Thursday 28 July 2011

Simplicity - July 28

KISS = keep it simple stupid
easier said than done
for my summer reading  I have chosen the concept first made explict by Henry D. Thoreau in "Walden" - simplicity. Our current 21st century life is clearly too complex. The evidence is the need for most of us to deaden our senses with alcohol or drugs, or fall into depression or anxiety as so many I know. Know that I don't drink coffee - an upper - or drink alcohol - a sedative - I look around me and realize how much these social drugs allow people to get through the day. They are lubricants - and needed by most - but try a few days without them and you will realize that your tempo and stress of life needs them - you don't ingest them for 'the taste' - you are just kidding yourself - you need them to get through the day
like a drug addict needs his fix to get through the next hour - we are thus, in a certain kind of way, drug addicts
which means, of course that our lives need to change or we slowly descend into a form of physical, emotional or spiritual death - eventually...
so how to simplify? spend less, achieve less, - why? to leave MARGIN in your life - breathing room to , of course, breath. A life of deep breathing acts just like deep breathing does in Yoga - it brings life to all the cells of the body and health and peace of mind.
So breath - by having a SLOW life that allows the time to just be. Or, if you want an example, try the format that Scott Nearing , the original back to the lander made famous in his book "Living the Good Life";
wake up breakfast - 4 hours physical labour
eat lunch - 4 hours intellectual labour
dinner - 4 hours social interaction with others and community building - giving back
rest
more recent books that can help are
The heart of simple living by W.Urbanska
living the simple life by E.St.James
enjoy!

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