Last night I had penne with pesto for dinner at home. When I cook I'm usually busy throughout the process - cooking rice, washing and chopping vegetables, braising this, seasoning that...
Yesterday I had nothing to do when waiting for the pasta to be done. After some pondering I decided to really "do nothing". Most people think they need occupation all the time and would have cleaned the kitchen, written a message on the phone or at least drunk a glass of water. Just doing nothing rarely occurs in their lives.
So I stood there and just listened to the sound of the boiling water, some noise from outside and my breath. A great sense of relief started to emerge and just when I was thinking how easy it is to be happy, my girlfriend called me. She was waiting at a bus stop and coincidentally thought of me. We had a short conversation until her bus arrived and my meal was ready. It's funny, how what I write sometimes turns out to be incredibly true.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
We don't know what we want
Please watch the first 35 seconds of this video:
Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music
You should check out the whole talk later, it's simply fantastic.
What Mr. Zander describes is the phenomenon of an untapped market. It means that you have something to sell that people don't have yet - or don't even know of. From a business point of view this is something that makes your heart jump. But I see two difficulties:
1. By introducing western products to countries that have no expertise in manufacturing them themselves, we lead them into dependence. Although I'm not well informed about the history of Africa, I bet that a lot of self-sufficient economies have been destroyed there by our interruption. What I know for sure is how Monsanto works to achieve just that.
2. New products have often led to complications retrospectively, although they seemed to be beneficial at first. The truth lies somewhere in between. Did you know that with the advent of the toilet bowl all kinds of digestive disorders began to arise? How about shoes that negatively effect the foot's natural functionality in the example from the TED talk.
I'm not pleading against progress, but in today's time we need to closely observe where we're going. Just because people want to buy something, it doesn't mean it's good for them - not to speak of the environment.
Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music
You should check out the whole talk later, it's simply fantastic.
What Mr. Zander describes is the phenomenon of an untapped market. It means that you have something to sell that people don't have yet - or don't even know of. From a business point of view this is something that makes your heart jump. But I see two difficulties:
1. By introducing western products to countries that have no expertise in manufacturing them themselves, we lead them into dependence. Although I'm not well informed about the history of Africa, I bet that a lot of self-sufficient economies have been destroyed there by our interruption. What I know for sure is how Monsanto works to achieve just that.
2. New products have often led to complications retrospectively, although they seemed to be beneficial at first. The truth lies somewhere in between. Did you know that with the advent of the toilet bowl all kinds of digestive disorders began to arise? How about shoes that negatively effect the foot's natural functionality in the example from the TED talk.
I'm not pleading against progress, but in today's time we need to closely observe where we're going. Just because people want to buy something, it doesn't mean it's good for them - not to speak of the environment.
Monday, January 5, 2015
A case for part-time jobs
When people ask me what I've been doing since I finished university almost one year ago, I usually tell them how I make a living as a freelance marketer and guitar teacher, and that I educate myself around music and business. It's not a lie, but what I really do is thinking about life. I ask myself what I want to achieve during my time here on earth, how to live sustainably and contribute the survival of mankind, and what the meaning of this all might be.
It is impossible to change directions when you give full speed ahead.
When a famous person, a spiritual head or a political leader urges for us to think about solutions for the problems we are facing today, everybody nods. But how come that really doing so (and taking time for it instead of working full time) is being eyed with suspicion?
It is impossible to change directions when you give full speed ahead.
When a famous person, a spiritual head or a political leader urges for us to think about solutions for the problems we are facing today, everybody nods. But how come that really doing so (and taking time for it instead of working full time) is being eyed with suspicion?
Sunday, January 4, 2015
The origin of happiness
Those who seek happiness anywhere else but inside do not have a clue. Even if somebody says that a brand new Porsche makes him happy, it is actually hormones in the brain that create this wonderful feeling. They may have been released because of an event that happened in the outer world, but that doesn't change the facts.
Of course we need certain things to happen in order to feel good. But once you've understood the dynamics behind it, the trigger becomes secondary. Then you begin to be grateful for the hormones instead of the Porsche. You start to see the beauty in how the body works and rewards you with pleasant emotions sometimes. And finally you understand that buying stuff is by far less rewarding than exercising, meditating or just being around loved ones. This is the magic of minimalism.
Of course we need certain things to happen in order to feel good. But once you've understood the dynamics behind it, the trigger becomes secondary. Then you begin to be grateful for the hormones instead of the Porsche. You start to see the beauty in how the body works and rewards you with pleasant emotions sometimes. And finally you understand that buying stuff is by far less rewarding than exercising, meditating or just being around loved ones. This is the magic of minimalism.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Two new habits for 2015
Today I did two things that I had never done before. They happened by chance, but I am so glad about it, that I just decided to implement them as new habits.
Firstly, I sorted out old socks with holes in them. In the past I used to keep them, hoping somebody would patch them someday. They have also been a backup when I was too lazy to do the laundry in time. A mixture of frugality and indifference held me back from disposing them, although the holes got bigger and bigger over time.
On a whim I disposed them this morning. Thinking about it later, I realized that time was more than ripe. These old socks had been bugging me for much too long, and I refused to acknowledge it because they were a symbol for my protest against finickiness. With this in mind, from now on I will either sort out or repair broken socks right away.
Secondly, I put a lot of chocolate into the trash. People seem to enjoy bombarding each other with sweets on Christmas, and it was once more impossible for me to stop them - even though they know what I think of sugar. In general I am against throwing away food, but eating something that harms me is no help to anyone. I am glad having become aware of this, so that I can react upon these kind of presents with integrity.
Firstly, I sorted out old socks with holes in them. In the past I used to keep them, hoping somebody would patch them someday. They have also been a backup when I was too lazy to do the laundry in time. A mixture of frugality and indifference held me back from disposing them, although the holes got bigger and bigger over time.
On a whim I disposed them this morning. Thinking about it later, I realized that time was more than ripe. These old socks had been bugging me for much too long, and I refused to acknowledge it because they were a symbol for my protest against finickiness. With this in mind, from now on I will either sort out or repair broken socks right away.
Secondly, I put a lot of chocolate into the trash. People seem to enjoy bombarding each other with sweets on Christmas, and it was once more impossible for me to stop them - even though they know what I think of sugar. In general I am against throwing away food, but eating something that harms me is no help to anyone. I am glad having become aware of this, so that I can react upon these kind of presents with integrity.
"Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best." - John C. Maxwell
Friday, January 2, 2015
Social minimalism
The number of your facebook friends says nothing about your social life. What I've found out is that focusing on your most important relationships is much more satisfying than seeing dozens of different people now and then. Being selective about who you stay in touch with shows that you know what matters to you. It's not a sign of scarcity, but of clear values.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
An inviting home
Put your home to a test: Does it correspond to the things you like to do? Does it represent your values? Consider the stuff that you want to spend half of your time with - is it taking up half of the space?
Your place invites you to do certain things. In an ordinary house you'll find a living room that makes you want to sit down and watch TV. There will probably be a kitchen for cooking and a table to sit down and eat. In the bedroom you can lie down to sleep or for intimate togetherness.
It's no wonder that people spend most of their free time eating and sitting on the couch. If you intend to read more, do sports and have conversations - arrange the rooms accordingly. Throw out that big sofa and replace it with a hammock and a reading lamp. Buy a smaller TV or just let go and stop watching it altogether. Create space to roll out a yoga mat and do body weight exercises. Make the only place to sit down one that lets you face each other and talk instead of staring at a screen.
This is just an example. Think about what's important to you.
Your home will look quite minimalist - but not because you planned it that way. It's just because you dissociated yourself from the couch potato lifestyle. And whenever you step through the entrance a voice seems to say: welcome to the good life.
Your place invites you to do certain things. In an ordinary house you'll find a living room that makes you want to sit down and watch TV. There will probably be a kitchen for cooking and a table to sit down and eat. In the bedroom you can lie down to sleep or for intimate togetherness.
It's no wonder that people spend most of their free time eating and sitting on the couch. If you intend to read more, do sports and have conversations - arrange the rooms accordingly. Throw out that big sofa and replace it with a hammock and a reading lamp. Buy a smaller TV or just let go and stop watching it altogether. Create space to roll out a yoga mat and do body weight exercises. Make the only place to sit down one that lets you face each other and talk instead of staring at a screen.
This is just an example. Think about what's important to you.
Your home will look quite minimalist - but not because you planned it that way. It's just because you dissociated yourself from the couch potato lifestyle. And whenever you step through the entrance a voice seems to say: welcome to the good life.
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