The Simple Ariston

Mar 12

the creativity of constraints - mnmlist

The idea and concept of constraints sits well with me. Back in December I moved from a fairly sizable four bedroom house into a small 497 square foot studio apartment and as a result I am slowly learning the value of space having to organize stuff into a fairly small area. The idea of constraints is taken as a positive in this post by Leo Babauta on his mnmlist website. Everything really comes down to choice when you implement constraints in your life. You have to choose how to maximize your time and space by thinking critically about what you want to have and maintain. In the essence of a clear mind, we choose not to clutter the space with useless junk, trying to keep a good area open so we can play with our new dog Alexi and my boys when they come stay with us.

So my recommendation is this…take a moment and think about some constraints that you can selectively place upon yourself in the interest of simplifying your life. Many times there are constraints that are placed upon us against our will whether it be by society, family, money or any of a number of other sources. Some of these can be broken, but that’s not what I’m suggesting. Create your own positive constraints and see how they affect your life.

Mar 8

The Four Agreements - don Miguel Ruiz

I’ve recently revisited “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz on audiobook and I’ve seriously started applying the teachings to my life. I’ve added so much complexity by NOT following these four agreements that it has caused me a tremendous amount of pain. I’ve listed the four agreements below, but for a much better interpretation I highly recommend checking out the audiobook which can be found on Audible.

The 1st Agreement - Be impeccable with your word

The 2nd Agreement - Don’t take anything personally

The 3rd Agreement - Don’t make assumptions

The 4th Agreement - Always do your best

I have found the second and third to be the most challenging as it deals more with my interactions with others and what they say and do. The second agreement being the most challenging. Being a Libra, I’m a very emotional creatures and as a result I am highly affected by what people say and how they act toward me. I end up violating the 2nd and 3rd agreements by making assumptions about what people say or do, and then react emotionally by taking them personally. Everyday I am striving to adhere to these agreements and apply to them to my life. The importance of simplicity is to have a clear understanding of yourself and how you interact with the world around you.

Check out the audiobook and discover how much more sense life would make if we all followed these four agreements.

If you’ve read or listened to The Four Agreements, please leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions. I’m eager to hear from you about your own journey.

Mar 1

My Simple Gratitude List for March

In an effort to improve my overall outlook on life and happiness, I’d like to start posting my gratitude list. It’s a simple collection of what I’m grateful for and the aspects of my life that bring me joy. Here’s my list for March.

The woman in my life - Deeyanna I love you so much, and I want everything with you.
My children - Tristan and Arick, you mean the world to me.
My parents - Thank you Mom and Dad for helping me become the man I am today.
The mother of my children - We had our good times and bad, and I appreciate what we shared. I wish you all the happiness in the world.
My job - I love technology, I’m a geek, what can I say!
My photography - My creative outlet in this life.
My friends - The few that I have, I cherish with all my heart.

There is so much more that I can add to this list and there will be more lists as time goes by. If you have your own list, please leave a comment and share it with me and my readers. The more you share your gratitude, the better off the world will be!

Feb 25

The Simplicity of Motivation

I am also intrigued at the ebb and flow of motivation in my life. I will pick up a project and work on it for a while, then set it aside and not even think about it any longer. I believe the reason is how the motivation in my life changes from day to day and from experience to experience. At this moment I am working on developing my photography business. Although I opened my doors in August of 2008, I have been struggling to get it off the ground. Perhaps it was lack of motivation or lack of the feeling that I was making progress.

My motivation, however, has taken quite an up turn. My beautiful girlfriend and her sister-in-law have taken it upon themselves to give me the drive, support, and motivation to really focus on building my photography business. I have this renewed sense of vigor and desire to succeed as my creative voice turns from a whisper to a roar. I have learned that although motivation can come within, when you have that support, that person or people standing behind you and giving you their energy, success in this world feels so much more tangible.

When it comes to motivation and the drive to accomplish your tasks, don’t be afraid to look outside yourself. Sometimes it takes a little push from an external source to get the ball rolling. I am excited to see where my life will go and I’m excited about the future.

My question to you: Have you looked outside for motivation lately?

Feb 18

Michael Hyatt - We Have More Control than We Think

I came across this post on Michael Hyatt’s blog that talks about the importance of control. There are things in this life that we can’t control: the weather, gravity, other people. We can, however, control ourselves. And it is crucial that we fully understand the implications of this realization.

Control is a matter of recognizing where we are and making an intentional decision to move to another place, mentally, physically, emotionally. This relates to the concepts of simplicity in the idea of seeing our current complex surroundings and making that decision to move to a more simple way of thinking. In order to do that though, you have to understand just how much control you have over your own life and how you approach everyday activities. God gave you choice…that is one of many wonderful aspects of being human.

We are affected and influenced by others, but we choose to let them control us. So here’s a thought experiment: the next time you feel like you are losing control because of what someone says or does…recognize your situation and stop for a moment and think about what you are giving up by allowing someone else to control you. Do not give them this courtesy and remember that you control your life.

My question for you: What techniques do you employ to prevent others from controlling your life?

The Simple Ariston