Minimalism Student

Author: minimalismrules

  • the border of a new generation

    In my last post, I talked about what it means to be part of the digital generation. When I was growing up, I never had much technology, until at least my late teen years. I did all of the ‘childhood things’ – played outside, went to the park, learned to ride a bike. My toy…

  • The bigger picture

    It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life. There’s a traffic jam, someone is rude to us, the milk has run out. Understandably annoying. Some problems are a little bigger—ongoing stress from work, money troubles, or finding fulfilment are legitimate concerns. We don’t make things easier for ourselves. The more we…

  • The big reveal – my year abroad

    In the last couple of posts, I’ve mentioned a few times that I will be going abroad this September. I’ve been keeping it pretty quiet so far, but now I feel I am ready to finally reveal where I will be going, and what I will be doing. Firstly, I get a lot of people…

  • Spontaneous Disconnection

    Since I started Minimal Student, my once a week posting schedule has forced me to reach for my laptop at least once every few days to write posts, answer email and reply to comments. Not to mention all of the other habits I’ve developed whilst being connected, like constant checking and refreshing like a crazy…

  • Spiritual Revolution

    “What I propose is a spiritual revolution” ~ Dalai Lama As political freedom spreads to more people and technology integrates into our lives, one would think that man’s quest for happiness is more obtainable than ever. And yet, there is still so much suffering in the world. There is still discrimination, war and violence. People are…

  • Simple philosophies – live with less

    Live simply so others may simply live ~ HH Dalai Lama Six billion people live on this planet. Each and every one is worth just as much as the next. But many of them have to struggle to obtain basic human needs such as water whilst others are wasting it washing their cars. According to…

  • Simple Philosophies – Live slowly

    Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience. The human lifespan is short. That’s why we’re told to constantly cram as much as we can into each day. We do things that we like think are important, but aren’t really,…

  • The Most Important Lesson You’ll Ever Learn About Opportunity

    Two shoe makers go to a remote village. One of them immediately gives up and goes home, declaring, “It’s hopeless! Nobody here wears shoes.” The other, smiling, declares “What a glorious business opportunity! Nobody here wears shoes”. Opportunity is something that you discover, not something that you wait for   Whether it’s new business idea,…

  • On the Shortness of Life – Part V – Death

    This is the final part of a five part series on Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life. Read Part I – Finiteness, Part II – Protecting time and living in the present, Part III – Desire and life goals, Part IV – Learning. A typical person living in the Western world is expected to live until about 70-80 years…

  • On Productivity — the difference between efficiency and effectiveness

    Back when I was an aspiring career girl who thought the epitome of success was earning a Director’s title and a generous bonus package every year until I retired comfortably at 65, I used to be obsessed with productivity. How could I get more things done in less time? How could I fit more into my…