#lessoftheexcess - Page 4 of 6 - getting rid of distractions and living a meaningful life...

Personal Style and Minimalism

Published 08/23/2014

Sorry boys, this may not be very interesting to you, (or it may be for some of you)! But ever since I wrote my Decluttering Your Closet post, I’ve been thinking about minimalist wardrobes, and how curating the items to reflect our personal style can be quite fun (if you’re into fashion). I do not like consumerism, so I don’t want to give the impression that this is where I’m going. It’s more about refining and being purposeful with what we own. Loving (and using) every piece in our wardrobes.

Again, the way I define minimalism is it is about finding out what is essential and getting rid of everything else. And this can be applied to our closets. I personally gravitate towards items that are practical, comfortable, serve multiple purposes and that match several things, hence why I like to stick to a neutral colour pallet.

Anyway, I’ve found an amazing blog created by Anuschka Rees, a young 25 year old woman from Berlin, Germany, called Into Mind that focuses on personal style AND minimalism. Anuschka’s website has nothing to do with the 10 Items All Women Should Have, it’s about refining and curating our wardrobes to reflect our own signature look. And if you’re into or interested in capsule wardrobes, there are tons of posts on that, for example here and here.

Below is a snapshot of her thought process or linked here:

Excuse me while I get lost in this website for a little while :).

Good night world!

*Edit* Uh oh, found another style and minimalism blog (Unfancy) here. Into Mind is very theoretical. Unfancy is more practical. If you have a preference.

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Decluttering Your Closet!

Published 08/21/2014

“A shopping cart flipped upside down forms a cage that I use to protect myself from consumerism.” – Jarod Kintz

I’ve focused a lot of energy on in my closet decluttering process, but I STILL seem to have an endless amount of clothes despite the fact that I’ve given away several garbage bags full. That’s kind of embarrassing haha! I used to have a bit of a shopping problem. Whenever I’d get a paycheque, I’d have to make sure that I bought the latest things on my “want” list. And it was a never-ending list. I’d constantly see an image, or person wearing something that I had to have, and since I had the money to spend, I’d just go buy it.

I definitely think living in the city had a little to do with it. Working or living downtown, seeing everyone wearing the latest and greatest fashion trends. There was some sort of internal pressure to try and keep up, while it never crossed my mind when I was growing up in the countryside.

Anyway, those days are over. Ever since I embraced minimalism, I don’t care anymore. BUT, I was left with a ridiculous collection of things I probably only ever wore once or twice. I’m sure some of you can relate. Shoes for every occasion, bags to match every outfit, 30 pairs of jeans, random shirts of all colours and prints. Yikes.

(Side note: If fashion is your passion, then I completely get that. It’s a great way to express yourself and inspire others to do the same. For me personally, it was partly that, but partly an inner desire for something that was unhealthy. It took up a lot of my precious mental space and time and I was trying to fill some sort of void).

But to the point of this post, below are the steps I used to pare down my crazy collection. Mind you, there is some sort of method to my madness haha.

How To Declutter Your Closet

1. Make it fun! Put on your favourite music, have a glass of wine, and designate some special “me time” out of your day to focus on decluttering your closet.

2. Take a little moment, sit somewhere comfortable, and think about the style you want to have. What type of style represents you the most? Are you preppy? Sporty? Classic? Girly? Hippie? Chic? What I always found was helpful was Googling or Pinteresting the fashion style of some of the celebrities that I found represented the style I wanted, and using those as a guide. For instance, I’m naturally drawn toward minimalist street style. So neutral pallets (grey, black, white, navy) mixing casual and smart with mainly plain patterns. My style inspirations seem to gravitate towards Rachel Bilson and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I also love stores like Noul or Oak & Fort.

**One thing I’d like to add is to think about the lifestyle you live and the clothes you need for this. If you’re outdoorsy or active, you’ll probably have more of those clothes. If you like to go to fancy events, you’ll probably have dressier items. What is the most useful for you?

3. Once you’ve collected images of your favourite style inspirations, take everything (I mean everything!) out of your closet and toss it onto your bed. The floor works too.

4. Take the first item of clothing, hold it in your hands, and ask yourself these 8 questions. For anything you don’t want to keep toss it in the “don’t keep pile”. For anything you want to keep, put it back on the hanger and back into your closet.

Have I worn this in the last year? If you haven’t worn it in the past year, put it in the “don’t keep pile”.

Do I LIKE this? If you don’t even like the item, toss it.

Do I feel good/confident/hot/sexy when I wear this? If you feel unattractive in it, off it goes.

Does it fit? Don’t keep it if you think it will fit you ONE DAY. If it doesn’t fit, put it aside.

Is it in good condition? If there are any holes or snags, you can either choose to mend them, or toss the item.

Is it comfortable? If you can’t stand wearing it, why keep it? If you’re constantly pulling up at your pants revealing your beautiful hot pink thong, or you feel restricted and can’t put your arms up in that sweater, it’s time for it to go.

Does it serve a purpose? You may have to have different clothes for work, or you may need special clothing for specific activities/events. If it serves no purpose, get rid of it.

Does it line up with the kind of look or lifestyle I am going for? Going back to the style inspirations you gathered, if it doesn’t match, put it aside. A good example is if you’ve collected several printed items, but you actually don’t like prints anymore then get rid of it.

Do this with the rest of your clothes, until you get through them all.

By now you’ve gone through all of your clothes. The ones you want to keep are hanging up nicely in your closet, and the ones you want to get rid of are probably in a big gigantic pile on the floor. I know I could have done the next step as I was tossing things, but I like to work from the top down haha.

5. Sit with your giant pile of clothes and separate the items into 3 piles: Trash/Recycle, Donate or Sell. Obviously the items that are worn out or are in terrible shape can be trashed or recycled to a place that recycles textiles. Everything else can be donated or sold. You can donate items to a thrift store, charity, friend or family member. Some people like to get their friends together and do a Clothing Swap. Or if you have the time and patience, you can sell things on Craigslist or Ebay etc. No matter what you choose, all the clothes need to leave your home!

6. Finally you’ve gotten rid of the clothes you don’t want anymore. Now it’s time to ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET! I love this part. Everyone has a technique, but I like to organize my clothes first by sleeve length (Skinny sleeve tanks, then thick sleeve tanks, then t-shirts, then 3/4 sleeve shirts, then long sleeved shirts, then sweaters, then blazers, then jackets, and lastly dresses.) Then I like to colour code them because I’m weird like that.

That’s it! You should be all sorted! For now anyway 😉 You can obviously use the same method for your drawers or shelves.

Remember, it’s a journey. You’ll likely make quite a dent the first time around. But as you get more comfortable with getting rid of things, you may go through this process a few more times.

What you will notice is a much lighter feeling within you. You’ve created more space and a clearer mind, which can be addictive!

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Next time you go shopping, carefully examine the piece you’re thinking about purchasing. Look at it, sitting there in your hands. And think long and hard if you’re buying it out of impulse, or if you really need it.

Random question of the day: I’m curious to hear, do you live in the city, suburbs or country, and how has this affected your need to shop for new clothes?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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Getting Back Our Carefree Youthful Sense of Time

Published 08/17/2014

In 7th grade, who you are is what other 7th graders say you are. The funny thing is it’s hard to remember the names of the kids you spent so much time trying to impress. – The Wonder Years

There is a secret about minimalism that we don’t often hear about. When we get rid of all of the excess clutter in our lives, whether it’s the physical, emotional, our to do lists, our relationships, we give ourselves space. And what do we do with this new found space? Go a little crazy perhaps? Just kidding.

Think back to when you were still a student, or before you officially called yourself an ‘adult.’

We were happy and carefree. And we probably didn’t have very much money but we were full of joy anyway. We also had all this extra time on our hands because we didn’t have so many responsibilities. But what made life so good was not because we had the latest piece of technology or hottest fashion trend, it was because we spent it with our friends, doing what we enjoyed, living in the moment, laughing, being silly and full of life.

That’s how we can slow down time and the space we can get back if we choose to stop being slaves to consumerism or keeping up with the Joneses and focus our energies on things that bring us true joy. Not having to deal with the:

“I need to buy new curtains for my living room.”

“I need a new lamp for the bedroom.”

“My plates don’t match, I need a new set.”

“Sorry, I can’t go to the park with you today, I have to clean my house.”

“My boat needs some fixing and maintenance.”

We’re either maintaining, cleaning, or buying.

That is WAY too much energy to be spending on these things. With less clutter, we get rid of this annoyance and time suck. All these so-called ADULT responsibilities – they’re all just a story they want us to believe. They don’t make us more grown up, they make us slaves to our very precious time here on this earth.

I do want to emphasize again, that minimalism is not about deprivation, or living so simply that all you own is a chair and a bed, and have bare white walls with no art. It’s about figuring out what is the most important to you, and cutting out the rest. Every object, task or person has purpose or meaning.

Anyway, I just finished reading The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, because I am a self professed self-help junkie and can’t seem to stop reading these books. Then I have the need to share it with the world. In this book she talks about gaining that youthful sense of time back which is where I got the inspiration to write this post. As well as super practical tips on decluttering your home. So go check it out, it’s probably one of the better books I’ve read on this topic.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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Are Millennials Better at Living According To Their Values? (And How To Make Your Workplace AWESOME)

Published 08/10/2014

I had a little spark of inspiration that I quickly wanted to write about.

I work in Human Resources, in an industry that hires a lot of Millennials, so I want to talk a little bit about Millennials and the workplace.

Millennials, aka Generation Y, are born anywhere from the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s. I guess that would make me one of them!

Older generations often complain about this generation.

They are so selfish, it’s always me, me, me! They’re so entitled, and expect to be paid a high paying salary right out of school. They think they can just get away with doing whatever they want. They have no respect.

This is definitely a generalization, as there is a lot of variation out there depending on how you are brought up, your nature, who you surround yourself with, what you’re interested in etc. But Millennials are typically misunderstood.

My argument is, maybe they have something that older generations are not used to seeing. Something that is actually inspiring and worth mentioning.

Millennials are probably better at living a life according to their values and not letting the status quo hinder themselves.

While Millennials tend to be more “me” focused that other generations, they may just be more vocal about what they want than past generations. That means being more expressive about being more conscious and deliberate about living meaningfully. Challenging the status quo and what has been the traditional mindset for so many years. Valuing authenticity and being true to themselves and being happy. (Again, I realize a huge generalization, as many people from all generations are very vocal about living a meaningful life, it just seems to be more ‘accepted’ to live this way in today’s world.) Today’s world encourages us to be our awesome unique selves, and not to hide that. There is a paradigm shift in this type of living. We can see it in the increase in lifestyle blogs and self-help books. I mean, look what I’m blogging about!

Millennials want to live lives that are in line with their dreams and values. They don’t want to compromise their dreams, freedom or happiness for security.

While potentially frustrating for older generations, below are some of the things that Millennials look for in a workplace which may aid in a shift in perspective (and make your company pretty awesome too):

Vision: Millennials look for meaning in their work, so having a company vision, and making that part of the company culture will motivate them to feel like they are working towards a purpose of the greater good.
Giving Back: Any opportunity to give back to the environment or community is a plus. Things like recycling programs, being green, toy drives, food banks, picking up garbage, feeding the homeless, and other charities that are of interest.
Career Development: Millennials want to see progression in their careers, so we typically see them moving around from job to job every 1-3 years. Opportunities to grow within their careers in the same workplace through title changes (even junior, intermediate, senior titles) are appealing.
Values: Making sure that the strengths and values of a Millennial match their job role is important, otherwise they may get bored, feel unmotivated or frustrated. Find something they are good at, and help to grow and support that skill, especially as the manager.
Flexibility: Flexibility is really important, in all aspects. A work/life balance is a huge value as personal time to be with loved ones and learning new things is becoming a higher value than slaving away at the 9-5. Also, personal and work life lines are becoming blurred, so a flexible work environment that allows for people to move around, work where they want (like having a laptop where they can take it to a lounge area). Time flexibility is also appealing and we see many progressive tech companies moving to an open schedule, as long as employees are there during core hours, and are trusted to work on their own schedule and get things done.
Training: Providing training and development opportunities for staff and leadership help motivate Millennials. It shows that the company cares about their growth and is a huge appreciation for having them work at the company. It will keep them there longer.
Fun: Incorporating fun and play into the work environment is a huge bonus. Things like Foosball Tables, Pool Tables, Darts, Video Games, Events, Team Building, and Parties.
People & Culture Person: Not to toot my own horn as this is my job, but having a designated People and Culture person who can focus on keeping everyone happy, whether it’s for the fun company stuff, or having someone they can talk to when there are issues, or want to develop their career. I see it more and more these days. This role is popping up in a lot of high-tech industries.
Food: Who doesn’t like food! Having it easily available in the office, with healthy varieties, is a great way to keep people happy.
Management Style: Do not Micromanage! Whatever you do, do not do it. It will only piss the Millennials off. It would probably piss anyone off. It’s so important to have a progressive view of management if the culture is to succeed and be appealing to Millennials. Go for the coaching conversations technique, versus the high-school dictator style. Treat Millennials like adults, not children. Trust they will get things done when tasks are due. Address behavioural issues early and often if necessary, but do it properly. That means motivating from within (coaching style). As soon as we tell them what to do like they are teenagers, they will automatically stop caring about the manager or the company. And that breeds a negative company culture.
Openness: There should be open communication at all levels, whether it’s the CEO or the cleaning person. Everyone should be treated equally and be easily approachable.
Health & Wellness: A focus on health and well-being is a plus when Millennials look for a workplace. Whether it’s health related lunch and learns, having sports or work-out groups/teams, showers, and a bike room.

Basically what it comes down to is that Millennials want to work at a place they are proud of working at. A place they can tell their friends and family about, and share how cool it is, and how much they are growing and giving back and contributing to the greater good. I even heard of BANKS trying to go this route. It makes for much happier people, who live a more purposeful life.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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Meeting the Minimalists & a Signed Book Giveaway!

Published 08/07/2014

Last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus aka The Minimalists as they were visiting Vancouver, BC, on their Everything That Remains book tour. They were so lovely, warm, and open, and gave a very inspiring speech to a huge Vancouver audience. So many people showed up they had to do their show twice! They also give great hugs 🙂

I just finished reading their new book, Everything That Remains, which they describe as not a “how-to” book, but a “why-to” book. If you get the chance, check this book out. You’ll experience sadness, joy, laughter, and inspiration, but most of all, a new perspective on what is really important in life. After finishing it, I honestly came out with a new appreciation of living a deliberate life, and more confidence to really own my destiny. Anything worth anything takes effort, while passivity leaves us hollow.

What if everything you ever wanted isn’t what you actually want? Twenty-something, suit-clad, and upwardly mobile, Joshua Fields Millburn thought he had everything anyone could ever want. Until he didn’t anymore.

Blindsided by the loss of his mother and his marriage in the same month, Millburn started questioning every aspect of the life he had built for himself. Then, he accidentally discovered a lifestyle known as minimalism…and everything started to change.

That was four years ago. Since, Millburn, now 32, has embraced simplicity. In the pursuit of looking for something more substantial than compulsory consumption and the broken American Dream, he jettisoned most of his material possessions, paid off loads of crippling debt, and walked away from his six-figure career.

So, when everything was gone, what was left? Not a how-to book but a why-to book, Everything That Remains is the touching, surprising story of what happened when one young man decided to let go of everything and begin living more deliberately. Heartrending, uplifting, and deeply personal, this engrossing memoir is peppered with insightful (and often hilarious) interruptions by Ryan Nicodemus, Millburn’s best friend of twenty years.

http://youtu.be/gnKvtfEGDjQ

And now for the awesome news! I’ve got a copy of Everything That Remains that is SIGNED by Joshua and Ryan, and I am giving it away to one of you lovely people! All you have to do is the following:

Leave a comment below about a book, blog or person that has inspired you on your minimalism or personal journey and why
Follow me on Twitter here
Follow The Minimalists on Twitter here

That’s all! In a few weeks I will choose a winner at random and you will be mailed a copy of this incredible book!

You can purchase the book here!

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The Importance of Choosing Our Thoughts Wisely!

Published 08/01/2014

deathbulge_com_155 — Original source: http://psychology.tools/great-example-of-a-mental-filter.html

Welcome to my evening brain rant below. This is the sort of thing I think about all day, so kudos to you if you can follow along!

Visualization: the practice of using mental imagery to affect the outer world by changing our thoughts and expectations.

Law of Attraction: the belief that “like attracts like” and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, we can bring about positive or negative results.

Prayer: the act of communicating with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity.

These all essentially centre around the same theme. They are about focusing on our dreams or desires, throwing the energy into the universe and calling them back to ourselves in order to make them happen. There are several other similar concepts but these are just a few.

Now the next thing. Filtering.

Filtering: is the process of noticing external information that is relevant to what our mind is focusing on, whether consciously or subconsciously. These make up our perceptions. And our perceptions shape everything we believe about the world and how we experience it.

So, when we throw our energy into the universe, we allow our minds to filter the information that comes in and we begin noticing everything that is related to it. This can either be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what we focus on.

There are also two concepts that capture unique filtering, when we notice information in an unexpected and meaningful way. They are the:

Baader–Meinhof Phenomenon: “the phenomenon where one happens upon some obscure piece of information– often an unfamiliar word or name– and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that the other day” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.”

and

Synchronicity: the experience of two or more events as meaningfully related, where they are unlikely to be causally related. The subject sees it as a meaningful coincidence.

So what is my point? Well, our brains are wired to notice patterns and filter for these patterns, and we don’t necessarily have conscious control over it.

The conclusion? We’re only limited by our thinking. Therefore, it is SO important to be carefully selective of the thoughts we have inside our heads. If we can master our thoughts, this can lead to wonderful things!

We’ve all known that person or friend who keeps telling us how unlucky they are, and how nothing ever works out for them. And we see it again and again. Their car gets broken into, they choose people in their life who are bad for their soul, they stick around on a job where they are treated like crap, they’re always in debt and as a result their life is never what they want it to be. They don’t see what’s beyond the moment, and think they are completely stuck. And we think to ourselves, of course if you think that, that’s the life you’re going to have. (I realize there are many arguments for this, but bare with me)

I like to take synchronicity a step further, and believe when we start noticing these meaningful patterns/filters/coincidences, then that is when things are starting to line up for us. When we start living according to our values, and when our dreams or desires come from a genuine place within our true selves, things will start to fit together like puzzle pieces that are meant to be. I know some people will disagree and choose a more scientific approach but in my experience it has worked out this way anyhow, so I’ve taken a spiritual approach.

Anytime I’ve wanted something SO badly, and it was RIGHT for me and was lined up with my values and who I wanted to be, it has worked out. There were times when I’ve wanted things badly, but they didn’t work out, but in retrospect, they were very very bad for me but I couldn’t see it at the time.

With all that being said, here are some techniques on how we can filter our minds and create the life we want!

Strengthen your mind and learn to focus and choose what your thoughts are, instead of letting them choose you. In the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, there is a technique using a rose. Find a silent place and a fresh rose, stare at the the heart of the rose, the inner petals, concentrating on the folds of the flower, the texture, etc… push away other thoughts that come to you and do it for 5 minutes, and gradually increase the time up to 20 minutes a day.

Write a list of words of how you want to feel. Read them out loud to yourself every morning and evening. Or place them in an area you will always look at, such as a post-it note on your computer screen. You will filter for these emotions and notice you will start feeling them.

Keep your goals constantly and obsessively at the front of your mind. Let every step you take be a step closer to that goal. Take action and seize any opportunity that brings you toward your dream. It’s one thing to want something, but if we just sit there and don’t act on it, then it’s just a dream, and will not become reality.

Get rid of negative or distracting thoughts. Remember, what other people think of you says more about them than it does about you. Banish negativity from your thoughts and don’t filter for them.

Know what you value, and make sure every decision you make lines up with these values. The more you do this, the closer you will get to happiness, and the life you want.

Remember, anything that you are constantly thinking about, will be what you manifest into your world. If you’re obsessing over losing weight, you’re probably noticing everyone else’s weight and how it compares to yours. If you are looking for a new bicycle to purchase, you will start noticing all the bicycles around you and their various styles. And most importantly, if you focus on fear, it will hold you back, and we don’t want that, do we!

Yep.

If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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Minimalism YouTube Channels!

Published 07/31/2014

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I love to learn! I refer to myself as a sponge, which can sometimes be a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes I can get sucked into absorbing as much information as possible that by the time I look at the clock, 3 hours have passed by without me even realizing it. So with that said, on one of my YouTube rampages (haha), I discovered some really interesting Minimalism channels which I’ve listed for you below! Read on.

Light by Coco

I love Light by Coco. She is also probably the most neat and organized person I’ve ever seen! She believes in living light so you can focus on what is most important and there are some really useful videos on putting together capsule wardrobes for those fashionistas out there! Coco has participated in Project 333 which is a minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months and shows you her journey. I invite you to check out her YouTube channel!

Unconventional Living

Unconventional Living is definitely unconventional, but in the best way possible! He has pared down his material possessions to 118 items that he can carry on his bicycle. It may be a bit extreme for some people, but the ideas and techniques behind it are valuable no matter what your level of minimalism is. He is also a vegan, so there are some videos about healthy eating as well. Check him out!

Love Raw Vegan

Finally we have Love Raw Vegan! This lovely lady lives in the heart of New York City and teaches her viewers that it IS possible to live minimally (and in style!) in the middle of the hustle and bustle. There are some wonderful tips and tricks on what to do with your wardrobe, vegan and eating healthy advice, as well as what to do with all of that clutter in your home. Don’t miss out on her beautiful energy.

Let me know if you follow any other similar YouTube channels in the comments below or send me an email at lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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An Introduction to Simplifying Your Life

Published 07/25/2014

I realized I have not written an actual post on simplifying, yet it is one of the main practical tasks of meaningful living and becoming a happier person. I know there are probably some skeptical people out there, since we live in such a consumerist society where we are taught that more is better.

It makes me kind of sad that we are pressured to keep up with the Joneses. This causes a stressful life, where we compare ourselves to the success of others and the material possessions or status they have achieved. Life is not about that, at least in my perspective. I’d rather know that I lived my life meaningfully, that I gave back, inspired people, focused on my passions, my friends and family, and didn’t stress myself worrying about having the latest and greatest. That’s just exhausting and a waste of precious time and energy.

I can’t even begin to tell you the mental shift you get when you start to focus on what really matters.

Call it minimalism/simplicity/essentialism, they all boil down to the same thing: Figure out what is the most important to you, and get rid of everything else.

All of that extra “stuff” is just a distraction to living the life that we want. And I don’t even mean the physical stuff, but other areas as well can be simplified:

Material things: getting rid of the material possessions that don’t serve us
Time commitments: only saying yes to things that bring us value
Debt: spending less money on things allows us to save more money
Our computers: clearing out all of the junk files and pointless emails. Unsubscribing from junk mail.
Clothing and shoe collections: only keeping what is used most frequently
Food quality: choosing to eat healthy foods only, cutting out the bad chemicals such as caffeine, alcohol, sugar, processed foods
Time spent online: spending less time wasting our hours away surfing the internet (I am very guilty of this one as I’m a self-help and bloggoholic haha)
Negative self-talk: learning to control our thoughts and not allowing negativity in
Distractions/vices: getting rid of any habit that is not good for us
Bad people: cutting our ties from those who are bad for our souls and our growth

And the benefits!

Less stuff to clean (yay!)
Less stress
Save more money
More time to do what we love and what is important
Less worry about our possessions, they don’t own us
More freedom
More environmentally friendly and less consumption
Less focus on the superficial
More confidence
Less fear of failure
Having high quality things
More happiness!
More time to focus on health, precious people, and our passions
No more keeping up with the Joneses
Time slows down and being more present
Inner peace and a zen state of mind

But it’s one of those things, it doesn’t really sink in until you try it for yourself. The idea that we can let go of constantly wanting things is so liberating, you’ll never go back.

Let me know if you already live like this. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or send me an email at lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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My Blog is Featured on Miss Minimalist!

Published 07/23/2014

I am so happy to be this week’s feature on Miss Minimalist’s Blog. A huge thank you to Miss Francine Jay for giving me the space to share my story.

Please check out her blog. Francine Jay is a minimalist, who believes that it is about eliminating distractions that keep us from fully appreciating life.

“The less stuff we have cluttering our homes (and the less “to-do’s” cluttering our time), the more energy we can devote to the things that are truly important to us.”

Just a side note, the post is a little outdated as at the time I sent it, I was in a different space. I’d proudly like to say that ever since I’ve been very firm on living according to my values, I’ve ended up in jobs that really align with who I am and want to be, and this makes me so happy.

For instance, I’ve had the opportunity to give back and teach at a couple local film schools (mainly career development stuff), and I’m now working full-time training and developing artists and leadership at a film studio, as well as creating a culture of openness and collaboration. It is just so amazing to me that when we really focus our energies on doing what we love, we start to notice opportunities that lead us in that direction. I can’t encourage you enough to follow your passions no matter what. Now how cool is that?

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The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Published 07/04/2014

“The secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy toward doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are filled with ease and grace.” – The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

I just finished this amazing book, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. It’s about a very successful lawyer, who one day gets a stroke, which makes him question the meaning of life. He goes away for a while and tours the East, meeting some Sages along the way, who provide him with the wisdom on living a meaningful life.

If you are looking to live a life with more purpose, joy, peace and happiness, I highly recommend this read. It is really inspiring and is a really great guide to get you to a place of self-actualization whether you’re just beginning your journey or still learning. It focuses on the topics of mastering your mind, following your purpose, self-mastery and enlightenment through the body, mind, and soul, living with discipline, respecting your time, being selfless and embracing the present. Furthermore, it talks about the importance of solitude, physicality, live nourishment, abundant knowledge, personal reflection, early awakening, music, spoken word, congruent character and my favourite, simplicity!

Basically, our minds filter our world, and we can live in any world that we want. I’m going to write a post about filtering, aka the law of attraction, aka priming, aka prayer, aka the universe, aka whatever you want to call it. Yep.

You can Purchase the book here and help out the lessoftheexcess website! Let me know if you’ve read this book. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or send me an email at lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

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