So here we are on the first part of our journey along the Noble Eightfold Path, laid out by the Buddha to guide us away from ignorance and suffering. In this first part, we will look at wisdom, what it means and how to attain it by practising Right View and Right Intention.

Wisdom

What is wisdom exactly? Some would say it is like knowledge, but that wouldn’t be the complete meaning of real wisdom. There are plenty of people who are book smart, or have a lot of general knowledge or can make obscure cultural references, which are all very well, but true wisdom is a different kind of knowledge that you can only gain from experience.

Unlike knowledge, wisdom is not a clear cut goal that you can reach by passing an exam. The real tests come from being able to overcome the obstacles that life throws at you.

Being wise simply means knowing how to be. What to say or not say, what to do or not do and how to be true to yourself and do well unto others.

Wisdom is the accumulation of humbling experiences that come from keeping an open mind and freely admitting when you are wrong. Wise people are not proud. They have plenty of dignity, but they are not proud in the way that most people are. They don’t need their egos boosting and they don’t feel the need to have recognition for every little thing they do. Zen teachers always tell their students, “If you think you are already wise, then you are not“.

Right View

To become wise, firstly you have to obtain a little perspective on things. Right View is being able to see things for what they really are. This means having the insight to see what truly matters, and what does not. It means realising that everything is impermanent and that the world around us is in a constant state of flux.

Stuff breaks, gets stolen or lost. People change their minds. Time moves on. If we insist on trying to keep things the same forever or if we hold on to an ideal or memory, one day when it will inevitably be gone, we will be unhappy. Instead, so we should enjoy these things while we can but we should also recognize that nothing lasts forever, so we shouldn’t become upset when it is gone.

In minimalism, having the Right View is the first step in the right direction. You have to see things for what they’re really worth – which is usually nothing really at all, just a bit of money here and there doesn’t make something actually valuable.

You have to realise that being happy is the most important thing in life, and simply possessing a bunch of stuff or qualifications won’t make you happy, so what’s the point in worrying about it all so much? The same goes for relationships that aren’t working or goals you’re holding onto just to impress other people with. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone, yet we spend our whole lives striving to win points in life as if it’s one big game.

Having the Right View shapes all of our other intentions and actions, so it is vital that people put their priorities straight. What are you working towards? What do you really want to do? What matters to you?

Right Intention

Can you imagine what kind of world it would be if more people intended to leave things in a better state after they came than before they arrived? Every act of kindness, no matter how small, adds up. Just a smile or some kind words can improve someone’s day or week, or even save a life. You can make a difference. This is what minimalism is all about – resisting the pull of selfish desire for the greater good of ourselves and for others.

If people just took a moment to breathe before they spoke or acted, then there would be much less anger and violence in the world. Holding a grudge or desire for revenge against somebody else is like holding a hot rock – painful and burdening, and yet people feel like this every single day.

Extending our compassion for people who annoy us doesn’t mean we understand why they’re doing something, it means that we understand that they are only human, they make mistakes but they’re just doing their best to be happy.

Every interaction we have with the Earth and other people should be with the intention of goodwill – to make the world a better place. If you want to make your mark on the world, let it be a positive one.

Commit to this with your whole heart, and you will attract like-minded, kind and gracious people into your life. Everything slots into place if you have the right attitude, and true intentions.

People who are truly wise can see things from a higher perspective. They know when to listen and when to speak. And they know when to act and when to let things go. But most importantly, they know how to be happy.

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Most of you will probably know the popular college drinking game ‘Would you rather…?’ where you have to choose between two (usually horrifying) dilemmas.

Apart from being an entertaining drinking game, I’ve discovered it to be a rather useful life tool to create ultimatums for yourself, especially when it comes to the difficult yet important issues in our lives.

For example, how do we balance our money/job needs with our desire to be more minimalist?

The best way to answer this question is by asking a different set of questions…

three better questions

When we think about work, it’s all about choices. A lot of people neglect asking themselves important questions regularly. They just blindly go with the flow from school > university > job > retirement and forget to stop and check if they’re even going where they would like to go

Now, here is where most people ask obvious questions like, “Are you passionate about your work?” or, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?” and so on, but those aren’t the kind of questions I’m interested in. I prefer something more challenging.

Most of us are so lucky to live in a day and age when it is possible for us to do anything we want. We have more freedom of choice than any other generation in history. Most of us are no longer hindered by the information and communication obstacles that stopped our predecessors from learning and doing what they wanted to do, when they wanted to. So it’s time for some new and better questions that make the most of the opportunities we have.

Money or Time?

Would you rather:

• work 8 hours a day and have extra cash
• work 8 hours a week and have only what you need

How you answer this question is important because it decides what kind of job you want to do. Some jobs simply cannot be done in less than a full day’s shift (such as working in retail or service)—you’re paid by a company to help customers out for that many hours a day. This kind of job can be done by anyone, and it shows on your paycheck.

On the other hand, there are jobs that are highly paid per hour because of the high value you deliver. What kind of job would you want?

Which one you prefer usually depends on which you value more—having cash in the bank, or having free time.

BUT you can have both money and time! It all comes down to how much money you need to sustain your lifestyle. In my case, I don’t have a costly life overhead, so I don’t need to work more than a few hours a week, and then I use the rest of my free time to do what I want—read, spend time with my loved ones, etc. So now I’m left with enough money, and plenty of time.

Connection or Freedom?

Would you rather do a job that requires:

• your presence
• what you create

There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides, and they’re not always mutually exclusive, but which one you choose largely depends on the kind of person you are. Jobs that require your presence usually involve being interacting with customers and usually some sort of trained skill. Some people find these jobs quite fulfilling too, because they’re able to connect with new and different people.

The flip side is that you have to show up to wherever the customers are, which, if you like your freedom, can be a pain in the ass. Jobs in service sector are examples of these. On the other hand, jobs that only require what you can create, provide more possibility of freedom. You can create something of value, and send it to the customer from wherever you are.

Now or Never?

Would you rather:

• do great things when you’re retired
• do them now (even on a shoestring)

This one is a trick question. A lot of people think that they have to choose between the things that truly matter, and the things they think they have to do right now, like getting a well-paid steady job, buy a nice car/house, start a family etc. But they forget that they don’t have to wait until they’re retired to do what they’ve always wanted to. Or until they’re rich. You can live a millionaire’s lifestyle from right now.

There’s no guarantee you’ll be rich, or even alive, when you’re ready to retire. The only guarantee you have is the present moment, make the most of it!

As for myself, I tutor English for a few sessions per week. My fees are quite high per hour, so even if I have to show up for work, it’s worth it. I’m also working on moving towards freelance translation so that I would be able to work from anywhere in the world… and/or from the comfort of my bed. I’ll see how that goes.

EDIT February 2016: A few years after I wrote this post, I started freelance translations in my spare time, and now I run my own investment business which gives me a comfortable passive income. I’m living my dream from five years ago.

In any case, it’s important to keep asking status-quo-challenging questions because you may discover a new path in life. Some of the best ideas and revolutions in history came from people asking the right questions at the right time.

If you could see the WordPress dashboard for this blog, you’ll find hundreds of crappy drafts. For every post published, I have at least 5-10 drafts that will never see the light of day.

It takes a lot of brainstorming, bad ideas, poking, prodding, and feet dragging to get a single post out. Most of all, it takes time. In fact, I wrote the original idea for this post in 2011. You can imagine how my book is going.

But by being persistent, something eventually comes out of it. If you’re lucky, it might even be good. Sure, there are posts that aren’t as popular as others, but that’s okay, because there are as many posts that exceeded my expectations.

There are two types of pursuits—you either have to get perfect results, or you don’t. If you’re building a bridge, it needs to be precise. Fortunately, most things fall in to the latter type. It’s better to try and get something done, than not doing anything at all because it can’t be perfect.

There’s no such thing as perfection. Art, business, science, life…everything is one big experiment. Sometimes you’ll get something wrong a hundred times before you get it right once. Nobody learned to walk without falling.

Minimalism is the same. Doing a little bit is better than none. You don’t ‘become minimalist’ overnight, or even over a couple of months or years. There’s no final, perfect goal. It’s a continuous practice of shifting your mindset and making the best decisions you can. You’re allowed to have lapses. There are no rules, so who’s to judge you?

Embrace the struggle. Anything worth doing is difficult. The discomfort weeds out the wannabes. The hardship is what makes it an accomplishment. As Roosevelt said,

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

—

Book I’m reading now: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life — Anne Lamott

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“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.” – Dalai Lama

Do you keep a diary?

If you don’t, I highly recommend it. I guarantee that the stuff you write about will blow your mind one day.

Reading a past entry is like looking at a snapshot of your past self. What happened this time last year? How did you feel about it? It’s fascinating, some of the things that you cared so much about that you would dedicate so many pages and so much of your time ranting about.

But now, you read back, and  you realise that the things that happened to you back then, that seemed like such a big deal at the time, don’t seem so big any more, do they?

That’s because everything changes with time. It’s the nature of impermanence.

2012, an epic year indeed

I choose to see it as a sign of growth. People tend to say that they’re the same person they’ve always been, but the truth is, everybody changes over time. Sure, there are a few things, like core values and beliefs that are difficult to change, but all the rest of you, your likes and dislikes, how you spend your time, they way you move or speak, your knowledge, and of course your appearance, are always changing.

In 2012, I did a lot of changing. I went from only being able to run 3 miles at the most to completing a half marathon in less than 2 hours. I went on retreat to southern France, where I learned more about life in a week than I did in my entire lifetime. I travelled around China, where I met new people, and together we ate, saw, learned and experienced so many new things. I somehow even managed to throw in learning a new language and how to swim properly, amongst many other things, big and small. This year was one of the most exciting years I have been lucky enough to have.

There’s still growing up to do, but before I die…

As another year passes by, I realise one more change. It happens every year, but many of us don’t seem to notice.

We have one less year left to live. 

There are still so many things I want to see, people to meet, relationships to deepen, skills to learn, goals to achieve, places to go, experiences to have, new things to try, it’s unbelievable how much I have yet to do.

It would be such a shame to let a moment go to waste.

Like a lot of people, I keep track of all of these things with a bucket list. It’s simple, if I keep it somewhere obvious and I see it almost every day, I will be reminded about the goals I’m aiming for, the things that really matter. Then, as I accomplish each one, I proudly draw a big black line through it.

For 2013, I have decided to publish my list. I have created a page to make myself publicly accountable for my lifetime goals. Hopefully, this will motivate me to get out there and just do it!

Screw it, just do it

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln

Who knows what the future has to bring? The best thing you can do is take control of it yourself. Decide for your own what you want to happen, then make it happen.

I have been working on it for a few years now, and I’ve managed to cross off a few things already. Even so, the list keeps growing, and at a much faster rate than I can keep up with. Even if I can’t complete every single thing on the list, I wouldn’t mind, as long as I know that I’ve truly tried to. Some of the things will take a long time, years even, but as long as I keep in mind my reasons, I’m sure I can do it. Some of the things will take an immense amount of time, effort and courage, I hope I can live up to the challenge.

Nevertheless, I will never forget what an amazing year this has been. Both the good and bad things that have happened have made me a stronger and better person. I know that when I read back on my diary for the past twelve months, I’ll be happy to know that I have already experienced so much.

Thanks 2012 for being such an epic year, and here’s hoping 2013 will be even better!

… you might not get burned.

Sometimes the fear of fire is worse than the actual danger of it. This doesn’t mean that you should be stupid or underestimate it’s destructive powers, but you shouldn’t live in fear of it either. A little mindfulness can go a long way in judging whether something is really worth the risk.

If you’re special (and all of us are) then you can work out how to be smart yet:

• crazy
• adventurous
• fearless

The worse thing to do is make excuses (“it’s not safe to go there…” , “I don’t know if I’m good enough…”, “what will people think of me?“) and then let those excuses rule your life. Living in fear pushes you further back into your comfort zone, and you know you’re in your comfort zone when everything around you and everything you do is void of:

• challenge
• chance
• danger

And if you stay there too long, you’ll just keep wallowing around in a barren land of boring. No, seriously, there’s a whole world out there waiting for you to take it on and if you’re just going to hide behind a wall of excuses, you’ll miss out on some amazing things, and not to mention you’re wasting your one chance to make a difference – to make your life really worth living.

I know that there’s something you want to do, but you’re scared to. Something or someone is telling you “no” or “you shouldn’t/couldn’t!” .

I know this because everybody has a dream being trampled on like that. Even the greatest men and women in history had the same feelings as you.

But the difference is that they weren’t scared of getting burned. Are you?

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Life doesn’t get better or worse, just how you see it does.

We all experience bad things in our lives, some worse than others. Some problems we have are minor and some are quite life changing. But whilst we’re concentrating on the our failures, mistakes or heck even natural disasters, sometimes we forget that good things can also shape who we are.

It’s easier to focus on the bad things because they stir up drama and anger which are easier to build upon. Problems pushes all of our buttons and if we make them out to be worse than they really are, it can make other people feel sorry for us.

It’s easy to believe that unpleasant things define who we are, makes us stronger people, but that’s not always the case. It’s how we deal with them, and how we move on which really builds character.

Focussing on good things that happen to us, no matter how little they may be, cultivates a positive attitude that is the basis of all the good things we really want in life, reliable friends and family, amazing opportunities, a job we love and most importantly, self confidence.

I’m not saying all you have to do is put on some rose-tinted glasses and everything would be fine. Just that we should step back and be aware of which side, the good or the bad, that we are placing the most emphasis on and thinking about the kind of effects it has on the rest of our lives.

If you think about all of the lonely superstars who appear to have everything vs. kids who live in village huts with smiles on their faces, you might be able to see that it isn’t our financial circumstances that decide how good life is. Our attitude towards it is worth more than a million bucks if we use it right.

• Happy Birthday to you
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Reading is one of the best things you can do for your mind. It expands your horizons and takes you to places you can never go. Unfortunately, books can cost a lot of money, especially university textbooks, but here are some ways you can save money.

1. Check the library. If you are only going to read it once, or use it for referencing, then the best thing to do would be to borrow it. Universities usually have an extensive collection of textbooks, especially expensive or rare ones.  If you want to buy to make notes, ask yourself “Will I ever look through these notes again? Are they going to help me improve in anyway?“. If not, then it might just be worth borrowing and then taking a few notes in a separate ‘reading notebook’ instead of the actual book.

2. Check the reviews. If you decide that you need your own copy to keep or make notes in etc. check out the reviews on Amazon, other book review sites first or maybe even ask your lecturer. It might not turn out to be what you want and could end up being a waste of money. You might even find you can eliminate some books on your reading list this way.

3. Shop around. There are so many places that you can buy books there is bound to be a difference in pricing. In general, buying online is cheaper because websites don’t have to pay as much overhead costs, however, you may be able to find things even cheaper in charity shops. Also, some universities do a trade-in scheme for higher years to sell books to lower years at a reduced price. It might be worth it to save a few bucks here and there.

4. Consider re-selling. After you’ve made use of the book, you should consider reselling it if you don’t plan to use it again. This way, you can make some of the money back that you paid for it and somebody else can obtain the book for a fairly low price. This is good for the environment and is good for decluttering your room.

5. Share. Lending books to friends and sharing books around can save all of you a ton of money. Remember to take care of borrowed books. The mutual benefits can be amazing, I can’t tell you how many books I’ve discovered because a course mate, friend or family member recommended it, and because of their kindness, I never had to spend a penny.

What are your tips for saving money on books?

Chances are, it isn’t your birthday today. (If it is, then happy birthday!)

Birthday’s are great because people do things on this special day that they wouldn’t do otherwise. Mainly, they have fun.

They’ll go out of their way to throw a party, gather with family and friends or do something that will make everybody laugh and have a good time.

So my question is, why do we limit this to people’s birthdays?

Why wait until one day of year to get out and do something amazing?

If we only treat every 365th day as special, aren’t we pretty much wasting the other 364 days? What is a birthday really if not a celebration of your life? Why not make every day special, or 10th, 50th or even 100th day?

Okay, so we can’t go out drinking or booking expensive restaurants or buying birthday gifts and cake everyday, but we can do the other main part, which is to do something amazing. It’s funny how we forget to have fun until a special day comes along to remind us to do so.

make every day special

1. Birthday. For one day of this week, pretend it’s your birthday! Do something fun and spontaneous with your friends, have a great time! (You don’t have to tell them you’re pretending it’s your birthday – they might think you’re the Mad Hatter 😀 ). It doesn’t have to be fancy – how about a movie night, or a cake-baking day, or even something really wild.

2. New Years. For some reason we suddenly decide that because it has become January we want to lose weight and get fit or read more books or quit smoking or any other kind of resolution. What’s wrong with the other months of the year? Who cares if it isn’t January, make a resolution right now to accomplish something you’ve always wanted to do.

3. Anniversary. Don’t wait for a special day to show your appreciation for someone. Do something special now for someone you care about, it could be your partner, friends, parents, kids or teacher. Write them a note or make a card or even pick some flowers thanking them for being there for you.

Don’t wait ’til you have an excuse to have fun, every day is a miracle, let’s celebrate it!

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little”.  ~ Edmund Burke

Welcome Becoming Minimalist readers! This is the second half of the guest post I wrote over at Joshua’s blog, please check it out if you haven’t already!

As minimalists, we’ve given up a lot of stuff.

We’ve stopped buying, eating, driving, watching TV and generally consuming as much as we used to.

We’ve changed our lives for the better and for many of us, there’s no going back.

But as Christmas appraoches, I’m beginning to wonder, is it enough?

Is it enough to just stop taking?

half the battle

We’ve gotten very far to be where we are now. But still, I can’t help but feel we’re only halfway there.

Yes, as minimalists, we’ve given up a lot of stuff, but as human beings we need to start giving too.

For many of us, we are lucky enough to have the choice to stick with having less. But there are many people who didn’t get to make that decision.

Minimalists choose to have enough, but there are some people who don’t even have that.

what can we do?

Spread the word. Show people there is another way instead of spending hours in a shopping mall fretting over which perfume to get their loved one this year. People have forgotten that Christmas is a season of giving (and I don’t mean pointless presents) – we’re supposed to be generous, kind and caring. Instead, it’s become a time for wanting, taking and demanding for things we think we need to be happy.

Before I get any emails about it, I’m not saying let’s abandon Christmas. I have some very fond memories of Christmas with my family and friends. Actually, it’s especially because I love Christmas that I hate to see it transformed into something ugly.

If you think about it, it’s spending time with other people and making other people happy that makes you happy. The present giving tradition probably stemmed from people wanting to make their kids or their friends happy by giving them something from the heart. But TV and magazine advertisements, card companies and shopping malls have made Christmas into a season of over spending, competitiveness, material desire and stuffing ourselves.

If only we spent a little less money on brand clothing, toys, cards, decorations and the like, we could help people who don’t even have clothes to wear or even a home at all.

If only we ate a little less just because of the date of the year, we could help people who don’t have much to eat the whole year around.

If only we spent less time shopping or working so much, we’ll have more time to give to our family, our friends, our community and those that need us.

We can’t do everything, but we can do something. You don’t need more money, you just have to spend less. And you don’t need a lot of time, you just have to simplify more.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”.  ~ Mother Teresa

From our cosy houses sometimes we forget that winter is a cold season. There are people in the streets. There are people who are hungry. We may not be able to change the world, but even if we help one person, we can make a world of a difference to them.

Change somebody’s world this Christmas.

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“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen for you, to you and because of you.” T. Alan Armstrong

There’s no denying that going to college can get pretty expensive, not only in money but also in time. Firstly, there is the initial debt that comes from paying for tuition and accommodation, and then there’s the time we lose having to work to pay it back. Going to university is a huge sacrifice, the question is, is it worth it?

The answer, I think, is yes, if you possess what is one of the most important ingredients in student success – Real Passion, with capitals.

Real Passion is magical. It creates motivation, determination and perseverance. It gets you up in the morning, it energizes your day and it pushes you to the best of your ability.

In an ideal world, everyone would love the subject they’re studying. There may or may not be other reasons for choosing it, but the main reason is that they want to learn. Now, this may seem obvious but up until now, I’ve met too many people that have forgotten the reason why they came to university. They spend too many nights out, they skip lectures and cram in all the work in at the last minute. They’ve forgotten their purpose, which is very sad, especially when I see it happening to my friends, the people that I have really come to care about. Of course, I myself am not perfect, and every now and again I have a lazy night in when I don’t do a shred of work but eventually, I find my way back on track by finding my Real Passion.

What is Real Passion? This can be answered by asking what Unreal Passion is. Unreal Passion is lust,  it’s based on fickle things like beauty or money and it eventually burns out. If you’re doing a subject because of salaries and titles, your happiness won’t last. Real Passion means putting genuine love into everything you do, even if people tell you it’s stupid and it doesn’t pay well. It may not always be practical but as they say,

Do what you love and the money will follow.

Passion has many meanings, but the most crucial part of any kind of passion is desire. It may not be very ‘Zen’ of me to say it, but this kind of ‘desire’ is different. Here, it is the desire to quench an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, a desire to do the best that we can and a desire to be happy.

I know it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, sometimes academic life is tough, and full of rough patches. But that’s ok, as long as deep down inside the passion is still there, then you can keep going. If you’re having trouble finding it, try:

1. Meditation and reflection. Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we leave things that are important but not urgent at the back of our minds. Quiet meditation, even for a few minutes, can help us find the reasons why we chose to be here in the first place and let them generate the passion that we lost from the stress of everyday life.

2. Reading. The essays, articles, posts, books and other works of the great experts can be really inspiring. They create goals that you can aim for, maybe even one day surpass. I can guarantee that those people didn’t get there without a dash of Real Passion.

3. Visualisation. Connecting the previous two suggestions, visualisation is a powerful tool. If you can visualise yourself in your dream job, you’re a quarter of the way there already, because you know where you’re going. You can figure out how to get there later. If you had no boundaries and no fears, where would you be in ten years time?

4. Going home. If it’s possible, going home for a little while (perhaps for one weekend) can really help make you realise how far you’ve come since you left. I went home for the first time in months after leaving for college and I was surprised at how both the same and different everything seemed. Not much had physically changed, my home still smelt like home and even my old room was just as I left it, but I was changed. I had come so far in so little time, I was so amazed, I didn’t want to stop. When I got back I was completely motivated to keep moving forwards.

5. Focus. Sometimes we lose our passion for something because we spread what passion we have over too many commitments. We want to try out new things, make lot’s of friends, fit more things to do into our lives. Most of the time this a good thing, we should make the most out of the opportunities that we get in college, but every now and again being spread to thinly can make us forget where our real passion lies. Bringing it back to what we love best and focussing on that can help recreate the passion we once held for it.

All being said, it is important to distinguish between temporarily forgotten passion and passion that has died. When it is time to move on, it’s time to move on, and letting go of attachments to once-have’s and what-could-have-been’s can be just as important. Nevertheless, it all boils down to how greatly you need to have passion, how influential it can be and how crucial an ingredient it is in The Recipe for Student Success.

Do you think that Real Passion is important? What else do you think is vital in The Recipe for Student Success? I’d love to hear your opinions, comment below!

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