When less is more
Greater impact with fewer costs
More meaning with fewer words
Fewer disagreements
Fewer insults
Less anguish and stress
Higher value
More worth
Heightened peace and calm
What can you do more of with less?
Tag: perspective
Above, beyond, and the unexpected
Anyone can construct a building and call it a hotel. Some will care about cleanliness and service. A few more will add personal touches, unique decorations, or interesting artifacts. Fewer still will care about the unexpected, delighting guests in the process: Hats and gloves and a warm jacket folded for winter months, hot bottles of water placed between sheets to warm beds, organized happy hours where guests are invited for snacks and popcorn around a fire.
Of course visitors will remember beautiful scenery and tasteful decor. But the experiences that will get guests raving about any establishment are those that are unexpected — thoughtful additions that can’t be easily replicated.
Your daily five
Five minutes. Five minutes in the park or walking around the block.
Five minutes to remind you that YOU are the most important item on your to-do list.
A five minute reward. Linger over your morning coffee, stop into the bakery, or visit the farmer’s market on your way home. Play an at-home yoga video, light a candle, write in your journal, or sit quietly. Five minutes refueling your mind and energizing your body.
Five minutes. Time to pause and reflect when everything around you is swirling and mad. A daily commitment that honors your self worth. Dedication to yourself and your growth as a human being. A reminder that your home is where you are and that your inner world reflects onto that which is around you.
Five minutes.
A ritual that helps you be more fully present and energetic for those around you. Five minutes to inspire and motivate you to continue to create and give and dream. A reward.
Just five minutes.
One week of consistency (a challenge)
What are the habits that define you? What are the actions that you take every day, no matter what? What are your “non-negotiables,” aspects of your day that you refuse to compromise, day in and day out?
Now…what do you want to change?
In one week, I challenge you to bring more awareness to your daily routine and incorporate a new element that supports your health and wellbeing. (What exactly that “new element” is, I’ll leave up to you.)
Day 1. Record your day. Observe your habits, places you unknowingly spend time. Certain rituals may occupy your days. Don’t judge, simply note your routine in a journal.
Day 2. Add something new. Drink hot water with lemon and honey first thing in the morning. Commit to a twenty-minute online yoga video. Go for a walk when you return home in the evening. Notice how this addition makes you feel.
Day 3. Repeat the same deliberate action you performed yesterday and aim to repeat it for the next four days.
Day 4. Reward yourself for your new commitment and treat yourself to something “out of the ordinary,” something that feels good. Dawdle over your morning coffee. Settle into a cozy café with a newspaper. Stop for a scoop of ice cream after work.
Day 5. Encourage someone else. Now that you are slowly filling your own cup, it is easier to support others. Say a positive word or publicly recognize a colleague’s work ethic. Notice how it feels to give.
Day 6. You may be tempted to “skip” whatever habit you committed to. Don’t. Write down any resistance you might have, note any obstacles that seem to get in the way of your own self-care: negative thinking, hectic scheduling, boredom, apathy. Keep going.
Day 7. Small actions create a ripple effect. Consistency builds over time and slowly, more discipline, more thoughtfulness, and more ease will come into your life. Decide what you want to invite in. Continue your “new element,” or try something else for the next seven days.
Life gives you cycles, embrace them
The natural world has visible cycles. Earth lies fallow but with rain, new plants sprout to life. Leaves fall and spring comes again. Inhales and exhales.
This same life force runs through you.
We exhale in order to breathe.
Sometimes you feel alive and energetic and awake. Other times you feel tired, alone, and shy.
Why do we chase away darkness instead of learning to dance with it? Or sit with it? Or embrace it?
Lulls never last.
Give yourself the space to grieve. To take time off. To rest.
Make yourself a priority. Follow that which sets your imagination on fire. Permit yourself the gift of excitement.
Rhythms should be celebrated.
Take care of yourself.
Should I focus on making money or following my passion?
I just spent one hour with students in Nepal discussing this very question. The students attended a Career Counseling workshop at Learning House, and they came with questions. And worries. And anxieties. And pressure, pressure from their parents and from society and their friends and, of course, from themselves.
I encouraged these students to focus on four buckets: People, skills, lifestyle, and rewards. This is where they will find the answers to their life’s calling, I said. This is how they might determine the work that will bring them joy.
I’m sharing a few of the highlights here for those who may also be struggling with career/work/job/lifestyle decisions.
People
Imagine your colleagues, your clients, your bosses, your mentors. Who do you want to work with? Who do you want to serve? Who do you want to learn from?
Skills
Consider your talents and experiences. (Be honest!) What are you good at? What are your qualifications? While talent and skills can be developed, there’s no use striving to become a professional cyclist if you have no athletic tendencies. Don’t waste time toiling away or refining a craft that you hate. What do you enjoy?
Lifestyle
Think about the life you want to live, your values and your preferences. What do you need to be comfortable?
I left New York City to encourage education and leadership in Pokhara, Nepal. I spent the better part of two years with sporadic hot showers. Though I can brave short bursts in remote regions, I could never live in a village area for an extended period of time.
Knowing what you can and can’t live without can help you identify the kind of work you’re able to do.
Rewards
What kind of payback are you looking for? Is it money or fame? Rewards come in many forms: Service, fame, money, travel, independence, stability, time, ease, security, flexibility. Some individuals can tolerate high levels of risk, while others are much more comfortable with certainty. What do you need to feel satisfied?
I asked my students to imagine a time they felt successful. What was their accomplishment and what were their feelings at that time? I then asked them to write about that memory to help them remember all of the factors and subtle details that contributed to their success.
Decisions about career paths can’t be made without introspection. After identifying core features of yourself, your values, and your personality, only then you can determine the steps you need to reach your goals. Not every career path requires a Ph.D., and only specific careers call for certifications. Sometimes education is intertwined with a profession; sometimes a degree has no bearing on the work.
I reminded my students that few choices are irreversible. Paths can be changed mid-career, and it’s never “too late” to make a switch. Boredom is a gift, disinterest is also — they are both warning signs that something needs to change.
Be curious about yourself and the world around you. This can help you navigate your career journey.