10 TOOLS FOR CONSTANT AWARENESS

I wanted to start off the weekend with some ideas I've found from the Aish HaTorah Center (which is where I've been studying) to begin the following week. This is an excerpt from the 48 Ways to Wisdom by Rabbi Noah Weinberg.

Life has been amazing and I have been loving the Jewel program. Tomorrow morning I'll write a more inclusive update as to what I've been studying, learning, and experiencing. Until then... Shabbat Shalom!

10 TOOLS FOR CONSTANT AWARENESS:

1. Plan out what you want to accomplish. If you know what you're after, you'll pursue it with more vitality.

2. Plan in the evening how you'll get up in the morning. Don't let the snooze button control your life.

3. To start off on the right foot, get up 10 minutes early and say the Shema (or another personal mantra to set the tone for your day).

4. Review your day. See what the obstacles were. Strategize how to avoid them in the future. Review what you learned in the past 24 hours.

5. Catch yourself day dreaming at least once a day and examine: "What am I doing right now, and how could I use this moment more effectively?"

6. Become a student of life. Study wherever you are. Have books, thoughts, etc. ready to keep your mind growing. (No staring out the window like a zombie.)

7. Memorize pieces of wisdom. It will give you something to learn as you walk down the street or wait in line at the supermarket.

8. Pick appealing catch-phrases, to inspire yourself on the spot, and to wake yourself up when you feel like drifting off.

9. Frequently ponder the question: What is the purpose of life? What am I doing on this planet?

10. Plan ahead now. What do you want to study? What do you need to realize your ambitions? How do you want to grow?

By the way... Everyone says that "time is money." But which is more important: five minutes or a dollar? Time is the greatest opportunity of your life. Don't waste a minute of it.