#MAYYOUBE CHALLENGE 2016

Project Happiness

#MayYouBe InspiredA Daily Intentions E-Book

Project Happiness

DAY 1: #MAYYOUBE HAPPY

When was the last time you touched base with your inner world? Today’s culture is so externally focused that often we neglect the health of our inner state of being.

This inward journey is about finding your own wholeness, some-thing that no one else can take away.

As Eckhart Tolle puts it, “If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.” Do you agree that a happy outside, starts from the inside?

COMMIT TO ACT: Aristotle said, "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." What if, just for today, you let happiness be the purpose for your existence?

For the next 24 hours, embark on the oldest human adventure and dive deep into your inner world today. Whatever makes your soul happy, do that...

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Hello May! Today marks the first day of our #MayYouBe HAPPY Challenge!

DAY 2: #MAYYOUBE HERE NOW

A happy life is just a string of happy moments. But many don’t em-brace the singular happy moment because they’re so busy trying to get a happy life. However, research has shown that the pursuit of happiness is negatively correlated with actually being happy.

As Eckhart Tolle explains, “stress is caused by being HERE but wanting to be THERE.”  Too often we find ourselves racing toward an elusive “there”, an end-all-be-all finish line that we feel we must reach in order to be happy. But life is not a linear race to be won. There is always going to be another THERE, so why not choose to be HERE, now? If you’re always racing to the next moment what happens to the one you’re in? Instead of letting an elusive THERE drive your day, make HERE and NOW the primary focus of your day, month, year... and life.

COMMIT TO ACT: Reflect on these questions.

1) What happiness contingencies do you have active in your per-sonal narrative? EX: “When I get ______ , then I will be happy.”

2) What would it take for you to let go of these ‘if-then’ beliefs?

3) Agree or Disagree: Keeping these contingencies active in your thoughts is holding you separate from feeling the happiness right here, right now.

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"Happiness is not something you post-pone for the future. It's something you design for the present." - Jim Rohn

COMMIT TO ACT: Try a practice on first waking or at other times throughout your day in which you commit a few moments to feel al-ready HERE NOW. This is the home base of mind, body, and soul. Tap into the feeling of being already happy in this moment. Let this feeling sink in and wash over you. You are already home - commit to being here now. If your mind wanders, bring it back with the breath: Breathe in, “Hello moment.” Breathe out, “I am here.”

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DAY 3: #MAYYOUBE GRATEFUL

If you never tasted a bad apple, you would not appreciate a good apple. The happiest people are those who have learned to look back with genuine gratitude for the profound teachings con-tained within their most challenging times.

Gratitude is more than just a feeling; it is a perspective that chooses to see life through a lens of abundance rather than lack. It helps us see what IS there, instead of what ISN’T. Practicing gratitude strengthens our ability to focus on the good by bring-ing awareness to our gifts in life, to see that “adver-tunitiy” (op-portunity within adversity) abounds, and serving as an antidote to negative emotions (like fear).

For today's challenge, discuss this idea of “adver-tunity” with a buddy: Do you agree that sometimes things don't work out be-cause greater things are in the works? Can you think of a time when you looked back in gratitude that things didn’t work out the way you once wanted them to?

COMMIT TO ACT:  It is said that the “stance of happiness” is a deep appreciation for what is and eager anticipation of what’s next. Give this stance a try by recalling this mantra throughout the day:

“For all that has been, THANKS. For all that will be, YES.”

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“I am thankful for my struggle be-cause without it, I wouldn’t have stum-bled upon my strength.”

DAY 4: #MAYYOUBE EMBODIED

Get out of your head and into your body more.  Many of today’s ills can be traced to the routine disconnection of our heads from our body. Humans were not made to sit and stare at screens all day! Conversely, it should come as no surprise that the antidote to these ills can be found in a practiced reconnection of our mind and body.

What nourishing mind-body practices do you have in your daily tool belt? Recruit a movement buddy today and help each other bust through all that blocks you from true health and vitality. Imag-ine if every human on the planet committed to living a more em-bodied existence...

COMMIT TO ACT:  Synchronize your mind and body today. This is such a simple point that it’s easy to overlook the healing power of embodied awareness. We talk about feelings “in our guts” and about a “lump in our throat” when upset. Our daily language illus-trates the mind-body connection, but how often do we ignore what our bodies are telling us? For the next 24 hours, track the feelings related to what your body is experiencing. What could your body be trying to tell you?

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“Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.” -Kevin Trudeau

BONUS ACTIVITY: The next time you notice pain patterns in your body, become mindful of what you’re saying to yourself internally. Then try replacing your internal dialogue with an empowering be-lief that supports your body’s health (i.e., “I release old energy to make space for new vitality to flow” or “Every cell in my body is happy and healthy”).

Hint: Don’t just think about your story, embody it! An empowering belief will feel good in the body – it compels us to take responsibil-ity for the energy we bring to each moment, and to trust that if we move from a place of true mind-body alignment, the story will un-fold in the best way possible!

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DAY 5: #MAYYOUBE GENEROUS

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Generosity is the habit of giving freely without expecting any-thing in return. But it is one of the beautiful paradoxes of life that “the heart that gives, gathers.”  

Happiness and altruism are intimately linked – doing good is an essential ingredient to being happy, and happiness helps spur kindness and generosity.

In her book Thrive, Arianna Huffington asserts that the archi-tecture of how we live our lives is in need of major renovation: we have an urgent need for some new blueprints that empha-size valuing “go-givers” and a general generosity of spirit.

What do you think it would take for our society to redefine role models to be those who impact billions of lives rather than those that have billions of dollars? How might you make gener-osity part of your growth strategy today?

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“Imagine how our world could change if we begin valuing GO-GIVERS as much as we value go-getters.” – Arianna Huffington

Brainstorm practices that could integrate altruism into your core val-ues or into practices that you do with friends.  (Note: You do not have to be rich to be generous. It can be as simple as giving a smile to a stranger or a compliment to a friend).

COMMIT TO ACT: In the next 24 hours, dare to draw some new blue-prints for yourself. Take some time to rethink your definition of suc-cess and do one small act that embodies the go-giver attitude.

Extra Challenge: Embrace this go-giver side for the rest of the week.

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DAY 6: #MAYYOUBE FREE

It’s hard to observe a young child without being reminded of free-dom. The purity of this limitless joy often seems to radiate from their innocent hearts. As we walk this earth, we accumulate narra-tives, or beliefs, that can separate us from the unconditional free-dom of a child.

The good news is that this childlike freedom is still yours- it always has been.

We can re-access this inner freedom by adjusting our dominant narratives: we can shift old thought patterns towards new liberat-ing thoughts that focus on feeling expansive without restrictive conditions attached.

Test the difference for yourself by comparing how these two thoughts make you feel:

1) "I will only feel free when ____."

Versus:  

2) "Freedom is my nature. I am, already, free." Which thought acti-vates a more happier feeling state within you? Therein lies your freedom!

Do you agree that freedom is our natural state? What does free-dom feel like to you?

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“Long ago, before you were chained down by human restrictions, you were free. Freedom is your true nature.”

Think of a time when you felt free (perhaps it was a time when your inner-child came out to play!). What sensory evidence let you know that you were in this state of freedom?

What did it look like, what did if feel like, what did it sound like?

How accessible is that feeling of freeness to you at any given mo-ment?

How might you practice living in that state more?

COMMIT TO ACT: For the next 24 hours, find your freedom and breathe there, drink there, love there, live there. Practice tapping into open/limitless/expansiveness without conditions attached…

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DAY 7: #MAYYOUBE LOVE

You want love? BE LOVE...

Could it be this simple? The word "want" focuses on the ab-sence of something. But what if love is our essence, and there-fore present in every moment? What if the wisdom and love be-neath the clutter of negativity is, in fact, natural and permanent, and the only thing missing is your attention to it? As Deepak Chopra puts it, “love is who you are.”

Your true self is pure love, infinite awareness, and unbounded joy. As you realize this, you will feel a small light in your heart.

At first it will be the size of a spark, then a candle flame, then a raging bonfire.

COMMIT TO ACT:  Today, practice love until you remember you are love. Feel the warmth of this knowing radiate out from around your heartspace, as you remember more and more. Con-tinue to practice love by repeating this question to yourself as you move through your day, “what would LOVE do here?”

May you be love...18

“Love should be like breathing. It should be just a quality in you - wherever you are, with whomsoever you are, or even if you are alone, love goes on overflowing from you. It is not a question of being in love with some-one - it is a question of being love.” -Osho

DAY 8: #MAYYOUBE INSPIRED

Do one thing every day that inspires you.

“That thing that you do, after your day job, in your free time, too early in the morning, too late at night. That thing you read about, write about, think about, fantasize about. That thing you do when you’re all alone and there’s no one to impress, nothing to prove, no money to be made, simply a passion to pursue. That’s it. That’s your thing. That’s your heart, your guide. That’s the thing you must, must do.”

What is your thing? The things that make you happiest are not random. They are your inspired calling.

Placed inside every human being is a call to joy, and the pur-pose of your life is to answer that call.

COMMIT TO ACT: Nurture that place where magic grows inside of you today.  "Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage. No matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow." - Kurt Vonnegut.

Remember, by doing what inspires you, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others to do the same.

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“Practice... No matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow." - Kurt Vonnegut

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DAY 9: #MAYYOUBE INTENTIONAL

Where intention goes, energy flows.

Focus all your thoughts upon the work at hand today.

Most people don’t realize the tremendous power they command simply by focusing their intention. In fact, research shows that a person whose focus is interrupted takes 50% longer to complete a task.

As Dr. Daniel Goleman suggests, focus is truly the hidden driver of excellence. After all, the sun’s rays don’t burn until brought to a focus!

COMMIT TO ACT: Always set an intention for your day. Here's how:

1. Close your eyes.

2. Take three deep breaths.

3. On the inhale, listen to your deepest desires for this moment.

4. On the exhale, in this calm state of mind, begin to softly ask yourself: What is my highest intention for this day? In other words, what do you most want to happen in the next 24 hours?

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"A good intention clothes itself in sud-den power." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. How do you want to feel as you go about your day? What do you most want to accomplish in support of your personal and profes-sional goals?

6. Pick ONE WORD or PHRASE that describes your highest inten-tion. Examples: clear the clutter, radical productivity, allow, be of service, make more money, add more value, gratitude, infinite possi-bility, seize opportunities, reach out, authentic connection, give love, follow through, let go, release attachment, accept, forgive, powerful goal setting, step up and show up, tell my truth, etc.

7. Write it down.

8. Repeat tomorrow!

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DAY 10: #MAYYOUBE RADIANT

Be RADIANT today. How?

Start with gratitude. It starts from the heart and radiates out. Think of something or someone you’re grateful for. Let the warm feeling of appreciation expand in your heart, permeating out through all the cells of your body, and then radiating beyond your-self to all those in your heart field.

The more you feel appreciation and love inside of you, the more you will want to spread it out. That’s the natural human way.

The more you can brew and drink of this yourself, the more this radiance will become a self-renewing endless supply.

COMMIT TO ACT: Tell someone that in your eyes, they are radiant. It’ll surely light up that person. Notice how it makes you feel, too.

You can’t pull people from the dark – you can only “let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark.”

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“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonish-ing light of your own being.” - Hafiz

DAY 11: #MAYYOUBE ENOUGH

Our most daunting challenge is accepting that in this very mo-ment, we are whole and enough.

The world today is full of messages telling us we need to do something or change ourselves in order to be “whole.”  We've been conditioned to always be looking for new ways to fix and improve ourselves, driven by a script of "never good enough." It's time to flip this script, and replace it with a practice of know-ing our inherent wholeness. The next time "never good enough" pops into your inner dialogue, remind yourself that being enough isn't an if/when proposition. Let go of the contingencies of "good

enough" you're practicing in your life (Ex: "I will be good enough when...") Holding on to these contingencies is like a subtle ag-gression against who you are, but you don't need fixing: you are enough.

You always were, are, will be.

COMMIT TO ACT: Today, whatever you do, let it be enough. Re-cruit an accountabilibuddy and commit to regularly reminding each other of your "enoughness" for the rest of this month, and beyond.

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You are enough. You always were, are, will be.

DAY 12: #MAYYOUBE OF SERVICE

It’s no accident that the most impactful teachers throughout time, such as Gandhi, all spoke of finding life's meaning and joy through service.

Modern research overwhelmingly agrees. Key findings in the study of happiness say that doing good is just as important as feeling good. How we contribute to others, and the world, plays a huge part in our well-being. In short, we rise by lifting others!

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.” - Desmond Tutu.

COMMIT TO ACT:  Jane Goodall said, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”  

What kind of impact will you make today? Start small (i.e., pick up a piece of trash on the street, let someone go ahead of you in line, tip your cashier). Little by little, a little becomes a lot. The ripple effect of even the simplest act of service is often profound, and always more powerful than you think.  

 

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“The best way to find ourselves is to lose ourselves in the service of others.” - Gandhi

DAY 13: #MAYYOUBE TRUE

Free yourself from truth-aches. Begin each morning by dedicating a few moments to breathe in who you truly are. Then set an inten-tion to embody your truest self as you walk through your day, let-ting your in-breaths anchor you to this commitment to truth.

There is ridiculous beauty in being who you truly are. When you walk in your truth, you withdraw your consent to be at lower ener-gies, AND you give others permission to do the same.

Authenticity attracts authenticity.

COMMIT TO ACT: What is one slight shift you could make to live closer to your truth today?

HINT: Your feelings are your indicator of how close to your truth you are living. You know your truth by the way it feels; being con-nected to who-you-truly-are feels emotionally freeing and energiz-ing, while pinching yourself off from who-you-truly-are feels restric-tive and draining. Emotions are about your perception of freedom or your perception of bondage...whichever one you perceive more of is a clue to how authentically you are living.

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“We feel real JOY in direct proportion to how connected we are to living our TRUTH.” - Oprah

DAY 14: #MAYYOUBE UNTETHERED

What if you were to UNTETHER for the next 24 hours? Do you dare to wander offline and discover the possibilities that open up when you disconnect from your devices, and reconnect with yourself in the immediacy of the world around you?

Today, untether from your screens and choose to engage in the moment instead of thinking you should or could be somewhere else. "Happiness is enjoying the moment for what it is, not what it could be or should be.”

Your life is in front of you, not in some email, text, or newsfeed.

COMMIT TO ACT: Live the moment, leave the phone!

The hyperconnectivity of our world today is full of distractions that pull us from being present in our lives. Cell phones, a new body appendage for most of us, are one of the biggest thieves of our presence.

Our devices are meant to connect us, but the moments we spend checking our phone are precious moments of our life, directly in front of us, that we’ve disconnected from.

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"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, includ-ing you." - Anne Lamott

DAY 15: #MAYYOUBE AWED

Can you look at this waterfall picture without feeling the AWE of it in your heart? Transcendent moments of awe change how we ex-perience life and the world.

“AWE” happens when people encounter a vast and unexpected stimulus, which makes them feel the presence of something greater and forces them to revise their mental models of what’s possible in the world. In fact, awe-inspiring experiences (includ-ing those viewed via photo) have been scientifically proven to en-hance your well-being and help you discover a sense of purpose in life. They prompt people to redirect concern away from the self and towards everything else. And about three-quarters of the time, it’s elicited by nature.

Research shows that when people encounter a vast and unex-pected stimulus, it makes them feel small and forces them to re-vise their mental models of what’s possible in the world. In the wake of an awe experience, people:

1) Act more generously and ethically,

2) Think more critically when encountering persuasive stimuli, like arguments or advertisements, and

3) Often feel a deeper connection to others and the world in gen-eral.

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“A person’s life purpose is nothing more than to redis-cover, through the detours of art, or love, or passion-ate work, those one or two images in the presence of which their heart first opened.” - Albert Camus  

COMMIT TO ACT: If every day you give yourself at least 5 minutes to contemplate everything you see, soon everything around you will be filled with wonder.  Awe moments happen all the time, we simply need to train our senses to notice them. This challenge is meant to do just that!

Consider when the last time was that you experienced the deli-ciously expansive feeling of your heart opening? Awe can be ac-cessed through any number of creative mediums, such as photogra-phy, dance, film, writing, music, yoga, poetry, painting, cooking… take yourself on an awe-venture today.

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DAY 16: #MAYYOUBE OPTIMISTIC

Everyday, prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer. Morning mindset matters: what you feed your mind deter-mines your appetite.

Upon waking each morning, peer into the cupboards of your mind and reach for your best feeling thoughts. What we consume mentally influences how we feel for the rest of the day.

Just as you choose what food you eat, you get to decide how you nourish your mind... Do you want to feel pleasant and happy, or roiling with indigestion? Choose an optimistic mindset today with thoughts of the highest “nutritional value.”

COMMIT TO ACT:  Don’t believe everything you think! Today, stop supporting the thoughts and feelings that are not supporting you. Identify your automatic thoughts. Are they positive, negative, fearful – what do you say to yourself when you are not paying at-tention? PAY ATTENTION to how thoughts make you feel. You alone create your day, thought by thought, choice by choice. Re-member, “the happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”

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“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”

DAY 17: #MAYYOUBE THANKFUL

Start each day simply: in appreciation for the gift of life.

Let your first thought upon waking be, “Thank you for this breath, how fortunate I am to be alive.”  

Anyone who has a regular practice of giving thanks can tell you that it attracts even more reasons to be thankful.

And, the science supports this magnetic effect: thankfulness awakens our brain’s pleasure centers, and our bodies produce bio-chemicals that activate a strong and powerful sense of con-nection and well-being.

Giving thanks prompts our bodies to respond with vitality, a stronger immune system, and often also inspires us to want to contribute to the greater good.

When you wake with a thankful heart, that feeling of appreciation cascades into the rest of your day, and life.

If you train yourself to find the blessings in everything, you'll end up having more of them. Who could you thank today? What are you grateful for, right now?

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“What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it - would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In or-der to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” - Ralph Marston

COMMIT TO ACT: Before bed tonight, re-flect on the blessings of your day and then recall this mantra: “thank you, thank you, thank you, please let this continue.” Let this state of appreciation envelop you like a blanket as you fall asleep, and again when you wake tomorrow. Notice how this virtu-ous cycle of giving thanks feeds itself, and elevates your entire life... How many days in a row can you go?

Consider all the ways in which events in your life could have never taken place, and then reflect on what your life would be like without them. This exercise, called “Mental Subtraction”, counters our tendency to take positive events for granted. Instead, it trains your brain to recognize your fortunes in life. In fact, studies show that completing a 15-minute Mental Subtraction writing ex-ercise leads to increased happiness.  

Gratitude practices such as this one give us a taste of absence- without actually hav-ing to lose anything – that allows us to have a deeper appreciation for all that is present in our life. These exercises chal-lenge us.

Try a Mental Subtraction exercise today. Easy exercise instructions can be found from our content partners at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center: http://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mental_subtraction_positive_events#data-tab-how.

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DAY 18: #MAYYOUBE BOLD

"'Come to the edge,' he said.

'We can’t, we’re afraid!' they responded.

'Come to the edge,' he said.

'We can’t, we will fall!' they responded.

'Come to the edge,' he said.

And so they came.

And he pushed them.

AND THEY FLEW."

-Guilaume Apolinair

The fullness of life resides on the edge of your comfort zone.

If you are inside your comfort zone, you may be outside of your enhancement zone.

What is keeping you from stepping up to your edge? Move be-yond fear today, and take that bold step towards what you really want.

"When we are willing to stay even a moment with uncomfortable energy, we gradually learn not to fear it." - Pema Chodron

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"When we are willing to stay even a mo-ment with uncomfortable energy, we gradu-ally learn not to fear it." - Pema Chodron

COMMIT TO ACT: May you BE BOLD, and explore your edges to-day.  We are rarely taught about edges: how magical, how challeng-ing, how necessary they are.

They give us vision, motivation, and breath. Take time to appreciate the power and growth that reside in your edges.

How might you harness this power toward your highest good?  

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DAY 19: #MAYYOUBE KIND

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

Too often kindness is written off as ineffectual or even a superfi-cial nicety. But it’s neither.

Dr. Martin Seligman, the “father of Positive Psychology”, says that in all his research, no one single factor has made more dif-ference to increasing well-being than that kindness. Doing good changes our brains. The “happy” neurochemicals of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin (to name a few) all increase when we extend kindness to others.

What’s more, kindness is contagious. Like rays of the sun, your kindness radiates farther than you’ll ever be able to see...but it will be felt. You will never regret choosing kindness!

COMMIT TO ACT:  How many random acts of kindness can you commit to today? Start immediately by sharing a kind word to a friend or offer a kind gesture to the very next person you encoun-ter (i.e. hold the door open or give a unsolicited compliment).

The power of any act of kindness is that it affects the way you and/or others feel IN THE VERY NEXT MOMENT. Make sure to notice this immediacy.

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“We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we be-come increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder. You always have a choice.”  - Dalai Lama

Key reminders about kindness:

1) Be kind to unkind people, they need it the most.

2) Don’t forget to extend the kindness to yourself. We’re often less kind to ourselves than we are to others, even strangers! The shocking secret of lasting positive change is to practice uncondi-tional loving kindness for yourself, as you would a dear friend.

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DAY 20: #MAYYOUBE OPEN

We work tirelessly to perfect our masks of identity so that people will accept us. But the truth is that living OPEN, UNGUARDED, VULNERABLE, RAW is the most attractive trait we find in one an-other human.

Our vulnerabilities are at the core of meaningful human experi-ence. The richness of life includes the whole tapestry: sadness, happiness, all of it. The only way to access this richness is to live vulnerably, letting our 'cracks' be a source of connection.

As Dr. Brene Brown puts it, “What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.”

COMMIT TO ACT: For the next 24 hours, be brave and un-guarded. Be open to receiving unconditionally. Notice what now has an opportunity to flow in, as a result of this more vulnerable stance to life. OPEN YOUR HEART AND LET HAPPINESS RUSH IN. "You can't expect to receive all that is beautiful and good in your life with a closed heart." -Joe Duncan

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"Vulnerability is the key to happiness. Vulnerable people are powerful peo-ple." - Amy Poehler

DAY 21: #MAYYOUBE ONE

You are never alone.

At every level, there are invisible patterns of unity and oneness interconnecting everything. These have no power structures or hierarchies; they pass freely from heart to heart along the web of oneness that connects us all.

We can be present with someone whose language we don’t un-derstand, who speaks about circumstances we have never expe-rienced, or whose reactions are baffling to us.

Oneness is an orientation and intentionality to simply be with an-other…

Feel the fullness of your connection today. If at any moment in your day the illusion of separateness sneaks in, envision a golden thread connecting your heart with that of the first person you see and silently recall this mantra to yourself:

“I am another you, you are another me.”

Human beings naturally seek connectedness and it is one of the beautiful rewards of life that this connection is already ours, read-ily available to every individual when we engage with the sim-plicities of life, right in front of us.

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“A person experiences life as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through com-passion to find the reality of Oneness.” - Albert Einstein

COMMIT TO ACT:  In the next 24 hours, adopt the orientation of one-ness with something or someone(s). Hold hands with a loved one and be present to the currents of connectivity between you, share a meal with someone of a completely different background than your own, tune into the buzz of the natural world around you… You’ll soon find that, in each of us, there is a little of all of us; one affects the whole!

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as ef-fects.” -Herman Melville

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DAY 22: #MAYYOUBE ALIVE

NEW RULE: Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.  When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Children do this every day. Adults tend to conform to routine be-cause trying something new means possibly making mistakes, failing, and wasting time. It also means expanding horizons, ful-filling dreams, building confidence, and feeling deliciously ALIVE.

Children know what adults have forgotten: “Life is an opportunity given to satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul.” -Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan.

COMMIT TO ACT: Today, explore this question, “From 0 to 10, how alive do I feel?” Zero represents “the living dead,” and 10 represents “100 percent alive.”

Notice how alive you feel in your life right now, and identify what would help you to feel even more alive. In particular, name spe-cifically what inspires you and what motivates you to show up in your life each day. To live your purpose, you have to dare to be even more of who you really are.

“Here is a test to find out if your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.” -Richard Back

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“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” -Oscar Wild

DAY 23: #MAYYOUBE BREATH

Keep coming back to your breath - it is the anchor to your life.

You ARE breath. Today, whatever you do, keep returning your at-tention to your inhales and exhales; Breathe in, “I AM.” Breathe out, “BREATH.”

“Breathe it all in, love it all out.”

COMMIT TO ACT: Try this simple yet counterintuitive Tonglen Meditation practice for challenging times. On your inhale, breathe in with a wish to take away suffering or disharmony in the world, and on your exhale, breathe out with a wish to spread the antidote

of happiness, harmony, peace of mind (or whatever might be needed in the specific case).

Do this for individual cases or for large areas, breathing in as fully as you can, radiating out as widely as you can. This breath prac-tice works to reverse the flow of ego, which gets caught on de-tails, while the heart sees the depth and the bigger picture. It is intended  to work with habitual patterns of mind and, as Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche explains, "develop the psychological attitude of exchanging oneself for others."

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“Breathing and thinking are the two most important processes, one for sus-taining life and other for giving it a purpose.” - Tasneem Hamee

DAY 24: #MAYYOUBE CONTENT

For one minute, go outside, stand there in silence, look up at the sky, and contemplate how amazing life is.

Happiness consists not of having lots, but of being content with little - the secret to having it all is knowing you already do!

NOTE: To be content doesn't mean you don't desire more, it means you're thankful for what you have while patiently waiting for what's to come...

COMMIT TO ACT: Make a habit of allowing even the smallest of treasures to hold a big place in your heart.

Spend some time daily in appreciation of your treasures - soon your heart will brim and you will feel your life afloat.

“We are alive most when our hearts are conscious of our treas-ures.”

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“We are alive most when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

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DAY 25: #MAYYOUBE GROWING

Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you or makes you happy.  

Are there areas of your life that feel stagnant or where your energy feels unmoving? Often it is fear that holds us in this stuck place, but what most people don’t realize is that fear is natural. Fear holds a message. It just means you’re growing, and therefore liv-ing. The purpose of life is to grow.

Choose life. Step forward through the fear and into growth today, and every day after that. May you always always be growing... up... forward... now….

COMMIT TO ACT: Growth is not a light switch. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a commitment, everyday, to stretch a little farther than you did the day before. To keep stepping from the known to the unknown.

Growth lives in the uncertainty, the in-between, the unfinished sen-tence, the season of becoming. If you’re growing, you’re out of your comfort zone.  Today, STRETCHHH as far as you can... And then just a little bit more.

If you waver, remember, “the universe has a way of forcing us to move forward and to constantly keep creating and experiencing life at a higher level.” - Joe Duncan.

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“The universe has a way of forcing us to move forward and to constantly keep creating and experiencing life at a higher level.” - Joe Duncan

DAY 26: #MAYYOUBE ACCEPTING

Ask yourself, “what would it be like if I could accept life- accept this moment- exactly as it is?” This is what author Tara Brach calls "radical acceptance", or a  willingness to experience ourselves and our lives as it is.

A moment of radical acceptance is a moment of genuine happi-ness. Challenge yourself to see how many moments of radical ac-ceptance you can bring in to your day!

Acceptance can be practiced in all areas of your life: toward your experience, other people, your appearance, your thoughts and emotions, others’ beliefs or ideas, your health, your past, etc...

Remember, accepting means not asking any person or situation to be anything other than the way they are/it is right now.

COMMIT TO ACT: Radical acceptance is an active process, one that must be practiced consciously. A pivotal part of this practice is showing compassion to yourself alongside the acceptance. When you create a compassionate space for your entire spec-trum of experience, your inner critic quiets. What's more, self-compassion is the first step to embracing others' differences in a truly accepting manner.

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“What would it be like if I could ac-cept life--accept this moment--exactly as it is?”

Try this self-compassion meditation today and notice how it corre-lates with the happiness in your life:

May I be kind to myself in this moment.

May I accept this moment exactly as it is.

May I accept myself in this moment exactly as I am.

May I give myself the compassion I need to respond to this moment wisely.

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DAY 27: #MAYYOUBE YOU

No one is you and that is your power.  Never hide your “only-ness.” Simply by being you, you are putting something unique in the world that never existed before you, and will never exist after you. So, BE YOU and let the world adjust to meet you where you are. The moment you truly don’t care what anyone thinks of you and start living by what’s in your heart, you will reach a danger-ously awesome level of freedom. Being yourself is the best type of FREE.

COMMIT TO ACT: Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you SHOULD be?

Let everything that isn’t you fall away today. Let go of all the social masks and limiting 'stories of self' you've accumulated from the world. Let them fall and as they wash away, feel the freeing of your true self emerge out from beneath the clutter. This is you.

You will know it by the way it feels like a homecoming. Realize, deeply, that this ‘you’ has always been there and always will be. And just like a daily hygiene routine, it's up to you to shower off everything that isn't you so your authentic self can shine through, raw and beautiful, everyday.

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"Respect your uniqueness, and drop comparison. Relax into your being." -Osho

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DAY 28: #MAYYOUBE WILD

“We’ve become strangers to nature. And the best way to live longer, healthier lives is to RE-WILD ourselves by returning to na-ture whenever we can.” - Daniel Vitalis

The natural world communicates profound messages: things are okay as they are, you are okay just as you are, you are never alone; nature is always holding you, simply relax and be pre-sent....

We evolved in the wild, and studies show that reconnecting with the wilderness– the beach, the woods, the mountains- is restora-tive and promotes positive emotions.

There is no app that can substitute for the fact that your mind, body and soul on nature, are HAPPIER.

COMMIT TO ACT: Re-wild yourself. Follow John Muir’s lead and go outside to find the wild within; "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown; for going out, I found, was really going in.”

At the end of today, may your hair be messy, your feet dirty, and your eyes sparkling with the glint of your inner WILD.

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"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Khalil Gibran

“Place your hands in the soil to feel grounded. Wade in water to feel emotionally healed. Fill your lungs with fresh air to feel mentally clear. Raise your face to the heat of the sun and connect to that power to feel your own immense power.” - Victoria Erickson

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DAY 29: #MAYYOUBE SOULFUL

Free yourself from your ego armor. The ego is not bad; it wants to protect us, like armor, but it often manages to do so in a un-healthy, painful or inauthentic way.

The ego is your social mask; it is a role you play and it thrives on approval. The ego, however, is not who you really are… YOU ARE A SOUL.

Today, allow your true essence to break through the ego armor recognizing the deepest, most soulful part of you.

COMMIT TO ACT: Make it a great soul day. Trust your soul to di-rect you today- it is always there and always rooting for you even when your mind may falter. Whatever makes your soul happy, do that!

Hint: “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” - Rumi

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“Souls love. That’s what souls do. Egos don’t, but souls do. Become a soul, look around, and you’ll be amazed - all the beings around you are souls, too.” - Ram Dass

DAY 30: #MAYYOUBE STILL

Stillness is our essential nature, but it is all too often forgotten amidst our constant "doing" these days. It is, therefore, essential that we consciously re-habituate ourselves to return to our still-ness….

Carve out time today for being still. Get to know the stillness inti-mately, so that you trust it is always there within you, below even the most turbulent of surfaces.

“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” - Hermann Hesse

COMMIT TO ACT:  Learn the art of stillness! There are no prereq-uisites for experiencing stillness. Nor is finding this kind of inner quiet exclusive to serious meditators or only those who call them-selves ‘spiritual.’ Stillness is always available, 100% free of charge, and already wholly inside of you. It is just a matter of opening to it.

Practice accessing the stillness within you today, so that you can retreat to this sanctuary anytime external conditions become stormy.

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“Being still doesn’t not mean don’t move. It means, move in peace.” -E'yen A. Gardner

DAY 31: #MAYYOUBE HEARTFUL

Notice where you dwell most: do you tend to reside more in your head or in your heart? Try gratitude exercises to get out of your head and into your heart space more.

Gratitude is one of the quickest ways to establish a connection to your heart – it reminds us that we can find all the love we are seeking inside ourselves. The more you do such heart opening practices, the more accessible the heart space will become to you.

The greater your capacity for sincere appreciation, the deeper the connection to your heart!

COMMIT TO ACT: Look around you. How much love can you bring into the situation you’re in? Be heartful for the next 24 hours and feel life loving you back. "Open your heart and let love rush in from all corners of the universe."

Bonus Challenge: Adopt “heartfulness” as a way of life. Live a life that is full of the positive and wise qualities of the heart! Re-search shows that intentionally generated positive emotions can change our inner coding, as well as affect each others’ moods, attitudes and feelings. This will, in turn, carry over into how we act and show up in the world.

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“Find the sweetness in your own heart, then you may find the sweet-ness in every heart. - Rumi