There is no shortage of advice on how to lead a happy, productive, rewarding and long life. Yet, it is a topic that continues to attract our attention. In the 2016 September/October issue of Psychology Today, the publication collected 16 snippets from a variety of authors and experts. Here they are:

  1. The value of spontaneity (as an antidote to fear and habit) by Joachim I. Krueger
  2. Don’t hold back. (Change demands full-on commitment.) by Peter Kramer
  3. Value a little compulsion. (The drive to discover brings deep satisfaction.) by Joe Herbert
  4. Zig when the world zags. (If nobody is upset, you’re doing something wrong.) by Todd Kashdan
  5. Expect the unexpected and make peace with it. (Life is unpredictable.) by Toni Bernhard
  6. Practice the art of under-reacting. (A Zen perspective helps balance the bad and the best.) by Douglas Kenrick
  7. Worrying. Now. (Worry is not only futile; it poisons the present.) by Karl Andrew Pillemer
  8. Always carry a sense of humor. (Wit takes you from victim to victor over life’s ugliness.) by Regina Barreca
  9. Do it while you can. (Every moment is the right moment for anything.) by Tom Pychyl
  10. Consider the opportunities you will one day kick yourself for missing. (Time travel can enrich your life now.) by Art Markman
  11. Take the long view. (Present identities are shaped by whom we hope to become.) by Susan Krauss Whitbourne
  12. Respect your future self. (Setbacks are no reason to jettison belief in yourself.) by Glenn Geher
  13. Don’t just look—observe. (Words are not necessarily enough for understanding.) by Joe Navarro
  14. Lived experience is a fine teacher. (There’s only one way to learn how to be a parent.) by Jonathan Wai
  15. Comfort is overrated. (Prioritizing feelings can foreclose major accomplishments.) by Jean Twenge.
  16. Set goals that can be met (We never outgrow the need to sharpen our game.) by Ronald Riggio.

Of course, all of these ideas have merit and can be explored in conversations, meditations, and actions. Choose the ones that speak to you. And remember, you can do it! Never let anyone tell you that you can’t. Flex your muscles. Know that there is no failure, just opportunities to do something different. Live today and every day with gusto.