When I realized meditation wasn't about stopping my thoughts, I was no longer afraid to try it. This is a helpful quote for anyone who feels the same:

Thinking is the natural activity of the mind.

Meditation is not about stopping your thoughts. Meditation is simply a process of resting the mind in its natural state, which is open to and naturally aware of thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they occur. 

- Joy of Living (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche)

A friend once said, ‘I wish life came with a rulebook so we’d know what to do and what not to do.’ 

There is no universal guide to life, but I often return to these three principles from The Art of Happiness:

1. Focus on long-term happiness over instant gratification. 

2. Choices based on love, kindness, and compassion lead to happiness.

3. Choices driven by greed, anger, and jealousy lead to unhappiness. 

What’s in your life’s rulebook?