Simplicity and Openness; Abundance and Awe
De-Cluttering our Desires in the Art of Living Beautifully [Newsletter #46]
Hello wonderful people,
here’s our weekly curation of quotes, links, and inquiries to promote human flourishing … and some news from our workshops.
This is issue #46 on SIMPLICITY and OPENNESS, with two background inquiries:
Q: ✍ What if this were easy?
Q: ✍ What really matters?
The links and ideas below provide some ways to de-clutter our minds, spaces, and desires, and cultivate a greater openness to readily-available abundance and awe.
Encouraged by the life-artists in the first creative innovation workshop 🧙♂️
💎 Five Gems on Simplicity and Openness
“If we acknowledge our attachment to the past and our fears for the future by honestly looking at our possessions, we will be able to see what is really important to us. This process in turn helps us to identify our values and reduces doubt and confusion when making life decisions.”
―Marie Kondo, writer and consultant
“By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us.”
― Alan Watts, philosopher and writer
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived … I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life … ”
― Henry David Thoreau, philosopher and writer
“From our first breath to our last, awe moves us to deepen our relations with the wonders of life and to marvel at the vast mysteries that are part of our fleeting time here, guided by this most human of emotions.”
―Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology and researcher of awe
“It is precisely this newness of appreciation, and the associated sense of exploration and discovery, that stimulates the deep immersion in the creative process, which itself may trigger a shift in quality of experience, generally in terms of an intensification or heightening of experience.”
―Barnaby Nelson and David Rawlings, psychologists and researchers
🔗 Simplicity as a Gateway to Openness
Q: ✍️ How can I practice simplicity to create space for greater openness?
Q: ✍️ How can I simplify my life, declutter my mind, spaces, and desires?
De-clutter your mind with Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport: “a philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”
De-clutter your spaces with the KonMari Method by Marie Kondo. ““Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out."
De-clutter your desire with The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your "Good" Self--Drives Success and Fulfillment by Kashdan and Biswas-Diener. And Wanting : The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis.
Identify scarcity mindsets around time. Hidden Brain Podcast on the Scarcity Trap. “Scarcity takes a huge toll. It robs people of insight. And it helps to explain why, when we're in a hole, we sometimes dig ourselves even deeper.”
Practice wonder with Awe: the New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. “It is awe that activates our inclination to share and create strong networks, to take actions that are good for the natural and social world around us. It is awe that transforms who we are, that inspires the creation of art, music, and religion.”
🔗 further reading / sources
📚 Chapter 6 on “Simplify” in the The Art of Self-Improvement : Ten Timeless Truths by Anna Katharina Schaffner (2021) offers a great overview of ancient asceticism, modern tidying up, spartan minimalism, and transcendental American hermits.
📚 Chapter 6 on “Openness to Experience” in Wired To Create : Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman (2016) provides a great overview of the importance of openness to creativity, including the role of dopamine, being an outsider, and the importance of having a “network of enterprises” across different domains. (As a musician-philosopher-entrepreneur, I was encouraged.)
🤓 Simplicity, Openness, and ChatGPT?
3.31.2023
Dear ChatGPT:
(without a hint of irony) What are the best ways to simplify my life and attention in the digital age?
Simplifying your life and attention in the digital age can be challenging, but it is possible with some intentional steps. Here are some tips to help you achieve a more focused and balanced lifestyle:
Declutter your digital space: Regularly clean up your email inbox, organize files and folders, and delete or archive unnecessary apps, documents, and photos.
Limit social media: Set boundaries for social media usage, such as designated times for browsing or a maximum daily time limit. Consider unfollowing or muting accounts that don't add value to your life.
Prioritize your tasks: Use a to-do list or a task management app to keep track of your priorities, both for work and personal life. This will help you stay focused on what's important.
Turn off notifications: Disable non-essential notifications on your devices to reduce distractions. Set designated times for checking email and messages.
Set screen-free times: Designate specific times during the day for screen-free activities, such as reading, spending time with loved ones, or practicing mindfulness.
Embrace single-tasking: Focus on one task at a time instead of trying to multitask. This can help improve productivity and reduce mental clutter.
Practice mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to help reduce stress and improve focus.
Unsubscribe and unfollow: Regularly review your email subscriptions and social media follows. Remove those that are no longer relevant or that clutter your inbox and feeds.
Set clear boundaries: Communicate with friends, family, and coworkers about your digital boundaries, such as not responding to messages during specific times or days.
Use technology wisely: Utilize productivity apps, time trackers, and other tools to help you manage your time, stay organized, and maintain focus on important tasks.
Remember, simplifying your life and attention in the digital age requires ongoing effort and self-awareness. Regularly evaluate your habits and make adjustments as needed to maintain balance and focus.
What are the best ways to cultivate a more skillful openness to both inner and outer experience?
Cultivating a more skillful openness to both inner and outer experiences involves developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. Here are some strategies to help you achieve this:
Practice mindfulness: Regularly practicing mindfulness can help increase self-awareness and allow you to become more open to your inner and outer experiences.
Engage in self-reflection: Regularly take time to reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Journaling can be a helpful tool for exploring your inner experiences and promoting self-awareness.
Develop active listening skills: When engaging with others, practice active listening by fully focusing on the speaker, avoiding interruptions, and asking open-ended questions. This will help you become more open to others' perspectives and experiences.
Cultivate empathy: Work on developing empathy by putting yourself in others' shoes and trying to understand their emotions, perspectives, and experiences. This can help you become more open to the world around you.
Practice non-judgmental awareness: Observe your thoughts and emotions without labeling them as good or bad. Accept your experiences as they are, and recognize that they are temporary and subject to change.
Engage in new experiences: Step out of your comfort zone and try new activities, engage with different cultures, and explore new places. This can help you develop a greater openness to various experiences and perspectives.
Foster curiosity: Cultivate a curious mindset by asking questions, seeking new information, and exploring new ideas. This can help you become more open to both inner and outer experiences.
Embrace vulnerability: Be willing to share your feelings, thoughts, and experiences with others. This can help deepen your relationships and create a sense of connectedness with those around you.
Practice gratitude: Regularly express gratitude for your experiences and the people in your life. This can help you develop a more positive outlook and increase your openness to new experiences.
Seek support: Engage with a therapist, coach, or support group to help you work through challenges, develop self-awareness, and cultivate openness to both inner and outer experiences.
By implementing these practices, you can develop a more skillful openness to your own inner experiences as well as the world around you.
How do the practices of simplicity mutually reinforce the practices of skillful openness to experience?
A practice of simplicity and skillful openness to experience can mutually reinforce each other in several ways:
Reduced distractions: Simplifying your life, especially in the digital realm, helps reduce distractions and allows you to be more present and attentive to your inner and outer experiences. With fewer distractions, you can better cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness.
Focused attention: Both practices emphasize focused attention on the present moment. Simplifying your life allows you to concentrate on what truly matters, while skillful openness to experience encourages being fully present and engaged in your current experience.
Prioritization of values: Simplifying your life involves identifying and prioritizing your core values. By focusing on what is important, you can become more open to experiences that align with your values, fostering a deeper connection with yourself and others.
Emotional clarity: Simplification helps declutter your mental and emotional space, enabling you to better understand and process your emotions. This clarity supports skillful openness to experience by allowing you to observe and accept your feelings non-judgmentally.
Enhanced self-awareness: Both practices promote self-awareness and introspection. By simplifying your life, you can identify patterns and habits that may be hindering your openness to experience. In turn, embracing openness to experience can provide valuable insights for further simplification.
Greater resilience: Simplicity and openness to experience both contribute to increased resilience in the face of challenges. A simplified life provides a solid foundation for managing stress, while skillful openness to experience allows you to learn and grow from difficult situations.
Stronger relationships: Simplifying your life often involves setting boundaries and prioritizing meaningful connections. This fosters deeper relationships with others, which in turn can enhance your openness to experience through empathy, active listening, and shared experiences.
Mindfulness and acceptance: Both practices emphasize mindfulness and non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. As you simplify your life and become more present, you also cultivate a greater capacity for openness to experience.
By integrating the practices of simplicity and skillful openness to experience, you can create a reinforcing cycle that promotes greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and overall well-being. The two practices support and enhance each other, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.
✌ Thank You
I hope this email was fun and encouraging.
Until next time, yours in the simple openness of awe,
Sean
🏛 Good News from the Workshop
🎉 We submitted our first-ever funding proposal for workshop programming for underserved populations! This one to the city of Fort Collins to create and deliver wisdom workshops to promote equity and community resilience post-pandemic with federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. It was a huge learning experience for us that reignited our passion for equity and access in continuing education … and got us excited about new business models that might help us achieve our objectives with populations that can’t afford our workshops.
🧝♂️Getting closer to putting together the thirteenth cohort for the Wisdom Workshop in Writing the Good Life. “The Good Life” here is short-hand for skillful living and human flourishing, designed for lifelong learners who want to practice mindfulness, journaling, and joyful life design. If you might like to join, add your name to the waitlist. Information and testimonials. Scholarships and payment plans available; we’ll probably start mid-late April.
🧙♂️ Still recruiting a group of kind people for the second cohort of the Wisdom Workshop in the Art of Living Beautifully? Designed for entrepreneurs, artists, and mid-career professionals looking to nourish and deepen an aesthetic approach to life. If you might like to join, add your name to the waitlist. Probably start in mid-May and go 12 weeks. Scholarships and payment plans available.
🎙 Sean Waters Upcoming Live Events
👋 Wednesday, April 5th: Weekly Clubhouse Room on the Art of Living Beautifully with Susan Masters via Clubhouse at Noon MST.
🧰 Thursday, April 6: I’m leading a session at the Stoa! Not-Self Authorship: Writing the Good Life w/ Sean Waters. April 6th @ 4:00 PM MST. Free. RSVP here.
🎵 Saturday, April 22 : Sean Waters and Friends at the Forge Publick House in Fort Collins, Colorado | 21+ | 8-10pm MST
🎵 Friday, April 28 : Sean Waters and Friends at Wolverine Farm as a part of FoCoMX 2023 : Fort Collins, Colorado | All Ages | 9:30-10:30 pm MST / Tickets.
👨🎤 New music coming out this spring, follow along on Spotify or Apple Music.
🏛 Brought to you by the Wisdom Workshop. Thank you for being here.
I acknowledge that the land where I write these words was the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. This was also a site of trade, gathering, and healing for numerous other Native tribes. I recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it.