6 Tips To Live A Zen Lifestyle

by Joe Martino

Wisdom can often be very simple, but at the same time, putting it into practice isn’t always as easy. That’s OK! Have a laugh about it and keep going!

For some of us, we live in a fast-paced world, for others we make time to relax and enjoy the sunset. In either case, it’s easy to lose sight of the simple wisdom in life and fall into some habits that keep us out of peace. Fear not! Here are 6 quick tips you can throw into action so you can make your way to a more Zen-like lifestyle.

Remember: Practicing the wisdom is everything!

1. Stop Comparing

Comparing yourself, your situation, your actions and your achievements to others is a sure fire way to play in ego and create suffering. When we compare, we open up the need to feel lack and begin feeling like whatever we might have or don’t have is not good enough or better than someone else. Either way, at that point we stop seeing everything for what it is and it’s easy to not respect the path of others and ourselves.

2. Stop Judging

How often are you walking down the street, hanging with friends or watching something on TV and you realize you are judging so much of what you are seeing? Whether it’s people’s actions, the way they dress, the words they use, their jobs etc. it’s very easy to get caught up in judging all of it. Do you notice that judging never FEELS good inside? Sure we might try to make ourselves feel better with it but in the end the energy of judgment is heavy. Cut down on judgment and notice how much better you feel. If you feel the need to judge, ask yourself why you are judging something in the first place.

3. Stop Worrying

Worry is an interesting thing as we so often associate it with meaning when we care about or love someone or something. Worry comes from fear and a need to feel in control. Worrying not only creates a heavy energy within ourselves but it also surrounds the situation. Do you ever notice that we can worry about something for days on end only to realize that in the end the result didn’t even matter? Most of what we spend so much time worrying about is never as bad as we think once the time comes. In fact, it is generally much better than we thought. What’s the purpose of worry? There is none, so kick the habit and let things be.

4. Stop Blaming

Sometimes it’s easier to feel like a victim vs. taking responsibility for where we are at. Blaming can be a key part of our ego’s defence in protecting itself from others judging us or even us judging ourselves. When we blame we tend not to look at the root cause of why we might be feeling the way we do. Instead of blaming, turn the pointing finger inward and look at why you might have created a situation for yourself. What lesson can be learned here?

5. Stop Competing

Competition can be fun when we are not attached to results; that’s the true spirit of coming together to play or compete in something. But when we begin to care about results and when our actions become infused with the need for the best result, we begin to bring in the ego’s sometimes vicious need to compete in everything. Jobs, conversations, being better than others etc. this is all setting us up for actions that create separation and judgment of others. Regardless of what the ruthless “success” world likes to teach at times, this type of competition sets us up for suffering as it stems directly from ego.

6. Have a Laugh!

One of the easiest ways to not have joy in your life is to take things too seriously. Whether it’s personal growth or how our life plays out, let things unfold and be! The more seriously we treat everything the easier it is to miss out on the fun that goes with the entire journey. Whether your trying to implement the wisdom from the list above or trying to do something you’ve always wanted to, have a laugh with the journey and the results. Don’t let life become too serious.

Of course this list is not useful if we simply read it and say “Ya, I know all that.” We need to take things and truly implement them into our lives. Knowing something is one thing, wisdom is doing it. Be the change.

Did something not make the list that you feel is utterly important for finding peace? Share it in the comments below!