Super-self-centered – and maybe that's OK, sometimes and somewhat! Dan Harris, celebrity of happiness, in "The Benefits of ‘Wise Selfishness’", visits the Dalai Lama, celebrity of mindfulness, who suggests balance and compassion, kindness and caring. Not suprising – and maybe that's OK! It's a "virtuous spiral" of altruism.

Getting more specific, Harris recommends four practices:

Loving-kindness meditation

Sit quietly, close your eyes and call to mind a succession of people. Start with someone who’s easy to love, like a pet or a child. As soon as you have a mental image of that person, silently send four kind thoughts their way: May you be happy; may you be safe; may you be healthy; may you live with ease. Then move on to yourself, a mentor, a neutral person, a difficult person and then all beings everywhere. ...

Talk to other people

Focus on increasing the number of positive interactions you have throughout the day, including with strangers ...

Dedicate your everyday tasks to other people

Before starting any activity, take a second to dedicate whatever you’re about to do to the benefit of all beings. Seriously. Before you brush your teeth, take a nap or eat a sandwich, silently say to yourself something like: I’m doing this so I can be strong and healthy — not just for myself, but so that I can be helpful to other people. ...

Take advantage of small opportunities for generosity

... It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone, giving a compliment or texting someone who is having a hard time. ...

And yes, Harris wrote a book and has a podcast, and his op-ed is quite first-person ... and that's OK!

(cf Ten Percent Happier (2015-03-07), ...) - ^z - 2023-01-26