Persevere

Enjoy persevering at something. Pick one activity that requires a great deal of perseverance and do it for a designated amount of time each week. Whether or not you are in the mood to do it, do it anyway. When the time is over, put it down. Then pick it up the next day. See what happens as a result of this to you, and to the activity.
Zen Miracles: Finding Peace in an Insane World

Turning Out Lives Around At Any Time

There is a Buddhist saying: "Give up poisonous food wherever it is offered you." Once we know what is poison and what is nourishing in our relationships, once we learn the laws of love and how to practice them, we will be able to live a life of love and build relationships that cannot fail. Zen shows us how we can turn our lives around at any time.
Zen and the Art of Falling in Love

Open Your Hands and Be Generous

As a great Zen poet said, "Open your hands if you want to be held." Give fully without reservation, without watching what you get back. The more you give, the fuller, happier and more self-sufficient you will become. Much will be returned to you, though not in ways you necessarily expect. Allow the universe to give back to you fully, but do not demand it from any particular person.
Zen and the Art of Falling in Love

The Number One Terrorist We Face

Anger is ruthless in the course it takes, attacking and disrupting our body, mind, and spirit. As school and workplace shootings rise, the divorce rate climbs, and people are increasingly unable to deal with stresses such as those springing from 9/11 and other everyday threats, increasing numbers of people are on antidepressants. It is clear that anger is a societal problem that is only growing worse. It is time we paid attention to the number one terrorist we face: the anger we live with every day.
The Anger Diet

Anger and Low Self-Esteem

The low self-esteem is the result of anger. We have not pleased ourselves. Perhaps we have perfectionist standards. Perhaps we could not please important people in our lives when we were younger and still carry the bitter wounds around. Now we continue this negative behavior by thinking poorly of ourselves. We judge ourselves poorly. We find the worst in ourselves. We dwell upon our errors and imperfections. We quickly become our own worst enemy. Low self-esteem is the root cause of many other manifestations of anger that can become more and more severe.
The Anger Diet

Prayer as Mist

Prayer is also referred to as mist. The Talmud says, 'A mist goes up to heaven.' Just like mist, prayers go up and activate the flow of spiritual sustenance. This sustenance is then called down into your life and the life of others through prayer. Ultimately the work of Jewish practice and prayer is to elevate and bless the entire world.
Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen

Take Everything Out of the Room

Soen Roshi, former abbot of Ryutakaji monastery in Japan and great twentieth-century Zen Master, used to say that when most of us want to see beauty in a room, we bring in fancy paintings, furniture, precious objects. In Zen, when you want to see beauty in a room, you take everything out, one thing after another. When the room is empty, you can see its original nature. Its beauty shines by itself.

In Zen practice you do the same. You take everything out of your life that causes clutter, static, confusion, and greed. You take out plush furniture and people to lean on. As you do this, you naturally find your own inner balance and strength.
Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen

Offering Blessings to Others

Whenever you become aware of having a negative thought about someone, stop and bless the person instead. Say, "I send you a blessing that all the goodness you desire comes into your life. I bless you for health and well-being."

You can bless and enhance activities and projects as well. When you offer the work you do a blessing, or bless a project you or someone else is involved in, you are taking time to send powerful, loving energy to it. As you regularly practice offering blessings to others and to yourself, you will be amazed at how your health, well-being, and joy in life will be enhanced.
Fearless: The Principles of Peace of Mind