A friend of mine was telling me her story.
Her husband was dying. He had a prescription for pain medication. She took a few.
It helped her cope with the stress of losing her husband.
But a few pills turned into a lot of pills. And after he died, her path turned to some dark places. Heroin became her escape…..and then became her prison.
She told me it was a strange existence. A middle aged woman, widowed, and then slowly killing herself with powdered poison.
Eventually something started to change in her. She wanted a different life. She wanted to get her old self back. She started fighting the age-old spiritual war against this present darkness.
When the world is crashing in on you. There are 6 things to do.
These things work together but I’m going to put them in a list……because our brains like lists.
6 Ways to Build a Better Life
A) Practice Giving
When we think about being generous, we think of giving money.
But true generosity is something else.
It’s giving of yourself.
If you’re living in a hell that you’ve created, it’s probably because at some point you chose to ignore the principle of generosity.
There are many ways to give. Donating clothes. Donating money. Donating time. But the most important thing to give is to LOVE.
B) Discipline
Discipline is the act of following a code.
It’s accepting responsibility for your own actions. Understanding every cause has an effect and every effect has a cause.
To have a better life, we have to make sure we are controlling the things that we can control.
We can’t control our boss’s mood. We can’t control traffic. We can’t control our friend’s relationships. We can’t control our kid’s illnesses.
We can control our work ethic.
We can control our language.
We can control our attitude.
We can control our ability to listen.
We can control our ability to be patient. To help others. To give selflessly.
C) Be Patient
I almost gave up on being a doctor before I ever even tried.
Why? Because of how long it takes to get there.
4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, then 3 years (or more) of residency.
I had to keep telling myself “In 10 years you’ll look back to this moment and wish you’d started pursuing your dreams right now.”
If your life is a wreck, it probably didn’t happen overnight. And if your life is great, then it probably wasn’t because of an overnight lottery ticket either.
Your good decisions will add up and will make a difference. But don’t expect everything to turn around the moment you do something good.
Be patient. Give things time to slowly get better.
Here’s a quote I live by, I’m not sure of the source:
The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago. The second best time is today.
D) Be Consistent
When I’m at the gym, I often see people and wonder “What kind of program do they follow?” “Cardio or weights? What’s their diet like? Low carb or low fat?”
All these things are important. But the most important aspect of fitness, is consistency. People that get results do so because they show up, time and time again.
And this is an important lesson.
It may seem the same as patience but it’s not.
You have to cultivate the energy to carry on, even when things are difficult.
You have to find the courage to face your demons.
Because things are going to get tough.
E) Focus
Here’s how Jesus said it:
Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light
Focus on what you’re trying to accomplish. The direction you point your arrow is the direction it will go.
Focus, not on goals, but on the person you’re becoming.
You can get up in the morning and write down your goals. That’s good. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.
One way to improve your focus is to lose your focus.
Now I know that sounds weird, so let me explain.
I’m talking about meditation and prayer.
When you meditate, you focus on a single point (like your breathing) and you let all the other thoughts come and go but you maintain your focus.
When you pray, you focus on God. You’ve heard the old saying “let go and let God”. Well that’s prayer.
This might sound easy, but trust me….it’s not.
F) Embrace your infinite potential
Learn from your mistakes.
Learn the way the world works.
See the spinning wheel and all the connected cogs.
Look to those that have gone before.
Read 2 books.
Read Ecclesiastes. Read Proverbs.
Don’t worry about understanding everything.
Seek knowledge.
Learn the truth.
Make the truth your beliefs. Do not make your beliefs the truth.
Become the stardust of potential.
p.s.
Looking to make a commitment you can’t possibly keep?
You’re in good company.
Try these 4 vows on for size.
The Four Bodhisattva Vows
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.
Here’s my version
The lost are many, I vow to reach them
Darkness is everywhere, I will be the light
The path is narrow, I shall walk it
Salvation is impossible, with God all things are possible
p.p.s.
You might like my book. Or not. You’d have to read it first to decide.
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