how to be aware in an unaware world

Tag: mindfulness

Value
“A human sacrifices their health in order to make money. Then they sacrifice their money to recuperate their health. And then they are so anxious about their future that they don’t enjoy the present; the result being that they don’t live in the present or the future, they live as if they are never going to die, and they die having never really lived.”
– The Dali Lama

I absolutely love this quote by the immensely influential Dali Lama because it has led to the life I lead today, as a minimalist and explorer who constantly questions his values in life.

I had always agreed with being value-focused but didn’t really put it into practice until recently when I sold almost all my possessions, packed a 40L backpack, and began traveling the US and Europe.

Throughout a year on the road, chasing my passion to travel and explore, meeting so many new people, and seeing so many new places I learned that a simpler life is a more fulfilling life.

Through seeking minimalism, I found that recklessness is abundant in the Western world’s view of success and that success needn’t be defined by the amount of money in our bank accounts or the number of places we’ve been, it ought to be determined by the love we give and the love we receive!

What I found through my journey was a greater discernment of choice. I began being able to see the impact of my choices at a deeper level. I started asking myself what my decisions, relationships, purchases, and commitments really meant.

Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. So choosing a minimalist lifestyle with that in mind really made it easy.

I was actually less content with more because all that stuff was getting in the way of my values: Time, Nature, Travel, and Connection.

Every day we have a choice, albeit a difficult one, to make.

Choice 1: Abandon the idea that power, prestige, and position provide happiness (because happiness is tainted).

Choice 2: Abandon the idea that experience, relationships, and service provide fulfillment (and resort to Choice 1).

It’s like the difference between change and transformation. Change sounds nice, right? Well, change is only temporary. If I change a habit today, then I can change that habit again tomorrow. But if I transform that habit today, there is no going back, no transforming back. As I write this, I am committed to a path that transforms me, not changes me.

Today, I encourage you to reflect on the things that bring you true fulfillment. Take a moment to jot them down and commit them to memory. Let this realization guide you toward transforming your life in a way that aligns with your deepest desires.
Three Links
Thank you for your time and attention in reading this post. It is a rare gift. Feel free to leave a comment or share this post. You can also buy me a coffee here if you feel so inclined!
July 6, 2023
Destiny
You alone can truly determine your destiny. But there is no need to emphasize such a remark. The question posed here is what factors determine our destiny and are those factors controllable?
Destiny is defined as the events that will happen to a particular person or thing in the future.
Destiny simply is your future.
Destiny is not a straight path leading to a single result in the future, it’s an ever-changing series of tracks that is a result of our choices.
It’s a beautiful yet difficult thing. We can choose our destiny, but we cannot choose our fate. That feeling that we are supposed to do something grand or minuscule is our destiny.
How do we live in a way that we are content with whatever outcome arises, whether pleasant or unpleasant?
Since awareness precedes contentment, noting the present would lead to a more content mind.
Contentment can be defined as a state of happiness and satisfaction
Getting off track for a second, we’re going to try a quick noting technique.
Noting can either be spoken out loud or in your head. We will focus on the five senses that make up our human experience (I wonder what technology the future holds in store).
Touch: Can you feel the gentle force of gravity? What about the temperature?
Sound: What noises imbibe your attention? Can you hear your thoughts and ideas?
Smell: Take a deep breath through the nose. Can you smell even the faintest of smells?
Taste: Move your tongue around in your mouth. Can you taste anything in particular?
Sight: Opening your eyes, what immediately beckons your attention? How does the light bounce off objects? What about any movement?
Close your eyes for a few moments and try this on your own!
It’s a beautiful thing to notice the present isn’t it? The world around us moves as we remain still. People are wrapped up in ever-busy lives as we pause, even for a few minutes to do nothing at all.
Practicing noting helps us see our destiny, and helps us answer that burning question of why we were here.
Where we’ll go and what we’ll achieve is all happening now, in the present. Each small choice decides who we will be in ten years.
Our destiny is constructed by the way we interact with others. Our interactions are immensely important as they are the growing branches of our tree of destiny.
We must also have a guide to begin navigating this life if we hope to venture out on our own.
Therefore, I believe destiny is intertwined with friendship and community, a full understanding of our destiny requires the support of others.
Simply put, we would not be where we are, who we are, or why we are the way we are without those who made pivotal impressions in our lives. This is a cue to gratitude. It is our destiny.
Three Links
1. Fate vs. Destiny (read)
2. Staying engaged (listen)
3. How to change your genetic destiny (watch)
Thank you for your time and attention in reading this post. It is a rare gift. Feel free to leave a comment or share this post. You can also buy me a coffee if you feel so inclined!
June 19, 2023
Design
“Great design reflects the broader definition of beauty. Great design is what draws us in.”
– Jony Ive

I love this quote by Jony, the former chief design officer at Apple who helped transform the iPhone into the staple it is today.

Great industrial designs are really great big pieces of art, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Tesla Roadster to the Sistine Chapel to the Eiffel Tower; they beckon our attention more than other designs do.

The functionality of a product or service also depends directly on great design. Millions of cars pass over the Golden Gate Bridge because of its design.

It can’t just be functional, it must also add to the overall user experience.

This kind of thinking set a company like Apple apart from its competitors in the ’90s. The user experience mattered so much to Steve and the whole team that the iPhone was invented to enrich the entire mobile phone industry.

Products and services must also serve a purpose. Early at Apple, each and every new design was made for a reason, from adding a camera to eliminating a headphone jack.

Although this post focuses on design, it can apply very much so to consumerism and shopping.

Try to ask yourself these questions before making a new purchase while using design as a motive for that purchase:

“Does this thing actually help or hinder me?”

“Is it being used to add or subtract my life?”

“Does it actually do anything more for me than the previous version did?”

It’s better to have a higher quality, carefully designed, product or service than a quicker, cheaper, more accessible one.

This actually goes beyond physical items too:

“Does this relationship, opportunity, or choice appeal to me now?”

“Does it align with my values?”

What are my values (another post on that one later)?”

“Does it serve a purpose in my life?”

This a great way to define what truly matters in your life, because we are what we admire, purchase, and choose over and over.

That behavior that shapes your buying habits is the same behavior that dictates how you talk to your best friend, spouse, or boss (but that’s for another post)!
Three Links:
1. Adding Value by The Minimalists (read)
2. Design Matters by Adam Grant (listen)
3. Designing for the Future We Want to Inhabit (watch)
Thank you for your time and attention in reading this post. It is a rare gift. Feel free to leave a comment or share too. You can also buy me a coffee here if you feel so inclined!
May 27, 2023