This article is a compilation of advice found in hundreds of self-help bestsellers and boiled to 11 simple rules, which are: 1. Take one small step. 2. Change your mental maps. 3. Struggle is good. Scary is good. 4. Instant judgment is bad. 5. Remember the end of your life. 6. Be playful. 7. Be useful to others. 8. Perfectionism = procrastination. 9. Sleep, exercise, eat, chill out. Repeat. 10. Write it all down. 11. You can't get it all from reading. — Which is just a reminder that everyone needs someone to call them out on their B.S. like a therapist, an accountability buddy or a best friend. — CD

I love walking labyrinths for meditation. I considered buying a portable labyrinth mat but I can’t justify the $600+ price tag. For now, I’m happy with these Finger Labyrinth Travel Cards as a mindfulness “on-the-go” tool. I set an intention to leave my “worry” in the middle, and trace the maze-like path toward the center and back out again. It’s very relaxing. — CD

I ordered this honeycomb packing paper to wrap fragile dishware. When the roll arrived in the mail I was disappointed. It looks like regular kraft paper. But then I read the instructions. When you pull the paper, the cut pattern unfolds and turns it into 3D packing material. Here’s a video that shows how it works. It’s a lot cheaper than plastic bubble wrap and fun to use!  — MF

For an outstanding example of what generative AI artists can do, check out Joann’s brilliant instagram series on the Inflatable Wonders of the World. Click through all 10. — KK

Infinite Mac is a website that takes you on a nostalgic journey through Macintosh software from the years 1984 to 2000. The entire Macintosh experience runs seamlessly in your browser. One gem I stumbled upon was a version of Tetris from 1989. The simplicity of the 1-bit illustrations captured the essence of that era, reminding me of the joy I experienced playing games on those early computers. — MF

This issue of David Friedman’s newsletter has five tips for reducing junk mail. They include a service that will opt you out of junk mail ($4 for 10 years), stopping pre-approved credit offers, and opting out of coupon mailers. I have followed all the suggestions mentioned in this newsletter." — MF

A really cool and clean way to hang pictures, mirrors, hooks, frames, devices, almost anything, onto a wall without damaging the wall (no holes, or torn paint) is with 3M Command Hanging Strips. It’s hard to explain how they work, but I’ve been using them for a decade and they really do work miraculously. The strips will adhere securely to the wall forever (even with weight), but when it comes time to move or remove them, they instantly let go with zero wall damage. They come in all sizes for different weights you are hanging. Super ideal for renters. — KK

It seems impossible to keep up with all the new AI tools being released and even directories for AI websites available seem to pop up daily. This list of the most visited AI sites is based on monthly traffic and it’s a good way to discover and deem what is most useful. I’m still using Perplexity.ai on a daily basis to answer all my questions, Otter.ai to transcribe my audio notes, and Midjourney.com to create my daily dream imagery. — CD

Heart-centric meditations are what help me quickly diffuse highly-charged emotions within my body. Sometimes it’s as easy as telling myself to “breathe through my heart.” Other times I need to practice visualizations and taking on the perspective of someone other than me. The meditation that has been working for me lately is the Cut-Thru Technique created by the Heart Math Institute. It’s designed to create objectivity and dissolve the significance of perplexing emotions. The entire 5-step process is highlighted and outlined here in this article I saved (scroll down). — CD

The idea of a cruise has been ruined by mega-ships carrying 5,000 passengers. You could not pay me enough to get on one of those. But the fundamental idea of going on a journey that returns to the same bedroom each night while pulling right up to that day’s destination is pretty awesome – and entirely doable. The secret is to sign up for a very small-boat cruise, the smaller the better. Ideally 12-20 passengers, or a maximum of 40. Instead of round the clock entertainment and food, a small boat can land at tiny villages, or wilderness places that a mega boat can’t get to, deboard instantly (instead of hours), and let you kayak and snorkel or fish right off the back. The best small boat cruises are design to maximize outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking during the day, instead of shopping in port cities. We’ve had great small-boat cruise experiences in the Galapagos, the Turkish coast, and recently Alaska. Yes, small boats are more expensive per day, but since they include transportation, lodging and meals, they are very much worthwhile every now and then. We had a fantastic journey on this 9-day Alaskan Dream Inside Passage Sojourn visiting small Alaskan towns, a native American village, and glaciers that big boats can’t get to. — KK

My family has long suspected that I have ADHD, so I went to a psychiatrist, and he confirmed it. In addition to practicing breathwork and taking long walks whenever possible, I bought a six-pack of Silly Putty eggs. Now, when I'm not using my hands for a productive purpose, I find myself kneading a wad of Silly Putty. It helps me stay focused during Zoom meetings and phone calls. After around two weeks, I discard the old wad and replace it with a fresh one. — MF

The movie I have rewatched the most often is the sci-fi classic The Fifth Element. Directed by Frenchman Luc Besson, it is sublime in most ways, especially its worldbuilding, and design style, which are influenced by French comic book artists rather than Hollywood. I somehow completely missed that Besson released another sci-fi film in 2017, this one based on a legendary French comic book series: Valerian. I only recently discovered Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets on Amazon Prime and have already rewatched it. Its plot is forgettable, but like the The Fifth Element, it’s all about a playful, whimsical, baroque high-fashion future, a style not seen in Hollywood science fiction movies. (Valerian is the most expensive indie film ever made.) This exuberant future seems to be more plausible than the sleek streamlined future we usually expect. — KK

Girls’ Night In is a newsletter I’ve read for years and they recently solicited advice and learnings from therapy and shared it here: The Best Things We Learned in Therapy (scroll down). In anxious or volatile moments, I like the reminder that "I can't stop the waves, but I can learn how to surf." Or asking yourself, "What are you doing to contribute to your own unhappiness?" — my mind automatically flips the question to, “What can I do in this moment to contribute to my own happiness?” I hope this is a reoccurring feature. — CD

This is something my daughter told me about. On Android and Apple phones, you can take a picture by pressing the volume up key. It’s more convenient than touching the software button on the phone’s display. I find it especially useful for taking street photography. — MF

Reddit's search function is not pleasant to navigate, so whenever I discover a better search engine for it, I always get excited to share it widely. GigaBrain is the newest and best search engine for finding product recommendations and experience-based answers from actual people. Whatever your question is, GigaBrain will extract from billions of Reddit comments and provide you with summarized results. — CD

This pill organizer is perfect for travel, but I also use it at home to organize my pills. It comes with seven boxes marked with the days of the week. Each box has two compartments for AM and PM. I take all my supplements in the morning, which allows me to organize my pills two weeks in advance. The seven boxes fit in a clear plastic case. On trips, I just bring the boxes I need. — MF

A lot of the dots in a QR code are superfluous, meaning that they can be arranged into a picture, and not just randomly. Thus you can make the QR code into a picture. This neat little free website called QArt Coder will generate a QR for a website you give it (say your homepage) using an image you give it (say your portrait), yielding a QR code with a stylized image of you (or say a logo, or totem). Short urls and small high contrast images work best. I’m making stickers from my impressionist QR self-portrait. Hold a phone to it, and it takes you to my home page. — KK

I’ve had a Kindle since they were first introduced about 15 years ago. Every now and then I upgrade. The current version, the Kindle Paperwhite (11th generation, $140), is by far the best reading experience I’ve had. Its clarity, in dark and in sunlight, speed, battery longevity, and ease of highlighting are outstanding. In 8 out of 10 factors, I find the new Kindle is better than reading a paper book. (There is also a Paperwhite Kids version that has a rugged cover, an extra year of insurance, and a clever way to share and curate books with your kid.) The upgrade to Paperwhite was definitely worthwhile. — KK

I used ChatGPT to create a daily itinerary for a family trip to Tokyo and it was a success. First, I asked it to give me a list of 10 interesting places and neighborhoods less than 90 minutes by Tokyo. Then I asked it to give me the top ten things to do at each place. I fined tuned the lists by asking ChatGPT to include the best shopping streets in each areas. The lists it generated, which include dining suggestions. I’m going to do this for every trip I take. — MF

I felt a sense of glee when I came across Emojiton, because I take every opportunity to use emojis when it's appropriate. I'm a fan mostly because they add a playful emotional context to whatever I'm trying to convey. Emojiton is perfect for finding a string of emojis to translate films or books, or words in other languages. Here's Pinocchio in emojis. — CD