“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” –- Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo by Thomas Hawk
Have you ever been so sad that you felt it would be easier to lift 200 pounds with your back than lift a smile with your cheeks? Perhaps the next time we are sad, we should remember that this smile—this simple smile which we so indignantly resist—might just be the remedy to our sorrows.
Today, just smile.
Maybe today is not necessarily a happy day. If so, that’s all the more reason to smile. Smile at others around you; smile while you’re driving down the street; smile when nobody else is around. Whatever you do, just smile.
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“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…We need silence to be able to touch souls.” — Mother Teresa
Photo by apesara
For those that live in big cities, the noise never stops. Car horns and sirens, helicopters in the sky, people talking and yelling on the street. Wouldn’t it be nice just to make it all stop – even for just one day?
Today, say only what is necessary.
In our daily lives, like on the city streets, the chatter never stops. Whether it’s actual conversation or an infinite string of emails, we often forget that saying less usually says more. While communication is important to get business done and to nurture relationships, how much that is said does more harm than good?
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“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Photo by carf
Creativity awakens the mind and feeds the soul. Making something with your hands brings about a satisfaction like no other, and leaves your mark upon the world.
Today, create something.
You do not have to be a brilliant artist or eloquent writer to embrace the joy of creativity. You can create a simple, nourishing meal, a special place within your home, or a new process at work. The goal is to use your mind and your hands to bring about something new – and useful – to the world.
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“Know you that your bowl of rice, each grain from hardship comes?” — Cheng Chan-Pao, Chinese philosopher
Photo by Smaku
Food sustains us, and connects us to the Earth. Let us not eat more than we need, nor eat ungratefully. Let us savor each bite as if it were the only morsel of the day.
Today, eat your meals slowly, and with purpose.
In our frenzied Western lives, food often becomes an afterthought, and we find ourselves grabbing junk food on the run from one place to the next. For some, food becomes more than sustenance – it becomes a crutch to alleviate daily suffering. Such habits can beget poor nutrition, low energy levels, and obesity.
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“There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions.” — Anais Nin
Photo by Mr Atrocity.
Have you every known somebody who seems to have everything most people dream about, yet they are still unsatisfied and unhappy? While marketers spend billions to trick consumers into thinking the latest trinkets will make us happy, the exact opposite is true. That’s because the more we own, the less free we become.
Today, Don’t Buy Anything.
Not only can our possessions trap us into a false sense of success or happiness, snapping up things we will soon forget about is wasteful. By going one day without adding to our stockpile of “things”, we remind ourselves how silly it is to place so much value on our possessions.
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“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.” — Josiah Gilbert Holland
Photo by Cam Incoll
Do you multitask? These days it is hard to avoid doing two, three, or even five things at once. Multitasking is the antithesis of mindful action, however, and multitasking can actually make you more stressed and less productive than if you focus on doing one thing at a time.
Today, do one thing at a time.
Here are ten ways to learn to “solo-task”.
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“Be content with what you are, and wish not change; nor dread your last day, nor long for it.” — Marcus Aurelius
Photo by eyeore2710.
As I start to work on Daily Dharma, I want to stress what this blog is not: It is not another personal development blog. Personal development is for people who want to make themselves better. This blog is for people who want to experience life better.
Can you see the difference?
Today, Be Content With Who You Are and What You Have.
You see, I believe personal development too often stresses all of these things we do not have: the perfect body, unlimited wealth, a perfect relationship, infallible will power, etc.
While there is nothing wrong with striving to be healthier, wealthier, and wiser, I hope to focus on an even more important goal: being content.
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“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” – Garrison Keillor
Photo by Daquella Manera.
So many of my friends come to me from time to time and say, “I’m just so unhappy at work.” I understand. I sympathize with them, because at times I have been very unhappy with my job, too. But in order to lead a happy life, an unavoidable step is to put your soul into the work you do — even if it means learning to love an unlovable job.
Today, Do the Best Job You Can
I used to commiserate with them, tell them I disliked my work too, discussed the possibility we had not found our callings, and fantasized with them about quitting.
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“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
Photo by Stuck in Customs
How can we can we be conscious, enjoy living, or accomplish anything, if we are not aware of where we are, who we are, and what we are doing right now?
Today, practice being present.
Focus your mind on your actions, whether you are brushing your teeth, eating a sandwich, or hard at work, and avoid daydreaming.
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