23. Play with children – Children, more than anyone else, know how to live. They experience everything in the moment, fully. When they get hurt, they really cry. When they play, they really have fun. learn from them, instead of thinking you know so much more than them. Play with them and learn to be joyful like them.
24. Talk to old people – There is no one wiser, more experienced, more learned, than those who have lived through life. They can tell you amazing stories. Give you advice on making a marriage last or staying out of debt. Tell you about their regrets, so you can learn from them and avoid the same mistakes. They are the wisdom of our society – take advantage of their existence while they’re still around.
25. Learn new skills – Constantly improve yourself instead of standing still – not because you are imperfect now, but because it is gratifying and satisfying. You should accept yourself as you are, and learn to love who you are, but still try to improve – if only because the process of improvement is life itself.
26. Find spirituality – For some, this means finding God or Jesus, Allah or Buddha. For others, this means becoming in tune with the spirits of our ancestors, or with nature. For still others, this just means an inner energy. Whatever spirituality means for you, rediscover it, and its power.
27. Take mini retirements – Don’t leave the joy of retirement until you are too old to enjoy it. Do it now, while you’re young. It makes working that much more worth it. Find ways to take a year off every few years. Save up, sell your home, your possessions and travel. Live simply, but live, without having to work. Enjoy life, then go back to work and save up enough money to do it again in a couple of years.
28. Do nothing – Despite the tip above that we should find excitement, there is value in doing nothing as well. Not doing nothing as in reading, or taking a nap, or watching TV, or meditating. Doing nothing as in sitting there, doing nothing. Just learning to be still, in silence, to hear our inner voice, to be in tune with life. Do this daily if possible.
29. Stop playing video games – They might be fun, but they can take up way too much time. If you spend a lot of time playing online games, or computer solitaire, or Wii or Gameboy or whatever, consider going a week without it. Then find something else to do, outside.
30. Watch sunsets, daily – One of the most beautiful times of the day. Make it a daily ritual to find a good spot to watch the sunset, perhaps having a late dinner while you do so.
31. Stop reading magazines – They’re basically naff and they waste your time and money. Cancel your subscriptions and walk past them in the news stands. If you read, read trashy novels or start on the classics one at a time.
32. Break out from ruts – Do you do things the same way everyday? Change it up. Try something new. Take a different route to work. Start your day out differently. Approach work from a new angle. Look at things from new perspectives.
33. Stop watching the news – It’s depressing and useless. If you’re a news junkie this may be difficult. I haven’t watched TV news or read a newspaper regularly in about two years. It hasn’t hurt me a bit. Anything important, my mum tells me about.
34. Laugh until you cry – Laughing is one of the best ways to live. Tell jokes and laugh your head off. Watch an awesome comedy. Learn to laugh at anything. Roll on the ground laughing. You’ll love it.
35. Lose control – Not only control over yourself, but control over others. It’s a bad habit to try to control others – it will only lead to stress and unhappiness for yourself and those you try to control. Let others live, and live for yourself. And lose control of yourself now and then too.
36. Cry – Men, especially, tend to hold in the tears, but crying is an amazing release. Cry at sad movies. Cry at a funeral. Cry when you are hurt, or when somebody you love is hurt. It releases these emotions and allows us to cleanse ourselves.
37. Make an awesome dessert – I like to make warm, soft chocolate cake. But even berries dipped in chocolate, or crepes with ice cream and fruit, or fresh apple pie, or homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies, are great. This isn’t an every day thing, but an occasional treat thing. But it’s wonderful.
38. Try something new, every week – Ask yourself: ‘What new thing shall I try this week?’ then be sure to do it. You don’t have to learn a new language in one week, but seek new experiences. Give it a try. You might decided you want to keep it in your life.
39. Be in the moment – Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing ? Learn to do this as much as possible through meditation, but also through bringing your focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.