People sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day duties of their life that they forget to ask themselves why they’re working so hard? When you pause to remind yourself why you do what you do, you reconnect yourself to the spirit of your actions. You should budget time each day to quiet down and remember what matters to you, so that you can focus your life on what really matters.

Let me explain my five favorite methods for reconnecting with my spirit.

First, meditation. I’ve already explained the technique of sitting comfortably and focusing your attention on the gaps of pure awareness between your thoughts. If you try it, you will find the practice extraordinarily anchoring. Other meditation techniques involve focusing on a mantra, a sound, your breathing, a flower, a light, or an image. Whatever technique you try, the process is the same. Simply quiet your conscious thoughts so that you can reconnect with a part of yourself that is beyond thought and beyond words. Why? To remind yourself that you are more than your thoughts. You are the thinker of your thoughts.

Practicing silence is another form of meditation. Sitting in silence—simply noticing the world around you—can reconnect you to your spirit. Silence is, by far, my favorite form of prayer.

If God knows everything, then why would he need me to ask him for a bunch of stuff that he already knows I want. For me, prayer isn’t asking for favors. For me, prayer is sitting as silent wittiness to the divinity of life. Prayer is watching children at play. Prayer is watching a sunset from the top of a mountain. Prayer is listening, without words or judgment, to those who are confused. Prayer is reconnecting with life’s silent beauty and divine wisdom.

From within silence, we receive flashes of encouragement, inspiration, love, guidance and wisdom; more wisdom than any child could ask from a Father. So, turn off the television for a day and remember what it feels like to be silent. Remember what you were like before your mind was filled by the turbulence of words.

Art also reconnects you to your spirit. In art, you often glimpse what has inspired others. You can sometimes find comfort in knowing that people have had thoughts not unlike your own. I’ve read poems and suddenly felt connected to some complete stranger. So allow yourself to connect to other people through their art and their creativity. Also, be sure to create some art of your own. When you paint, sculpt, write, make music, or create art of any kind, you reconnect yourself to the pure creative joy in your spirit.

You might try getting outside to experience nature. Nature is perhaps the greatest cleanser. Nature always reminds us of who we are and what matters. Gardens, parks, forests and rivers will always bring out the best in us—our sense of fun, discovery, creativity and appreciation. Nothing beats the feel of a river’s current playing between your toes. A river will always remind you of what it feels like to be alive.

Finally, take yourself on a monthly artist’s date. The artist’s date is a technique that I learned from a wonderful book called The Artist’s Way, and it continues to strengthen my spirit. In order to plan an artist’s date, you need to budget some time each month to take the artist inside of you, also known as the creative child inside of you, on a date. No one else is allowed on this date, only you and the child within you. You must go alone. If you have always wanted to ice skate, then take yourself ice skating. If you have always loved sports, then take yourself to the game. If you have always loved music, then take yourself to a concert. If you have always loved politics, then take yourself to an assembly meeting.

Whatever you love, you take yourself there. Budget the time, budget the money and go. You will find it the best money you ever spent. I cannot explain to you the power of these excursions. I can only encourage you to try one and see the power for yourself. Also, you should encourage those you love to take artist’s dates. One a month, people should take the child within themselves out to rediscover something that they love. Practice this technique and you may remember why you were born.