Two camps seem to dominate my Instagram feed: how to be successful in the world and how to find the authentic self. Both promise to fulfill our dreams without accepting and learning from the challenges before us. They sell destinations rather than true inquiry. That’s because most of these messages are about inflating the ego rather than putting it in its rightful place.

Take a few moments to truly contemplate what happened Easter morning by engaging in Ignatian Contemplation, which is a type of meditative prayer passed down through St. Ignatius and the Jesuits. This prayer might be challenging for people who are used to prescriptive or repetitive prayers. However, Ignatian Contemplation allows you to experience the true meaning of Easter.

Self-help practices should be free, particularly in a world rampant with mental illness. Many people who need some of these healing practices can’t afford them, yet perhaps they also don’t fall into those populations where it’s offered for free. Pay close attention to these marketing schemes. If healing practices cost nothing to produce or gain expertise, they should be free.

We’re often told to fight through our problems, but this can weaken even the strongest people. When things aren’t working, fear often exacerbates our weakness. We can often work with our problems not by fighting but by accepting them, and being open to new solutions.

Finland is one of the happiest places in the world. The US is #15. Some countries, particularly in Northern Europe, seem to get it right about how to live a happy life. It’s a combination of mindset and practice. How many of these methods do you engage in? Which of these can you put into practice today?

When we encounter suffering, we often run from it or rush through it without reflecting what lesson it has to teach us. It’s not like we purposely cause self-harm or do things to exacerbate our wounds. Instead, we work at it each day. Yoga teaches us to find that edge, to find the right balance of stress to work through our difficulties and limitations.

We might know our personalities and say we “know who we are,” but do we know the multiple personalities that show up when we’re under stress? Certain situations elicit certain personas that help us adapt to these situations. It’s important for us to be aware of how and when these characters show up in our lives so we can limit the havoc they typically wreak.

Is Daylight Savings Time a surprise? Then why do people consistently complain about it? Complaining about losing an hour of sleep only makes it worse. Today marks a season where we can spend a little more time outdoors in the evening. It’s also a time of anticipating warmer temperatures to come.

We all yearn to be free. We want to walk through life being free to do what we want. Yet we often get caught up—and eventually bound—in pleasure and craving. Religious traditions teach us that the path of liberation is through discipline. It’s about restraining the patterns and behaviors that keep us stuck so we focus our energy on true freedom that’s everlasting.

We often go through each day mindlessly without paying too much to the details. We might remember specific episodes that make us look good, or we might ruminate on the episodes that stoke our anger or fear. If we take a few moments each day, preferably in the evening, we recall all of the ways we behaved—good and bad—to see if we’re in accord with our beliefs and values. This daily Examen can teach us the subtle patterns that often keep us stuck.