It is only during these strange times of holiday cheer that we begin to feel comfortable enough to actively spread love and happiness. Let us maintain this positive momentum for the following 364 days of the year as well. For any time of the year, here are some ideas that I find most important to consider whenever we are giving gifts or doing someone else a favor.

At first the idea of business and spirituality together may seem contradictory. We are often told that businesses are only driven by the incentive to make more money, while spirituality entails abandoning this attachment to material wealth. With this attitude hanging over our heads how can a spiritual person ever expect to become a successful businessman?

By not forgiving others we are simultaneously denying ourselves forgiveness for our own mistakes. This hypocrisy can eat away at our spirit, cripple our ability to do good, and leave us feeling down and empty. Therefore it is important to address these feelings and find reconciliation.

Exhibiting loving-kindness and compassion is one of the most underrated methods of improving our mental well-being. It gets us to step out of our own ego-driven tendencies, to empathize with others, and to share both their pain and joy. Their happiness becomes our happiness.

Don’t just sit down and wait to die! Get up right now and find something that makes a difference in you and in others. So you wanted to spend the weekend locked in your room writing another blog post? F— that! Free yourself first. Then you can write about all the rich experiences you had after the fact.

“It’s hard to always show compassion — even to the people we love, but Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle.”