Posts by Jessica
The Most Important Lesson You’ll Ever Learn About Opportunity
rss | t | g+ Two shoe makers go to a remote village. One of them immediately gives up and goes home, declaring, “It’s hopeless! Nobody here wears shoes.” The other, smiling, declares “What a glorious business opportunity! Nobody here wears shoes”. Opportunity is something that you discover, not something that you wait for Whether it’s new business [...]
How running taught me the value of persistence
rss | t | g+ A few years ago, I wrote about the importance of perseverance. The ability to see things until the end – it’s the difference between make or break. Little did I know, I would one day go through one of the biggest tests of perseverance – a full marathon. I would end up putting my [...]
Lessons learned from snow & blossoms
rss | t | g+ Oh, snow. It’s pretty at first, but then it turns grey and slushy, getting into your shoes and freezing your toes. Then there’s the winter wind that makes your nose turn red and your eyes start to water. In Japan, the cherry blossoms came to mark the beginning of spring. The air is warm [...]
Make your own future
rss | t | g+ “Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.” - Dalai Lama Do you keep a diary? If you don’t, I highly recommend it. I guarantee [...]
Zen in a cup of tea
rss | t | g+ How easily can a cup of tea be taken for granted? Before I went to Plum Village, I had no idea that I never knew how to truly enjoy a cup of tea, water or coffee. I used to gulp it down without a second thought. It’s the same with [...]
Minimalism & The Noble Eightfold Path III – Mental Development
rss | t | g+ Greetings everyone! If you follow my twitter you might know that I just spent some time on retreat to Plum Village in France, learning about the teachings of one of my heroes, Thich Nhat Hanh. I’ve taken away so many great lessons from this trip, and I can’t wait to explore it all with you [...]
Minimalism & The Noble Eightfold Path II – Ethical Conduct
rss | t | g+ The next stage of our journey along the Noble Eightfold Path is understanding how Ethical Conduct affects every single aspect of our lives. By conducting Right Speech, Action and Livelihood to the best of our abilities, we can move closer towards an enlightened body, heart and mind. You don’t have to be Buddhist to follow [...]
Minimalism & The Noble Eightfold Path I – Attaining Wisdom
rss | t | g+ So here we are on the first part of our journey along the Noble Eightfold Path, laid out by the Buddha to guide us away from ignorance and suffering. In this first part, we will look at wisdom, what it means and how to attain it by practising Right View and Right Intention. [...]
Minimalism & The Noble Eightfold Path
rss | t | g+ Buddhism is one of those things, like travel and culture, that you can read all the books you want about it (believe me I have read many) but the only way you really learn is through practical experience. Buddhism is not so much a religion, but a philosophy – a way of living. There are [...]
5 quick tips to get healthy the minimalist’s way
rss | t | g+ To run a mile you have to take one step. And then another. And then another. There’s no secret formula behind it. I’ve seen so many people try out new things that are good for their health or happiness, but after a few weeks or months, they give up. They make excuses about how [...]