Motivation Monday: Rejoice in the Way Things Are. The World Belongs To You.

Be content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. —Lao Tzu

Hello folks! This Motivation Monday ties in with a lot of things on my mind lately, so I go into a lot of that here. I'm loving my focus on simplicity this month. While I have a loooong ways to go in regards to implementing the principle in my life, the constant reminder (I have the phrase printed on the white board above my kitchen sink) is helping me approach my daily tasks in a more straightforward manner that results in more productivity and a less occupied mind. 

A less occupied mind. 

Granted, that phrasing is not the most eloquent description. I guess the concept is allowing yourself to focus solely on the present moment without being distracted by dozens of other concerns. In short, striving for simplicity in thoughts.

Instead of creating clutter via your thoughts, take care of things when they pop up. Instead of thinking day after day that I need to clear off the papers on my fridge, I can take 30 seconds to clear it off right now. By doing so, I've eliminated both physical and mental clutter and am able to focus on the present matter.

In Relief Society (an organization in the LDS church specifically for women) a couple weeks ago, one of the girls mentioned a study focused on mental wellbeing. The article "Living the moment really does make people happier" outlines the study and provides some links to further information if you want to check it out. 

The study found that people spend 46.7 percent of their time thinking about something OTHER than what they are currently doing. That's almost HALF of their time. Isn't that kinda crazy? 

What are you doing right now? Are you thinking about anything else? Are you focused on something else? 

Here's a excerpt from the article:

"The team concluded that reminiscing, thinking ahead or daydreaming tends to make people more miserable, even when they are thinking about something pleasant." (emphasis added).

When I first heard about the study, I instantly though back to one particular day during my study abroad experience in London. This random day stands out to me as perhaps the most enjoyable of all the days in my several months there. And I think the reason is directly related to the focus on what was at hand. I headed out for a day by myself in the city. I wasn't thinking about communicating with my classmates or worried about a particular deadline. I was simply able to be. And enjoy. I came home that day happy, energized, and content with everything I experienced. Here's a portion of the journal entry I wrote:

"While I have always loved big cities and the busy rush that accompanies them, my first couple of weeks in London had led me to question my fix with city life. I was enjoying my experience but starting to wonder what the big deal was, why so much fuss and excitement about such cities existed. I suppose these feelings were likely motivated by the sudden changes in my life. One day I was in Provo, Utah, spending time with family and friends, and one relatively short plane ride later, I was sharing a flat in a foreign country with 50 other people I barely knew. I usually adapt to changes pretty easily, but this time I had a bit of a challenge leaving behind pretty much everything I was used to. 

Today allowed me to refocus and to appreciate everything I was experiencing. I finally took the opportunity to do something I've been meaning to do for several days now—I ventured into the city by myself. The experience surpassed almost everything that I've done so far, even though my adventure around London was actually pretty typical of a day out here."

To tie everything together, my intent is to continue focusing on simplicity. To simply embrace the current moment and acknowledge it for all the great things it holds. To truly live in the moment and focus on the happiness life offers.  

Be content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. —Lao Tzu