45. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life. I like speaking. [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Day 45: Find a Creative Outlet For Self-Expression
Posted: July 10, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Creativity, Self-Expression, simple manifesto, Simplicity, Simplification
0
Day 44: Try Living Without a Car
Posted: July 2, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: New Monasticism, Neo-Monastic, Intentional Community, Community, Life, Simplification, Simplicity, simple manifesto
44. Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, [...]
Day 43: Learn to Decompress from Stress
Posted: June 30, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Community, Life, simple manifesto, Simplicity, Simplification, Spirituality
43. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. So, I’m back! I haven’t blogged in a while. The moving [...]
Coloring
Posted: June 11, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Christianity, Messiness, Religion, Spirituality, Yaconelli
“Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring.” — Mike Yaconelli I’ve been listening to a lot of Mike Yaconelli lately. I don’t know whether or not I’ll ever be in youth ministry position again (I’m really not sure if I need to be), but [...]
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon: where there is doubt, faith ; where there is despair, hope where there is darkness, light where there is sadness, joy O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled [...]
Day 42: Find Inner Simplicity
Posted: April 28, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Religion, Spirituality, New Monasticism, Neo-Monastic, Intentional Community, Community, Life, Christianity, Simplification, Simplicity, simple manifesto
42. Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time [...]
Day 41: Have a place for everything
Posted: April 21, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Spirituality, New Monasticism, Neo-Monastic, Intentional Community, Community, Life, Simplification, Simplicity, simple manifesto
41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. A place for everything and everything in its place. Well, I think when the decluttering is complete (or at least round 1 of decluttering), there will be a lot less to organize. If I only [...]
Day 40: Declutter Before Organizing
Posted: April 20, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Hope, Spirituality, New Monasticism, Neo-Monastic, Intentional Community, Charlotte Abbey, Simplification, Simplicity, simple manifesto
40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If [...]
Day 39 of the Simple Living Blog-a-thon: Exercise
Posted: March 16, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Christianity, Church, Community, Contemplation, Emergent, Emerging, Exercise, Faith, Intentional Community, Life, Neo-Monastic, New Monasticism, Philosophy, Religion, simple manifesto, Simplicity, Simplification, Spirituality, Theology
39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great. I’ve been trying to exercise more. Presently, I have (2) 30 lb. weights and a sit-up bench that [...]
Days 37 & 38: FOOD!
Posted: March 15, 2010 by Steven Burleson in UncategorizedTags: Christianity, Church, Community, Contemplation, Emergent, Emerging, Faith, Food, Intentional Community, Life, Neo-Monastic, New Monasticism, Philosophy, Religion, simple manifesto, Simplicity, Simplification, Spirituality, Theology
37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s [...]
