19 Oct Self-Respect, Honour & Love

Be a true person

Do the right thing

Do unto others as they would do to you

Say something kind or say nothing at all

Be the bigger person

Speak the truth

These are some virtuous expressions we may have heard in our lives.

They may be some of the good things we practice or that we aspire to incorporate into our lives.

The world needs much healing in this time of global strife during the COVID pandemic, not only in body, but especially in mind and spirit.

Here are some of the ways I have overcome severe hardship in my life, long before COVID occurred, but that may prove useful in the world today.

*It’s not recommended to practice all of them right away-rather, choose 1, practice it, and spend some time absorbing the experience.

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1. Write down 10 of your strengths or say them aloud.
This not only feels great-it re-establishes your strength and confidence, while crushing fears and weakness.

2. Buy yourself something you love.
You could purchase anything, or something inexpensive.
This exercise gets you to honor yourself by taking time to be with yourself and remember how important you are-you’re worth it!

3. Start a new hobby.
Have you ever had a dream, but put it off for too long?
In the words of Nike, Just do it.
I personally have very limited time, am married and have two jobs, but I know I’ll be happy anytime I invest time for myself.
Take small steps and make time to start looking into how to begin your hobby, and I promise you’ll fall in love with life again.

4. Volunteer.
Volunteering does not have to be a big deal or big commitment, you don’t even have have to donate money.
I personally volunteered for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada for 20 years, by letting people know about the persecution.
It’s a great honor and experience to assist others-much more than serving myself.

5. Make a random call to a friend, family member, customer or old colleague.
This practice is one of the most enjoyable and inspiring activities you can do.
Imagine how awesome it feels to have someone contact you just to say hi and see how you’re doing.
It’s an often overlooked practice in the world today, but it is also one of the most powerful and positive things we can do for each other.

6. Walk in a quiet neighborhood or in the park.
Get out of the house or office. Reconnect with nature.
Stretch your limbs, breathe deeply, perhaps wave and greet a passerby.
The fresh air and exercise will quickly help to overcome much buried stress we harbor.

7. Produce something artistic.
Confucius was a well-known saint in Asia-he said we should practice art or creativity in our lives often.
I believe he said this because having a healthy mind requires practice, just like the body; hence spending time being creative.
Being creative could involve something as simple as gardening, cooking, singing, arts and crafts.
Creating something artistic can evoke our good thoughts and bring joy to others who might experience our craft.

8. Smile a lot.
Some already smile a lot, but try doing it more even in tough times.
Smiling is a powerful tool to inspire, invigorate and crush negative elements in ourselves and others.
I highly recommend this, even if you need to occasionally force or fake the smile-well worth it!
Developing new habits take practice.

9. Exercise and meditate.
Working out strengthens the body. Meditation heals on a deeper level.
Both internal and external health are equally important, believe me.

10. Read and listen to positive works.
True stories of good people’s lives, short inspiring stories, funny movies, self-help books or audiobooks are some ways in which we learn skills to overcome hardship, while refocusing our attention away from negative thoughts into a positive realm.