Purify Your Mind

1. Go on a TV + Internet + newspaper + game console fast.
2.  Switch off every phone that you own.

3. Pick a book or two from a genre that you usually wouldn’t touch and read it from cover to cover.

4. De-clutter your living space.

5. Free yourself from unwanted sounds, including the constant traffic din in the background, or the low-volume buzzing from the computer fan.

6.  Go to your favorite stores and observe how your mind persuades you to buy. Ignore all its temptations.

7. Quit whining and complaining. Try laughing instead.

8. Listen to music that makes you smile or dance.

9. Drag your inner critic out the door and finish it off once and for all.

10. Count your blessings each night, say thanks and really mean it.

11. Write, not email, letters to people you miss.

12. Practice mindfulness meditation every morning and know your thinking patterns inside out.

13. Appreciate your inner, as well as outer, beauties.

14. Face and accept your flaws and shortcomings.

15. Participate passionately in your favorite social activity.

16. Stay away from people who are quick to criticize and enjoy making cutting remarks.

17. Revitalize Your Spirit

18. Go on a thought fast and focus your mind, body and spirit on the present.

19. Do something useful for someone you do not know and don’t get caught.

20. Pour out your soul to Jesus, Buddha, Shiva or someone you trust without reservation.

21. Make amends for the things you’ve done in the past and resolve not to commit them again.

22. Write down your wrongdoings on paper and then set it aflame together with your guilt.

23. Sign yourself up for a silent retreat.

24. Increase the time of your daily meditation practice by 100%.

25. Read sacred text from a religion different from yours. Some examples are Teachings of the Buddha, The Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, The Koran and The Holy Bible.

26. Forgive someone even if you think your feelings are justified.

27. Reconcile with an estranged family member or friend.

28. Give your time, money or knowledge without wishing for anything in return.

29. Fill your heart with soul-inspiring music, like those by Snatam Kaur, and let your emotions flow uninterrupted.

30. Visit a hospice and spend time with the residents.

31. Contemplate on death and observe the thoughts and feelings that arise from it.