First ground yourself

From the text

The verses say the astute avoid being corrupted by first grounding themselves in what is suitable and only then instructing others. One is one's own lord, they say, for who else could be, and by means of a well-tamed self one gains a lord that is rare indeed.

In everyday life

'Astute' means clear-sighted and practical. The first verse gives an order of operations: ground yourself in what is suitable first, instruct others second. The second says that you are your own lord, the one responsible for you, because nobody else can be, and that a well-tamed self is a rare thing to have. It is easy to have the order backwards. It is easy to tell a friend to rest more, a relative to worry less, a stranger online to calm down. It is harder to do the thing ourselves for one afternoon. One way to take these verses is that advice has weight only when it stands on practice. Today's sit with the breath is the smallest possible act of grounding: nobody can breathe for you, and nobody else can bring your attention back. Let that be the reference point when you next feel an instruction for someone else forming.

Breath Awareness

Sit comfortably upright, hands in your lap or on your knees. After reading a cue, you may close your eyes and rest with the breath until the next one appears.

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Catch yourself once today about to tell someone what they should do. Before you say it, ask whether you do it. If not, hold the advice and do the thing yourself, even for a few minutes.

Was there advice you held back today, and what did you do with it instead?

Answer on paper, or in the app’s journal, which stays on your iPhone.