540 The Key Mental Habit of Simplicity

The Key Mental Habit of Simplicity By Leo Babauta I’ve written a lot about simplifying your life, from the philosophy behind it to the tactical steps to getting to simplicity. But the true key isn’t in the steps, it’s in our mental habits. For example, I could get rid of my physical clutter and simplify my day so that I have more space in my life … but until I address the mental habits that got me to a cluttered life, it will just keep coming back. So here’s what I’ve learned is the key mental habit of simplicity: noticing the mind’s tendency to want more, and don’t believe it. The mind always wants more. And at the same time, it wants less — there’s a polarity in the mind that craves simplicity and craves more. Why does the mind want both? The mind wants more because it thinks that more will make it happy, it sees possibility in acquiring more, and it thinks that acquiring things will help relieve the uncertainty it feels. The mind wants less when it is feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and just wants relief from that difficult feeling. It thinks that if it gets rid of stuff, there will be peace. Both are wrong, but they come from a good-hearted place. … 来自微信公众号：清晨朗读会