Just stating your life priorities isn’t enough. You have to take the
sometimes difficult actions necessary to make the changes you want to
see in your life. But the closer you come to your ideal, the less internal
conflict and struggle you’ll feel. Steve “S.J.” Scott & Barrie Davenport
An average American home contains about 300,000 items according to LA times.
As result of my quest for living a calmer, more intentional, happier and longer life, I decided to start by decluttering my physical environment. Almost all the books I have read, talk about decluttering the physical environment in order to have more room for things that are more important. Decluttering one’s environment can also contribute to decluttered mind because it creates more room to breathe and to appreciate fully the things and people that matter.
Week 3 of decluttering.
“Clutter steals your focus, making you feel overwhelmed, distracted, and
agitated. Your brain is so busy trying to process all of the visual stimuli
that you can’t fully enjoy the moment.”from the book DECLUTTER YOUR MIND
How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and
Here are the few resources I found:
Youtube:
1. The Cottage Fairy by Paola Merril, an artist and a book seller who shares her simple life living on the foothills in a rural area of Washington State after she moved from the city. She was having struggles ion her own, and she was restless. Paola shows her day-to-day life practicing mindfulness, appreciating the beauty of nature and cottage core way of living.
I am delighted to share that she has a captivating book titled The Cottage Fairy Companion: A Cottage core Guide to Slow Living, Connecting to Nature, and Becoming Enchanted Again. During my flight from California to Georgia for a work-related conference, I had the pleasure of immersing myself in its pages. I cannot emphasize enough how this book provided me a profound sense of serenity and connection with the world around me.
2. Madisun Gray. A mother of 2 beautiful children sharing her own story towards a simpler life. She is a great advocate for minimalism. She states,” By having less stuff, I find myself with more time to do what matters most to me.”
Blogs:
L’eo Babauta’s Zen Habits Blog teaches readers how to transform their lives by focusing on what truly matters and nurturing those aspects.
4.Sloww by Kyle Kowalski. His website, Sloww, is a trusted resource of lifelong learning that guides you to see and understand yourself and the world in new ways—catalyzing your deeper development and transforming your entire life. He points out a lot of resources like books, websites and research articles.
Books:
4. Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking” by Barrie Davenport. This book provides practical guidance on how to clear mental clutter and offers exercises for immediate positive results. It helps readers identify their core values and life priorities.
5. Slow by Brooke McAlary: She was diagnosed with postpartum depression and learned about the power of minimalism as a way to turn her life around and live a happier life. Her letter to Mr. And Mrs Jones telling them that she is quitting from the race to keep up with them really got to me and inspired me to do the same. Slow provides an insight into the benefits of slowing down. It will inspire you to forget about what the society dictates and create a life filled with the things that really matter.
6. Mari Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
She talks about detailed guidance for properly simplifying and organizing your home leaving only the things that spark joy.
7. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. This also comes in audiobook.
The authors of this book had a particular interest with the people in a village with the highest number of centenarians from the world’s Blue zones in Okinawa Japan. Also there are so many definitions for Ikigai but to sum it up, it is the reason for living. Your Ikigai.
Other books that sparks interest:
8. Simple Abundance, A Day Book of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
9. The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth By Dan Buettner
10. Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus
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