Banish the word “perfect” from your lexicon. It’s just a human-constructed word that doesn’t exist in nature. The universe doesn’t care about you being perfect or not, it just exists the way it is. Trying to make everything perfect and trying to control everything around you is not only unrealistic but it’s also incredibly vain and naive. The world doesn’t care about your plans or your wishes. Let go of the need to be perfect and embrace life for the gift that it is.
My pursuit of happiness through minimalism. Learning to get rid of the clutter to obtain mental clarity and focus on what really matters.
Questions?
May 23, 2012
Wednesday food for thought: Banish the word “perfect” from your lexicon
May 9, 2012
Don’t create unnecessary stress
Wednesday food for thought: Stop creating unnecessary stress where it doesn’t exist. When you’re stressed, realize that YOU’RE the one feeling that way and thus YOU have the power to change that. Take responsibility for the way you think and feel and don’t blame external circumstances or other people. Choose happiness. :)
May 1, 2012
"Even though we work very hard to find happiness, it remains elusive for us, while suffering and problems seem to come naturally, without any effort. Buddha advises us not to seek happiness outside ourself but to establish it within our mind."
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, teacher of Buddhism and meditation
April 18, 2012
"When our wishes are not fulfilled we usually experience unpleasant feelings, such as unhappiness or depression; this is our own problem because we are so attached to the fulfillment of our wishes."
—
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, teacher of Buddhism and meditation
April 5, 2012
Avoid the rush by Just One Thing author, Rick Hanson
Slow down and live in the moment by avoiding both internal and external pressures to rush unnecessarily.
Most deeply, try to rest in and enjoy the richness of this moment. Even an ordinary moment - with its sounds, sights, tastes, smells, sensations, feelings, and thoughts - is amazingly interesting and rewarding. Afloat in the present, there’s no need to rush along to anything else.
February 25, 2012
"Life is 10% of What Happens to Me and 90% of How I React to It"
With experience and reading, I’ve come to realize that it’s all about perspective and attitude. You can’t control what happens around you and what life throws your way, but you can control how you react. Concerning yourself with controlling everything that goes on in your world is not only unrealistic but it’s also extremely vain and self-centered. Who are we to try to make everything go our way? The universe unfolds as it should, free of our constructed labels like whether things are “perfect” or not. All we can do is go with the flow and all we can control is our perspective and attitude. The linked article here aptly summed it up: http://lifehacker.com/5873131/life-is-10-of-what-happens-to-me-and-90-of-how-i-react-to-it
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.
February 21, 2012
This is why I run.
February 13, 2012
My manifesto for writing (and life) growth
Last year I took a writing course at the local community college in order to improve my skills and get some much needed structure and discipline in my writing. The first class was spent learning about different approaches to writing and the moral of the story was that it doesn’t matter what you write about, who you’re writing for or what you accomplish from your writing; it only matters that you start. This resonated with my minimalist mentality because it simplified writing and really stripped away all the anxiety and apprehension I harbored towards it. For so long I felt that I had to write magnificently, and if I didn’t, I’d be a failure at something I thought I was good at and enjoyed; as a result, I rarely wrote. Galvanized by this new found realization, I was inspired to put pen to paper and just start writing, no matter how shitty my first draft would be. After that class, the instructor assigned each of us to write a manifesto about our writing growth, and the following is what I came up with, which to me could be a manifesto for life in general.
1. Be comfortable with who you are right now: It may sound contradictory, but self improvement starts with the realization that you’re perfect as you are. Once you realize your inherent worth and value, your attitudes and behavior push you to do things that make you happy, not things to fill gaps inside or make you feel worthwhile. And doing things that make you happy will increase chances of success. That being said…
2. You define your own success: Don’t worry about what other people think or do, and don’t compare yourself to external standards. If you’re happy with what you’re doing and the work you’ve accomplished, that’s all that matters. If you live a life trying to measure up to other people, then you’ll never be truly happy.
3. Writing is about self-expression, so trust your voice: Be confident in your voice and your thoughts, and don’t be ashamed of them. You’re unique and have your own experience.
4. Banish “perfection” from your lexicon: Don’t try to be perfect, because there’s no such thing. Don’t let a misguided focus on being perfect prevent you from getting your thoughts on paper.
5. Just start writing: The important thing is to just start writing and be comfortable with writing down your train of thought, your stream of consciousness. This is where it all starts. The journey of a thousand words starts with one keystroke. It doesn’t matter what you write, it only matters that you start.
6. Banish arbitrary standards and bucket list items: Don’t let deadlines define your life because it’ll only stress you out and put pressure on you and make writing an obligation, when it should be something you enjoy. It doesn’t matter if you never publish something as long as you’re proud of your work.
7. Enjoy the ride: Don’t forget to enjoy writing. You should only do it because you like it and it makes you happy. Don’t do it to make other people happy or to make other people like you. Don’t do it to reach some arbitrary destination like publishing a book. Do it because it makes you happy. Enjoy the ride, and smile.
February 6, 2012
What is a minimalist?
A minimalist is someone who thinks less is more, that happiness comes from appreciating the little things and being grateful, that clearing out the clutter in life, both physically (material possessions) and mentally (trivial worries, stress, etc.,) is the way to peace of mind. In one word, minimalism is simplicity.
February 2, 2012
Go easy on yourself
There will be good days and bad days. The important thing is to recognize this and not let the bad days paint your perspective about your life. It’s okay to go through pain, stress, worry and anxiety. It’s natural, and it’s ephemeral. Why throw second darts by beating yourself up about it? Life is a work-in-progress with ups and downs and each day we all have our own crosses to bear. And that’s okay. And you’re okay. Go easy on yourself.
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