“The really efficient laborer will be found not to crowd his day with work, but will saunter to his task surrounded by a wide halo of ease and leisure.” - Henry David Thoreau
Are there a hundred different things you wish you could do with your life someday — anything from exercising to meditation or yoga to writing that novel you always wished you could write to reading more to relaxing and watching the sunrise?
But perhaps you never have the time, like most people.
Today I thought I’d answer a few important questions that readers have asked me in the last few months. If you’re not interested in blogging or a slightly behind-the-scenes look at Zen Habits, you can skip this post.
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Vered of MomGrind.
I’m a mom.
I am also a woman, a wife, a daughter, and a friend.
Recently I started blogging. As it turns out, I am a writer too.
One of the least likable characters in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Count Vronsky, has a habit that I really like: every now and then he has a “laundry day” where he puts all his affairs (financial, career, etc.) in order, and completely clears his mind.
And when he’s done “doing his laundry” (he doesn’t actually wash his clothes), he feels like a new man. His friend says it always looks like he just got out of a bath.
The productivity list is a common animal these days (goodness knows I’ve done my share), but how do you sort among them all?
You’d need a list of the best lists, that’s how.
Never fear — I’ve done all the homework for you, and compiled the best of the best productivity lists, in my humble opinion. Some of them are a bit old, but that’s because they’re good stuff, and many of you might have missed them anyway.
“The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” - Benjamin Franklin
For some of us, the ultimate goal in life is happiness.
Whether we see fulfillment in our work, contentment in our relationships, passion in our hobbies … we strive to find happiness.
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” - Aristotle
“The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” - Samuel Johnson
“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” - Eric Fromm
The recent death of my Auntie Kerry put me in a state of mind that I think we all go through at different times in our lives: the feeling of utter isolation, of complete loneliness.
I just got word yesterday that my Auntie Kerry died suddenly and unexpectedly. She wasn’t old by any means — certainly younger than my mom and young enough to expect many more years with her grandkids ahead of her — and her death has been a shock and a huge blow to my family.
It’s especially difficult to comprehend, because after not seeing her for years, I was able to spend some time with her recently when she came to Guam this summer for six weeks. She just left a few days ago, and almost as soon as she got home to California, she died.
After almost three weeks of wandering around Thailand, eating amazing food and getting some alone time with my lovely Eva, I’m back on Guam and back here at Zen Habits!
While I had an amazing time in Thailand, and truly enjoyed the break from blogging, it’s really great to be back, and I did suffer from blogging withdrawal. Having my daily discussion with all of you turns out to be addicting.
I Fell In Love With Thailand
