3-2-1 Mindset Mondays

3-2-1 Mindset Mondays

AP2

Hello lovely readers and welcome back to Mindset Mondays! The only weekly post that believes you should become a minimalist by giving it all your stuff…

Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 thing I’ve been reading, watching or listening to this week that has helped me grow.

As a bonus I’ve finished with 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good.

Let’s begin!

3 x Thoughts:

1) It’s funny how giving away everything for nothing in return gives you everything you want.

2) Mental and physical health are intrinsically linked. Looking after both for the sake of each other should be your first priority every day. (Try meditation, exercise, journalling…)

3) The more shit you have, the more shit you have to worry about. Don’t aim to have lots in life. Aim to have the few things you desire the most. Then learn to get as much joy and love out of those things as you possibly can. Cut out the rest. Less really is more.

2 x Quotes:

“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust. Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next, and the joy of the game of living.”

  • Samuel Ullman, a Jewish poet

    • “…having an enviable career is one thing, and being a happy person is another. Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential – as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth. You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them. To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble.”

  • Bill Watterson, the cartoonist and creator of Calvin and Hobbes

    • 1 x Thing:

    This brilliant art of manliness article: Via Negativa: Adding to Your Life By Subtracting. The article argues that the path to becoming a better person is often found by subtracting the negative from our lives. Well worth the quick read. A couple of quotes listed below:

    “Don’t ask yourself “What am I going to do to be a better man?” or “What kind of man do I want to be?” Invert those questions and ask “What am I NOT going to do to be a better man?” and “What kind of man do I NOT want to be?”

    “Eliminating obvious downsides like bad habits and debt will provide a good life; eliminating good things so you can focus on the very best will lead to a truly flourishing life.“

    1 x Joke:

    Have another far side comic for this week folks. Hope you enjoy!

    Thanks ladies and gentlemen. I’m here all week! As always I welcome ALL thoughts and opinions on this blog. Please let us know in the comments section below.

    One bonus question to finish: What can you subtract from your life to make it better?

    PREVIOUS MONDAY POST:

    Mindset Mondays – 15/03/21

    30 thoughts on “3-2-1 Mindset Mondays”

    • The concept of via negativa is definitely an interesting one because we’re often looking for good, not realising that maybe we suffer because of a bad thing that’s destroying our lives.

      Something I’ve learnt is that when it comes something bad that’s found itself into our daily lives, removing it can sometimes create an empty space where it used to be. If we don’t fill it up with something good, we might find ourselves returning to that bad habit or risk filling it up with another bad habit instead.

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      • Exactly friend – that’s it! Removing the bad is about freeing up space – that ultimately gives you more clarity/options to replace it with something good. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 🙏

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    • There’s an engineering corollary that junk accumulates in direct proportion to the amount of horizontal space available. It can take just as much effort to keep life simple as it does to give it options.

      Just an observation, but it seems to me that people find security either through investing in things or by investing in themselves. The former lights a big fire and sits at a distance. The latter travels with a flint in her pocket.

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      • I really like your analogy here. Certainly we tend to buy things to fill the spaces we inhabit. I’ve lived in a small apartment for so long I’ve gotten use to staying on top of clutter. It bothers me if it starts to build up. I liken it to saying yes versus no. The more stuff we have is like saying yes to everything. Which is the equivalent of saying no to everything else. It ends up limiting your options/weighing you down. I prefer to say no to most things unless I really need and/or want them. I feel like this keeps my head clear and my options open. I tend to invest in experiences – travel namely – than I do things. I’m certainly the kind with the flint in his pocket. Thank you giving me pause for thought. I value your insight. Wishing you well 🙏

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    • Hi AP2. What can I say? You knocked this one “out of the park!” Wowsers, truly. Here’s some of what I found most enjoyable–all of it! I partiularly liked the points you made about the pointlessness of looking after a lot of “stuff;” that we grow old, indeed, not by the number of years under our belt, but by sacrificing our ideals; and how to live, by example, by dropping the not-so-attractive traits. Also really enjoyed your joke. Here, as a tribute to you, I offer this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33o32C0ogVM

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    • Happy Monday AP!

      I liked your three thoughts around minimalism. It is so very true.

      Every few months, we bundle up our son’s old belongings and give them away for nothing in return. It brings great relief and joy knowing things he’s outgrown will serve a different purpose while also knowing we’re not accumulating clutter and junk.

      And agreed with the less you shit, the less shit you have to worry about!

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      • That’s awesome Ab. We try to do a proper spring cleaning at least twice a year. We give it all to charity as well. I get just as much joy from it, if not more, then buying any new thing. Wishing you well 🙏

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    • Pingback: 3-2-1 Mindset Mondays – Clear Air Turbulence

      • Your job doesn’t have to be the dream of course. A job can simply be for security or survival (which has to come first). Chasing the dream could be done on the side. Often the security we build makes us afraid to take the risks necessary to follow our hearts because we don’t want to lose that. Of course the pandemic has thrown all of that in the air. Still it might force many to chase their dreams if forced out of their normal jobs. They might not have anything else to lose. Thank you stopping by – I appreciate your comments 🙏

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        • I just referred to what you said about parents of little children, that women rather work because of money. I think many women likes to do their job and that’s the reason they go to work and don’t stay home. It doesn’t have to be because of money. I do like my job too and always thought that I couldn’t stay home very long time but I don’t have children so it could have been changed my mind maybe. Don’t know for sure…and I have realised -maybe it’s because I’m older- but during this pandemic I have enjoyed of being home!

          Just wanted to explain this. Have a nice day!

          Liked by 1 person

        • Sorry friend. I thought your comment was related to a different post. My mistake. I realise what you’re talking about now. Yes of course. That was a quote by the way. Not my words. I think the point of that quote is that society judges people for staying at home instead of pursuing a career – particularly men. Not that it’s not ok to choose a career over family but that it’s an individuals preference. I too have enjoyed being at home lots this past year but I like a balance. There is such a thing as too much family! Wishing you well and thanks again for sharing your thoughts. 🙏

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        • Oh yes, that can be an issue, specially in America. It’s little bit different here in Finland. We have long maternity anyway which is good. There is also a shorter paternity nowadays. Take care!

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        • I don’t live in America but yes many countries have that issue. Sounds like Finland is ahead of the world in that regard! Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. wishing you well 🙏

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    • Sorry friend. I thought your comment was related to a different post. My mistake. I realise what you’re talking about now. Yes of course. That was a quote by the way. Not my words. I think the point of that quote is that society judges people for staying at home instead of pursuing a career – particularly men. Not that it’s not ok to choose a career over family but that it’s an individuals preference. I too have enjoyed being at home lots this past year but I like a balance. There is such a thing as too much family! Wishing you well and thanks again for sharing your thoughts. 🙏

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