Category: Simplicity

The 10 Best Simplicity Books

When does a movement or decision strike with such force that it becomes instrumental in one's life? Is it a moment experienced personally, or one that another teaches? I've never been good at Damascene moments. Even clear indicators often have me going the wrong way (with the clarity of retrospect). I don't know when I … Continue reading The 10 Best Simplicity Books →

Inside Simplicity

"Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify." — Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) First published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s work Walden is considered an American classic. It is an autobiographical diary, of sorts, that details Thoreau’s time living in a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond, in Massachusetts. Thoreau lives in the … Continue reading Inside Simplicity →

Simplicity is complex

My experiments with simplicity have resulted a few different permutations, culminating in one of the best years of my life (to date). Yet simplicity is an ongoing journey that brings sacrifice as well as reward and pain as well as pleasure. Since July I have been living one version of the simple life here in … Continue reading Simplicity is complex →

Simple vs ‘smart’, why advertising is the new heroin

This morning, feeling slightly fluey and wanting to take it easy on myself, I picked up a copy of GQ Magazine, a magazine that promises to help me ‘look sharp and live smart’ that is read by ~1m every month globally. A closer reading of that catchphrase might indicate that vanity is something to be … Continue reading Simple vs ‘smart’, why advertising is the new heroin →

Simplification and your perfect day

A perfect day, with friends, deep on Hampstead Heath... Here’s a little exercise or for you, dear reader. Not, I should add, the type of exercise that convinces self-help junkies they are minutes away from enlightenment. Nor one that has the slovenly amongst us feeling droopy-lidded. Instead, an exercise that should be fun… Try to … Continue reading Simplification and your perfect day →

The Most Valuable ‘Self-Help’ Course Ever (Yet It’s Free) – Vipassana

Earlier this year I did a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat and wrote a blog post on Bright Green Talent, which I wanted to share again, because even 6 months on, it continues to have a powerful effect on the way I think: Vipassana one of those things that I was a little coy about … Continue reading The Most Valuable ‘Self-Help’ Course Ever (Yet It’s Free) – Vipassana →

Voluntary Simplicity

Probably the most famous advocate of simplicity is Duane Elgin, the author of the timeless ‘Voluntary Simplicity’ – it’s a wonderful book, full of authenticity and integrity. Here are some of the highlights and my thoughts: •    Voluntary simplicity is described as the avoidance of exterior clutter, of many possessions irrelevant to the chief purpose … Continue reading Voluntary Simplicity →