you just want to feel good, alive, connected.

Here are 10 steps to help you on the path to living a meaningful life:

• Slow down, breathe, bringing a mindful presence throughout each day.

• Reduce toxic substances, (meat, alcohol, coffee, sugar, processed carbohydrates, addictive pharmaceutical and recreational drugs). Undertaking a juice fast is a sure way to gain clarity of mind and rest your bodies organs. Buy from local producers and markets where possible or grow your own. Knowing where your food comes from creates an appreciation and more enjoyment.

• Cleanse relationships that no longer serve you and create space for new and inspiring connections. Do this with love but know you cannot control other people’s responses. Also acknowledge relationships that nurture you, these are the keepers. 

• Set a daily intention, you can do this during yoga or mediation or just upon waking. What is your Sankalpa for the day, make it relevant and meaningful to what is happening in your life at that time. Recite it many times throughout the day to yourself.

• Commune with nature whenever you can, letting go of the material world of gadgets, work and agendas. Stand on the grass, contemplate the stars, listen to the birds, find the nature in your daily routine.

• Set up digital free downtime in your schedule and turn off notifications. Take back your life!

• Practice acceptance and compassion for yourself. Acknowledge where you are now knowing that all things change, nothing is permanent, this applies to both pleasant and unpleasant states of being. This builds resilience and equanimity.

• Engage in activities that provide you with an opportunity to give, a smile or word, gift or time, find ways to express your compassion, charity, love and kindness to others without conditions and expectations.

• Follow the Buddhist Eightfold Path where possible, this is the way to living a life with integrity: right intention, right direction, right speech, right action, right effort, right livelihood, right mindfulness and right meditation. A fabulous framework for living and creating ease of mind and heart.

• Be grateful for your life, even if you are suffering, as being grateful is likely to reveal the cause of your suffering and the appropriate path to alleviate it. Everyday contemplate something you are thankful for, as we live in such a deficit society focusing on what we don’t have sometimes we miss the magic of what is right in front of us.