Introduction

Existence.
What a wild concept, right?
Youre an evolved ape on a floating rock experiencing
reality via something we call consciousness. Youre staring
at a complex machine which produces squiggly lines on a
screen, and this is somehow allowing you to understand my
thoughts.
It would be difficult to imagine a much more peculiar state
of affairs. How strange it is to be anything at all, as the
Neutral Milk Hotel lyric goes.
And yet here you are. Here we are.
We didnt ask to emerge into this reality, but by some
incomprehensible confluence of forces, we did. And its crazy.
Our situation can feel pretty overwhelming sometimes.
Were not sure why were here or what we should do or what
it means to live a good life.
And the thing isno one knows for sure. Were all kind of
winging it.
However, across time and space, throughout the ages,
something cool happened: a lot of brilliant people did a lot of
living and thinking, and they wrote down their ideas, in hopes
of helping future humans cope with this predicamentopportunity of being a sentient creature in an apparently
boundless void.
This accumulated wisdom of history remains relevant
today. Even in a world with skyscrapers and spaceships, there

are many gems of perspective that remain as helpful and

valuable today as they were 2,000 years ago.
This book is an attempt to share 150 of those jewels of
insight.
We hope you find it thought-provoking, useful, and
inspiring. And above all, we hope it makes you feel a bit
better about this whole existence thing.
One important thing to realize before reading this book is
that we at HighExistence do not perfectly abide all of these
tips all the time. Were not enlightened beings gliding about
the Earth in serene grace and equanimity. Were confused
humans who are susceptible to vices, anxieties, depression,
self-destructive behaviors, etc.the whole gamut.
Many of the tips in this book reflect high ideals of ours
ideals that are nearly impossible to remember and live up to
all the time. Its great to have many values, ideals, and
perspectives that you want to live by, so long as you
understand that youre human! Youre going to make
mistakes and have breakdowns and change your mind about
things and have moments when you just want to say fuck
amor fati, fuck Zen and my true self and the rest of it.
AND THATS FREAKING OKAY.
Seriously, it is. What isnt okay is trying to remember 150
abstract ideas every moment of the day and torturing yourself
with your superhuman standards. Dont do that. Chill, and let
yourself be a work-in-progress (Hint: the rest of us are too).
Anyway, enjoy these tips, friend. Savor them. Marinate on
them. Let them transform you into a courageous explorer of
the realm we call universe. Peace and love forever. : )
Infinite Compassion,
The HighExistence Team

150 Life Secrets and Tips

1. Memorize something everyday.
Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your
memory functioning, you will also have a huge library
of quotes to bust out at any moment. Poetry, sayings
and philosophies are your best options. If you want a
great memory challenge, you might be interested in
checking out our 50 Life Secrets and Tips poster. Its
a great way to memorize the tips that follow. We
collaborated with an artist to turn the first 50 of these
secrets and tips into a gorgeous poster that electrifies
any living space and reminds you of existenceaffirming wisdom. We think its deliciously groovy and
truly life-improving. You can learn more about it here,
if you like.
2. Constantly try to reduce your attachment to

possessions.

Those who are heavy-set with material desires will

have a lot of trouble when their things are taken away
from them or lost. Possessions do end up owning you,
not the other way around. Become a person of
minimal needs and you will be much more content.
Read 100 Possessions: How Giving Up Everything Can
Make Your Life More Full to reduce your attachment to
possessions.

3. Develop an endless curiosity about this

world.

Become an explorer and view the world as your

jungle. Stop and observe all of the little things as
completely unique events. Try new things. Get out of
your comfort zone and try to experience as many
different environments and sensations as possible.
This world has so much to offer, so why not take
advantage of it?
4. Remember people's names.
so that they feel appreciated and for your own future
benefit when you want something from that person.
To do this, say their name back to them when they
introduce themselves. Then repeat the name in your
head a number of times until you are sure you have it.
Continue to use their name in conversation as much as
possible to remove any chance of forgetting it. If
you're still having trouble, make up a rhyme about
their name: "Dan the Man" or "Natalie flatters me."
For more psychological life hacks read: 25 Psychological
Life Hacks that Will Help You Gain the Advantage in Social
Situations
5. Get fit!
It's ridiculous to think that we have one body, one sole
means of functioning, and people are too lazy to take
care of themselves. Fit bodies lead to better health,

confidence and more success with romantic endeavors.

I'd say those are 3 very good reasons to get in shape.
6. Learn to focus only on the present.
The past is unchangeable so it is futile to reflect on it
unless you are making sure you do not repeat past
mistakes. The future is but a result of your actions
today. So learn from the past to do better in the
present so that you can succeed in the future.
7. Even more specifically, live in THIS moment.
Even 10 minutes ago is the past. If you live purely in
this moment you will always be happy because there is
nothing wrong in this split-second. Use this anxiety
reducing breathing technique to enter the present
moment more easily.
8. Smile more often.
Whenever you get a grin on your face, your brain is
releasing serotonin, the happy hormone. Smiling is the
natural way to force yourself to be happy. Many
people even smile for five minutes straight in the
morning to get themselves in a great mood for the day.
It is a very powerful tool that is utilized less and less as
we grow older and need happiness more than ever.

Just remember that while happiness leads to smiles,

smiles also lead to happiness.
9. Drink water.
Hydration is tremendously important for overall
health. Soda has absolutely ZERO nutritional
content; it's like pouring a punch of sugar and syrup
into your cup. Instead, fill it with life-replenishing
water. It may taste plain at first if you're coming off of
a heavy soda-drinking streak, but you'll soon find
yourself addicted to it. 10 glasses per day is optimal,
how many have you been getting lately?
10. Don't take life so seriously!
Learn to laugh at the little things and this whole
"existence" thing will be a whole lot easier. Be amused
by your mistakes and failures and be thankful that you
learned your lesson and won't mess up like that again.
And most importantly do things that you enjoy! Life is
not strictly business, it can be mixed with pleasure.
11. Think positive thoughts.
When you find yourself thinking a negative thought,
stop it immediately by any means necessary. Slap
yourself in the face, yell something positive at the top
of your lungs or jump up and down. Do whatever it

takes to get back to a positive mindset as such is

essential for continual happiness and success.
12. Read books.
Knowledge is power. If you're looking for some mindblowing books to read, check out 10 Books that Will
Change How You Think Forever.
13. Get in the sun.
Superman was completely re-energized when he flew
out to space and soaked in some rays and you can do
the same right outside your front door (if you live in a
constantly dreary place, my apologies). The sun feels
amazing: your entire body will be coursing with
warmth and life.
14. Help others.
I'll just give you a plethora of reasons why this is a
MUST:
Helping people has a ripple effect. If you help
someone they will feel more obliged to help
someone else, and so on. Pay it forward
You grow by giving and helping others. It can
change you in ways you never expected

 Your relationship with that person will become

stronger
It's the most fulfilling thing you can do on this
planet. It not only feels amazing physically, you
also feel like a good person
You might be able to call in a favor later when you
need some help
Karma (if you believe in it)
Because there are more people in this world than
just you
15. Set aside a specific time to worry each day.
Ponder all of your problems and anxieties during that
time so that they will not distract you during work or
moments of pleasure. This way you can be extremely
efficient with your time and avoid focusing on
negative things as much as possible. If you get all of
your worry out of the way and have the mental
fortitude to keep from reverting back to them, you will
be much happier on the daily.
16. Be honest at all times.
Lies lead to nothing but trouble. Being known as
trustworthy is an excellent trait to maintain and
essential to having integrity.

17. Sleep less.

Fully adjusting to a new sleep cycle can take up to 21
days so don't give up if you feel tired after switching
to 5-hour nights. The "required" 8 hour/night is for
normal people. If you're reading THIS article on
THIS site, you are not normal. So figure out how
much sleep YOU really need and adjust accordingly.
As enjoyable as sleep is, waking existence is much
more fulfilling and efficient. IF this really sparks your
interest, check out alternate sleep cycles with which
you can be fine off of 2 hours of sleep per day. Just
because you sleep less, doesnt mean you need to sleep
less deeply. Use these 5 bedroom hacks dramatically
improve your sleep quality.
18. Read Bringers of Light and Conversations

with God by Neale Donald Walsch.

These books will help you decide what you want to do

in this life and how to get to that point. They will also
profoundly change the way you look at the purpose of
existence. Read them!
19. Figure out what your goals and dreams are.
So many people wander aimlessly through life simply
go for whatever small thing they want moment by
moment. Instead, decide what your perfect life
consists of and begin to put the steps in motion to
reach that place. The most satisfying thing in the

world (yes, better than sex, much better) is

overcoming a challenge and reaching a goal. We are
the happiest when we are growing and working
towards something better. If you want a blueprint for
pushing past the resistance you feel towards
challenges so you can actually achieve your goals, read
this guide.
20. Start your day off right.
Wake up and set aside an hour for personal
development activities (meditation, self-introspection,
observing nature, etc.) Do the things that make you
feel blissful, optimistic and empowered so that you can
set a positive tone for your day. I guarantee that once
you start doing this, your days will be more enjoyable
and fulfilling. Today is going to be the best day of your
life.
21. Utilize 'The Burning Method.'
Whenever a fear or worry or complaint comes to
mind, close your eyes and imagine writing down the
thought on a piece of paper. Then proceed to light the
paper and fire and watch it disintegrate. Even better,
actually write it down and burn it. You won't have any
problem ridding your mind of the thought after doing
this.

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22. Travel.
Anyone who has ever gone anywhere will tell you that
traveling is one of the most exciting and life-changing
activities that you can do. Observing a different
culture will expand your mind while making you
further appreciate the life you already live. This goes
back to becoming an explorer: this world is your
jungle so go explore! Who knows, maybe you'll find a
place you love so much that you decide to move.
Imagine the positive repercussions a new environment
could have on your life.
23. The Rubber Band Method
This is the third and final way to rid yourself of
negative thoughts (hopefully by now you have figured
out that this is very important!). Place a rubber band
around your wrist and snap it against your skin
anytime a negative thought finds its way into your
head. This operant conditioning technique associates a
slight pain with negative thoughts like Pavlov
associated food/salivation with the sound of a bell.
Sounds a bit cruel at first but it only stings for a
second, I promise. Plus the outcome, having only
positive thoughts, far outweighs a little slap on the
wrist here and there.

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24. Learn to be unaffected by the words of

others.

Most people get very upset when they are called

negative names by others, but there is a simple trick to
overcoming this. Here it is: If I went up to you and
called you a fire hydrant, would you be upset? Of
course not. Obviously you are not a fire hydrant, you
are a human being. The same concept applies to when
someone calls you something that you know you are
not. They are foolish for saying such things, so why
would you react with such anger? The only exception
is when someone calls you something that is true! In
this case, you should thank them for alerting you to a
weakness, one that you can now work on changing.
25. Read Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris

Prentiss.

This book will give you the knowledge and instruction

to be happy at all times regardless of the
c i r c u m s t a n c e s . Ye s , t h i s s o u n d s l i k e a n
oversimplification of happiness, but I assure you that
this book will change you in an amazing way.
26. Develop the ability to forgive.
Forgiveness is something that most people fail
miserably at even thought it's so simple. Grudges only
bring more misery to those who hold them and
prevent good relations with the target. YOU makes

12

mistakes all of the time so why not have mercy when

other do? Remaining angry feels horrible while
forgiving someone brings a refreshing sensation to the
mind and healing to the relationship. Read this true
story on the power of forgiveness to see how deeply it
can cultivate self-love and self-worth.
27. Be the person that makes others feel special.
Be known for your kindness and sympathy.
28. Learn to lucid dream
or to realize when you are dreaming so that you can
control your dreams. Sleep feels good, but it's rather
boring and unproductive. With lucid dreaming under
your belt, night-time can be even more exciting than
when you are awake. You can do anything: fly, travel
to other planets, party with a celebrity, get intimate
with your dream boy/girl, etc. Many lucid dreams
have also reported being able to speak directly with
the subconscious during dreams by demanding to be
taken to it after becoming lucid. For those that know a
thing or two about your subconscious, that is a BIG
deal.
29. Visualize daily.
It has been said and proven time and time again that
what you focus on is what you get. If you complain all

13

of the time, you will run into more of the things you
complain about. The same goes for good things like
health, wealth and happiness. So spend some time in
the morning imagining yourself achieving whatever it
is that you currently desire. Focus is key in this
exercise, so choose a quiet environment where you
won't be disturbed. We took these two very simple yet
powerful visualizations from Buddhist teachings. Give
them a go. And if you're having trouble focusing and
continually find that your mind has wandered to
something else, read about meditation in the following
life tip.
30. Meditate everyday for at least 20 minutes.
In this modern world where everyone is so connected
to everything else via cell phones, TV and internet,
most people rarely enjoy the beauty of silence. The
ability to quiet your mind and relax your body is an
art and skill that everyone should develop. Simply sit
somewhere, preferably in nature, and focus on your
breathing or try to think about nothing. This is going
to be extremely hard at first! You might find it boring
or just plain impossible to think of nothing, but you
will get better and you will learn to love it. Postmeditation, you will feel extremely clear-headed and..
well, just plain wonderful. The only way to really
understand this sensation is to try it.

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31. Learn to control your mind.

What kind of skilled human are you if you cannot even
control your own thoughts? While the human mind is
described as being a stream of consciousness, that
does not mean you can't decide where your stream
flows. Techniques like meditation and the 3 ways to
flush out negative thoughts will aid you immensely in
learning to control your mind.
32. Learn to control your emotions.
The only person that can make you unhappy is you!
You are the one that decides to be affected by the
words and actions of others. Realize this so that the
next time you experience a negative emotion, you can
find the strength within yourself to overcome it.
33. Take a class in speed reading.
Books are full of information that can enhance your
knowledge-base, vocabulary and yourself as a person.
Speed reading is an easy way to get at this info faster
so that you can have more time for other endeavors.
34. Relax!
This one is for you workaholics out there (myself
included). Yes, work is very important and productive
but you need to take some time to chill out everyday

15

or you are going to burn out faster than a candle with

no oxygen. Additionally, you need to reward yourself
for a job well done. What's the use of doing all of that
work if you can't have a little fun from time to time
anyways?
35. Work on making good first impressions.
Practice a strong, firm handshake and the small talk
that generally goes along with meeting someone for
the first time. People won't know what to think of you
if you have nothing more to say beyond "My name is
_______, nice to meet you." Also make sure you
remember names, as mentioned previously. Who
knows, you may be going into business with or
marrying this person you're meeting for the first time
if you make a good impression. Be sure and make an
excellent one. When you have the basics down, use
this guide to take your social skills to the next level.
36. Learn to use your eyes to their full potential:
Make constant eye contact when in conversation.
Looking away (especially down) is a sign of
inferiority and uncertainty. Instead, look at your
conversation partner dead in the eyes and keep
them locked on
Master the piercing stare. You know when
someone looks at you and it feels like they can see
into your soul? Well that's not a hereditary

16

characteristic, it just takes practice. Work on

sharpening your gaze in the mirror. You'll know
you have it when it's intimidating to continue
looking at yourself
Master the one-eyebrow raise. This one isn't
necessary by any means, but hey, why not? Pick a
brow to learn with and go look in a mirror. Raise
both of your eyebrows but use your hand to hold
down the brow that you want to stay down. This
will probably feel very stupid at first but if you
keep trying, you will eventually pin down the
muscle you need to flex to get that one brow up
Study masters like Bill Clinton for inspiration.
37. Be mysterious.
Don't let off everything about you and definitely leave
out some major details. There is something both
alluring and mesmerizing about someone who no one
knows fully about. I'm not saying to confide in no one
or to alienate yourself. Just think James Bond.
38. Come up with a life mantra.
You know, like "Carpe Diem" or "Live life to the
fullest," but not as clich. Make it something that
really hits home with you so that you will actually
stick to it. Make sure it' not so specific that it rarely
applies but also not so general that it's not personal.

17

Use this list of 15 meditation mantras and find a few

that resonate with you.
39. Get good at something.
Call it a hobby or a passion, whatever it is, just get
damn good at it. Your occupation does not count!
Make it something that you can practice often enough
to excel at. Examples: Magic tricks, surfing, pingpong, creating short films, and unicycling. It can be
anything but I would recommend choosing something
that: 1) You are passionate about 2) You can bust out
at any moment to display your skills for any
discerning crowd. My mind goes immediately to
aerobatics and break dancing, but that's just me.
40. Work out those abs.
Above any other muscle group in the entire body, the
abs are the most important. They constitute your core,
the center point of your body. Your ability to balance
comes almost completely from the strength of your
abdominal muscles and balance is vital to performance
in any physical activity. Summary: they're very
important. For more info on how to work out your
abs, check out this video.

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41. Keep your brain sharp.

The majority of people are stuck in ruts. They go to
the same job everyday, hang out with the same friends
and eat at the same places. While that may feel safe,
it's not the most stimulating lifestyle for your brain.
Those synapses have been built up enough, so try
something that you do NOT know how to do! Buy a
model car kit, master the art of sudoku or crosswords,
or go pick up another major at your nearest college.
The point is you need to be learning new things to
keep your brain honest. Form new synapses by forcing
your mind to work in ways it has not worked before.
Just like physical workouts, doing too much of the
same exercise will eventually give no results. Switch it
up by trying the different challenges found in 30
Challenges for 30 Days.
42. Read something inspirational right before

bed and after waking.

This will set get you in a great mood for sleep and for
the day. Read anything from a famous speech to your
favorite self-improvement book. Try to read something
that get's you really excited in the morning especially
so that you'll leave your house beaming with energy
and wonder.

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43. Do what you love.

There is a huge difference between making a life and
making a living; which one are you making right now?
So many spend their entire lives trying to make as
much money as possible so that they can afford to do
what they really want later. It makes no sense to settle
in life until you're 65 so that you can retire and do
what you want when you're already WAY past your
prime. We only live life once so why wouldn't you
want to spend it pursuing your bliss? To do anything
else would be a tragic waste of the freedom you are
allowed if you are reading this right now. Follow your
bliss, even if that means quitting that job you hate, and
you will be a thousand times more happy than your
retirement date and 40+ years younger. But first you
need to figure out what you love to do...
44. Choose your friends wisely.
You are affected far more than you think by the people
you spend your time with. Do your friends share your
values? Do they encourage you when you speak of
your goals and dreams or do they scoff? Make sure
the people around you are conducive to the lifestyle
you want to lead or you will find yourself being
dragged again and again into behavior that distances
you from your desires. Friends with a habit of
producing negative thoughts will especially hinder
you. This can be a hard task to follow through with if
you realize you good friend is one of these saboteurs,

20

but you must be firm! Don't let anyone get in the way
of you being all that you can be.
45. Don't burn bridges.
By that I mean maintain your relationships with
people even if you think you are never going to see
them again. For example, if you are quitting your job,
don't chew out your boss before leaving! You might
run into him/her again later and life and wish you had
never severed ties so harshly. You never know when
you might need the help of someone you knew in the
past. Plus there is already too much hatred in this
world, why add more towards the people you interact
with?
46. Keep a journal/diary.
It sounds like a very monotonous habit at first, but
when you get into it, that little book will become a
great way to organize your thoughts and track your
growth over the years. Most of us already stay awake
in bed at night pondering the events of the day
anyways so why not document those thoughts in an
organized fashion? That will allow you to look back
and observe how your way of thinking has changed
over time.

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47. Read "New Pyscho-Cybernetics" by Dr.

Maxwell Maltz.

This book will explain why the content of your

thoughts has such a profound effect on your life
through religious, philosophical and scientific
arguments. A must read for completely understand
who this life thing works.
48. Learn to use and trust your subconscious/

intuition.

When you spend time in silence everyday, listen not

for words but for a feeling that tells you to do
something. Do not mistake your own reasoning and
thoughts for those of your subconscious. If you can
track where the thought came from, (this thought led
to that thought which led to this thought, etc.) then it
was not from your subconscious. Learning to
accurately discern between the two will allow you to
tap into knowledge that you don't consciously have.
We created a how-to guide on reading the signs of the
universe to help you better make sense of the chaos all
around us. Read the signs of the universe here.
49. Develop a charismatic personality.
You know, the kind of personality that is surrounded
by people constantly and is the life of the party. Start
visualizing yourself as THAT person. Maybe take a
short course on dynamic speaking and learn some

22

jokes. Take the time to learn some party tricks and

sleight of hand. Most importantly, believe that you
already are charismatic even if you fail at being the
center point of the next party. Lie to yourself
constantly and tell yourself that you are more warm
and gregarious than Ronald Regan. Belief is the first
step! Reality will come soon after.
50. Love is all there is.
If you truly want to be a master of life, let love be in
your every action. Love your friends, family and
enemies alike. This is the most difficult thing to do out
of this entire list, which is why it is listed at #50. But if
you accomplish this, you will be seen as a leader
among everyone that allows hate, envy, disgust and all
other negative emotions into their lives. Think
Gandhi. Love is so rare in this world when compared
to the massive presence of hate that by exuding love,
you will immediately see yourself and the people
around you change. Love. Love. Love.
51. Investigate what is known about death
What do you know about death? You certainly have
beliefs around it, but what do you know about the
science of death, or of those who have died and been
brought back to life? Death is not as big of a mystery
as it is made out to be. Do your research before you

23

fear or misconstrue this most universal human

experience. Use this article to kick start your
investigations.
52. Notice the small, beautiful things
As cliche as this sounds, there is so much beauty in the
world yet we rarely appreciate it. Take 5 minutes, stop
doing everything and sit down. Then clear your mind
of your inner dialogue and focus intently on something
in the space immediately in front of you. Nature
always works best but literally any object will do.
Study all of the minute details of the object and try to
appreciate its complexity. This might take some
practice but after you get into it, you'll have that
perspective for a while after.
53. Try hypnagogic hallucination
For those new to the idea, hypnagogic hallucination is
the state of experiencing dreaming-like visuals and
thoughts while remaining awake. Lie down when
you're neither physically nor mentally tired and edge
towards falling asleep while focusing on staying
awake. Most of the time knowing of this state's
existence and attempting to experience it is enough to
attain it. This is because up until this point, you've had
no reason to try to stay on the edge of wakefulness! A
similar experience to a hypnogogic hallucination is the

24

phenomenon of a phantom limb. Use this guide to see

experience it for yourself.
54. Forget about insults entirely (even in jest)
We can all agree that nothing good comes of insults. If
they are serious, then someone comes out of the
exchange feeling cut down. Even if you insult
someone jokingly, their subconscious mind still takes
your words in as a serious statement and imprints the
insult on the person. This is akin to a commercial: it
can seem stupid, but you are still building up respect
for the product on a subconscious level. This is why
companies pay top dollar just to have their logo visible
in public places.
55. Cut out the crap
We have a lot of crap in our lives that is neither
necessary nor good for us. The crap includes certain
people, emotions and habits. Take the time to evaluate
the constituents of your life to decide what needs to
go. This tip is so critical that I wrote a 3-part series on
cutting out the crap - check it out!
56. Try a love experiment
Spend a week masquerading as Christ-figure and
bring love into every aspect of your life. Start your
day by sending out mental "I love you's" to your

25

friends and family. As you go through your day,

silently (or out loud!) wish something nice upon any
strangers you see. Monitor your every thought and
action to be sure you're acting out of love. This sounds
cheesy but it is a fantastic feeling becomes addicting.
57. Make plans to attend at least one crazy

event each year

As you all know, we humans remember experiences,

not possessions. You remember driving somewhere in
that car, not buying or owning the car. So put aside a
savings jar to pay for at least one crazy, awesome
event each year. Here are a few event ideas to get you
salivating.
58. Exaggerate your compliments
If you're going to say something nice, why not make it
a bit nicer? Only you will know the difference and the
target of the compliment will feel that much better.
59. You are what you eat
We've all heard of this phrase but most don't full
realize it's implications. Your body is constituted only
of the food that you put into your body! If you're okay
with eating crap, you are accepting that you brain,
skin, heart and everything else will be made of crap.
You LITERALLY are what you eat. Read this

26

breakdown of the documentary Food INC. to heighten

your awareness of the food industry.
60. Give up something for a week
Like Lent, but for non-Catholics. There are two major
benefits of this: 1) you learn to live without something
now so that if you're ever forced to live without
something, it won't be so bad and 2) when you get it
back, you will truly appreciate it. Examples include
hot showers, alcohol and other substances and
television. Extremist can give up everything and
experience living on the streets. Pair this challenge
with a 14-day juice fast for maximum benefits.
61. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world

blind"

Revenge is sweet but forgiveness is sweeter. Until

that's a no brainer for you, try faking forgiveness and
knowing that nothing will piss off an enemy more than
you not reacting to their provocations. Eg. If you
punched someone in the face in anger and then they
just smiled back at you happily, wouldn't that annoy
you?
62. Floss!
Your dentist has been right all along. Flossing is more
crucial for your oral hygiene than brushing your teeth.

27

It keeps your gums healthy and food out of the tight

places that drinking water won't clean out (which
would otherwise result in bad breath).
63. Don't doubt anything without absolute

evidence against it

Every day it seems I learn about something that I

previously had thought to be impossible (like walking
on water). Acknowledge that the world is full of
surprises and the 'impossible'. Therefore practice
being open-minded rather than doubtful, especially
about things foreign to you. **Edit: Apparently the
running on water video is fake which is extremely
ironic in the context of this tip...I would take it down
but that's just too funny.
64. Take advantage of the flinch
When something scares you and makes you flinch, you
have two choice: flinch forward or flinch backward.
Practice using that flinch moment to rocket yourself
into the unknown instead of into a state of fear. Talk to
that girl at the bar, get on the roller coaster, say YES.
Stay on the bold side of the flinch. This 30-day fear
challenge is the perfect way to take advantage of the
flinch.

28

65. Use your showers to practice being present

Your daily (?) shower is the perfect time to get better
at being present. Instead of thinking about your time
last night or everything you have to do today, focus on
the sensation of the water hitting your skin. Zone in
on the smell of the soap and the warmth of the steam
coming off of your body. If & when you successfully
block out your inner dialogue, I guarantee you will
have the best power of your life.
66. Limit your time-wasting online activities
Do you ever find yourself deep in someone's Facebook
photos and wonder how you got there? The internet is
an awesome tool but some sites can suck you in and
waste tons of time that could be spent doing
something productive. For those who can't help
themselves, there are extensions for Chrome and
FireFox that allow you to specify a certain amount of
time to allow to spend on time-waster websites per
day. Every minute you spend on the sites you specify
is tracked, and when you reach the limit those sites are
no longer able to be accessed.
67. Remember the 10,000 hour rule
If you want to master anything in life you need at least
10,000 hours of practice. Practice separates the haves
and the have-nots when it comes to skills. Have you
spent 10,000 hours doing something you don't care to

29

master? (Ahem, Facebook..) Do something else that

will benefit you a lifetime!
68. Make some rules for yourself
Instead of only reading this list and thinking 'those are
good ideas,' take a few at a time and make them
unbreakable rules until the habits stick.
69. Watch Zeitgeist: Moving Forward
The 3rd Zeitgeist film will change the way you view
the monetary system, the economy and the future of
this world. Its claims almost sound like conspiracy, but
the evidence it intelligently builds upon rules out any
chance of that. Do not be deterred by the 2:45
duration -- if something is this important, would you
want it to be able to be squeezed into 10 minutes?
70. Only do things that you love or that you

have no choice but to do

When it comes to choosing a career, only do something

that you absolutely love or something you have no
choice but to do. I mean literally NO choice but to do
that job. Unless you're supporting children or
completely steeped in debt, chances are you have a
choice. Don't waste a second doing something you do
not love.

30

71. Practice energy development

Whether or not you believe chakras exist, you can
develop the ability to feel, move around and store
energy in your body. These sensations range from
mild tingling to violent vibrations. Start off by lying
down and putting all of your focus on your left foot.
Focus on and feel that foot until it beings to warm up
and tingle, then move on up the body in small
increments. Eventually you can get your entire body
to be vibrating (seriously, it's almost scary).
Developing these abilities helps with focus for
meditation, astral projection and supposedly boosts
your clairvoyance.
72. Question what you have been told to be

true but have not investigated yourself

Simply stated, we are fed a lot of BS growing up that

is not necessarily or at all true. We assume it is true
because we've always "known" it to be true. Examples
include religious and political beliefs, stereotypes and
habits. Perhaps the best example of all is that
marijuana is dangerous and deadly when in fact
alcohol is infinitely worse for your body and your
driving ability.
73. Force yourself to become a social badass
Put yourself through a series of comfort challenges to
become comfortable in a social situation. Start with

31

making eye contact with people you pass on the

streets, then progress to saying hi and eventually
asking them a quick question like 'How's your day
going?' Then progress to wearing a shocking piece of
clothing out in public asking people for their phone
numbers. Finally go to the extreme and take on a
different person with waiters and cashiers. The idea is
to go to the limits so that more normal interactions like
to someone you're interested in becomes a piece of
cake.
74. Read Viktor Frankl's Man's Search For

Meaning

This book details Frankl's time in Nazi concentration

camps and how the experience shaped his view on
meaning and purpose in life. His account of the camps
is extremely detailed and riveting. His conclusions on
life are both far-reaching and relevant to life outside of
captivity.
75. Find the supplements suitable for your

lifestyle

Our diets and habits are nothing like those which are
bodies were built for. Times have changed but we still
need the same nutrition. Luckily we now massproduce nutrients in bottles so you just need to figure
out what your body needs. For example if you don't
get a lot of sun, you probably need some extra Vitamin

32

D. If you get cold much easier than other people, you

might have low levels of iron in your blood.
Investigate and act accordingly.
76. Cut gluten from your diet
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye oats, and
barley. Like so many other substances today, gluten is
not meant to be put into our bodies. The humans alive
at the time that our bodies last experienced major
evolution did not consume all of the bread products
we now have. To see a full explanation of the healthbenefits of giving up gluten, check out this article.
77. Do pushups (100 of them!)
Pushups are the easiest way to get into an exercise
routine and the most complete upper body workout
available without weights. Doing 3 sets of pushups
until fail every other day is a simple way to tone up
your chest, arms, back and abs. If you want to step it
up a notch, this website promises to get anyone to be
able to complete 100 pushups within 6 weeks!
78. Watch 'Waking Life'
Waking Life is a movie about a guy drifting around in
a dream world having philosophical conversations
with the interesting characters he meets along the way.
If you like the articles here on HighExistence, I can

33

guarantee with 100% certainty that you will love this

film. It's available for free on GoogleVideo. When
youre done with Waking Life, give these 25 spectacular
movies a watch.
79. Go for walks
Whenever you are feeling unmotivated, depressed,
angry or [insert crappy emotion here], take a walk.
It's a sure-fire way to hit the reset button and get back
into a positive mindset. There's something about being
in nature, getting some exercise and (most
importantly) being present that can get you over any
emotional hump.
80. Use StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon (SU) is an internet tool that brings you
to random sites based upon your interests. You can
also specify a particular interest category while also
limiting the results to videos, photos, news, blogs, etc.
SU is the best way to discover awesome content
around the web, much of which you didn't even know
you were looking for! As you go through and 'Thumbs
up' or 'thumbs down' different web content, SU learns
more about your interests and returns more accurate
results. I also call it the 'Serendipity Engine' because
of the countless times I've been thinking about a
problem or looking for something and then the answer
has come randomly to me through SU.

34

81. Read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

This freakishly fascinating book is best explained best
by Wikipedia: "It examines mythology, its effect on
ethics, and how that relates to sustainability. The
novel uses a style of Socratic dialogue to deconstruct
the notion that humans are the end product, the
pinnacle of biological evolution. It posits that human
supremacy is a cultural myth, and asserts that modern
civilization is enacting that myth."
82. Spend time alone each day
Being alone is a form of meditation that helps us
realign with who we really are. Sound difficult or
unnecessary? Read this.
83. Practice Stoicism
Stoicism is centered around being unaffected by
misfortune. A good stoic will recognize that mishaps
will inevitable occur so he/she is constantly ready and
open to experiencing them. Unlike pessimists, Stoics
expect bad things to happen only because they
recognize this is the nature of reality, and strive to
become immune to being demoralized by said
misfortunes. These quotes from Marcus Aurelius will
show you how to think stoically.

35

84. Don't compare yourself to others

Everyone is born with different strengths and
weakness. Otherwise we wouldn't be individuals and
how much fun would that be? Consequently don't
hold yourself to the standards of others; you'll never
measure up to everyone.
85. Compare yourself to others
Use the success of others as motivation to continue
growing and learning. Competition is strong medicine
and can be used to your advantage if you don't get too
caught up in it. Strive to achieve a balance between
#34 and #35.
86. Recognize the duality of every truth
As you likely noticed, #34 and #35 contradict each
other, and yet both are solid truths. This is an example
of how most great truths have some level of duality to
them. Life is not absolute; let that apply to your beliefs
as well -- don't be stubborn about them!.
87. Take cold showers
Besides waking you up better than anything, cold
showers have been proven to improve blood
circulation, keep your skin and hair healthy (hot water
dries them out) and boost the immune system. For the

36

men, it also increases testosterone levels and is just

plain manly.
88. Try to be rejected every day
Instead of fearing rejection, make it a daily goal!
When you go in with the intention of being told 'no',
the butterflies go away and it becomes easy. This is a
fantastic way to pursue more opportunities while
becoming unfazed by the big N-O. Good applications
include asking for phone numbers, job positions,
partnerships and advice. Think of all the great things
you've missed out on by not asking! If someone does
criticize you, the perspective shift outlined in this
article is the perfect defense.
89. Rejoice in not knowing, be proud of your

ignorance of a topic

Knowing everything is overrated. Embrace the areas

where you know you are ignorant. When you
recognize that someone knows something you don't,
use it as a learning opportunity rather than feeling
dumb or pretending you know more than you do.
90. Recognize the golden glow of retrospect
When you look back at a difficult event in your life, it
no longer holds the same 'oh no, my life is over' that
you experienced at the time. Even very painful events

37

like deaths, breakups and accidents can be looked at

in a positive light in the golden veil of retrospect. If
you can assume this perspective in the future looking
back, certainly you can apply some aspects of that
mindset while going through an event. Learn from
your future self looking back at present you!
91. Resist nothing
If you can master this one, you have mastered life.
Resistance has many forms but there is a simple test to
know if you are in resistance or not. Does this thought
make you feel good or bad? You guessed it, if it makes
you feel bad then it is a form of resistance. For
example, you are driving on the freeway and you miss
your exit. Instead of getting angry and wishing you
had not missed it, accept your circumstance and laugh
about it instead. Maybe you would have gotten in a
horrible car crash had you gotten off in time. How
lucky that you just narrowly escaped a fiery death!
Plus, do you enjoy being frustrated with crappy
circumstances?
92. Take naps
20-25 minutes is all you need to wake up refreshed
without feeling groggy. Taking a quick nap in the
evening is a great way to get a burst of motivation and
energy for the rest of the night. This is also a great
time to try out hypnagogic hallucination - #4.

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93. Transition to Internet TV

If you're still spending your leisure time in front of a
TV, consider the new web-based streaming options to
traditional cable/satellite. Services like Apple TV and
Roku allow you to stream Netflix, Hulu and tons of
other internet entertainment channels to your TV for a
fraction of the price. Additionally because you actually
have to go through and choose something to watch
instead of mindlessly flipping through channels, you'll
have to think twice before zombie-ing out to some
reality show re-runs.
94. Master what you do most often
For me that would be typing and navigating around
my computer. So I downloaded a typing tutor
program and got my words-per-minute up to 60
(woot!) and have memorized every keyboard shortcut
there is. Take the time to become the best you can be
at the small things you do most often. You will save
yourself loads of time, plus it's fun to be really good at
something
95. Practice Altru-Hedonism
'Altru-Hedonism' is a word I made up which
represents the idea that helping other people provides
the most satisfying and long-lasting pleasure. So in a
way, altruism is a hedonistic activity.

39

96. Figure out the minimum income you need to

be free

By free I mean able to do what you love without

having to slave away at a job all day. I know we all
would like the ultimate house with a BMW (M3 for
me please!) but wouldn't you rather be from having to
do a job you don't LOVE? If you agree with that, a
great way to make it more feasible is to calculate
exactly how much money you would need per month/
year to be free. Minimalism is the goal here (If you're
having trouble not counting in that BMW, watch
Fight Club and then have another go).
97. "Judge your success by what you had to

give up in order to get it."

This one goes right along with #46. What are you
currently giving up to have ________ ? Your time?
Your dreams? Time with your family and friends?
Your health? Decide if your current sacrifices are
worth what they allow you.
98. Be a source of good on your social network
Instead of further inflating these networks full of
transient emotions and comments about Lady Gaga,
tweet and share content that will bring help other
people and spread happiness. Share motivational
quotes, inspirational videos and anything else that will

40

improve the lives of those come into contact with your

feed.
99. Give your mom a call
If you're looking for a way to give someone immense
happiness with the least amount of effort, calling your
mother is at the top of the list. She loves you 100 times
more than you thought you loved that boy/girl in 7th
grade & getting a call from you would make her day
100 times over. Even if you have no interest in talking
to her, pretend that you do for 5 minutes. Say 'I love
you' before she does for an even more ecstatic mama :)
100. Join the HighExistence Community :)
For those of you who don't know, this blog is also a
community of thousands of awesome people who
think about life differently (like you do!). If you like
talking about the meaning of life, spirituality,
following your passion, good music and being happy
in general, this is the community for you. Become a
HEthen by clicking here or check out our discussions
to see what's being talked about on HE.
101. "We don't know enough to worry."
Wei Boyang, a great Chinese Taoist, once said, "Worry
is preposterous; we don't know enough to worry." This
quotation was a favorite saying of the late Terence

41

McKenna and has also proven revelatory for me. To

worry implies that something "bad" might happen.
But, as fragile, relatively naive human beings, who are
we to say what would truly be "bad" vs "good"? Things
that seem "bad," including death, might end up being
"good," and vice versa. We cannot be certain. Thus, to
worry is to exasperate the mind with value judgments
that are based on a very limited human perspective.
Therefore, worrying is largely a waste of time. One of
my favorite Zen stories illustrates this point nicely.
102. Advertisements are designed to make you

feel bad about yourself.

David Foster Wallace said it most succinctly: "It did

what all ads are supposed to do: create an anxiety
relievable by purchase." Advertisements exist for the
sole purpose of increasing profits. They function by
making ad-viewers feel deficient about some aspect of
their lives while simultaneously promising a solution.
For just $19.95! That's not to say that advertisements
are always malevolent, but if you don't maintain a
hyper-critical awareness of advertiser intentions, you
might find yourself among the millions who have
unknowingly allowed tricky marketers to make them
feel fat, lame, ugly, and/or unhip. You can read more
about this topic in this essay or in this comic depicting
the artist Banksy's perspective on advertisements.

42

103. Relocating reveals you to yourself.

When wrenched from the familiar, stripped of all
connections, and plopped into a new environment, all
pressures to be who one once was are suddenly
absent. The slate is clean, and one has space to really
consider how to spend one's time. In this situation, the
excess seems naturally to fall away, like a gaudy
snakeskin, revealing what is most important and joyful
for the individual, for you. This is one of the greatest
reasons to travel at some point in your life. Another
great reason is that travel can help you stay young.
104. Practice conscious breathing.
Follow your breath until you desire nothing beyond
this moment, and suddenly everything will belong to
you. That might sound idealistic, but it's a real thing.
Practicing focusing only on your breath --- learning to
let your breath be your anchor --- can lead you to
moments of exultation at the sheer awesomeness of
existence. It can also help you to manage anxiety,
depression, intrusive thoughts, and more. If you're
interested, here's a comprehensive guide to conscious
breathing.
105. Learn about spiritual bypassing.
"Spiritual bypassing" is a term in psychology for the
shadow side of spirituality. Learning about this
concept changed the way I saw myself and helped me

43

to become aware of behaviors that were hurting

myself and my relationships. I highly recommend
reading this article, which explains much better than I
can here. Here's a great excerpt:
"Spiritual bypassing is a very persistent shadow of
spirituality, manifesting in many forms, often without
being acknowledged as such. Aspects of spiritual
bypassing include exaggerated detachment, emotional
numbing and repression, overemphasis on the positive,
anger-phobia, blind or overly tolerant compassion,
weak or too porous boundaries, lopsided development
(cognitive intelligence often being far ahead of
emotional and moral intelligence), debilitating
judgment about one's negativity or shadow side,
devaluation of the personal relative to the spiritual, and
delusions of having arrived at a higher level of being."

106. "Culture is not your friend."

This was another favorite saying of the late Terence
McKenna, one he devised himself. McKenna's point
was that cultures can be thought of as human
operating systems that inevitably contain many bugs,
defects, and blind spots. Though culture helps us in
many ways, it also conditions us to live and think
according to the accepted norms of our time and
society, vastly limiting our possibilities. For a person
with a truly open mind and "free soul," culture
becomes a kind of cage that must be transcended, as it

44

is ultimately a set of restrictions that prevent one from

thinking, living, and creating in the freest way
possible.
107. Follow your bliss(ters).
Most of us are familiar with Joseph Campbell's
famous call to arms: "Follow your bliss!," which
roughly means, "do what you love." Fewer people are
aware that once, when criticized by students who said
that "follow your bliss" encouraged pure hedonism,
Campbell reportedly grumbled, "I should have said
'follow your blisters,'" indicating that following one's
bliss will likely involve significant hardship and
demand great effort. I also tend to think that we
should follow our bliss, but follow it intelligently --- i.e.
that we should possess great self-understanding in
order to most fully flow with our nature, our whole
self, as opposed to acting on pure impulse under the
guise of "following bliss."
108. Play, laugh, enjoy, be silly.
"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells," Dr. Seuss
once said. I tend to agree. Somewhere on the trudge
from childhood to adulthood, most of us lose the
ability to let go and be zany and silly and make animal
noises and jump and dance spontaneously. Do
whatever you can to keep this ability intact. Play and
silliness are, for me, deeply nourishing and even a kind

45

of therapy counteracting the vitality-sapping, soulsilencing effects of today's Super Serious Societies.
109. Become an bermensch.
In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche
described what would become one of his most
memorable theories - that of the bermensch. In
essence, an bermensch is a person who has
overcome all external influences --- tradition, norms,
other people --- to reach a liberated, child-like state of
free play and creativity in which one wills one's own
values. If you're curious for more on this, read
Nietzsche's guide to becoming bermensch.
110. You are not a noun. You are a verb.
The late Buckminster Fuller wrote, "I live on Earth at
present, and I don't know what I am. I know that I am
not a category. I am not a thing - a noun. I seem to be
a verb, an evolutionary process - an integral function
of the universe." Fuller's idea was that we are not
static objects, but rather, ever-unfolding processes.
Whether we wish it or not, existence is always
interfacing with and altering us, as we are it. Physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual changes are endless
--- change is the only constant. Among other things,
this realization has compelled me to feel that we must
embrace change and transformation --- our particular
process of becoming --- recognizing that destinations

46

are illusions. If this is intriguing, you might appreciate

this in-depth essay on the topic.
111. Death is not to be dreaded.
Nietzsche wrote that, "The certain prospect of death
could sweeten every life with a precious and fragrant
drop of levity; and now you strange apothecary souls
have turned it into an ill-tasting drop of poison that
makes the whole of life repulsive." In other words,
death should be a reason to enjoy life, to take nothing
too seriously, but instead we treat it as a horrible
phantom. Death is as much a part of the process of life
as breathing or eating. We will all die someday, and
that is okay. To reflect further on this, I highly
recommend the poem, 'Death is Nothing At All,' by
Henry Scott Holland.
112. Amor fati.
This was another major idea of Nietzsche's.
Translating roughly to "the love of one's fate," amor fati
is the idea that we should embrace and appreciate
every single event and experience of our lives,
recognizing that each is an integral thread in the
tapestry of our becoming, our identity. One who loves
his fate sees that every detail of life is necessary for life
to be just as it is at any given moment. To abide amor
fati is to possess a kind of trust that "life is in the right,

47

always," as Rilke put it. It is to affirm life in the fullest,

to revel in one's path, whatever that path may be.
113. Listen to your deep-down intuition.
Many throughout history have argued that there is a
kind of "voice" deep within us that already knows
what we need to do. This might sound a bit 'woo woo,'
but in my experience, it's true. Call it your "heart" or
"soul" or whatever --- there is a part of you that
somehow just knows what you need, who you are, and
when you are in-sync with your core self. For me,
there is a feeling of rightness and purpose that lets me
know when I'm really "doing my thing," accompanied
by a distinct dread/displeasure when I am doing
something that I am not intrinsically motivated to do.
When the latter occurs, I sense the dissonance and
know that I need to do things differently.
114. The world of techno-connection can be

dangerous.

Maybe this one is obvious, but I think it's worth

mentioning. Excessive investment in technoconnection --- social media, digital entertainment, etc.
--- can have various detrimental effects. You may find
that your ability to mindfully participate in the world
around you slowly erodes. You may realize that
techno-connection has become a replacement for real,
in-person relationships and communities. It's worth

48

thinking critically about your habits and aiming to be

mindful in technology usage.
115. Avoid "Us vs. Them" mentalities like the

plague.

"Us vs Them" mentalities might be the single greatest

source of hatefulness, violence, and war in human
history (i.e. things that suck for everyone). We
evolved to form groups, but when we over-identify
with our ingroups to the point of developing group
narcissism, we tend also to begin directing animosity
and hostility toward outgroups. We begin to see the
world as a collection of groups that are necessarily in
conflict with one another. We create a world of good
guys and enemies, and in this separation we sow the
seeds of aggression and violence. For this reason, I try
to identify first and foremost with the greater
community of sentient beings in the universe and to
envision and enact a world in which many groups can
coexist, cooperate, and co-create a beautiful, peaceful
human enterprise.
116. Read Sacred Economics.
In Sacred Economics, Charles Eisenstein provides the
most moving and poignant account I've seen of the
various deficiencies and conditions of modern life that
lead to widespread alienation and despair in the
general populace. He suggests that our condition

49

cannot be remedied unless we re-imagine the most

basic cultural mythologies that underlie our present
global systems. Eisenstein imagines what a new
mythology of the "connected self" might look like and
goes on to detail how we might reform our economic
system to reflect this mythology --- i.e. how we might
create an economic system that encourages
equitability, generosity, and sustainability. The book is
a veritable shotgun blast of insight into our modern
condition that I feel would benefit any open mind. It's
also, FYI, one of Jordan Lejuwaan's --- the creator of
HighExistence --- favorite books.
117. You don't have to work as much as you

think.

At least in the United States, there is an unquestioned

cultural assumption that we have a duty to spend a
good chunk of our lives busting our glutei maximi
doing difficult tasks that we don't find stimulating or
enjoyable. This is untrue. For one, if you live a
minimalist lifestyle, you can get by working far less
than those who work in order to afford mountains of
material possessions. Furthermore, work can be play, if
you're working on something you deeply care about.
If you want it badly enough and adopt an
uncompromising attitude, you can work far less than
your peers and transform the work you do into
meaningful play.

50

118. Engaging with the world is an antidote to

depression/solipsism.

I just told you that work is mostly unnecessary, but

now I'm going to tell you that engaging with the world
in one way or another is a really good idea. Because
there's something odd that can happen when one stops
working or doing much of anything for a while. One
can begin to feel like a bystander to the rest of
humanity, as if one could just chill off to the side and
watch the world careen onward, an asteroid hurtling
through blackness. One can begin to feel alienated,
superfluous, depressed. The antidote for this, as I
wrote in an essay on jobless nomadism, is to maintain
engagement with projects, people, and communities.
119. Do things for their own sake.
Try, to the greatest extent possible, to do things for no
reason other than the enjoyment of the activity itself.
For the intrinsically rewarding nature of whatever it is
you love doing (unless you enjoy serial killing). If you
do things solely for external reasons --- to accumulate
wealth, to impress others, etc. --- you are much less
likely to actually enjoy what you are doing. And, what's
the point of living if you aren't enjoying yourself? For
me, activities seem to be intrinsically rewarding when
they are in-tune with my core self and values, so
finding such activities can be a useful exercise in
coming to understand your peculiar identity.

51

120. Be vulnerable.
Open yourself up to the world. Let other people in.
Don't be afraid to share who you are and how you
feel. Bren Brown is an American scholar and author
who has done some fascinating research in the area of
vulnerability. Her findings suggest that the ability to
be vulnerable is correlated with human thriving and
well-being in a number of areas, including work,
relationships, and parenting. I highly recommend her
TEDTalk on the subject, as well as her marvelous
book, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable
Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. You
can also read the key lessons of this book in 15
minutes on Blinkist.
121. Conduct thought experiments to see the

world anew.

Imagine that you are an extraterrestrial visiting Earth

for the first time, and try to view everything around
you through that lens. Imagine the objects around you
as 1000x bigger then 1000x smaller than they are
currently. Pretend you are an infant, aiming to let go
of all ideas and language and concepts and even your
notion of self. Exercises such as these prompt us to
learn about the world in a novel and interesting way,
to play with reality, and to realize deeply that
"subjectivity is truth," as Kierkegaard wrote.

52

122. Let compassion guide you.

"Compassion is the basis of morality," Arthur
Schopenhauer famously wrote. We humans have
erected elaborate systems for establishing and
enforcing ethics, obscuring the fact that doing the
"right" thing is usually as simple as recognizing that
other sentient beings suffer just like you do and doing
whatever you can not to contribute to unnecessary
suffering. This basic compassion is immensely
powerful and is one of my most valuable compasses in
making micro, everyday decisions and larger decisions
about how to respond to and interact with the world
around you. Compassion is also essential in selfevaluation: the ability to recognize that you are a
fallible human and to forgive yourself for past
transgressions is indispensable to flourishing.
123. Avoid binary thinking.
An immense source of conflict in the world today are
people who insist on seeing things as this or that, black
or white, right or wrong, good or evil. Countless people
endlessly reduce complex issues in search of a neatand-tidy answer that will allow them to be
comfortably certain. The problem is that very few
matters are so simple, so people end up failing to really
dig in and understand issues, opting instead to take an
absolute stance. The quintessential example of this is
the way in which people divide over political issues
along party lines, acting as if there is a definite "right"

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answer when often there is not. Transcend binary

thinking by viewing any issue from multiple
perspectives and surrendering the need for absolutes.
124. Be part of something larger than yourself.
Part of what has nourished the soul of mankind for
aeons is the feeling that we are part of some bigger
picture --- that our individual lives are more than a
series of isolated actions between birth and death.
Most cultural signals urge us to emphasize our
individual minds, wants, and needs over all else, and
because of this, many people feel alienated and
purposeless. It's okay to appreciate your individuality,
but you will find strength and meaning in identifying
with some larger community, vision, movement, or
force. So, join HighExistence, or start volunteering for
a cause you believe in, or recognize that you are
inseparable from and integral to the cosmos itself.
125. Embrace uncertainty.
From a young age, most of us are surrounded by those
who project an image of certainty. Our parents know
what's best for us. Religions know the truth of God.
Governments know how to take care of our country.
Newscasters know what is going on in the world.
Scientists know the nature of the universe. The giant
secret that no one ever mentions is that none of these
entities actually know anything for certain. Even the

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smartest human beings are akin to blind children

groping around in a dark room for some semblance of
understanding. Thus, the best thing you can do is
learn to "live the questions," as Rilke wrote --- to
dance with uncertainty and learn to love the mystery.
Experience the mystery to the fullest, but feel no need
to solve it.
126. See the mystery of existence everywhere.
Related to the previous tip: recognize that everything
you see, hear, touch, taste, and experience is an
inextricable part of the mysterious unfurling of being
itself. Every seemingly individual entity in your world
is enmeshed within an immense and seemingly eternal
process of reality that we humans can never fully
fathom. You are unable to explain the existence of
literally every object around you --- toaster, dog, rock,
etc. --- because a full explanation would require that
you explain the entire process of the universe and all
of the ways that a given object is connected to every
other object in the universe. A quip of Carl Sagan's
seems relevant here: "If you wish to make an apple pie
from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
Absorb deeply this fact, and you will find daily awe at
the vibrant, unknowable reality that's all around you.

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127. Explore, adventure.

Some have argued that one of the crucial elements of a
full and vital human life that is lacking in the modern
world is true space for adventure and risk-taking. Our
lives have become so bubble-wrapped and cookiecutter and confined to conventional and comfortable
modes of living that many people rarely venture into
anything new. Yet, to encounter beautiful novelty, to
feel surges of adrenaline, to do what you did not know
you could do, is to fulfill what seems to be a deep
longing within human beings --- a longing to explore, to
push beyond the known into the realm of the
unknown.
128. Let exercise become a natural part of your

life.

"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter

of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow
old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his
body is capable."
Socrates
Exercise, like most things, probably isn't going to
work for you if you try to force it. I think many people
make this mistake: they create a false dichotomy in
which Life With Exercise looks strikingly different
from Life Without Exercise, the former involving gym
memberships, discipline, strenuousness, and other
hard-sounding things. But, really, we all exercise in

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some capacity every day. Movement is exercise. If you

simply increase the amount of movement you do each
day, you're exercising more. So, to create a lifestyle of
exercise, simply begin to gradually walk, dance,
stretch, play games, do yoga, and jump more in your
day-to-day life. This alone will make you much
healthier.
129. To experience is enough.
Many people possess all kinds of criteria by which
they measure their lives to try to determine whether
their existence is worthwhile. Am I excited about things?
Am I happy? Do I love my career? There's nothing wrong
with asking yourself these questions, but consider this:
what if you discarded all criteria and chose to affirm
life, no matter what? That is, what if you chose to see
experience itself --- the chance to see, taste, think,
dream, love, suffer, all of it --- as enough? Simply by
waking up in the morning, you have another
opportunity to experience an immense spectrum of
wondrous things. Try to savor this jaunt through time
and space, and even when circumstances are shitty,
remember that you still have the rarest of gifts: life
itself.
130. 98% of people don't want any trouble.
I think many of us fall prey to the fallacy of thinking
that people of certain countries, cultures, or regions

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are inherently more hostile than others. Or that

everyone from a particular country/culture/region is
likely to support the violence perpetrated by other
groups/individuals from that country/culture/region.
In my country and in every country to which I've
traveled, I have found the overwhelming majority of
local people to be courteous and hospitable, or to
harmlessly keep to themselves. Try to keep this in
mind before stereotyping or making broad
assumptions about any sizable segment of humanity.
131. Contentment, not happiness.
"The notion that a human being should be constantly
happy is a uniquely modern, uniquely American,
uniquely destructive idea." Andrew Weil
Modern advertisements in particular have given
millions of people a false ideal of happiness. People
erroneously believe that happiness consists in being
perma-perky, always cheerful, endlessly smiling, everexcited. This state of being is a fiction. In an attempt
to rid myself of this false notion of happiness, I have
for a long time focused on the idea that a perpetual quiet
contentment is a more attainable ideal to which to
aspire. This contentment does not entail an end to
negative mental states; rather, it entails a deep
acceptance of the endless ebb and flow of mental states
--- a recognition that "this too shall pass." This
contentment is thus more of a perspective on one's state

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than a state in itself --- a perspective that allows one to

face life with equanimity.
132. Stop trying to control everything.
This one is related to the previous point, but it's worth
elaborating on. Many people want reality to conform
to their expectations. They want, through brute effort,
to control their fate. This is an impossibility, as
existence will forever find ways to defy expectation.
Therefore, we are better off surrendering to the whims
of existence. Resisting that which we cannot change is
perhaps the greatest source of unnecessary suffering
in humanity. Practicing deep acceptance of everything
brings an inarticulable calm to one's soul and allows
one to direct one's energy toward the things one can
do and change. Accepting the world just as it is and
wanting to change/contribute to the world are not
mutually exclusive positions.
133. Use saunas.
This may be a personal preference, but I find a hot
sauna to be special kind of hideaway, a Secret
Chamber of Peace, cut off from the bustle and
busyness of the world. I love the feeling of sweating
profusely, as it feels like I'm releasing all of my
impurities, stresses, and anxieties. I often vegetate in a
sauna for 20-30 minutes after working out, using that

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time to meditate and read. I truly cherish this time,

and I suspect many of you will too.
134. Read Brave New World.
In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley painted a prophetic
vision of a dystopia in which plentiful amusements and
distractions have effectively sedated the general
populace, rendering humans utterly passive and
docile. The occupants of Huxley's are vacantly and
mindlessly "happy" hedonists, unaware of the fact that
they are effectively slaves to a totalitarian state that
has deceived them. In this novel, Huxley brilliantly
anticipated many of the developments that would
shape our own present-day societies. It is a haunting
and epiphany-inducing reading experience that I
recommend to everyone.
135. Consciously give thanks often.
"Gratitude, not understanding, is the secret to joy and
equanimity." Anne Lamott
Gratitude may well be the difference between people
who see life as wonderfully full and people who see
life as permanently deficient. It might sound trite, but
there really are always people, circumstances, and
things to be grateful for. Consciously noticing one's
blessings and expressing thanks (if only internally) is

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a decidedly powerful, transformative activity. When I

take the time to do this, even in the midst of a
depressive period, I always feel strengthened and
fortunate. In sum, conscious gratitude is a soulvitalizing superpower. Use it often. The 5-Minute
Journal is hands down the best way to practice
gratitude daily. See how it works here.
136. "Become what you are."
This was another favorite saying of Friedrich
Nietzsche's. I see it as the 19th-century equivalent to
"do your thing." The idea is pretty simple: accept all of
the shades and colors of your being; embrace the
people, places, and experiences that have constructed
you; and become the complete and natural expression of
all of the interconnected forces that constitute your
you-ness. In practice, this is a formidable task,
requiring deep self-understanding and a willingness to
perpetually refine and grow oneself. The reward,
though, is great --- to be what only you can be, to the
fullest extent.
137. Failure is only feedback.
Many of us are deathly afraid of failure --- of
attempting something and having it go poorly, of
appearing foolish in front of our peers. Yet, really,
"failure" is merely an integral aspect of any
undertaking. Certain things will always go poorly, in

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anything you do, no matter who you are. To call these

things "failures" and to blame an individual for them is
to ignore the inevitability of hiccups. In fact, "failure"
is essential feedback, allowing us to see what isn't
working and to refactor our thinking and our behavior
in such a way so as to allow things to flow more
smoothly. Go after "failure", and view the fear of failure
as an indicator of an area in which you have room to
grow. Read the Dalai Lamas 18 Rules for Living for a
Buddhist perspective on fear and negative emotions.
138. Aimlessness is a tactic for seeing the world

anew.

In his autobiography, In My Own Way, Alan Watts

wrote:
"When one goes to a city like this it is all very well to
make plans to see the famous sights, but there should
be plenty of time to follow one's nose, for it is through
aimless wandering that the best things are found."
When one walks around aimlessly, with no destination
in mind, one seems naturally to go slower and to soak
in more fully the sensory experience. I would go as far
as to say that there is an art of seeing - a mode of
consciousness one enters to really perceive the small
details that give any place on Earth its distinct
suchness, its inimitable quality. When one is free of a
destination, a journey becomes an endless stream of
small, surprising destinations, as every dozen steps

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you take can reveal something unexpected. So, wander,

even if that simply means taking aimless walks in your
town or city.
139. Dance.
Let go. Let your body flail and fling and wring and
spin and wave itself in fits of helpless submission to
preferably LOUD music. Let the beat and the rhythm
be your temporary spirit guides, moving and
wrenching your body as an ecstatic puppeteer might.
Abandon rationality and self-consciousness
intermittently in favor of allowing existence to
progress of its own accord along a beautiful, intuitive,
spontaneous trajectory. You might find that if you do
this often enough, you begin allowing other areas of
your life to progress in this same way.
140. Always make time for family and friends.
We live in an age of infinite distractions. There are
limitless excuses one might make for not keeping in
touch with or spending time with the people that mean
the most. This is precisely why you should make a
point to keep in touch, to spend time, to share
experiences. Without those we love --- without dear
people with whom to share this experience of life --can we truly be said to have anything?

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141. Create and appreciate beauty every day.

Beauty can be created anywhere. A kind interaction is
beautiful. Doodling casually is beautiful. A person
taking the time to watch the clouds is beautiful. In the
midst of a world with plenty of darkness, we would do
well to take the time to notice the beauty around us and
to contribute to it. Create beautiful things --- rocking
chairs, rap songs, websites, jokes, paintings, doesn't
matter. And aim to appreciate beauty in many artforms. Read novels and poetry. Listen to many genres
of music. Contemplate paintings from many schools.
Notice graffiti and other street art. Art can become a
kind of armor against existential despair and the
changing tides of fortune. So next time you are
captured by beauty, linger a bit longer before
scurrying to your next to-do.
142. Learn to let go of intrusive and obsessive

thoughts.

Are you the type of person that tends to go down

rabbit holes of thought? Or who tends to have
unusual thoughts and become obsessed with what a
particularly graphic or strange thought "says" about
"who you are"? Me too. I think a great many people
--- perhaps most everyone --- deals with this. At some
point you have to realize the exhausting circularity of
endless analysis and introspection. You must
deemphasize your thoughts, learning to see them more
as sensations that are "passing through" --- like

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birdsong or the sound of a rushing stream --- rather

than a direct expression of "who you are." Thoughtevents simply occur in the mind and are often far less
significant than we're comfortable admitting. Gaining
the ability to detach from one's thoughts and to let go
of unproductive thought-spirals is invaluable for
psychological vitality. For me, the best way to detach
is by blatantly distracting myself, creating something,
engaging conversation, or focusing deliberately on my
breathing.
143. Everything is always okay. Breathe, relax.
Trust that on the deepest level, things are okay. The
universe has existed for billions of years. You and I
have existed for mere moments by comparison. Maybe
nature knows better than our young, limited minds.
"No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place," as the
Zen proverb goes. If you're not ready to accept this,
hang on to the seed; it might blossom later. This is not
a matter of intellectual certitude; it is a matter of
something more ineffable, something that one either
does or does not allow into one's heart.
144. Remain open to all perspectives.
You will find that everyone has useful and/or nourishing
morsels of understanding to offer you, if you are
simply willing to listen. Never assume that someone
has nothing to teach you, or that you are done

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learning. The path of learning is unending. Also

remember that open-mindedness and skepticism go
hand in hand. Be receptive to new ways of thinking,
but know when to call bullshit, and be meticulously
selective about what you incorporate into your
worldview. These 30 quotes will give you a glimpse of
what its like to see the world with anothers eyes.
145. You are not a "bad" person.
You've made mistakes. So have I. So has everyone.
And that's okay. More than okay. Bursting with okayness. Because we were all always going to slip up. The
deck was stacked against us. Being human entails
foolish decisions and moments in which we act from
the worst parts of ourselves. This is how we learn.
Forgive yourself. Please. The only thing we can do is learn
from our errors in order to be wiser in the future, to
act from the better parts of ourselves in the moments
we can still influence.
146. Life will always have downsides.
"There are ships sailing to many ports, but not a single
one goes where life is not painful." Fernando Pessoa
You cannot live without suffering. Sail to the ends of
the Earth, and it will catch up with you. Regardless of
where you go or what you do, you cannot escape

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yourself and your particular mental baggage. And that's

okay. The contrast between "good" and "bad"
experiences in life lend poignancy to each respective
pole. And it is often the struggles of life wherein the
most profound transformations take place, wherein
resiliency, character, and compassion are enhanced.
147. Find your own truth.
"I must find a truth that is true for me," Kierkegaard
wrote. He is also remembered (as I mentioned earlier)
for declaring that "subjectivity is truth" and "truth is
subjectivity." Kierkegaard's insight was that even
supposedly "objective" matters must always be
interpreted by a subjective human mind, before being
integrated into that particular subject's uniquely
complex worldview, web of understanding, schema of
prioritization and organization. The point is that every
person's web, every person's worldview --- even if two
people were exposed to all of the same information for their
entire lives --- will differ from everyone else's. We each
approximate our own truth from the data we
encounter. So, remember that what you are looking
for is your truth, not the truth. Who needs the latter
anyway? After all, your truth, your own
understanding, is the only truth that can ever be of use
to you.

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148. Make the Internet a cool place.

The Internet can be an impersonal, hostile space, or it
can be a space in which to practice reflective,
compassionate discourse. The Internet can be a
cloistered re-hashing of banal subjects, or it can be a
wildly free celebration of open-mindedness and
imagination. You choose.
149. Fall in love.
The greatest joys (and greatest sorrows) I've known as
a human being have resulted from falling in love.
Despite the anguish of heartbreak, I would never take
back any of it back. To love a partner unconditionally
and to have that love reciprocated, to form a profound
bond and a complete trust --- this has been the most
sacred gift of my human experience. Read this article
to understand the key ingredients of real love.
150. We are all "cut from the same cloth."
We are all ephemeral snowflakes flittering about in the
same fathomless blizzard --- fragile sentient beings
groping about in a strange universe, searching for love
and meaning and all that other good stuff. We face the
same predicament/opportunity. On one hand, it's
really difficult and scary and overwhelming for all of
us. On the other hand, we all have the chance to sing
and eat deliciousness and gaze at the stars and cool
stuff like that. We're in this together, for better or worse,

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is what I'm saying. And it's already hard, so let's not

make it harder for each other. Let's be kind. Let's try
to create a world in which everyone's basic needs are
met. It is my deep suspicion that what is not good for
everyone, and the planet, is eventually good for no
one. If there's one thing you take away from this
article, let it be this: one community of sentient beings.
One love.

Final Thoughts
Congratulations, my friend. Youve traversed the woodlands
of existential contemplation and are hopefully emerging with
covetable fruits of wisdom and renewed courage. If nothing
else, we hope your perspective has been broadened by this
experience.
Once more, if you adored these insights, you should take a
look at our 50 Life Secrets and Tips poster. We collaborated
with a brilliant artist to transform 50 of these wisdomdiamonds into a beautiful poster that vitalizes any living space
and keeps your mind ablaze with epiphanies. Its magically
life-changing. You can learn more about the poster here, if
youre curious.
Life isnt always easy. In fact, its sometimes an emotional
shitstorm. But its also worth it. We firmly believe that. If it
sometimes seems difficult to perceive the light, keep going.
This too shall pass.

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And as you gain more wisdom, youll become more and

more able to affirm life, see beauty, and be content, no matter
what is happening. We wish you the greatest of fortune in
your experience as a human being.
And now, fellow cosmic traveler, its time for us to say
goodbye. But no worries: well be with you in spirit, infusing
your world with a bit more enchantment, love, and loveliness.
Keep your eyes and mind wide open, become what you are,
and never stop asking questions. The world is a sublime
labyrinth, and those who stop exploring will never uncover
the most precious riches. Stay golden, and godspeed.
Peace and Love,
The HighExistence Team

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