that I have used to direct and motivate my own life is to observe how others live theirs. One can learn a lot from the examples of others.
Often when I am out in public or even watching tv news, I find myself saying “I wouldn’t do that. That would not be my choice.”
Extend that process over 70 years and see how that can work for you. Remember–as the Existentialists and Frankl pointed out–that your life is made up of choices that you yourself control. You can even choose your responses to suffering, tragedy, and death.
For much of my life, the classic literature I read, studied, or taught provided numerous examples of behaviors and choices to avoid or emulate.
More recently, in the past decade, I took it upon myself(lifelong learning) to become familiar with the great men and women of the past from the arts and sciences, especially greats I hadn’t really explored in my student or teaching careers. Now, there’s a case of excellent life modelling to give one perspective on how to live, what values to uphold and practice, as well as what human choices are great/er.
Holmes said to Watson, “You see, but you do not observe”. Indeed, that is true for many of us who choose not to or never to think, reflect, study, and learn. Who choose not to pay attention, most of all, to our own consciousness and our perception, awareness, acceptance, understanding, and appreciation of what humans and life have to offer.
Yes, very much, after all is said and done. Learning from others to make our lives happier, satisfying, fuflfilled, deeper, and much richer. That and active, refined, focused consciousness.