J.R. Warden

Image by rawpixel.com on freepik.com: https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vintage-japanese-art-pattern-illustration_16332905.htm

Welcome back, traveler.
Isn't it time you start demanding more from your day?

This upcoming weekend, my spouse and I are doing some major 'minimalizing' around the house, and they are not too thrilled about it. In fact, my spouse is rather stressed and regretful about setting the whole thing up (friends are coming over to help).

To help relieve that stress I put together this list of tips, so it seemed prudent to share these tips with you. This post starts with bigger ideal-based questions and gradually shifts into shorter practical tips, but each one can help you achieve a minimalist life full of purpose.

Eyes on the Prize
Most of us have heard it before, but in case you haven't, minimalism can be defined as a lifestyle or philosophy where one is in constant pursuit of a meaningful and intentional life with less. It is a practice of self-discipline where you only live with the material possessions that you truly need or those that enhance your life and help you achieve your goals. If you pare-down your possessions, you'll have more time to focus on what matters in your life.

In American culture minimalism can be quite hard. We're the most advertised to population in the world, and many of us are always in search of 'the next thing' to make us happy. But it isn't only our shopping habits that we should watch, spending our time frugally is also important, and removing responsibilities and distractions from our environment can help us on both fronts.

If you are like my spouse, who is stressed at the thought of getting rid of things we once thought we needed, I would remind you to keep your eyes on the prize and remember why you're embarking on this journey to begin with.

1. Live Intentionally by Picking 3
   We first need to begin with the big picture. If you don't start here, you won't find lasting change. Minimalism will just be a short-lived fad in that myriad of self-help techniques you've tried.

As I've said, your environment should reinforce your goals for your life. Removing distractions and negatively-impacting activities that don't help encourage you to reach those goals is a great thing to do, but what are your goals?

In broad strokes, think about the things that matter most to you. What things make you feel happy or give you a sense of purpose? What do you crave more of in your life? I want you to pick three things. Not ten things you love, only three.

When we narrow down our scope to the most important things, we're creating criteria that we'll use to judge what possessions we truly need. As humans, we're pretty bad at multitasking; there's only so much time and mental energy we can devote ourselves to, so why fight your nature? Sometimes we have to prioritize and give things up.

My three big ones are the connection I have with my family and friends, writing as a medium to express myself (fiction or blog), and learning and self improvement. I wouldn't include a career in your top three if you can help it, because you aren't your job, your much more than it! But, if your work is something your passionate about and it does matter that much to you, go ahead.

Keep the three things that matter most to you written down in a journal or on a sticky note at your desk. It'll give you something to reflect on when you're going through your belongings, and in the years to come.

2. Rest Actively
   Often, our time off work is squandered on passive activities that provide momentary relief, but lack any feeling of long-term fulfillment. Embracing the idea of "resting actively" can transform your downtime into opportunities for personal growth, connection, and rejuvenation.

How often do you come home after work just to space out in front of a screen? When you walk away from it you might feel a bit more relaxed in the moment, but those lingering thoughts "I should do this", or "I could have taken care of that", eat away at us from the back of our mind.

Wouldn't you feel better if you took care of those things you procrastinated on? If you took the time to work out, go hiking, or create something artistic? Doesn't taking the time to focus on your top three things sound more fulfilling?

I'm not saying you can't mindlessly relax. I'm saying that there's a point of diminishing return. For me, that's about two hours. Beyond that, I begin to feel as though I'm not really living intentionally. I'm resting passively.

I always feel better when I take the time to schedule out my weekends. Even if it's only by "morning", "afternoon", "evening", it still gives me a framework that helps me stay in line with my big goals.

Remember, rest is not just about doing nothing. It's about doing things that truly matter to you and fill your cup. Schedule time for those things.

3. Digital Minimalism
   This might be one of the hardest parts for some people, and it's definitely the longest section in this article. After all, we're more connected online than ever before, and connecting with people is important... but...

Read the rest of this post on my blog at https://www.jrwarden.com/embrace-minimalism/

I kinda hate this advice since it's the thing I’d like to be doing but the various barriers in the way are the actual problem. But, in my last counseling session we were talking about how my wrist is still recovering from a full month of drawing and that I really need to be mixing up my routine a bit. So…writing 100 words a day is actually a decent fit for my situation. It’s actually kind of working? I’m not doing much more than 100 words most days, but it's been nice to get back into the rhythm of actually writing even if I’m just stating character intentions over and over and not actually getting anything in a coherent structure down. That’s also the point of doing this, to escape from the infinite planning stage a little. I’m making a non zero amount of progress every day which is a nice change, although I’m still too tired to do as much as I want, it sucks, but anyway. Go figure personalized advice from an understanding of context is easier to absorb than broad statements from hustlegrind blogs

This entirely. Sometimes things get in the way, ourselves included. It's important to give yourself credit where it's due and be easy on yourself. The only thing you truly need to worry about is finding a way that works for you and pleasing your readers.

wizard robes that feature partial plate armor rechost if you agree

+1 spell reflection

When was the last time you ran from your pain?

Welcome back, traveler. Today’s topic is a hard one. A hard one to digest and a very hard one for me to even write about. It isn’t always easy to recognize what’s hurting us because it can turn out to be something we swore was always good for us. It could be something like medication, a diet, or, in my case, a relationship.
While there may never be a clear-cut decision completely free of regret, it is important to recognize the things that harm us so that we can be renewed by it. But before we get into the nitty gritty, I want to draw upon some parallels that spoke to me.

The Phoenix: Rebirth from the Ashes
So many people know of this iconic bird thanks to Fawkes, Dumbledore’s legendary companion in the Harry Potter series, but allow me to give you more insight. The Phoenix is a Greek legend of a massive bird always depicted in flame. It shares similarities from other mythical creatures like the Russian firebird, Hindu garuda, and the Native American thunderbird (although notably less so).

Our immortal bird is said to regenerate cyclically; dying in a spectacle of a large inferno, only to rise again from the ashes of its burned body. Why does this matter to us? Well, I think because the thing that gives it life is what kills it, and by living through its own death, it begins anew.

It came to my attention that the Phoenix can be more than just a tale, but a model of how we should live through our own pain. The Phoenix symbolizes renewal, the sun, time, resurrection, metempsychosis (the transmigration of the soul, i.e., reincarnation or moving on to the afterlife), and some even believe Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about you, but I have been having disturbing thoughts about one thing I treasure the most: my relationship with my spouse. What if this thing I swore was giving me life, is instead actually killing me? How can I, like the Phoenix, be reborn from this pain, too?
I’m sure there is something in your life you want a fresh start on. Who doesn’t? And how do you know what that fresh start should look like?

Symbolism of Fire: What it Means
In Christianity and other religions, fire can have more than one interpretation, depending on the context. Most times, however, when fire is involved in religion...

Read the rest of this post on my blog at https://www.jrwarden.com/fire-rebirth-through-pain/