Zen and Simple: The Un-Manifesto

Once upon a time, about six years ago, I used to think it was possible to have a zen, simple life. Not that I had one back then, but at least I believed that I could, and I was working daily to make it happen.

Then life got in the way. Since then I've dealt with a lot: a sick, then dying, mother; a chronically ill dog; a job change, including a lawsuit; working while going to school full-time; and, finally, a complete career change. Needless to say, somewhere along the way, I gave up on the idea that life could be either zen or simple.

Well, not anymore. Now that the speed of life has slowed once again to a crawl, I've felt somewhat out of sorts. I may not be rushing from job to school to meetings like I once was, or staying up until 2 a.m. to finish a paper due tomorrow, but there are still a lot of things from my pre-rollercoaster life that I've forgotten about — or have been to lazy to change — that I want back.

So, my newest project (at least until my next bright idea comes along) is to work my way back to the more streamlined version of my life (a la 2005), and then achieve the peace that I was searching for back then.

As might be expected when you're unhappy with something, it's easier for me to focus on what's not currently working than it is to imagine a perfect version of my future life. So, in that vein, I have created "Zen and Simple: The Un-Manifesto," a list of completely unacceptable ways to live my life.

Zen and simple is not...

• rushing around the house every morning to get ready for work.
• frantically searching for things I need.
• sitting in traffic knowing that I wouldn't be late if I had just left the house 10 minutes earlier, like I had planned.
• repeatedly cleaning up and putting away crap that I don't need and, in many cases, don't even like.
• worrying about money. But also not using money to try to make myself happy.
• worrying about catastrophes that might never happen.
• interacting with toxic friends and hanging onto unhealthy connections while avoiding healthy relationships because they feel like too much work.
• trying to be who I think people want me to be, instead of who I really am.
• getting upset over tings that don't matter.
• being so goddamn tired all the time.

Deep down I truly believe that life doesn't have to be that complicated; I know that I bring most difficulty on myself. With the right attitude and a little preparation, I think that a person (specifically, I) can handle almost anything with relative ease.

So, that's my mission: to find the life I was looking for before all hell broke loose. It will encompass most, if not all, areas of my life: physical space, like ridding my house of unnecessary things and creating beauty around me; mental processes, like organizing my time better; controlling my impulses, like eliminating emotional shopping; and learning how to  manage my energy levels to get real, needed rest.

Wish me luck and, if you want, check in to see how I'm doing. Let me know if anything sounds familiar in your own life or if you've already found a solution for a problem I'm working on — I'd love to hear what you think!

We've Started the Revolution — Are You In?

I love my job! As I try to tell at least one person on a daily basis, I work for this most awesome magazine, Experience Life, that does most awesome things.

One of the things we've been working on since December is a very cool microsite called RevolutionaryAct.com. For the January/February 2011 issue of the magazine, our editor in chief wrote a six-page feature called "Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act." The article included a pull-out manifesto, offered a few teasers of our "101 Ways to Be Healthy," and basically launched the RevolutionaryAct site.

The article and site have attracted the attention of some impressive names in the wellness world, including Mark Hyman, MD, and Frank Lipman, MD, and word has spread pretty quickly — especially about the "101 Ways" page of the site. We just had our first RevAct meetup in Minneapolis, where we saw a screening of the film Vanishing of the Bees, and have started taping short videos on what we consider our favorites of the 101 ways.

Because I spend the majority of my work days managing social media for the magazine and RevAct, I sometimes forget to share this information with people in my personal sphere, which is a shame because this shit is just too freakin' cool to miss.

Anyway... here is the video that I shot last week to share my favorite revolutionary way to be healthy. I was going to reshoot it because I know exactly how much I look like a dork. Then I realized that if I shot it again I was still going to look like a dork, so I decided not to waste the time. It is what it is, for the world to see.

But really, if you haven't already had the chance to check out this site, you really should. We all could stand to be a little healthier these days, and this is a real motivator. Give us a shout on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube (with more dorky videos) and, if you really like it, join the revolution and perform Revolutionary Act #101: Pass it on!

Office Zen: a Review

I was recently contacted by Kole McRae of Office Buddha to review his first ebook, Office Zen, (currently selling for $3). I figured that I'm always looking for more zen in my life and I work in an office, so what more perfect book for me to read, right?

The tag line of the book promises, "Get More Done, Reduce Stress, Love Your Life and Find Time to Do the Things You Love." Based on the cover, I was looking forward to finding out how I could make my work time more peaceful and productive.

I like the premise of the book and there is some valid information that McRae shares. At the end of each short chapter, McRae offers one or two actionable tips based on what the chapter covered.

However, I think the book could have benefited from more work. There are generalizations and assumptions that are made throughout that are flawed. The third page starts out with the statement, "Once you’ve worked a full time office job for more than a few weeks you find it starts to really grate on you." While I understand what McRae is trying to stay, the inaccuracy of the statement — and others like it later on — bothered me.

And, while I love the idea of a writer using his personal experiences to provide real-life examples and make his point, I felt that many of McRae's examples, and the advice that came from his experience was often too specific and applicable to few. In a later chapter, he suggests getting a pet to feel happier. I know that research supports this theory, but it's also not a feasible option for many people. And his suggestion of a pet rat — probably not one of the most popular options — felt ridiculous to me.

Interestingly, some of the things that don't impress me about Office Zen are exactly what I like about Office Buddha. McRae's style is casual and relatable, his ideas are bite-sized enough to satisfy my short attention span and I like his actionable tips, even if I do feel they need work. But I also feel that the book could benefit from better organization, focus and formatting.

So, my final verdict? There are worse ways that you can spend $3 than to buy Office Zen, especially if much of what McRae describes applies to you: your office life works your last nerve, work drama is driving you insane and you have no clue how to prioritize. And even if this isn't what you're looking for, I would recommend keeping an eye on his blog — McRae has made a great first attempt and I look forward to seeing him improve in future books.