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Time is infinitely more precious than money, and there is nothing common between them. You cannot accumulate time, you cannot borrow time; you can never tell how much time you have left in the Bank of Life. Time is Life…
- Israel Davidson
Simple life is a pathway to happiness. It’s as simple as a rainbow of seven colors. In the modern world full of gizmo’s, simplicity is an extinct virtue.
Simplicity is a subtle, profound way of life leading to the nurturing of the inner happiness. That makes me believe that sources of external happiness veil our capacity to nurture inner happiness. Simplicity is a way to mindfully manage our time to deposit more inner pleasure in our Bank of Life.
Habits and addictions are two sources of external happiness that keep our focus on excess leading to more habits and addictions. As I grow older, I’m mindful of my life. I am dwelling deep into time, I am trading for the pleasure of mine that takes away eternal, inner pleasure of time with my wife, my children, my spiritual being and the community that I live in.
I’m also realizing that everything that we focus on takes away focus from other important things that dies death of deprivation. I have to walk the path of simple journey that takes me to my inner happiness filled with moments that I can cherish for the rest of my life.
Excess in eating, spending, working, ego, thinking, pleasures and of course doing everything to please others is a sure way to wreck our life speeding on the highway of materialism. I am not against materialism, I am against excess that leads to the wreckage.
Rainbow of simplicity is a way to express my desire to set limits and to create inner awareness to live for a simple, happy life on a daily. If we focus on practicing simplicity in one area everyday for a month, we can get rid of excess that drives us insane towards trading more time to maintain that excess.
Mantra - “Invest time to deposit more inner pleasure in Bank of my Life.”
The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.
-Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American poet.
Healthy eating:
Overeating has many dreary consequences including high fat, high sugar food, sedatory life and emotional clutter leading to depression. With my new found mantra, I’ve been devoting my focus on the diet on a day of the week. My mantra for the day becomes, “Better and balanced diet to invest time to deposit more inner pleasure in Bank of my Life.” This allows me to be mindful about what I eat. Being a vegetarian, it allows me to focus my attention to eat vegan food rich in fiber and protein. I feel excess in energy and certainly relaxed as a result.
Less spending:
If we pay attention to our closet, book selves or attic, we can see excess manifested through our spending habit. We’ve all had time in our life when we refused and abhor to open that bill, charged every credit card in our wallet to the limit to buy things that we wanted. I’ve lived in the third world country, and I know that it takes lot less to deposit more inner happiness in my Bank of Life. If I am mindful for a day to buy only what I need and not what I want, I’m feeling calmness and peace that comes from within.
Less working:
I’ve always struggled with this habit. It’s manifested my life to a degree that I’ve become addicted to setting goals and seeking external pleasure by setting higher goals to spend more time working for those goals. It’s a gremlin. I’m mindful for a day to turn off the laptop and head back home no matter what happens. I’ve now realized that life moves on. It has allowed me to develop inner consciousness about the goals and their relevance to my new mantra of life.
Ego:
An ego is an excess form of time spent on self-centric thoughts. I’m not against having an ego. Without an ego, we can not instill burning desire to achieve what we conceive. It’s excess that takes time away from my purpose to invest time for the inner happiness. With excess in ego comes root of an evil. It kills the veins of morality leading to horrible act of self indulgence. If I’m mindful about keeping my ego in the sandbox, I’m nurturing the mind of magnanimity.
Obsessive thinking:
We’ve all been victim of this viral state of mind. Thinking is a competitive advantage humans have over animals. We choose our thoughts and focus our attention to those thoughts. It’s that very decision we make to choose and obsess with thoughts of events that went wrong on the day, lack of forgiveness for the mistakes we’ve made on the day that leads us to misery and despair. With new mantra, I’m mindful about the thoughts I choose and thoughts I feel. By allowing mind to relax with yoga and meditation, I’ve learned to focus on thoughts of content and not on the contempt.
Pleasures:
External pleasures always imbibe our inner pleasure. I do not drink or smoke but I’ve habit of drinking few diet cokes a day and of course coffee always tests my ability to set limits with external pleasures. I’m more mindful on a day to avoid these drinks to invest my time to deposit more inner pleasures in my Life Bank. I’m feeling more energy and higher state of awakening due to seeking pleasure from within.
People Pleasing:
Keeping up with Joneses is the norm in modern day society. It’s both sad and disdainful to live life just to seek approval of others. If I know myself well and accept myself deeply, I don’t need approval of others. People pleasing is a form of external happiness that’s as fake as a mirage. Pleasing my inner self allows me to invest time to deposit eternal happiness in my Bank of Life. It also allows me to eliminate the emotional clutter I’ve deposited in the form of rejection by others who indeed have no interest in investing time to deposit more inner happiness in my life. I’m mindful for a day to do what pleases my inner self and care less for what others opined about my decision to do so.
I’m enjoying the rainbow of seven colors leading to the life of simplicity. I’m relaxed, I’m calm, I’m energetic, yet I know clearly what my life calls for.
Are you?
Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
-Confucius (BC 551-BC 479) Chinese philosopher.
Photo by Adam Burton
More reading - Jennifer Abbot has a great article on Simplicity
Help !! I’m in too deep and I want out !
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To Your Success,
Tags: drinking, eating, habits, materialism, obsession, rainbow, simplicity, spending, thoughts
Written by: admin on 2008-05-13 at 6:41 pmYou can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
I think you hit the nail on the head here Shilpan - This word “mindful” you kept using. Living simply is about being mindful of what is important, acting on it and doing away with the rest - all the clutter. It’s about looking within to reflect and act on what really matters. When we do that there is no need for clutter on the outside.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Drumroll, please……..
Oops. Well, I switched computers and forgot to change my login info again. Sorry about that.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Help!! I’m in Too Deep and I Need Out!
Shilpan, very beautifully written (and I LOVE the photo), especially the opening thoughts! (My favorite piece of yours yet).
I only party agree with Jennifer’s comment though, as I know people who are mindful of these things, talk about them, yet don’t live them. It takes at least some action beyond the realm of your synapses and neurons to make a difference in one’s life.
Mike King’s last blog post..Beliefs: They’re Entirely Yours to Control
Me? Not there yet. But working on it. I LOVE the idea of simplicity - all aspects of it, material and spiritual. Thank you.
Vered - MomGrind’s last blog post..My Name Is Vered, And I’m a Mommyblogger Wannabe
My favorite one is “Less working”. My motto is “Work less, achieve more”
Ultimately it must be 4-hour-work-week.
LOL!!!!
I loved the pic a lot too.
thanks for sharing this.
alikl
Alik | PracticeThis.com’s last blog post..Learning Capability Is Your Core Competitive Advantage
Wonderful post. I definately think I’ll try this.
@Jennifer-
Mindfulness allows use to reflect on our life and make changes so that we can enjoy happiness. Thanks for pointing that out.
@Mike -
I agree with you that there are people who talk about changes yet do not have courage or commitment to make it happen.
@Vered -
Thanks for the kind comments.
@Alik -
I agree with you regarding working less yet effectively.
Thanks
Shilpan
Shilpan’s last blog post..Rainbow of Simplicity
What a glorious image! Some people believe that how they choose to spend time reflects their priorities and also reveals the core source of wealth. If you spend much of your time on a particular activity or with particular people, then, theoretically, they mean the most to you. However, if you spend much of your time thinking you are elsewhere, with different people doing different things, then this is a sign to change what isn’t working in your life. To be mindful is like choosing to be aware of what is working or not andbeing willing to take steps to evolve.
I know.. sometimes, we add complexity to what in reality is so… simple.
@Liara -
I agree with you that being mindful is to develop an awareness of who we are and what are our priorities in life. Well said.
@Hannes -
Thanks for visiting. Please revisit and comment as we evolve this blog going forward.
@Shamelle -
Isn’t it amazing to find complexity adding more stress and frustration in our lives when we can achieve what we want by freeing up our mind and learning how to think simple.
Thanks
Shilpan
Nicely done, Shilpan. A manual for life. I learned the hard way that pleasing others in impossible. They can never be satisfied by anything we do. Better to just focus on doing (but not overdoing) your best.
Your point about the ego is valid, but some of it I disagree with. I would not say I’m against having an ego, but its definitely a handicap. It is the main reason for suffering. And ego is not the source of passion, though it may claim such in its identification. We may find that enlivenment of passion is through bolstering the ego, but don’t be fooled. The ego is not the source of anything but illusion.
I love the simplicity approach. When we are connected to who we are (Per your prior posts), we will have an inner simplicity. Then outer simplicity is easy, even in the throws of a complex life. Thanks again!
Davidya’s last blog post..David Lynch on the creative flow
Shilpan, I have a reminder at home and at work that says “Happiness is wanting what you have NOT having what you want”. I also put most things to the test question “How important is it?” Only the individual can answer that. We all go through the “accumulation” stage of life and it gives us a sense of accomplishment. The trick is to balance necessity with luxury. We often have to get a little maturity to realize that STUFF will never replace the importance of GOOD RELATIONSHIPS with our families and friends.
I mostly lead a simple life and love it. But I sure did enjoy playing with my toys on the trip to Deerfield! (http://stresstopower.com/blog/2008/05/11/what-i-learned-from-our-trip-to-deerfield/)
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monk’s last blog post..Maybe Not So Crazy After All
Oops! That link didn’t do very well. Let’s see if your plugin can pick it up. That’s a neat trick. And a neat blog. Keep up the good work!
Jean Browman–Transforming Stress’s last blog post..What I Learned From Our Trip to Deerfield
Love the image! I’m a fan of simplicity too. I’d add “fewer possessions” to your list. It’s related to “less spending,” but since I don’t buy many things at all, the way I accumulate items is usually by receiving them as gifts. It’s hard to tell people you don’t want any junk for your birthday–they want our homes to be cluttered!
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post..How To Be A Woman
“Less working”… Ahh! How ironic it seems that the more I work, the more I get stressed up on wanting to make the work better than it already is!
That image is beautiful! Love the rainbow with the height that rises above the mountains!
Daniel
Daniel Richard | Winning Everyone’s last blog post..Tony Stark 2.0 - 12 Ways to Live Out The Incredible Life
If only we can accumulate time then we would spend less time chasing things that wastes our time, like money, work, and acceptance.
I’ve managed to slow down time once when my family and I lived in a remote area in the Philippines. There, time actually stood still and I was able to enjoy my family more.
But since we’ve been back, which is 11 years to this date, time flew.
I guess you can’t really live a life of simplicity unless you physically remove yourself from the fast speeding time ship we call the American Society.
Chris’s last blog post..Growing Old
Well written! I like the analogy to the rainbow!
Having more materially does not make us happier. It is having more spiritually that makes for inner happiness.
To the simple life,
Evelyn
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map’s last blog post..4 Life Lessons From The Tale Of The Tea-Loving Caterpillars
Hi Shilpan,
I just left Jennifer’s blog and read her great post on simplicity, now I get to read even more.
It would be world changing if everyone realized the positive affect simplifying has in our lives. The stores would hate it, but people would be much happier.
I love the Israel Davidson quote and the beautiful photo.
Good job, Shilpan
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Write On
@Davidya -
I agree with you that ego is much rooted evil in this world. It’s in us inherent from the birth. Buddha once said to his disciples that if you can detach ego, you can become a God. Ego is our shadow. It’s hard to detach a shadow.
@Susan -
I love your quote. It’s fabulous. Thanks for sharing that with us.
@Jean -
Thanks for the kind words. I love your blog. It’s one of a kind. Thanks for the comment.
@Hunter -
I agree about possessions. They tend to possess our life once we fall in the trap of cluttering our life with possessions.
@Daniel -
Thanks for the kind words.
@Chris -
Isn’t it amazing that in this materialistic chase, we tend to sacrifice our most precious asset - time.
@Evelyn -
I agree that simple life is the gateway to happiness.
@Barbara -
It’s kind of ironic. Jennifer inspired me to write on this subject without a doubt.
Thanks
Shilpan
I think you hit a key point — please yourself first. It’s more effective to work inside out versus outside in.
I think boundaries are important. When’s enough enough? I find setting boundaries for the important buckets of my life, keeps me on track. The trick in life is knowing which balls to keep juggling and which to let drop.
J.D. Meier’s last blog post..How Much Profitability Do You Need?
I think we can keep our lives simple if we learn to REALLY tune into our intuition and act on it - our intuition doesn’t go for the extraneous clutter, and it leads us to tying up those loose ends that can come back and bite us. I can honestly say my life is simple and straightforward from learning to do this.
Cheers! - Robin
Robin’s last blog post..Staying young
Shilpan, this is a great post. This statement is true:
I’m also realizing that everything that we focus on takes away focus from other important things that dies death of deprivation.
I like to do a lot of things and have a lot of interests…in the back of my mind I’m like what next. I know this thing is going to take even more time from something more important, so I’m trying to keep things simple because it frees up my life…I’m always looking for balance.
Natural’s last blog post..The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and By the Way
@J.D.
You articulated this statement rather well - “The trick in life is knowing which balls to keep juggling and which to let drop.”
If we all learn to do just that, we can achieve abundance. Thanks for the insight.
@Robin -
I agree that intuition often guides us inward to lead a life of contentment. Great point. Thanks for visiting.
Shilpan
@Natural -
Time is not infinite. It’s something so precious that no monies can ever buy it. You can be a Bill Gates and still have no influence on this precious commodity. So, we all need to learn to make best of it.
Shilpan
[…] Shilpan at Success Soul has written a beautiful post about the simplicity of rainbow living: Simple life is a pathway to happiness. It’s as simple as a rainbow of seven colors. In the modern […]
I think that the more we know ourselves, the simpler our lives become. It’s been my experience that people who accumulate lots of stuff and are always trying to please everybody else aren’t sure of who they are (maybe they’re hoping to be able to define themselves through the things they own). Very nice post Shilpan.
Marelisa’s last blog post..75 Skills Every Woman Should Master (the first 25)
Dead on post, Shilpan. I always strive for simplicity in my life, always looking to make the simplest decisions, without making compromises and of course without avoiding the hard one either. Simplicity gives more time to enjoy the finner things in life, I guess we all need to stop and smell the roses sometime, but some (guilty) get engulfed too much in their own presence and superficial existence.Again, awesome post.
Tibi Puiu’s last blog post..The Comment Etiquette: The Guide to Proper Blog Commenting
What a breathtaking picture!
My family has been very focused on finding more simplistic ways of finding the beauty and gratefulness in life and love.
This was a beautiful post.
I love it here!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..Inspiring Things that Inquiring Minds Want to Know
@Marelisa -
You are dead on. These folks who are trying to please others in hope of winning their approval are in for a disappointment in life. For, simplicity to life is the key to happiness.
@Tibi -
True happiness lies in doing small things as you’ve mentioned. Most people do not understand that.
@Wendi -
Thanks for the kind comments on the picture and the post. Please visit my blog again.
Thanks
Shilpan
As a young man I had a difficult time letting go of thoughts. I would obsess over little things people said to me at work and with friends. I had trouble just being myself and enjoying the moment. I did some soul searching and read over a hundred books on personal development. All the hard work as paid off and I see rainbows every where I go.
Great post! Keep them coming.
karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters’s last blog post..How to Be a Woman at Work
@Karl -
We have in us this rainbow, as colorful as our imagination is. All we have to do is to recognize and appreciate everyday. Life can transcend worst of events into peaceful experiences if we learn that art.
Thanks
Shilpan
brilliantly written, and wonderful ideas
but while I do think they apply in a great majority of cases, there are some cases in which happiness can’t be found in little things. It depends on the man.
mihai andrei’s last blog post..8 DONT’s at a business party
I love the less working reference. However, you made me want more! I have a special request…please write a post on this subject. I look forward to your insight!!
Maryann’s last blog post..What came first…not chicken or the egg?
@ Maryann -
Thanks for the kind word. I’m inspired to write on the subject with your sense of conviction for the broader meaning. In due time, I promise to write on the subject.
Thanks
Shilpan
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