There are many abstract and obtuse philosophies and precepts of spirituality. It’s often useful and valuable to simplify these principles and to make them more concrete and practical so that we may incorporate them into our daily lives. Spiritual practice is far more fruitful than spiritual theory and thought.

• Be loving: Practice kindness and empathy in all affairs with others as well as self. What we receive is a reflection of what we give. Life rewards us with kindness and respect when we give kindness and respect to our fellow participants of life.
• Seek truth: Be willing to let go of old habits and beliefs in order to continue learning better ways to both think about and live life.
• Know thyself: Trust that the journey is not ended; use imagination and quiet contemplation to find what makes you happy and what you really want so that you may go and get it.
• Forgive: Change your thought patterns such that you don’t see yourself as a victim. Realize that your story is not yet finished. Know that you can’t change the past so it’s better to make peace with it as a calm and peaceful mind is more fulfilled and creative.
• Acknowledge oneness: With a recognition of divine connection, it’s far easier to be loving, to know thyself, and to forgive. That we are connected divinely in no way diminishes your unique and wondrous individuality. You are a drop in a vast ocean. And you are the fullness of that ocean. You are the butterfly in Brazil that flaps its wings and causes, through a chain of events, a rainstorm in Texas.
• Live in the moment: Whether or not time is illusion or relative doesn’t matter. What matters is that we can best experience life with a mind and senses focused on the present. When focused on the present, we can be more creative and productive when working. And we can more fully appreciate a sunrise over the ocean when vacationing. Accept the past. Hope for the future. Live in the present.
• Embrace Change: Life is in flux. There are countless examples in nature. And life is growth, or more aptly, evolution. We live and experience life in the community and society of the world in which we exist. People who resist change are left behind. Species which don’t evolve die out, and by contrast, species which grow and evolve thrive. It’s the same with people. And with you.

With an awareness and choice to live, as well as think about, contemplate, meditate on, or merely theorize about such principles, our lives improve. We become more fulfilled, more giving, more creative, and more happy.