Greetings!
A wise man–okay, it was the Greek philosopher Socrates–once said, “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
When you consider those words of wisdom through the lens of Bold Living, a question materialises: Will I become more successful or happy by doing more? If we take our Athenian friend’s advice, the answer points towards a better option–doing less.
When I wrote my book, I included a bunch of inspirational stories. Many of them focused on people who had overcome challenges and forged for themselves some very Bold Lives, like quadrapelegic Henry Stifel of the Christopher Reeves Foundation and Pam Sloate, who battled dystonia. But in the chapter where I delved into the Pillar of Experiences, the inspirational story was about Mahatma Gandhi. Yes, Gandhi.
If you’ll recall, Gandhi was an ardent minimalist, eschewing the accumulation of wealth and living an extremely Spartan lifestyle. His aim was to remove all trivial pursuits to attain a greater understanding of self, and he succeeded wildly–so much so that he inspired countless others to examine their relationship with material things in life. In essence, he taught the world that less can be more.
How does this relate to Experiences? As I wrote:
Want an experience that will provide a level of understanding and enlightenment that few other experiences can provide? Want an experience that will change the way one thinks and views the world? Do what Gandhi did and live a minimalist lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be anything extreme—you can be a minimalist for a week and gain insight and perspective from it. As experiences go, it is by far the most inexpensive, most enlightening, and one most likely to put you on the path to giving back!
While the words “Bold Life” may conjure up images of yachts parked in crystal blue lagoons and tough physical accomplishments, developing the capacity to enjoy less is an aspect of Bold Living that is often overlooked but very capable of bringing happiness.
Remember: when it comes to Bold Living and the material things in life, less can be more!
Keep living Bold!
Warmly,
P.S. Did you tune into my radio show appearance on “The Inclusive Voice” last weekend? In case you missed the great discussion, you can listen to it here.
P.P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success is a complete system for planning your life to get what you want, and has been a top seller in three categories: “Motivational Growth & Spirituality”, “Personal Success & Spirituality” and “Management Skills”. I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy.
