• Live simply, in consideration of all other people & beings.
• You don't have to want the things everybody else wants merely because you feel like you should want them. The heart's true desires are intuitive; they don't need to be coaxed or rationalized.
• Where possible, trust your intuition. It's a storehouse of valuable information your subconscious indirectly wants to give to you, often with good reason.
• Do, say, and be only what you know to be true.
• Consider every expenditure & luxury in the context of suffering & deprivation elsewhere.
• Cherish companionship and relish aloneness.
• Don't be afraid to demand respect; all beings are owed at least a minimal amount.
• Always set your own bar, as low or high as you want, and never according to the ambitions of those around you. Life isn't a competition, a race, or even a linear experience. Life is not about leaving an appreciable mark on human history or having monuments erected in your honor... Be kind, be true, do good, and when death comes, welcome it and tuck your life away like a well-loved book you're finally ready to return.
• The universe is literally infinite... being a big deal to the human race isn't nearly as meaningful as our fame-obsessed culture makes it seem.
• Where possible, give. Of your time, compassion, attention, encouragement, belongings, resources, etc. However, always keep a few abstract treasures at your core and promise not to sacrifice these for any reason. Self-respect, attention to your basic needs, consciousness of your emotional and physical state, and all your most deeply-held ideals, values, and principles should be kept here and never depleted for any reason or person.
• On any given day, smile at as many strangers as possible. It's one of the most painless ways to make the world a better place.
• Don't give too much thought to late-night frustrations, doubts, etc. They're unreliable byproducts of a tired mind.
• Don't be ashamed of wanting impractical things; dreams can be roadmaps to life-altering realities.
• Be conscious of how others influence your behavior. If you need to adjust to your company, make sure these adjustments are positive. Don't do or say anything you're not comfortable with simply to comfort others.
• If you feel uncomfortable with someone you don't know well, identify the root cause of your unease. Is it intuition, personal experience, things you've heard about them, or a bias passed on by friends? If the latter two, think twice and give them a chance; if the former, proceed with caution but keep an open mind.
• Live for no one's satisfaction but your own; when you die, you'll go alone.

x r