In a fast paced world, finding simplicity is a rarity. Focusing on the important factors of life, living in the moment; these are some of the toughest things to do when we’re all surrounded by bills, jobs, worries and stress. There is one way to get a better idea at slowing your life down: becoming Zen. That’s the idea in mind proposed by Leo Babauta, creator and writer for Zen Habits. Babauta is a married man with six children living in San Francisco, California. His website focuses on helping others find happiness, create something amazing and focus on all the important aspects that life has to offer.
His website is one of the Top 25 blogs and Top 50 websites in the world. About 225,000 readers venture to Zen Habits in order to read his weekly, or sometimes bi-weekly, articles focusing on simplicity, health and fitness, motivation, family life, happiness and much more.
His blog post, How I Changed My Life, In Four Lines, explains his process, venturing to become a healthier, happier man. He bases his process on four simple principles, avoiding stress and clutter at all costs. His four lines are:
Babauta’s simplicity, his Zen, is what makes his advice so beneficial. He takes everyday life, removes all stress, and makes it a much better, happier experience. His understanding that a person can only control so much of life is extraordinary, noting that you can change what you can control. His about page displays a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh that perfectly explains his thought process, and what should be the thought process of anybody who is looking to relieve from stress.
"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment."
In one of Babauta’s recent posts, The No New Gifts Holiday Challenge, he decides to opt out of the craziness that is Black Friday and holiday shopping. He poses questions asking if everyone is ready for countless spending, debt, work hours, and most of all, stress. His challenge to everyone is for each individual to simply not buy any new gifts during the holidays. While it may seem like a difficult task, Babauta suggests that people make gifts, volunteer, buy used gifts, share an experience or simply give people others items that you have but do not need. Of course, he understands that not everybody will go for this idea, but he gives ideas on how to help sway family and friends into doing something simple; something less stressful.
At Zen Habits, life is just simpler. It’s happier. When you remove clutter and stress from your everyday living, you receive a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for all that you do have. Leo Babauta helps you have that same mentality, so head on over for some great advice and lessons on easier living.
