Pay attention when life quietly improves

We notice new problems immediately, but improvements can become normal before we recognize them. The unreliable phone signal starts working, the nagging pain disappears, or a once-difficult task becomes easy, and life gets better without fanfare. Pause occasionally to notice what is no longer going wrong.

Find or build the support group you need

Everyone benefits from a circle of people who have faced similar struggles and can offer advice without requiring a lengthy explanation. If the right community doesn’t exist, create it. Chances are, others have been looking for it too.

Participate while your actions still matter

When you look back on difficult political or social periods, you probably won’t wish you had worked more; you’ll wish you had spoken more honestly, helped more people, and resisted what you believed was wrong. Act now in ways your future self can respect.

Trade some news for timeless ideas

We consume more information than earlier civilizations could have imagined, yet much of it is obsolete by tomorrow. Spend less attention on the daily churn and more on history, literature, poetry, philosophy, and mythology. The stories may be old, but the human problems inside them are remarkably current.

The sooner you make a choice

The sooner you make a choice, the sooner you can make an adjustment. Are you willing to be uncomfortable for 5 minutes? Exercising is easier once you've started the workout. Conversation is easier once you're already talking. Writing is easier once you're in the middle of it. But many rewards in life will elude you if you're not willing to be a little uncomfortable at first.

Forget yourself

Develop an interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music, and the world, which is so rich, throbbing with treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself.

The opportunities that are right for you

In the long run, the opportunities that are right for you have a way of finding you. Sometimes you wish so dearly that a new relationship or a big chance will go your way. It can feel like heartbreak when it falls through. But you have to dust yourself off and keep reaching and keep working. Water always finds its level. Stay in the game, keep your energy high, and do your best each day. You'll find the moments that are meant for you.