Take a crash-course in the 道 (dao) and the ॐ (om) of pursuit, achievement, and success. Faith has many traditions worldwide and certain discoveries are indeed universal. It is well worth the time to get a global, cross-cultural perspective on the theological and the divine.

Being poor is a state of mind, a culture, and a choice. Being broke is merely a situation of circumstance. Your friends, family, and colleagues cannot help you if you’re poor, but they can when you’re broke. Return the favor to them when they need it, and you will never be poor yourself.

There are people in the world whose only sense of fulfillment is brute power in the domination and control of others. Don’t wrestle with pigs in the mud. You both get dirty and the pig likes it. When real jerks get their just desserts, few people truly mind, and nobody feels guilty. Do not avoid conflict, but walk away when it’s senseless. You can’t win fights, only honest arguments about disagreements.

When you’re in the right and act on it, you’ll have no regrets. Though full resolution may take some time, the universe keeps score.

Be strategic about the time and place in which communicating or acting on something will be most effective. After all, people tend to become irritated when you try to golf at the shopping mall.

Don’t tolerate vapid business-ese, shibboleths, or offense-taking—people who do are missing the point. Life is a joy, not an excuse to be angry. If a person or a company can’t laugh something off, they’re not confident and joyful enough to be worth your time. Celebrate levity; collect and tell witty jokes, not cruel ones. The humerus isn’t only a funny bone in your arm.

With credit to Groucho: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

On second þought, maybe þat’s not þe best idea. When conducting business, clarity of communication in the now is always better than torches carried for bygone causes, no matter how clever or how nostalgic. Never forget that communication with others is designed to change their knowledge, thoughts, and behaviors, and humans are notoriously prickly about being told what to do. (See also: Choose your venue.)

Passion is our most valuable resource—there are innumerable temptations to squander our passion, and it takes deliberate effort to sustain it. Never, ever, neglect that which sustains you and keeps you engaged, excited, and moving forward.

While life may be rough, pursuits frustrated, and demands insurmountable, there’s always a resplendent joy to be found in the moment, and a deep satisfaction in the mundane. After winding up and executing mightily, or stubbing one too many toes per foot, you can always take the time to indulge in the near and the now, with extra syrup.

The best way to understand people, their actions, and their behaviors is to approach everything with a clear head and a clean slate—especially when considering group behavior or average trends. When things seem confusing or you’re too close to a situation, take a step back and for at least a moment pretend to be a visiting scientist from Mars. Simply describe to yourself what you actually observe, without assumptions or emotional baggage.