15 Simple Quotes to Simplify Your Life

1. The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.- Hans Hofmann

2. All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.- Winston Churchill

3. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.- Dalai Lama

4. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.- Leonardo Da Vinci

5. Only great minds can afford a simple style.- Stendhal

6. Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.- Arnold H. Glasgow

7. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.-Confucius

8. It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.-Amelia Barr

9. My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.-Cary Grant

10.Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.-Steve Jobs

11. The most simple things can bring the most happiness.-Izabella Scorupco

12. Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.-Albert Einstein

13. Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.-Charles Mingus

14. The best solutions are often simple, yet unexpected.-Julian Casablancas

15. My basic approach to interviewing is to ask the basic questions that might even sound naive, or not intellectual. Sometimes when you ask the simple questions like 'Who are you?' or 'What do you do?' you learn the most.-Brian Lamb

Can’t Keep Up? 7 Ways to Zen Your Life

Nowadays, we think that everything is NOT enough.

We want to have…

• A greater car
• The next super gadget
• Dinner at luxurious restaurants
• Expensive branded clothes
• and much more.

If we can’t get this kind of life, we think we aren’t living the good life.

In your pursuit of having all these luxurious things, you work as a cog in a machine and ignore your body, mind, and spirit.

You forget that we are humans who need to eat when we are hungry and sleep when we are exhausted. You feel that you can’t spend a few minutes enjoying the simple pleasures of life, because you may lose the chance to own those luxurious things.

But YOU can’t keep up anymore.

You want an end to this hectic life and a beginning of a Zen life, where you enjoy the NOW and appreciate the simple pleasures life has to offer.

If this is you, then the secret is in …

The Shakuhachi

The monks of the Fuke Zen school used a Japanese bamboo flute called Shakuhachi to practice Suizen (blowing meditation). Shakuhachi is often referred to as the “sound of nature.”

If you’re like me, when you imagine this scene for a minute, you will get an instant feeling of peacefulness.

Meditation is one of the best answers to getting your life back, enjoying MORE, and appreciating the present. When you live in the moment, you become a lot happier and more peaceful. You start living the Zen Life.

Here are 7 insights from the Shakuhachi (or the blowing meditation practice) that can help you Zen Your Life:

1. Live Now

Zen lets you live in the moment and get rid of the too many things that distract your mind.

When your mind is distracted, it becomes very difficult to look inside yourself and discover what matters most. When you practice Zen (living in the moment) and meditation, you start connecting with your heart more, discovering your passions, and doing things that matter.

2. Avoid Time Wasters

Watch out where and how you spend your time. If you track your daily activities for a week, you will soon realize that some things in your life are just wasting your time, are not making you happy and you don’t need to keep doing them anymore.

3. Avoid Interruptions

You want to be productive. You want to finish your tasks quickly, and leave the office on time to get back home and spend more time with your family, friends, or hobbies.

However, one email with some bad news can change all your good intentions. That’s in addition to the notifications you receive from the social networks you’re always connected to from your smartphone. Plus, the conversations you have over a cup of coffee with your colleagues. As a result, you stay late after the official working hours to catch up with the delayed tasks that must be finished today.

Avoid interruptions and finish the important tasks first.

4. Remember, You’re a Human Being

Don’t let work control you and your life.

If you feel hungry, eat. If you feel tired, take a rest. If you feel exhausted, take a vacation. If you miss your beloved ones, spend some quality time with them. If you want to spend more time on activities that make you happier, do it. Don’t ever turn into a workaholic (i.e. a machine) and forget that you’re a human being in the first place.

Remember, work is just one aspect of your life.

5. Set Focus Times

Identify the periods where you have high levels of energy throughout your day and create ‘focus times’ during these periods. Totally isolate yourself from any distractions, as much as possible, and let everyone know that you’re not available during these periods.

Get the most important things finished during these focus times and leave the less important stuff to be done later.

6. Keep Your Space Clean

Declutter your space and only leave things that make you feel good or that you use frequently. Don’t let things pile up, just because you can’t find the right place for them. If they don’t fit in, then they shouldn’t belong there. Turn your space into a Zen space … a place you love to be in.

7. Meditate

Finally, practice meditation as much as you can. You can sit and breathe. You can walk and pay attention to your breathing and footsteps. You can even learn the interesting blowing meditation practice using the Shakuhachi. Do whatever resonates with you. But start meditating to get your life back on track and connect with your heart.

6 Reasons to Embrace Minimalist Living

“Never underestimate the importance of abandoning crap you don’t need.”

Six years ago, I decided to embrace minimalist living.

At first, the reasons were simple. I was spending too much of my life caring for possessions and I was wasting too much money on stuff I didn’t need. These possessions were not bringing me joy or lasting happiness. Even worse, they were keeping me from the very things that did.

Possessions had become a great distraction in my life. And the most effective way to fully recenter my life on the things that mattered most was to remove the excess physical possessions from my home and life

Since then, I’ve been asked countless times if I think minimalism is just a phase. I always answer the same, “Absolutely not.”

Minimalism is a better way to live. It brings freedom, clarity, and opportunity. And each of us should consider embracing it in our own unique way. Consider these six reasons.

6 Reasons to Embrace Minimalist Living

1. More opportunity to pursue what’s most important. Our lives are important. Why would we waste them pursuing things that aren’t? Physical things always perish, spoil, or fade. But love, joy, purpose, contribution, and compassion stand eternal. Our lives would be better lived pursuing them. Minimalism provides that opportunity.

2. More intentionality in all areas of life. Countless voices and messages seek influence in our lives. They desire to shape what we believe, what we buy, what we watch, what we eat, and how we live. Intentionality brings life back under our control. Minimalism jumpstarts intentional living by forcing us to identify our values. As a result, we can better identify how we have been swayed by artificial influences.

3. More space to live our fullest life. Our lives require space. But in a world of ever-increasing speed, time for reflection becomes more and more difficult to discover. Owning fewer possessions means less cleaning, less organizing, less repairing, and less financial burden. It frees up time, energy, and space—space that can be spent examining life to make sure we are living it to the fullest.

4. More focus on contribution. Even if for selfish reasons, it is wise for each of us to evaluate where we seek meaning. Happiness found in living life for personal gain is short-lived, never fully satisfying. On the other hand, using our resources for the purpose of improving life for someone else offers lasting joy. Moving our focus from personal gain to personal contribution is not always the result of embracing minimalism, but it does become much easier.

5. More flexibility for life change. Over the past six years, our family has made some significant changes. We have changed careers. We have moved to a smaller home. We have discovered new hobbies. We have changed the way we spend our money. And we have changed many of the habits that define our lives. In each of the examples listed above, minimalism helped make the change possible. One of the greatest benefits of living with fewer possessions is freedom—freedom to live and change and improve—even if the specific changes are up to you.

6. More inspiration for others. Our world is losing itself in consumeristic pursuits. Home sizes are growing, but happiness is not. We chase paychecks rather than influence and success rather than significance. The results of these choices have proven detrimental: stress, anxiety, fatigue, and regret. We need new inspiration. We need more people rejecting consumerism and choosing life instead.

Embrace minimalism for yourself. Embrace minimalism for your family. Embrace minimalism for the world around you. Because the stakes are high.

And thanks for an unbelievable six years here at Becoming Minimalist.

Source: 6 Reasons to Embrace Minimalist Living

5 Life-Giving Truths From 5 Years of Living with Less

Image: Moyan_Brenn

“The process of living seems to consist in coming to realize truths so ancient and simple that, if stated, they sound like barren platitudes.” –C.S. Lewis

Memorial Day weekend, five years ago, I got my life back.

I’ve relived the scene a thousand times. I woke up with a simple job to do: clean out the garage. It was not a project out of the ordinary. In fact, I did it every spring. But on this particular Saturday, for the first time, I’d be introduced to the truth that I didn’t have to.

Our lives were typical: work hard, make money, spend it on mortgage payments, fashionable clothes, nicer cars, cooler technology, and more toys for the kids. But when everything from my garage was piled high in the driveway while my son sat alone in the backyard, it was a conversation with my 80-year old neighbor that opened my mind to a new way of thinking. She said it like this, “Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff?”

And a minimalist was born. At that moment, I made a life-changing realization: Everything I owned had not brought meaning, purpose, fulfillment, or lasting joy into my life. In fact, not only were my possessions not bringing me joy, they were actually distracting me from it. We immediately began pursuing a more minimalist lifestyle by removing the unnecessary possessions from our homes and lives.

This journey towards minimalism has been far more life-changing and life-giving than I expected. The possessions in our lives define who we are on a far deeper level than we realize. And as a result, the process of removing them teaches us valuable truths about ourselves and the lives we live.

As I consider the past five years and all that I have learned, the following life-giving truths reveal themselves as the most significant:

1. Desiring less is even more valuable than owning less. Owning less brings some amazingly practical benefits into our lives. It costs less. It requires less time and energy to maintain. It brings freedom, rest, peace, and calm into a hectic world. And it provides greater opportunity to pursue our truest passions. But I have found, over the years, the desire to own less is even more valuable than owning less. Over time, I have been able to remove myself from the incessant desire for more–even in a society that idolizes consumerism at every turn. And when our life’s desire shifts away from pursuing physical possessions, we are finally free to pursue lasting worth with all our heart.

2. Allow the journey towards less inward. Dropping off a handful of clothing at Goodwill is not hard. Dropping off a full van load of unused possessions is not even that difficult. But pulling up to the Goodwill drop-off for the fourth time with a van load of completely unnecessary possessions initiates a lot of soul-searching. The journey toward minimalism runs through the heart and soul. Correctly pursued, it forces us to ask some hard questions in deep places about our most intimate motivations in life. Why did I buy all these clothes? Why did I buy a house with rooms we never use? Why do I still flip through the ads every Sunday even though I own so much already? Why am I still envious of my neighbor’s stuff? These are hard questions to ask with no easy answers. But the darkest truth is that unfortunately, far too many people, will never even ask them.

3. The potential of minimalism lies in the addition, not the subtraction. Minimalism is not the goal. Minimalism is, after all, less about the things you remove and more about the things you add. The potential of minimalism lies in what you choose to pursue with your life in place of material possessions. Choose contentment. Pursue gratitude and generosity. Invest in relationships, grow spiritually, discover the truth, and find purpose. Your life is far too valuable to waste chasing possessions. And you’ll discover this life-giving truth as soon as you stop.

4. Minimalism will always vary. I live with 33 articles of clothing. But Leo Babauta lives without a toaster, microwave, or paper towels. Sarah Wilson does the same. And Daniel Suelo lives without money. I am very thankful for Leo, Sarah, Daniel, and Mukund because I am inspired by those who own less. They cause me to reevaluate my presumptions and strive towards even greater intentionality. But I have long since removed the comparisons. I am called to live a different life than them. I have different values, different passions, and different pursuits. As a result, my minimalism is always going to look different. Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. And by definition, this means minimalism will always look different.

5. We can change lives. We can change the world. Thank you for an amazing five years. I sat behind a computer screen five years ago and started this blog with just a few keystrokes. It was to be nothing more than an online journal of my journey towards minimalism. But along the way, something unexpected happened. People started reading. And found a new life because of it. The inspiration continues to grow… both through this blog and in my life. This is a far better way to live than most people realize. It is available to anyone who hears the message of living with less and chooses to accept it with their whole lives. May the invitation to minimalism continue to change lives. And ultimately, the world. This is my hope.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting Becoming Minimalist. There are still exciting days ahead.

Source: 5 Life-Giving Truths From 5 Years of Living with Less"

Choosing Freedom

“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.”

When I tell people I’ve lived out of my suitcase for the last 4 years and that I’m homeless and happy, they usually stare in disbelief.

They either think my life as a digital nomad and suitcase entrepreneur on a quest for freedom is the coolest thing ever. Or they think I’m mad as a hatter and wonder why on earth anyone would want to live that way.

I’m a minimalist and I love it that way. I have just enough in my suitcase to suit my lifestyle of travel and business and get me through almost any occasion and not look like a vagabond.

I can pack up my whole life in 14 minutes flat—it all fits in one medium-sized suitcase and a mini carry-on.

I live my life by this philosophy: I choose freedom. I choose to buy experiences, not stuff.  

The former makes me rich in ways you couldn’t even imagine.

It wasn’t always that way. I’ve lived in houses for most of my life, surrounded by lovely things. I used to care about fashion and own more clothes than I ever needed to wear. I spent my money on new mobile phones or the latest gadgets, which were CD players and MP3 inventions.

But I noticed a trend early in my teens. I didn’t really care for the stuff. In fact, I ended up wearing the same old things, and unlike my friends, I seemed to stick to boots in winter and one pair of shoes in summer. I didn’t want to spend excessive amounts on drinking and food or keeping up with everyone else.

Instead, I wanted to spend money on new experiences, travel, and the sports I adored.

Freedom is a mindset

In my bestselling book, Suitcase Entrepreneur, I devote an entire chapter to understanding what freedom means to you.

While I know having lovely possessions and creature comforts is something some people enjoy, how long does that joy last? Too much stuff stressed me out and I felt spoiled when I had what others didn’t. So why did I have it at all?

Once I left my beautiful homeland New Zealand and ventured across the world to live in other countries, I saw another trend emerging.

I would be moving around quite a lot in the cities I lived in, like London and Vancouver. Each time I moved, I got more and more ruthless about what I kept, and what I gave away to friends or charity. After a while, I stopped buying stuff altogether and just kept downsizing.

I discovered having very few possessions feels immensely freeing. 

I was no longer bound to keep all this stuff, look after it, worry about it, or place more value on it than it deserved. The best things in life I had were memories (particularly photographic ones), daily experiences, and my friends. And my bank account continued to grow by the day (mainly because I only spent my money on experiences).

You are not defined by what you own, but by the knowledge, skills, and experiences you own. (tweet that)

Do you need to give up everything to be happy? Absolutely not. But you certainly don’t need to let things and possessions define and rule who you are and what you stand for.

Do you need to live out of a suitcase to find true freedom? No, not at all. In fact, you might find that pretty limiting or tire after a while.

But could you minimize the amount of stuff in your possession and put the money towards the adventure of a lifetime? One that will stay with you for life? Absolutely!

Stuff holds no value. People do.

These days I realize that if I lost everything, or my suitcase got stolen or my laptop bag (which was almost the case in Saigon last year), I wouldn’t actually care. Sure my passport, hard drive, laptop, and wallet are all in there and it would be frustrating to replace, but ALL of it is replaceable.

In that scary moment, I realized there is no one item that means that much to me or can’t be replaced. Losing my family or a dear friend though would be devastating.

I see so many people holding on tightly to things that are bright, shiny, and sparkly as if they have so much meaning. If they were a gift, try placing the meaning and importance on the act of giving that took place from the person who gave it to you, not the material possession in your hand.

Happiness can not be bought, bottled, or packaged.

Many people buy things as a source of external happiness. I had a friend who used to go on buying sprees as it made her temporarily happy, or at least, it relieved her from the depression she felt daily. Not long afterward she’d feel guilty as she realized her financial status was not healthy. She lacked confidence in herself and felt this was the way to cure it.

But clearly, as you and I know, it was just a temporary band-aid to a much deeper wound, that when torn off would be painful and reveal the wound barely healed.

The best things in life really are free: playing in the park, swimming in the ocean, watching buskers play great music, doing handstands in a field, or laughing with your friends.

The less stuff you own, the more you start to see the golden treasures that are available in everyday life—the free things that make you feel richer than ever.

Source: Choosing Freedom

5 Reasons to be Less Materialistic

How often do we hear about the “rich guy” who had to back-stab all of his friends and families to get where he is? We can sometimes do terrible things just to get more money. One study shows that even just the mere presence of money can sometimes trigger us to be less cooperative and make more unethical decisions.

I don’t think this has to be the case. I think this is mostly a product of our culture and a misplacement of values. I think we can still live with nice material things and money while still acknowledging the importance of other values too.

Materialistic beliefs amplify negative events

Focusing on materialistic values can also make our lives seem more difficult than they really are.

We start to compare our lives to the lives of wealthier people, and we begin to feel unsatisfied and depressed. Whether it’s admiring celebrities in the media, or just trying to keep up with our neighbors, we feel a need to at least be equal with the average person.

And when this standard isn’t met, we begin to think that our lives can't possibly be as good as other people’s.

One study shows that materialistic beliefs can amplify stressful and negative events, even when they aren’t directly related to material things. According to the researcher Aric Rindfleisch from Michigan State University:

“If you’re a materialistic individual and life suddenly takes a wrong turn, you’re going to have a tougher time recovering from that setback than someone who is less materialistic. The research is novel in that an event that’s unrelated to materialism will have a stronger impact on someone because of their materialistic values. In other words, materialism has a multiplier effect. It’s a finding that I think is especially interesting given our consumer-driven economy.”

For one reason or another, having a very materialistic attitude makes us less likely to bounce back from life’s obstacles and challenges. Perhaps because we underestimate the importance of a strong mind or a meaningful life beyond material things.

Retail therapy works, but it’s only a quick fix

Due to our materialistic culture, one big self-therapy we use is “retail therapy,” which is basically buying new things for ourselves when we feel down or depressed.

Have you ever done retail therapy? We probably all have from time to time. And while one study shows that retail therapy can work as a short-term boost in mood, it’s still only a quick fix – as well as an expensive one.

There are many ways to distract ourselves from a problem by indulging in material things, but you ultimately can’t fix the deeper problems in your life by ignoring them.

Material things can often be a way to escape aspects of our lives that we don’t feel like accepting or dealing with. It’s a crutch. And while it may provide some temporary relief, it doesn’t help us live a happy life in the long term.

People don’t really like materialistic individuals

Take a moment to think of the typical “rich person” and you’re probably going to get a bad taste in your mouth.

Several studies show that individuals tend to like materialistic individuals less than individuals who are less materialistic. This is most likely due to the persistent stereotype that materialistic individuals are more self-centered and callous toward others.

We tend to believe that people who are materialistic only care about themselves and aren’t as friendly or caring as someone who is less interested in material things.

Imagine if you only had relationships with others based on what you could get from them, and not based on liking the person or caring about their well-being.

That’s how some materialistic individuals view their relationships – they see them only as a means to get more or make more money.

This is why materialistic people are often a “warning sign” in our every day, social world. We are less likely to trust them or give them the benefit of the doubt. Instead, we worry that they may have selfish and ulterior motives.

Meaning is often more important than pleasure

Materialism often leads to a lot of pleasure-seeking. We are always looking for the next “high” from our latest purchase or luxury, and we lose track of finding a more meaningful life.

The worst part is that this “high” never lasts long, so we have to constantly search for our next fix just to keep our happiness levels up. This cycle is known as the hedonic treadmill – our never-ending pursuit of pleasure.

According to research, meaningful life can often be happier and healthier than a pleasurable one. Studies have even found that finding meaning and purpose in life can activate certain genes that are associated with less stress and anxiety.

It’s more important that we have a “big picture” perspective on our lives, our story, and the role we play in the world – and that we don’t just completely identify ourselves with what we own or how many things we have.

Be Simple Be Productive

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius   

Time is limited and things to be done are plentiful. The wise and smart way is to do what is essential in simple ways. Here are 10 tips to be simple and yet productive. 

1.       Be organized:  Getting productive is making easy access to things you need every day in one place. Adopt a simple filing system so you can retrieve documents easily like putting related items together such as bank statements, chequebooks, credit card slips, and statements.  

2.      Avoid clutter: With things around everywhere in the house, there is a feeling of suffocation. Clear all unwanted items and create space because it allows a positive flow of energy without obstruction. Keep the house simple and neat.

3.      Simple tools: Getting things done with the help of software is OK. But what is the quick and easy way?  A piece of paper and a pencil are all you need to plan, organize and get great ideas.

4.      Using simple words: Communicate with simple words in writing or orally. When you write in simple words and short paragraphs you can express ideas clearly and fully. Talking to others in easy words is the most effective way to get your messages across.

5.      Simple ways of doing things: Find and adopt a simple way to get things done with the least paperwork. Getting complicated is more likely to make mistakes, delay, and become unproductive.  

6.      Live within your means: Avoid getting materialistic, appreciate what you have, and make the best out of it. Trying to have more things in life is the surest way of getting into debt and getting your life complicated.

7.      A short to-do list: Don’t get overwhelmed; concentrate on one or two important tasks each day. You achieve more by doing less.

8.      An orderly life: Plan ahead and get organized from day to day, take breaks and avoid multitasking. Go slow and live in the moment to enjoy the process of your task at hand and appreciate what is going on around you.

9.      Exercise and meditation: A simple life is a healthy life. It is not bothered by illnesses. You are fit, fresh, and calm and you will think clearly and act rightly and precisely.

10.  Avoid small staff: Don’t get distracted by minor issues, just focus on what is important. It is a way to live a simple life and be productive.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in life. A real winner does it in simple ways, be it an article, a speech, a design, or a tantalizing dish. 

Related post:

10 Tips for a Simple and Peaceful Life

Be Organized Be Productive

10 Effective Ways to Live a Peaceful, Simple, Happy and Healthy life

The best things in life are nearest:  Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.  Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Everyday life can be plain and without excitement, but it is the simplicity that you get to enjoy peace of mind and happiness in a healthy way of  life:

1.      Early riser: It is peace and quiet in the morning. Get up early to enjoy the fresh air and the calmness. To bring more tranquility into your life, do a round of Tai Chi. It is a kind of meditation in motion to give you inner peace, composure, alertness, and energy.

2.      Peaceful and positive thoughts: On a brand new day, think confidently and fill your heart with love, kindness and forgiveness. When you feel good, you will incline to do good and be happy.

3.      Breakfast: Breakfast is about breaking fast after 8 hours of sleep without food. When you get up early you have plenty of time to enjoy a simple yet nutritious meal leisurely.  This is the first meal in a day to provide energy to start a new day right. 

4.      An organized life: To get organized is to plan ahead and live an orderly and simple life.  An organized life is a disciplined, balanced, responsible, and successful life. You take care of those important things in your life such as your work and your family.  When you do the right things you get peace of mind and happiness.

5.      Do less but more productive: Do what is important in your life, forget the small stuff.  Do less to be less stressful and avoid overwhelm. A simple life is unhurried and only doing a few important but productive things every day. You focus on doing the right thing, the right way at the right time.

6.      Simple healthy habits: Be clean, take a bath, and drink water throughout the day. Make it a daily habit of drinking green tea. Walk more often and drive less. Exercise the body and avoid smoking and drinking. Consume more fruits and vegetables and avoid junk food. Be wise; reduce the intake of sugar, salt, and fat. Get away from air pollution and second-hand smoke and sleep well and sufficiently.

7.      Enjoy your life now: Loosen up, just relaxed and enjoy the moment, be here and now. Do what you like and believe in what you do so that you enjoy the process of doing it. Think of nothing else but the task at hand.

8.      Simple pleasures of life: There are  31 Ways to Enjoy the Simple Pleasures Every Day.

9.      Exercise the brain: Be mentally alert.  A simple life is a rich life when you develop a daily habit of reading. Your mind is constantly working, gaining new knowledge, and learning new things.  Take up a hobby that you like and enjoy to stimulate the mind like gardening and pottery. Life may be simple, but it is rewarding, fulfilling, and satisfying.

10.  Be yourself: Live your own life, don’t compare. Live within your means, do not be jealous, envious, or unhappy about things you do not have. There is peace and contentment when you are happy with what you are and what you have.

Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.  ~Lao Tzu

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.  ~Leonardo DaVinci

Related article:

10 Tips for a Simple and Peaceful Life