Out In Nature

I live close to a park where I live. A big park. So lately, I have been making an effort to get outside and explore nature. I don't bring my phone. I don't listen to music. I just walk. Or I jog. Or I ride a bicycle. But I tend to take my time. I enjoy the pleasant silence of the forest: the wind through the leaves of trees, the song of birds. I can still hear the traffic of the city, but it is distant; a far-off dream. I can leave civilization relatively behind.

Being outside, even in a park, is a re-connection to our place in the world. To unplug and be still is like recharging my spiritual batteries. It reminds me that I am a part of the Earth; just another life-form here in this perfect balance that supports and sustains everything we do.

Nature calms me. It brings me peace of mind. It reminds me to slow down and not take things too seriously. Out in nature everything is perfect and already here. I don't need to go looking for it.

Zen Things To Do

  1. Do one thing at a time.

  2. Do it slowly and deliberately.

  3. Do it completely.

  4. Do less.

  5. Put space between things.

  6. Develop rituals.

  7. Designate time for certain things.

  8. Devote time to sitting.

  9. Smile and serve others.

10. Make cooking and cleaning become meditation.

11. Think about what is necessary.

12. Live simply.

Do Less

One of the key principles of minimalism is "less is more".

Last year, I experimented with this by playing a minimalism game. I got rid of a lot of my material possessions, choosing to de-clutter my apartment but also to focus more on things I do instead of things I have. However this idea of "less is more" should also pertain to the things I do.

I used to have a big problem with over committing. I was a "yes person". In the past year I have gotten much better at saying no to things but it is something I still need to work on. Essentially, if I have less projects on my plate I can focus on one thing and really put all of my effort and passion into it. Instead of working on a huge list of books, I can focus on reading my current one and enjoy it much more. Instead of dreaming about all the different film projects I want to plan for, I can focus on my current one and make it the best it can be. Instead of looking forward to all the fun things I will do on the weekend, I can enjoy the present moment with the people I am with right now. Instead of checking email a hundred times a day, I can check it once in the morning and leave it alone until tomorrow.

Doing less changes our mindset on productivity as well. In today's society, we tend to put an emphasis on success by how much we achieve and get done. Workaholic and business are signs of highly effective people, but it is a trap. Constantly having things to do leads to more things. It never ends; a vicious cycle of "production". Instead, we can do less things and the few things we do can be far more effective by putting more passion into them.

What things are you doing that are distracting you from what you really want to do today? What future things are you looking forward to that are delaying your enjoyment of the present? How productive are you really being by committing to ten things today versus one thing?