Tips to living a healthy life

Hey everyone! Hope your week has been going amazing and you've been enjoying it. I surely have been :D It feels amazing that I'm finally done my grad school applications, it's like a weight has been lifted of  my shoulders. Now it's time to start contacting professors. YaY! That means reading about cool research projects :)

I came across a really nice post the other day which includes 40 tips to live a happy healthy life. I suggest that you print it out and repeat it like a mantra in the mornings :P What I wanted to do for this post is to pick out a few that I think are important and expend on them.

1) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. 
Admit it, we are all very busy individuals and have a gazillion things to do. However, it's easy to get lost in the midst of all the work. I remember in my second year of undergrad I used to be insanely busy, like 6am to 1 am busy (yes I barely slept or had a social life). It was a horrible year and I felt almost like a robot some days, I was pretty much in autopilot mode. I think that taking 10 minutes each day and reflecting is not only a great stress buster but is essential for self-improvement. When its quiet you can actually let your innermost thoughts come out. Ever after second year I bought a poster that currently hangs on my wall. It says "the wisdom of quiet moments should never go unnoticed".

2) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
Seems so common sense doesn't it. I went to a local grocery store (Food Basic) with my father over the Christmas break and was in horror. The produce department was tiny, not fresh, and had very little variety. No wonder so few people eat enough vegetables... Something has got to change...

3) Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
I fall pray to this one all the time. I am competitive and I compare myself to others all the time. Marks, extra curriculars, race times, how they're dressed... It's horrible and it's true that I don't know what their journey is about. Sure someone might not be getting as high of a grade as me but that doesn't make them less smart, they just had other pressing priorities then studying. 

4) Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
Huge one among females! The thing is gossip is so exciting and sometimes you just want to feel included in the gossip sessions. Trust me it's not worth it, it ruins relationships and is truly just a waste of time. Always remember, if someone says something about someone behind their back they are just as likely to say something about you behind your back ;) Those aren't true friends.

5) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
I actually very much believe this statement. I do sometimes envy those girls that walk passed by me in designed clothing and their little Gucci bags. The thing is... I don't need these things. I don't need Gucci (I do really like Coach designs though) or Prada or anything that those brands stand for. If I truly wanted them I would've spent my money on them or would've gotten a job to get the money to spend on them. The fact that I would rather go for a run then work to be able to buy those things is the proof of that. 

6) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
You decide whether to be happy or sad, it's as simple as that. Whenever something happens you can look at it from a positive or a negative perspective. It's your choice. 

7) Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
Living with my grandparents has opened up my eyes to various issues. They have lived through the after matches of World War II and remind me of how lucky I am to be living comfortably. Also, they have so much more life experience and have a lot of interesting stories to tell. 

8) What other people think of you is none of your business.
I will not lie but I've never heard of this phrase but I can see how it can be true. I've been asked before what I think about someone and sometimes it's not something that will make them happy. It's really not something that I wish to share so I'd like to keep that thought to myself. Anyways, who cares what others think? They have no clue what your journey is about (refer to point 3).

9) When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
Every day is sacred and I know that it's easy to forget when you're uber busy. Just make sure to enjoy life and not let stupid things like power and money get in your way. 

10) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
It's like when you go for a run. Some days it's hard to get up and go. However, whenever you actually go for that run you feel glad that you did. 
11) The past is the past, move on
As you get older no one care if you had a bad childhood or this happened to you or that. Sometime I feel like people just use those things as excuses. Well if you had a bad childhood... you're not a child anymore... We all have skeletons in our closets, don't get them come out of that closer and interfere with your life.  

This is what everyday should feel like!

What are some rules by which you live? What do you think you're doing a good job at or what do you need to improve one?