Live your life fully alive.

You were not created to be hated, you were made to be loved and to love.

You were born a bundle of joy, not a tangle of sin.

You are not an angel who's supposed to be perfect; you are a human being who sometimes makes mistakes.

You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, as does everyone.

Take time every day to count your blessings, even if your only blessing is the gift of life, and then give thanks.

When you do an act of charity, like giving a homeless person a dollar, or you do a work of justice, like writing your congress person to pass legislation easing the plight of the poor, you help others, sure, but you also help yourself by nurturing your spirit.

You can choose to be happy or sad. (Happy is better.)

Take time every day to nurture your mind: read a novel, a nonfiction book, a poem, a magazine or a newspaper. Spend your entire life learning.

You are your own spiritual leader.

Take some time every day, if you are able, to nurture your body, get some exercise and fresh air. Go for a walk or a run, do yoga or tai chi, go golfing or biking.

Clear your head of all thoughts and just be for at least 20 minutes a day, working up to two hours a day.

When you go inside, you gain insight.

Your life is an ever-changing journey: when you think that where you are is where you'll always be, it probably means you're about to move on.