The world can be a sick and hostile place, especially with regards to the current political situation. It can be demoralizing focusing on things that are out of one's control all of the time. With the new year coming up, I'm going to work towards mastering the things that are personally within my reach. I wrote this down and will do my best to live by it:

1. I will strive to be consistent in all of my actions, whether known or unknown, public or private.

2. I will hold myself to a high standard at all times and will not offer myself any excuse to transgress that standard.

3. I will take every opportunity to be of service to friends and loved ones, even if I do not particularly feel up to it.

4. I will seek wisdom and strive to actualize it, not just in principle, but in my every action.

5. I will consistently aim towards the cultivation of physical fitness, eat for health and regularly test my body.

6. I will practice sobriety and aim for a strong and clear mind.

7. I will take genuine interest in the world and show compassion for others without compromising my ideals.

8. I will not woe over what is out of my control or fall into despair because of any external circumstance. I will accept whatever life throws at me and live without fear of death or suffering.

9. I will always focus my gaze towards the highest and analyze every part in light of the whole. I will practice clear discrimination between the essential and the accessory, and avoid attachment to all but the highest good.