If you are unhappy with your life, there is a good chance that complaining about everything involved with it is not encouraging your contentment. (This is probably a no duh. Right?) Any ways, there are bigger minimalism fish to fry.
Day 5: Identify your 3-6 mail priorities.
- University Studies
- To find personal worth and secure my future.
- Immediate Family/Loved Ones
- Calling, writing, thanking, spending time with.
- Exercising
- Self-satisfaction, meditation, spiritual wellness.
- Art
- Writing, drawing, music.
- Planning for the future
- Internships, living arrangements, goals.
If you listed your own priorities just now as you were reading, I'm going to bet few of you thought of buying something or owning something as important. After you are only given 3 to 6 spots to fill! Yet, American consumers find themselves again and again in the position of working extra at the expense of spending time with their families. Of fulfilling the needs of their boss and their company at the sake of the needs of their loved ones. Why do we do this?
Because we are told that what we have is not good enough. That working is of pinnacle importance (who tells us this? Our bosses? Marketers who want our money, perhaps?) at the sake of all else.
"But Ellen," you may say, putting down your coffee and readjusting your spectacles. "You literally have going to college at the top of your list. "Secure my Future"? You are a hypocrite. I'm going to tell everyone on snapchat."
Put down the phone, friend. Minimalists do not necessarily believe that having a fulfilling job (as I hope to have) and making money is irreconcilable to minimalist thought. It is, however, when this job lends no meaning to the persons life and is used as a way to make money to pay off debt for purchased items that damage occurs to someones life. Money is not and "end" so to speak, and if it is, it often brings misery. Money is not my end. Fulfillment is. And I'm at a point right now where going to college is fulfilling me, rather than sucking my soul (though soul sucking can sneak up on anyone one from time to time). And the hope is that the career I am persuing will further that sense of self fulfillment. And so will family. And so will running. Etc.
"But Ellen," you may say, putting down your coffee and readjusting your spectacles. "You literally have going to college at the top of your list. "Secure my Future"? You are a hypocrite. I'm going to tell everyone on snapchat."
Put down the phone, friend. Minimalists do not necessarily believe that having a fulfilling job (as I hope to have) and making money is irreconcilable to minimalist thought. It is, however, when this job lends no meaning to the persons life and is used as a way to make money to pay off debt for purchased items that damage occurs to someones life. Money is not and "end" so to speak, and if it is, it often brings misery. Money is not my end. Fulfillment is. And I'm at a point right now where going to college is fulfilling me, rather than sucking my soul (though soul sucking can sneak up on anyone one from time to time). And the hope is that the career I am persuing will further that sense of self fulfillment. And so will family. And so will running. Etc.
Day 6: Follow a Morning Ritual
My morning ritual on this day consisted of lying in bed and stretching (yowza) and drinking hot tea with my breakfast. Last night I went to a barn dance in Arthur, ND, and we arrived back to Grand Forks at 3AM..... so my morning mostly consisted of lazing about... ! But what a minimalist thing to do, spending money on experiences and memories rather than objects and possessions. Even though day six was slightly at the mercy of it... :)
Day 7: Streamline Your Reading List
Does any one actually have a problem with this? For me, it seems reading has kind of succumbed to all other forms of entertainment and relaxation. I don't read enough things... my Physics text book may in fact miss me a little. We haven't curled up together in a little while.....
So maybe I need to streamline my relaxation and leasure activities in general and prioritize what things will benefit me the most and what things I find important (how incredibly first world of me *insert eye roll*).
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| Yeeeehaaawwww! |
Does any one actually have a problem with this? For me, it seems reading has kind of succumbed to all other forms of entertainment and relaxation. I don't read enough things... my Physics text book may in fact miss me a little. We haven't curled up together in a little while.....
So maybe I need to streamline my relaxation and leasure activities in general and prioritize what things will benefit me the most and what things I find important (how incredibly first world of me *insert eye roll*).
This semester I have actually made ground in this effort to read more and watch TV and browse on my phone less. At the beginning of the semester, I even made sure to read for fun a few minutes before bed each night, and I did that for about a month before school got the better of me and I returned to falling into bed bleary eyed and exhausted. And maybe for a month or two of the year (April madness is more appropriate of a phrase at college than that of March) this effort just won't happen. So I'm going to forgive myself, and watch one more episode of "How to Get Away with Murder" before I finish this memo for Lab I.
THUS ENDS WEEK ONE
Happy Minimalism!
- Ellen
I think the first week of doing this minimalism thing has gone well! In fact, I felt quite accomplished on day three after deleting a 1000 e-mails. I still have many more to go but it is a step in the right direction! The best part about these thirty days is that we get to chat and figure things out about each other in a more adult way! It's the motivation I needed to start decluttering my digital life and closets and cupboards.... Love you.
ReplyDeleteMamma
I've been reading this Eckhart Tolle book that dovetails nicely with the No Complaining Day. That must have been a challenging day though, I bet. I mean, it would be for me, and I think I am pretty upbeat mostly! Still. Little things bug me that shouldn't and I bet having to keep my trap shut would make me really realize how often. I should remember my serenity prayer...
ReplyDeleteI've stopped keeping reading lists because they always got hundreds and hundreds of books long and overwhelmed me. Actually, I thought about writing down the book you mentioned in your last post and then thought better of it. I am reading five books at the moment and set myself a reading challenge and---if I get to it, I get to it. ;)