Words To Nourish The Mind

This is a four-part series that has been inspired by my Bible read through (reading the bible from beginning to end).  As I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of the book review I did earlier on Dealing with Disappointment. They both ask the big question: “Is life just one big disappointment?” Even if you are not a believer, I think this discussion will be equally thought-provoking and hold deep resonance with most, if not everyone. Everything is meaningless, says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless!’ What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:2-3. You can feel like going through the motions of living but not really be living at all. We are given the precious thing called life but yet life can feel lifeless, if we buy into the hype of cultural and social norms. For example, we live in an increasingly consumer-driven world where we are largely led to believe that stuff equals happiness; but does it and at what cost? Sure,...

This week is the concluding part of the three-part series on cutting through the clutter to gain clarity. In the last two posts; I talked about physical clutter and how that is just a physical manifestation of chaos in the mind – Patrice Washington. Embracing minimalism in our lives can be difficult to do in a world that constantly feeds us with information and messages of so-called wants that are somehow packaged as needs. Our best life is often lived when we are out and about not stuck in the same stuff that prohibits us from truly living.  Being mindful and conscious of the choices we make from how we spend our time to how we spend our money pays dividends in the long run, as we are no longer influenced by dogma. For this to happen one must take the time to explore a different world, with a different lens or perhaps even a different message. When we pursue information, it not only informs the mind but nourishes the soul to seek the question that we all as...

‘People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom.’– Naval Ravikant. Most of us spend a good proportion of our lives consistently chasing the next best thing, filling life and space with mostly meaningless stuff that quickly goes out of fashion. It also gives life to the belief that stuff = happiness. For me this couldn’t be further from the truth; but I did once buy into this lie, along with most of the population. Until we receive a true awakening that there has to be more to life than chasing stuff and possessions – life may feel meaningless. We strive for better and newer, we will become ever more enslaved to always wanting more because one is never satisfied through the means of possessions. I suspect the rise of social media and seeing others’ lives through a filter can only exacerbate this perceived need or want. Living beyond your means seems to be the norm but should it be? I am making a conscious...