The Art of Living

SunKiss Life - May Edition

In this month’s round-up of our SunKiss Life magazine, we've humbly collected together some inspiring and insightful stories related to living a ‘Good Life’.

Photo by SunKiss

The Secret is Revealed?

No doubt at some point you’ve asked yourself, “How do I live a good life?” and “What even is a good life, anyway?” The French know a thing or two about the good life; from wine and cheese to pastries and champagne, but they’re not the only ones. Philosophers have been wrestling with these questions for eons.

Around 300 BC, two schools of thought emerged: Stoicism and Epicureanism. Both claim to have the secret to a good life figured out, and both are still highly relevant today. So, what’s the difference?

Stoicism has one paramount tenet: living virtuously is the foundation for a good life. If you act with virtue, everything else will fall into place. Epicureans don’t agree. They believe that to live a good life, you should maximize pleasure and minimize pain.

Who is right? Find out more about what these two philosophies of life can teach us about the art of living?

Adjust Your Sails

Are you familiar with this saying attributed to Thomas S. Monson?

“We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails”

From the perspective of the ancient stoics, we need to understand what we can and can’t control. Just like we cannot 'direct the winds', things happen in our lives that we might not desire and that we cannot avoid, or change. The stoics teaches us to focus only on what we can control and to let go of the rest.

This does not imply we should adopt a demeanour of resignation or passivity. 'Adjusting our sails' means actively learning to control our mental attitude towards life experiences and how we react to them.

Find out how to best tinker with your sails to appreciate what each moment has to offer regardless of the strength and direction of the wind.

Photo by SunKiss

Step into Your True Power

It may seem like there is a storm lurking and that things are getting worse on the planet … but what if it’s there to challenge us and the healing process will ultimately make the world stronger?

The truth is, no matter what is happening out in the world and in your own life, you have the innate power to be calm amid the chaos. We are collectively shifting into a higher vibration of consciousness as we move into the new age of intuition, or in astrology often called the 'Age of Aquarius'. As the vibration of this planet continues to accelerate, we are being called to awaken our intuitive nature.

In her new book “Return to You”, celebrated international transformational coach and spiritual teacher Shannon Kaiser helps us navigate the transition to find an unshakable inner peace.

Trust Your Gut

Intuition - the idea that individuals can make successful decisions without deliberate analytical thought - has intrigued philosophers and scientists since at least the times of the ancient Greeks. But scientists have had trouble finding quantifiable evidence that intuition exists.

This is no longer the case and research show just how much unconscious intuition can inform - and even improve - our decision-making, by enabling better and faster decisions.

Another interesting finding suggests that the mechanisms of intuition can be improved with practice. Learn more about how you can improve your intuition to help guide you towards a ‘Good Life’.

Learn to Prioritise What Really Matters

Sticking with ancient wisdom, Plato once said, “Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

Constantly stimulated by a steady stream of work, news, and social updates, it’s easy to fall into the urgency trap of modern life. It’s somewhat ironic, but if you are in desperate need to control time you will end up in a time trap where you quickly cross things off only to wake up the next morning with more things to do. In our anxious attempt to optimise for speed, we sacrifice the most important things in life: good health, relationships, meaningful experiences, and self-learning.

Whilst we are busy doing more work, checking things off our list, reacting to urgent but unimportant things, we miss out on life-changing experiences that can bring out the best in us and make us better humans. Life can be so much more if you learn to slow down and start every new day intentionally slower - but better. Find out how to escape the time urgency trap in an insanely busy world.

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Maintain Your Good Vibes

Negative energy can be found almost everywhere, and it can leave you mentally and physically exhausted.

We've all been there. We can be going about our day, minding our own business, aligned in our own flow of positive energy, when we are confronted with someone who brings a sense of gloom and doom into the room.

While some people have calming, soothing energy, others cause us to feel anxious and on edge. So, what do you do when someone else's negative energy seems to invade your space or shift the vibe in the room, and how do you maintain a sense of compassion without getting sucked into their doom?

The next time you're having a good day, and you find yourself face to face with someone who is radiating negative energy, learn some simple steps to maintain your good vibes.

Live Your Life in Colour

The beautiful words of Kahlil Gibran are a reminder that life is a celebration of colours:

“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.”

You may have heard of colour therapy, or how different hues can lift your mood, but utilising this concept by finding all those colours in nature can boost their effect, giving you double helpings of happiness!

Putting a bunch of fresh flowers on your desk, or wearing some brightly coloured clothes, can be an instant mood booster, but the reason for this goes beyond simply adding a splash of colour to your daily life. The colours themselves can have a powerful physical and psychological effect, leading us to feel calmer or more confident.

When you combine the impact of these colours with the power of Mother Nature, the effects may be even greater. So, walking through a green field could have twice the effect on your wellbeing compared with simply surrounding yourself with green cushions or blankets.

Discover, and embrace, the power of colour in the great outdoors with Happiful Magazine

Photo by Ben White, Unsplash

Harness the Power of Music

“What kind of music captures your emotions, giving you that uplifting feeling of chills and maybe even bringing a tear or two to your eyes?” asks Inc.’s Minda Zetlin.

In a recent study, researchers at Queen Mary University of London, UK set out to answer that question by analysing 988 songs and pieces that have been reported to give people this emotional reaction. Then they compared them to similar pieces by the same artists that don't seem to have the same effect.

Based on these comparisons, they found that certain specific qualities can cause a piece of music to give you goosebumps. Music like this has the best chance of improving your mood when you're feeling frustrated, sad, or emotionally exhausted. Use it to give yourself a quick boost when you need it most.

To help you do that, the study's authors created a highly diverse Spotify playlist that is likely to give you chills. Next time you're feeling down, try listening to a song or two from this playlist or stay tuned to SunKiss. It will almost certainly change your mood for the better.

Share your perspective on the Good Life with #SunKissLife - we love hearing from you :)