9 Pillars of a Simple Life

Master the art of living a joyful life to the fullest.

Everyone has the power to make tiny tweaks in their behaviour. And our thinking programs our behaviour.

Even small internal shifts influence our choices, environment, and relationships. Overall, they build the quality of our lives.

Many people live by default, unaware of their choices.

For a long time, I was one of those people. I stumbled through life blindfolded until it dawned upon me: I was in charge of my happiness.

Here are mindset shifts that led me on a happier path.

I embraced action.

You have control over three things in your life:

• your thoughts,
• your imagination,
• and your actions.

The use of these tools determines your experience. Human imagination is a treat. But it is futile without action.

Transforming your negative thoughts into positive ones takes discipline.

Instead of waking up and imagining the worst-case scenario, start your mornings with gratitude. It takes focus.

When sipping coffee, practice visualization. Imagine your best day. Feel the emotions and excitement for the new dawn. It takes practice.

Do you want to be a successful entrepreneur? Change the way you walk and talk. Change what you read. Make new friends. It takes stepping outside the known.

Instead of complaining about your current situation, do something about it.

Human imagination is a treat. But it is futile without action.

Complaining means you have a reference point to something better.

Either accept your choice to stay where you are, take responsibility for your decision, and stop complaining… or…

… take the risk of creating your life exactly how you want it.

You won’t change your life without doing something different.

Complaining is a complete waste of one’s energy. Those who complain the most accomplish the least.

— Robert Tew

I disciplined my thoughts.

Every situation offers a silver lining if one is willing to look for it.

You cannot control the outside world, but you can control how you respond to it.

Everything is neutral except for the meaning we give it. It takes practice to mindfully pick your best thoughts and look at the bright side.

After quitting my job, solo entrepreneurship didn’t turn out as successful as I had anticipated.

The income is hardly linear. Working from home is a lonely endeavour. Plus, society’s expectations about how your life should look don’t make it easier.

When I wake up, I have two choices, either fixate on things I don’t get to do or look for blessings in my life.

Every morning, I choose to focus on things I get to be grateful for, time with my family, lessons I get to work through, and privileges I still get to exercise.

Mindfully crafting your thoughts is your superpower.

Train your brain to focus on positivity from the minute you wake up, and watch how the magic of your day unfolds. Choose to soar through life instead of carrying the weight.

People who can get themselves up after traumas are the ones who define themselves not by what had happened to them but by what they can make out of it.

It’s a wonderful thing to be optimistic. It keeps you healthy and it keeps you resilient.

— Daniel Kahneman

I accepted my limiting beliefs.

You are the product of your beliefs.

You have programmed your mind on how to think since childhood. Unfortunately, our thoughts don’t always align with our goals.

To improve your life, invest in better beliefs. What beliefs hold you back?

Knowing what assumptions run your life gives you leverage over responding to life instead of reacting to it.

What are the limiting beliefs running your life?

How do you respond to taking a risk?

What are your assumptions about relationships?

Throw destructive and disempowering beliefs away, plant new seeds and nurture them.

If you want to open a bakery, you must be willing to take risks.

How can you step outside the comfort zone if you have deeply rooted beliefs that the 9–5 job is the only stable source of income? Just because your parents did not risk opening up their own business, it doesn’t mean you have to continue the same loop of fear.

Awareness is the first step to acceptance. And with acceptance, you can start creating new beliefs that align with your goals.

You shift from being a victim of your circumstances to the creator of your life. Events don’t make you. You shape your experience through your beliefs.

All of us have our own inner fears, beliefs, opinions. These inner assumptions rule and govern our lives. A suggestion has no power in and of itself. Its power arises from the fact that you accept it mentally.

— Joseph Murphy

I marvel at little things.

The way you perceive your reality mirrors its influence over your life.

Gratitude is not just a popular hashtag on social media but a game-changer in receiving more from life.

Turn mundane things into extraordinary ones.

How lucky are you to sleep in the comfort of your bed?

How rewarding is it to look outside the window and admire nature in its purest form?

How blessed are you to move your body without anyone’s assistance?

How amazing is it to breathe by yourself, with no machines attached?

Don’t let the magic of everyday miracles pass you by; a wholesome coffee ritual, good food and good company, summer rain, a compelling book, or a bird building its nest.

Gratitude changes your energy. And how you feel, you attract.

Appreciating “little things” helps you transform an ordinary life into a masterpiece. When you start feeling better, you make better decisions.

Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

— Robert Brault

I no longer chase.

Chasing means lack.

When you are hungry for more, you imply that where you are and who you are is not enough.

Your energy determines what you attract into the physical reality.

When you become the frequency of lack, there will always be the next illusionary top to reach. The quest is never-ending.

The chase after the next high causes us to focus on things we lack. The obsession over things we don’t have makes us ignore the riches we do have.

However, once you allow yourself to be enough and have enough, you are no longer chasing but creating from a place of satisfaction and harmony.

I have learnt to be at peace with where I am, even if I realize it is not my final destination.

I keep faith that, for now, there are still lessons I need to work through. After completing them, my new season will present itself organically.

Chasing the external to achieve joy is a death-trap for personal-development.

— Bryant McGill

I quit worrying.

Worrying gives you a false sense of comfort. It feels good while doing it. The truth is: worrying gives you nothing.

It won’t motivate you. It won’t make you feel better. It won’t give you the answer to your questions.

Stressing about things outside your control poisons your body and spirit. It gives you the illusion of control but doesn’t put you in the driver’s seat.

You won’t change a thing in your life as long as you relive the old narrative, past mistakes, and ‘coulda/woulda/shoulda’.

What happened did happen. It belongs to the past. You belong to the present. Celebrate where you are today.

Only the present moment allows you to influence your future. A happy life lies in your perception and commitment to the present moment.

Find the best technique to calm down your racing thoughts. Yoga. Meditation. Breathwork.

Holding on to grudges and heavy baggage of the past prevents new energy from entering your life.

You can be either a victim of your past or a winner shaped by your experiences. You decide which sounds better.

Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.

— Erma Bombeck

I have stopped judging.

You won’t get far in life on criticism. It poisons your life.

We judge because we have practised it for so long. We judge because we feel inferior, and criticizing tricks us into believing we are better.

Criticism seems to enjoy a prime spot in our culture, yet it only causes more chaos and pain.

Judgement is a form of negative energy. It destroys your inner peace. It isolates you from people. Your self-esteem suffers. Criticism destroys everything you have worked for.

Whenever I feel the urge to criticize, I acknowledge the temptation but do not give in. Acceptance means letting go. Detachment means you don’t allow external things to enslave you emotionally.

What you give out into the world is what you get.

Where judgement is born, no love or gratitude can thrive. And those elevated emotions are the powerhouses of prosperity, abundance, and harmony.

When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself.

— Earl Nightingale

I no longer run away from uncomfortable.

Emotions are exquisite. They constitute our guiding system.

Unfortunately, we got good at avoiding anger, sadness, and fear. We live in a society that revolves around pleasure, consumption, and escapism.

When you escape or distract yourself from feelings, you block energy from free-flowing through your body.

When you refuse to recognize unwanted emotions, they come back stronger and cause havoc in your mind and body. When you make room for feelings that arise, you distance yourself from their toll.

Whenever the emotion comes up, sit with it, so you can live through it and let go. The technique of letting go healed my life.

Get curious. Seeing the emotion and questioning it lessens its negative impact. What is the emotion trying to tell you?

Feelings such as shame, anger, and doubts are natural components of our nature, and we should not be embarrassed for having human reactions.

You are allowed to have bad days and feel anger, resentment, and pain. It is how you proceed forward with those emotions that determine their influence over your life.

Letting go involves being aware of a feeling, letting it come up, staying with it, and letting it run its course without wanting to make it different or do anything about it.

— David R. Hawkins, Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

I focus on me.

Your focus is your leverage in creating an exciting and fulfilling lifestyle.

You are energy. You spend this energy. The more energy you have, the more you get to create.

When you focus on the achievements of others, you give up your power to mindfully shape your life.

When you gossip, you waste time and energy.

When you check Instagram every five minutes, you abandon your potential of the present moment.

What you give your attention to, gets magnified.

When you focus on yourself several things happen. You follow your passion. You boost your self-esteem. You become more confident and you stop focusing on things that may go wrong.

Get in the habit of asking, does this action bring me closer to my dream life?

Disengage in activities that don’t rock your boat forward.

Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.

— M. Scott Peck

Changing your mindset takes practice and self-discipline.

Make a list of your values and let them guide you through your days.

You cannot rush through life, unconscious of your reactions, and expect any improvements coming your way. Nothing will grow unless you do.

When we put the effort into our inner transformation, the outward reality follows the suit.

You are the change you seek.

Thank you for being here, — Kate