How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Buddhist Survival Guide for Modern Life

The dumpster fire of life rages on, but you got this. Practice six rules to keep you grounded, weather the storm, and actually be a decent person.

It may seem like the world is going to hell in a hand basket right now. Whether it's big stuff like politics and climate change, or just the daily spin of paying your bills, getting to work on time, and fending off social media trolls, we can all admit, modern life ain't easy. Here are six really good guiding principles, inspired from the ancient wisdom of Buddhism and mindfulness practice, to keep you anchored and steady amidst the chaos.

DEVON AND NICO HASE mentor dharma practitioners online, teach meditation on the Simple Habit app, and lead meditation retreats throughout North America and Europe. Devon teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock and mentors mindfulness teachers for Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Nico spent six years in a Zen monastery and then completed a PhD in counseling psychology before making his topsy-turvy transition into teaching mindfulness, meditation, and dharma full time. Devon and Nico have studied closely with Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and many others in the Insight, Zen, and Vajrayana traditions. These days they live together in urban retreat in Ashland, Oregon, splitting each week between retreat practice and dharma mentoring. Their first book, How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life, offers six prime pieces of semi-Buddhist advice to keep you anchored and steady amidst the chaos of modern life.