If you want to live a simple life…train your mind to think in simple thoughts. That’s harder than it sounds. The mind tends to go off on tangents to keep itself busy (and to keep you distracted). The first step to simplifying your thoughts is to quiet your mind. Meditation and reflection are the most common ways to accomplish this, but other techniques include silence, seclusion, and chanting.

Now, with a quiet mind, you can practice thinking simply. Watch how your mind tries to complicate all your perceptions. It does this in a few ways:
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by Dona Hastie
It is not all that hard to live the simple life and nearly everyone senses just what it could be. Our craving to drug ourselves comes from this sensing of the simple life, however it is not necessary to use artificial means to achieve a peaceful existence. The popularity of Oriental thinking, like Zen, Tao, even Feng Shui is just a symptom of our need and recognition of the life that is available to us with only a few changes. In our society, with the competitive spirit running high, and which is ingrained in us from early on, one has to figure out a way to not let winning matter so much.
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Living a Zen Lifestyle includes achieving it in the workplace as well. This may be easier said than done, but this article may help you get on the path to success in the workplace. Achieving zen at the office has more to do with living up to your bosses’ expectations. Everyone is an induvidual, valuing different traits, and have various ways of handling different office issue. The workplace is an excellent area to practice Organization and Mindfulness.
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Buddha’s says: “Who loves oneself will never harm another.” I don’t know if this is true or not, but in Buddhism, the challenge is to find out for yourself. What exactly does it mean to love ourselves. I decided that it was finally time for me to find out what that really means.

Easier said than done, especially in today’s economy while we are still in the throws of a war… and don’t even get started on the high gas prices and unemployment. All of that can make even the sanest person go a little crazy. This is why we need Zen Practices.
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