Pray regularly

There is a story of about a sea captain who in his retirement skippered a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands. On one trip, the boat was full of young people.

They laughed at the old captain when they saw him say a prayer before sailing out, because the day was fine and the sea was calm.

However they weren't long at sea when a storm suddenly blew up and the boat began to pitch violently. The terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him to join them in prayer.  
   
But he replied, "I say my prayers when it's calm. When it's rough I attend to my ship."
 
Here is a lesson for us: 
   
If we cannot and will not seek God in quiet moments of our lives; we are not likely to find Him when trouble strikes. We are more likely to panic. But if we have learnt to seek Him and trust Him in quiet moments, then most certainly we will find Him when the going gets rough.

Stay out of reverse

Reverse, in a psychological sense, works the same as the reverse gear in your car – it takes you backward. And, like your car, if you want to change direction and begin moving forward, you must shift gears completely. It’s impossible to move forward in reverse gear.
   
The way reverse sounds in day-to-day living is this: "Can you believe what happened yesterday? Those guys were jerks. Every time I work on something, it gets messed up. That’s the sixth time this week our deliveries were delayed. I’m still mad at what she said to me." There are an unlimited number of possible examples. Anytime you are fixated, immobilized, absorbed in, or even overly concerned with something that is over – whether it happened this morning or ten years ago – constitutes reverse gear. I challenge you to take an honest look at how often you (and probably most people you know) are focused in reverse. You may be shocked.
   
The way you can tell if you are in reverse gear is simple. It will feel heavy and serious. You won’t be moving forward; you might even be moving backward. You’ll be complaining about things, people, circumstances, events, rules, problems, and concerns that are, for the most part, over and done with. Being in reverse saps the joy out of whatever you are doing. It’s boring, unforgiving and counterproductive.
   
As you notice your thoughts drifting backward, remind yourself that the past is over and done with. Then, gently and easily, guide yourself back to the here and now. All it takes is a little patience and some practice. Pretty soon, your tendency to be in reverse gear will be a part of your past.

Let go of the fear that if you're relaxed or happy, you're going to fall

When you eat too much, the energy that is usually directed toward normal body functions – healing, cell division, metabolism, and all sorts of other good stuff – must go toward digestion. This makes you feel sleepy and lethargic. You lose motivation and energy.

There is an emotional equivalent. You can extend this same metaphor to your tendency to be overly serious and immobilized over little things. When you are angry, bothered, and annoyed, virtually all the mental and emotional energy that could otherwise be used for creativity, spontaneity, and mental ambition is taken away.

When you focus on things that irritate you, it interferes with the process of creation. It keeps you down, stuck, focused not on the wonder and mystery of life and its many possibilities but on what’s lacking, what’s wrong, and all that makes you mad and frustrated.

As you lighten up, relax, and unwind, you open the doors of creativity and joy that were previously hidden. So, starting today, remind yourself that it’s okay to relax – in fact, it’s more than okay, it’s downright important.

Life isn't your enemy, but your thinking can be

At times, it can seem like life is our enemy, as if things never quite pan out the way we would like them to, as if there’s a secret conspiracy against us. However, it’s critical to remember that, in reality, life isn’t our enemy. There is no conspiracy. Life is just life. It is what it is. The factor that can make life seem like our enemy, however, is our thinking.
   
As obvious as this insight may seem, the implications are enormous. The truth is, life isn’t going to accommodate any of us by giving us fewer demands, less traffic, people who are easier to get along with, or a smoother path toward success. If we want a different experience of life, a more peaceful outlook, we are the ones who must change.
   
If you’re angry, you’re the one having angry thoughts. If you’re stressed, you’re the one having stressful thoughts. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself, again, you’re the one having thoughts of self-pity. The good news, of course, is that while you can’t alter life very often to suit your needs, you do have a fair measure of control over your own thinking. You can change the way you think, and you can change your reactions to life. It’s entirely up to you. You can go on hating the many inconvenient aspects of life or you can relax and commit to changing your reactions to them.
   
It’s very helpful to remind yourself (daily) that your life isn’t your enemy. While you’re at it, remind yourself of the tremendous power of your own thinking that your world is shaped by those thoughts you choose to focus on the most.

Correct Calculation

We cannot simply accept that part of the scripture we like, and reject what we don't like, and still expect to get the result. If you miss one point, there is a mistake in your calculation. Regardless of what you add or subtract after that, the mistake is already in the calculation, and everything that follows will also be faulty.

For example, a hen lays eggs with its back part and eats with its beak. A farmer may consider, "The front part of the hen is very expensive because I have to feed it. Better to cut it off." But if the head is missing there will be no eggs anymore, because the body is dead. Similarly, if we reject the difficult part of the scriptures and obey the part we like, such an interpretation will not help us. We have to accept all the injunctions of the scripture as they are given, not only those that suit us.

Stop complaining about your circumstances

It’s extremely rare to find a successful person who whines, complains, and frets about his circumstances. This is despite the fact that he may have overcome great obstacles to achieve his level of success. On the other hand, it’s extremely common for struggling individuals to continually blame their circumstances for their lack of joy and happiness.

The real question is: what came first – the attitude or the success? The answer, in virtually all cases, is that the winning, positive attitude came first, followed by a lifetime of success.

All it takes is a simple decision; the decision to stop yourself from falling into the habit of complaining about your circumstances. At first it may be difficult – even funny – to observe how often you complain.

Habits can be hard to break. But in this case, it’s well worth the effort. As an excuse of complaint comes to mind, gently shoo it away. Don’t worry about it too much. You’ll quickly get used to the nicer feelings that come from a life without complaints.