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Post written by Leo Babauta . I’m often asked how you can start doing work you love — how you can make a living doing something you’re passionate about. I don’t profess to have all the answers, but the answer for me has been fairly simple: Do one thing really well. People want a more comprehensive answer than that, but in my experience, if you learn to do this, the rest will follow. I write about simplicity. That’s all I do. Over the last 4 1/2 years of writing Zen Habits I’ve found success by focusing on that alone, and stripping away everything else that gets in the way. I’ve removed comments, I don’t do much social media (except for fun), I don’t do much email, I don’t sell ads, I don’t do consulting. I write about simplicity. By doing this one thing over and over, I’ve gotten much better at it. Good enough, anyway, for people to want to read my work, and as the audience for my work has grown, so have the opportunities to make a living in a non-spammy way. The ways I monetize (print books, ebooks, online courses) are less important than how I’ve grown the audience. Do one thing well. It’s really that simple. Narrow down what you do, and do it repeatedly. Learn, grow, improve, read, watch, do it some more. When you’re really good at that one thing, people will want to pay you for it, or to learn how you do it. It takes a lot of focus and practice to get good at doing one thing, but I’ve found that if you truly love it, it’s not really work. It’s play. And I never complain about playing at something I love. — Tweet

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Editor’s note : This is a guest post from Brigitte Lyons of Unfettered Ink . True confession: When I was a kid, I couldn’t run a mile. I was relatively athletic. Good swimmer. Deadly at 3rd base. Hiked up and down and all around. But running? No thanks. Until, at age 20, I started dating a runner. I decided to let him teach me. This did not go well. We fought about it, because I was constantly miserable. I tried and gave up countless times. Now I’m 30. I’m married to that runner. And, somehow, miraculously, I caught the running bug. And learned a few things along the way … 1. Sometimes things that suck are also awesome . This is not a post that extols the many physical benefits of running — or even teaches you how to get started. I’ll leave that up to Leo . I’m not even here to tell you that I love running. I still find it a bit miserable most days. You get all sweaty. Your legs burn. Your heart races. And, then, when you’re finished, your endorphins come flooding in. If you track your runs, you get to feel smug about your progress. Totally worth it. 2. It’s all mental . Typing those words, I already want to take them back! My husband used to tell me this, back when we were still running and simultaneously squabbling about it. Nothing made me angrier. But it hurts … ! Yeah, it hurt. It often still does. But once I made that mental switch that I will get out and run, I was able to do it. The only thing holding us back is our state of mind. 3. There’s a discernable difference between pain and discomfort . When I started running, every step felt like the worst step of my life. I was whiny. I hated, hated, hated every moment. But, as people do when they want to impress someone they love, I kept picking it up again. And, finally, I began to notice the difference between pain and discomfort. In the last 10 years, I’ve only suffered an injury once. I was at the gym, running along, when suddenly it felt like something snapped inside me. Like a rubber band that had been stretched too far, and it finally pops. I pulled a muscle. A term that doesn’t really do the thing justice. The miracle of it is, though, that I’m so much more in tune with my body’s signals. I’m aware when it’s craving movement, even though I’m feeling lazy. When it’s saying enough is enough. When it can go just a little longer, even though I’m ready to turn the corner and head home. 4. Equipment matters — find what works for you . For me, there are two essential pieces of running equipment. Nike Frees and SmartWool socks. Seriously, I am obsessed with these socks. That’s it. On the flip side, I can’t stand one of the most frequently recommended pieces of gear: the technical shirt. I cannot abide the feeling of Dri-FIT or similar fabrics on my skin. Especially on my arms. I know all the benefits. I don’t care. It makes my skin crawl. When I started running, I went out and bought loads of these shirts. It took me a year (because I’m slow) to realize that my hatred of them was actually de-motivating me. So, now, I run in cotton tank tops. They’re cheaper anyway! 5. Take joy in small accomplishments . I wish I were sitting here writing that I ran miles and miles and miles. Wait, no. That’s a lie. For a girl who couldn’t run a mile as a kid, getting off my bum and running 3 is a huge accomplishment. Epic. Instead of feeling shame that I’m not running marathons, I take joy in taking in the sights and smells of my neighborhood (especially in the spring … flowers!). Of turning down streets that aren’t a part of my daily routine. And, occasionally, at shouting down the barking dogs that lunge at their gates as I run by. 6. Inconsistency is OK . I face a huge barrier in becoming a better runner – Chicago’s temperature swings. I know I can suit up in the winter and strip down in the summer, but extreme temperatures make me sick. So I don’t. Ultimately, I work out to feel good. Running, yoga, spinning, whatever. I don’t stop working out when the weather is unbearable, but I certainly don’t run outside. This used to really bother me. How could I ever become a “real” runner this way? Maybe I can’t, but it doesn’t matter. This spring, after a 6 month break, I ran 20 minutes my first day out. And, I’m currently running faster and longer than ever. 7. It feels good to pick up your pace at the finish . This week, I ran 30 minutes. This is pretty much my outer limit (for the present!). My average pace was 10:19. At the end, I picked it up to 9 flat. Even though my calves were burning. It felt damn good. And, although I have no expert studies to cite, I swear it helps create an endorphin rush. 8. But, slow down at the beginning, already ! While it’s a good habit to pick it up at the end, I tend to overdo it at the start. As Leo has mentioned, this is inadvisable. In my case, it’s the single factor holding back my mileage. My body is most comfortable at an 8 minute pace. That’s when I feel like a gazelle (no, really). Except, my body isn’t yet conditioned to hold this pace. So, I start fast. And then die. The only way I’m going to improve is to intentionally hold back from the very start. 9. Play is critical . Always . The first time I ran 30 minutes, it poured. My husband and I went for a 2 mile run, and the rain started coming down in sheets just after we got home. Instead of heading inside, I looked at him and asked if he’d run a bit further with me. We added a third mile. Running down the middle of our Chicago neighborhood streets, jumping in and over puddles … it’s still my most fun run to date. Unfortunately, it doesn’t storm every summer day. Luckily, I know how to find the parks with fountains and sprinklers set out for kids and the young at heart. Racing to catch a light works, too. Just the other day I sprinted at a 5:58 minute pace, and it was exhilarating. 10. It’s ok to trick yourself . This is something else Leo has mentioned , but it bears repeating. Sometimes you have to just get out the door. If that means telling yourself, “oh, I’ll just run a mile, no biggie,” then do it. If it means adding one or two extra blocks before you turn back home, because you’re feeling stellar, do it. My greatest breakthrough moments were the direct result of tricks I played on myself. In a decade of running, I could share so many more life lessons. How about you? Share your lessons learned with Leo ( @zen_habits on Twitter or Leo Babauta on G+ ) and me ( @brigittelyons ). Brigitte shares unconventional wisdom for creative people on a mission at her blog, Unfettered Ink . She also courts all sorts of good karma by serving up PR Ideas for Busy People to entrepreneurs with grand ideas but limited resources.

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Post written by Leo Babauta . My daughter Chloe is starting out in college in the fall, and with her newfound independence will come the newfound responsibilities of dealing with money. Like many young people, she hates thinking about finances. I was one of them. I always dreaded budgeting and paying bills and thinking about savings and retirement, and figured I could always deal with it later. Problem with that is you end up screwing yourself if you put things off until later. Living for the moment is great, until the finances catch up with you and the moment starts to suck because you owe a ton of debt. I’ve found that living mindfully means not just partying in the moment, but taking care of things now, when they’re small, rather than when they’re huge. So with that in mind, I have a few lessons I’d like to emphasize for Chloe, and for anyone else starting out in college. 1. Spend less than you earn . OK, this is almost the only lesson you need, but it’s so important I’m going to break it down further. The biggest reason people get into financial problems is they spend money they don’t really have. Then you end up in the hole, and it’s hard to get out of the hole, and you work crazy hours to keep up with your spending, and you end up with a life that’s about nothing but trying to pay for all the spending on crap you don’t really need. So spend less, work less, worry less, be happier. 1a. Don’t get into debt . If you spend less than you earn, you won’t be in debt, obviously. It’s easy, though, to get a student credit card and put things on there if you don’t have the money right now. You can pay for it next week when you get your check, right? That’s a slippery slope. Student loans are another tool for getting over your head in debt. They’re not the worst debt if you’re paying for a degree that’s going to earn a lot of money, but most of us English majors aren’t going to get an $80K per year job and shouldn’t take out $80K in student loans. 1b. Savings is your first bill to pay . If you spend less than you earn, save the rest. Make the savings an automatic payment that happens every payday, and make it the first and most important bill you pay. Not optional. You’ll be glad as the savings grows, and especially when emergencies come up. 1c. If you don’t have the money, go without . This is a lesson most people (young or old) forget. You don’t actually need a car, so if you can’t afford to pay cash, don’t get a loan. You don’t need nice clothes, or a smart phone, or a fancy laptop or iPad or Kindle, you don’t need to go to nice restaurants or the movies or bars. If you don’t have the money, find free ways to have fun or get things done you need to get done. 2. Make a very very simple budget . It’s a scary thing for people who’ve never done a budget, but it’s not hard. List your income, then list your bills (and savings). If the bills add up to more than the income, eliminate some bills. Use a simple spreadsheet to do the adding for you. This helps you to know what’s coming in and going out. I like the envelope system for making sure I don’t spend to much on variable expenses. 3. Pay bills right away . If you have the money, pay the bill as soon as it comes in. You can usually do this online, but if not, it’s just a matter of writing a check, putting it in an envelope, and writing out an address — two minutes. Do this two-minute action immediately, so you don’t have to worry about it later. If you let the bill-paying get pushed back, it becomes a dreaded thing, and your bills start to become overdue, and then it’s much worse. That’s all you need to know. If you save when you’re in college, avoid debt (except perhaps a modest student loan), and pay bills on time, you’re golden. — Tweet

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‘In chaos, there is fertility.’ ~Anaïs Nin Post written by Leo Babauta . Recently I wrote about the illusion of control , and living with no goals . What I’m still figuring out is what you do if you let go of the illusion of control, and plan as little as possible. What’s life like without goals or plans? How do we deal with the chaos? I don’t have all the answers, but I’m learning a lot. I went to the World Domination Summit in Portland earlier this month with few plans. I had a speech to give, a couple smaller sessions to hold, a bike tour scheduled, a plane ticket and a hotel room. But the large majority of the weekend I left open, with no plans. It was liberating. I didn’t mind giving the talks, and I loved the tour, but meeting unexpected strangers, hanging out with people I’d never met, going with the flow of the crowd — it was fun. I never really knew what was going to happen next, and that’s scary … but strangely freeing. As I write this, I’m on a plane to Guam for a month, and I have tons of friends and family to see — they all want to hang out with Eva, me and the kids (and vice versa — we’re excited to see them). But other than a place to stay for two of the four weeks we’ll be there, we have no set plans. We don’t know what we’re doing for transportation, we don’t know what we’ll do each day, and I don’t know where we’ll be living the last couple of weeks. It’s scary, but I know we’ll be fine. How do you live with the chaos? You learn to embrace it. Living Daily Without Plans I try to schedule as little as possible, and I have no goals for each day. I wake up and ask myself, “What excites me today?” And each day that’s different. Sure, there are obligations that I have to meet, but mostly those are things I’m excited about. The ones I’m not so excited about, I’ll still do — unless I can avoid them. But each moment I try to live consciously, in the moment, and ask myself … “What am I passionate about? And how can I handle each moment while being true to my values?” I’ve been having an ongoing discussion about this with my friend Suraj , who lives in London and practices the Jain religion. He has clearly identified his values: friendship, appreciation, compassion, and equanimity. I love those values. My value is compassion, which comes in various manifestations: love, kindness, empathy, gratitude. And every time a situation comes up, I ask myself, “How can I deal with this compassionately?” I’m still learning how to do this. I don’t claim to have mastered it, and will probably be exploring this for years to come. Why Plans are an Illusion Living without plans might seem foolish, or unrealistic to most people. That’s fine. But if you want to be realistic, you should understand that the plans you make are pure illusions of control. Let’s take a simple example. You have plans to write a report (or a blog post or a book chapter) and meet with a colleague or business partner today. The writing is supposed to happen at 9 a.m. and the meeting is at 11 a.m. Let’s assume those things actually happen according to plan. Many days, other things will come up and the illusion of control is easily shattered. But some days we get lucky and the plans actually happen as we hoped. So you sit down to write, as planned. Perhaps you’ve outlined your writing. But as you write, you think of things you hadn’t planned. You face problems as you think the writing through that you couldn’t have foreseen before you started writing. In fact, if you pay close attention, it becomes clear that there’s no way you could have planned the writing ahead of time — it has to unfold as you do it, because only as you do it do you fully think things through, and there’s no way to predict our own thinking (let alone the thinking of others). And so things emerge from our writing that could never have been planned, and in fact if we’re open to it, we might write something entirely brilliant that we never could have predicted. Or if we try to stick to the outline, we might ignore the brilliant possibilities that come up. So now it’s 11 a.m. and it’s time for your meeting. You meet your colleague or partner, as planned, and start talking. Of course, conversations can’t be planned, and there’s no way to predict what will come up as you talk. You might even have an agenda, but as you talk about things on the agenda, new ideas emerge, and when one of you suggests a new idea, that sparks another idea in the other person, and so on — ideas are sparked, back and forth, that couldn’t have been planned. And so new ideas and projects and collaborations emerge from this meeting that never could have been planned. And that’s a great thing. The two planned events, even though they happened as planned, were totally unpredictable and uncontrollable. The more we embrace this chaos, the more we embrace the brilliant possibilities that might emerge. The more we try to control our day and actions with plans, the more we limit ourselves. Be Open to the Unfolding Moment We try to hold onto the illusion of control, but what if we instead embraced the chaos? What if we left ourselves open to the changing, unfolding moment, and the possibilities we could never have planned for? It’s beautiful. Try it. Throw out your plans for the next hour. See what happens, moment to moment. Think about what excites you, what’s in line with your values. And as you start doing things that excite you, that are in line with your values … see what new things emerge. Talk with people with no fixed intentions, and see what ideas come up from that interaction. See what new opportunities come up as you interact with people, with ideas, with your own thoughts. It sounds nebulous, but in fact it’s as concrete as anything else. As I’ve shown, when we make plans, we think we’re setting things in concrete, but it’s always fluid — we just try to make ourselves think it’s solidly concrete. When we acknowledge the fluidity of our lives, we learn to use that fluidity to our advantage. We flow. We are open to changing currents. We see things with open eyes, instead of trying to make the world fit to our plans and goals. I don’t have all the answers, and in fact I’d be a hypocrite if I claimed to be able to predict what will happen when I live like this … or if anyone else lives like this. I don’t know what will happen. Think of the limitless possibilities of that simple statement. ‘Chaos is a friend of mine.’ ~Bob Dylan More discussion on this topic: 5 Reasons Leo Babauta is Wrong About Goals — Tweet

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Editor’s note : This is a guest post by Corbett Barr of CorbettBarr.com and ThinkTraffic.net. For the past three weeks I’ve been standing while I work, instead of my usual sitting. I have some interesting results to share with you in a moment, but first let me tell you why I’ve been doing all this standing. It all started after a couple of tweets came across my radar in the same day about the negative health effects of sitting. It turns out that sitting all day every day for work might not be good for your health and wellness . Who would have thought? The studies and experiments I found really caught my attention, partly because I’ve been sitting through 40- to 60-hour work weeks every week for the better part of 15 years. Now that I’m in my mid-30s, I’m starting to really consider my current health and habits and trying to do a better job of giving myself the best shot at living a long and active life. Here’s the evidence about what sitting can do to you: Multiple medical studies (like this one in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and this one in the American Journal of Epidemiology ) have shown that sitting greatly increases the rate of all-cause mortality , especially from causes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. In particular, that first study showed that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks. Even if you exercise, the longer you sit the greater the chances you will die . Sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase . In another study, scientists found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase , which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. It turns out that some of these studies of how sitting down can negatively affect your health have been around for a while. I seem to remember hearing about them a couple of years ago, but brushed it all off, thinking that my modest exercise regimen was counteracting all the sitting. These studies seem to show the opposite. No matter if you exercise, sitting too much is dangerous to your health. Of course, there are two sides to every story. Too much sitting may kill you, but what about too much standing? A review of 43 studies by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found only a weak correlation between sitting and mortality. In a Time Magazine report , a researcher on Ergonomics from Cornell noted that “Standing to work has long known to be problematic, it is more tiring, it dramatically increases the risks of carotid atherosclerosis (ninefold) because of the additional load on the circulatory system, and it also increases the risks of varicose veins, so standing all day is unhealthy.” OK, so it may be a little more complicated than just sitting vs. standing. As always, personally I’m going to assume that too much of either is probably a bad thing . Given that I was sitting through 100% of my work day, and probably 85% of my total day, after reading all these studies I decided to try doing a lot more standing. About three weeks ago I rustled up some boxes from around the house, put the boxes on my desk, perched my laptop on top of the boxes and pushed my chair out of the way. I’ve since been standing up for the majority of my work day for the past few weeks. There are also purpose-built desks you can buy to set up a standing (or even treadmill arrangement), but I’m happy now with my boxes at a height where my arms bend at about 90 degrees while typing. At first the standing was rather uncomfortable. During the first few days I could only get through a couple of hours at a time before taking a sitting break. Now I can stand most of the day if I decide to, with little breaks to walk around every hour or two. There’s no question, standing takes more energy and tends to make you sore compared to sitting. For a little foot cushion I’ve folded up a yoga mat and have been standing on that, which is more comfortable for me than just standing on the hard wood floors. So far, my standing desk experiment has had several positive outcomes, with just a few slight negatives. Here are my results: This is the most exciting and useful benefit so far: I have more energy during the work day . I haven’t experienced the same mid-afternoon lulls that I used to while sitting. I’m also more energized during phone calls, Skype sessions and while recording video and audio. This is a huge benefit and adds to the energy gains I found after quitting my coffee habit last year. I have lost three pounds over the past three weeks, despite exercising less than usual (due to a cold) and making no changes to my diet. I’m not sure if this is directly related to standing, but keep in mind that an average person will burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting . That’s 2,400 extra calories a week if you add 8 hours of standing, 5 days a week. A pound of body fat equals about 3,500 calories, so the weight loss actually makes sense. I’m more likely to be working while in front of my laptop as opposed to the occasional stretches of sitting like a zombie I used to fall prey to. It’s harder to nod off or lose focus when standing. On the slightly negative side, I definitely feel fatigued in the legs and back after a long day of standing. On the other hand, it feels great when I do sit down, I don’t have that numb in the rear end and legs feeling anymore, and I can stand without fatigue much longer when at concerts and other standing events. In all, I’m really happy to have made the change and recommend that people try standing at least a little bit throughout the day. The increased energy and focus is worth the effort, even if the long-term health benefits don’t turn out to be so major. If you give standing a try , remember that you’ll need to ease into it for about a week before standing becomes more comfortable. Reach out on Twitter and tell me ( @CorbettBarr ) or Leo ( @zen_habits ) about your results. Read more about sitting (and standing) and the associated health implications: The Dangers of Sitting at Work — and Standing (Time Magazine) Infographic: Sitting is Killing You (Medical Billing and Coding) Why and How I Switched to a Standing Desk (Smarterware) Prolonged Sitting Boosts Bad Health (WebMD) Sitting is not bad for you (i-thought.org) — Tweet Corbett Barr writes about lifestyle businesses at CorbettBarr.com and about how to get more visitors for your website or blog at Think Traffic . Follow him on Twitter .

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Post written by Leo Babauta . I believe in shaking up the way things are done. Often we’re stuck in a rut of doing things a certain way, because that’s the way everyone else does things, because that’s how it’s always done. Because it’s safe. But the normal way of doing things is often not the only way, nor the best way. Bloodletting and leeches were once the normal way of treating most illnesses until smart people started questioning the practice. Women for a long time were kept out of the workplace because they were thought to be too weak or emotional for many jobs. People used to throw away very little, and nothing was ‘disposable’ because that was thought to be wasteful … wait, maybe that wasn’t so bad. What if you could shake things up … just by being who you are? Without having to do anything but tell someone who or what you are? It turns out, that’s often been the case in my life. I will just mildly tell people who or what I am, and they start getting defensive, even if I haven’t actually attacked anything they do. People assume I’m judging them, just because I do things differently. They’re wrong — I don’t judge what others do, but rather just try to live my life consciously, and conscientiously. I often fail, but in the attempt is everything. Here are just a few examples from my life: 1. Vegan . Just telling people I’m vegan will cause all kinds of interesting reactions. Often people will start to talk about how they were once vegetarian, or how they eat very little red meat, or only sustainably. Or they’ll start to talk about how delicious meat is, or how humans were meant to eat meat, or ask me if I just eat salad. I don’t mind any of this. Instantly, people are giving more thought to these questions than they ever have in the past. As for myself, the reasons are simple: I do it out of compassion for living, feeling, suffering beings who are treated as objects in our society. (Read: the minimalism of veganism .) 2. Minimalist . This is probably the other biggest thing I do that gets a reaction from people. They’ll talk about how they live with very little, or how they want to get rid of clutter, or ask me how you can be minimalist with kids. These are good discussions. We need to start talking about why we own so much, why we buy so much (not just physical stuff, but apps and digital content), why we’ve become consumers instead of just simply living. (Read: my blog mnmlist , or breaking free from consumerist chains .) 3. Self-employed . This is becoming more and more common these days, of course, but the majority of our society remains employed by a corporation (or unemployed). I choose to work for myself, to be my own boss. And now that I’ve done it, I’m unemployable. I’ll never go back, and I’m constantly subverting people I know, showing them how to break from the chains of employment if they’re unhappy. There’s no reason we should work for other people if we don’t want to. 4. Car-free . Almost a year ago, we gave up our car. We’d been slowly cutting back on car usage anyway, but finally giving up a car was liberating. Most people don’t understand this — they see the car as a symbol of freedom, of convenience, without realizing just how much we’ve been chained to cars, just how inconvenient it is for us individually and of course as a society. People often don’t know what to make of someone who voluntarily lives without a car. (Read: lessons we’ve learned riding mass transit .) 5. Healthy & fit . There are many people, of course, who are healthy and fit — much fitter than me. But I’m healthier and fitter than most people I know, and while I don’t judge them at all, discussions always come up about health and diet and exercise whenever I visit. Choosing to be active on most days is a radical thing in our society. Weird, I know. 6. Unschooler . My wife and I homeschool four of our kids, and that makes us weird. Even though compulsory schooling as we know it has only been widespread for a little over a century, and for most of human history, the majority of children were educated at home and somehow their parents found a way to deal with the socialization issue. Parents who send their kids to school get defensive when I talk about unschooling, which is a radical branch of homeschooling that throws the normal model of school (teachers dispensing knowledge to students who memorize it) out the window. We believe our kids should learn how to teach themselves, as many of us learned to do as adults. We don’t believe anyone can create a curriculum of knowledge that will prepare our kids for a future that can’t be predicted, for a workforce that is rapidly changing. Instead, they should learn how to figure things out for themselves, to solve problems, to work on their own without being directed. They’re the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. 7. Goal-free . I’ve written about the radical notion of giving up goals, though it’s thousands of years old ( Laozi taught it to me). But the idea of goals is incredibly ingrained in our society (myself included), that people think I’m weird for even suggesting you can live an amazing life of achievement without goals. As if goals were the only reason to do something great. (Read more: the best goal is no goal , and the illusion of control .) 8. Ad-free . The advertising model is an old one, and yet it’s still the predominant form of making money from creating things on the Internet. If you have a blog and want to make money, you probably have ads on your site. Even if the ads suck and no one wants to read them. We put up with them so we can get to the content. What if we could do it differently? I’ve been living without ads for well over a year, and I’m still surviving. It’s forced me to create things of my own, and I’m loving it. 9. Socialist . It wasn’t that long ago (less than a century) when you could say you’re a socialist and not be too weird. George Orwell, Bertrand Russell, Vonnegut, Einstein, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Jack London … were all socialists of one sort or another. Now it’s seen as against the “American Way of Life”. I’m a socialist. I’m not for state-run socialism, but would consider myself more of a mutualist or a (peaceful) anarchist. I have to add “peaceful” because people assume anarchists want to bomb things, while I don’t believe in violence or the violent overthrow of governments. I believe we have given the corporations too much power over our lives and our society, that they’ve turned us into consumerist machines, and that we should have the freedom to run our own lives, and take the power back from the corporation by being self-reliant. That probably brings up more questions than it answers, but the questions are good things. None of these things defines me, but they are all a part of who I am. They all challenge the norm in some way, bring up questions and discussion that otherwise might not occur, and I believe those are necessary questions and discussions.

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Post written by Leo Babauta . For almost a year now, my wife Eva, my six kids and I have been walking and riding mass transit almost exclusively. We have bikes but we’re still new to them, and we also use City Carshare for longer trips out of the city. But for everything else, it’s walking and mass transit — for meeting with people, going to restaurants and movies and museums and parks, for grocery shopping (we only buy what we can carry), farmer’s markets, fairs, visiting relatives, and more. It’s been one of the best things ever for us. We’ve adjusted from being car users when we were on Guam . I love walking tremendously (I can walk anywhere in the city), but I also love the mass transit … for the lessons it has taught my family. Some of the lessons we’ve learned so far: 1. How to wait . Mass transit isn’t always on time (surprise!). But rather than look at that as a reason why riding buses and trains suck, we learn how to see that as an opportunity. My boys climb trees while I do pullups and (admittedly rudimentary) gymnastics from a low branch. We tell jokes and I swing the little kids around. We share things with each other, make each other laugh. It’s a good time. 2. How to walk . Mass transit doesn’t take you everywhere, so we walk more than most families. That’s a great thing. Even my little ones are in pretty good shape and rarely complain about walking. We deal with the weather, which is something most people don’t do, as they’re cut off from the world in their glass and metal boxes. Truthfully, we don’t always walk — we love to race each other up hills and be out of breath. It’s wonderful. 3. How to deal with humanity . We’re often shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, which is something you never experience with a car. We deal with smells, with annoying people, with those who talk loudly, with the mentally challenged, with plain crazy people. In other words, with people. And this is a great thing. We learn that we come in all shapes and sizes, that life isn’t the perfect picket fences you see on TV, that the world is real … and that that’s OK. We’re learning to celebrate differences. 4. How to live sustainably . We haven’t cut our emissions to zero, but by the simple act of giving up a car, we’ve cut our use of resources and our emissions down more than most people will by recycling, buying less, using less heat, using less paper, etc. I’m not saying this to brag, or to judge others. I’m saying we’re learning, and while we have a lot to learn, I think we’re making progress. 5. That transit can be more convenient than cars . Sure, it’s nice to be able to hop in your car and go somewhere quickly, no matter the weather. That’s convenient. But there are inconveniences with cars that we forget about: the frustrations of parking (especially in San Francisco), traffic jams, rude drivers, car accidents, flat tires, car maintenance, having to stop for gas, having to actually drive instead of relaxing on the trip, sitting all the time instead of moving around, and more. Again, I’m not judging cars, but all of that, if you think about it, makes riding on a bus or train actually seem nice. 6. How to live frugally . My kids aren’t poor, but I want to teach them that there are good ways of living that don’t have to cost a lot. That spending money for conveniences isn’t necessarily a good thing. We shop at Goodwill, ride transit, cook in big batches, eat little meat (my wife and I eat none). We’re not the most thrifty ever, but we’re teaching the kids that it’s possible. ( Read more .) 7. How to live with less control . When you have a car, you feel that things are under your control (forgetting about traffic, accidents and the like). But when you’re riding mass transit, things are not under your control. You’re at the mercy of the schedule, of drivers, of other people slowing the system down, of trains breaking down and backing the system up, and so on. You learn to let go of the illusion of control , and to deal with changes as they come. This is a miraculous lesson. — Tweet

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‘Fear makes us feel our humanity.’ ~Benjamin Disraeli Post written by Leo Babauta . The moment my first daughter Chloe was born, I was filled with an overpowering joy — she was a living miracle! I was also filled with soul-trembling fear — here was a fragile new life, entrusted into my incompetent hands. It was overwhelming, this mixture of two powerful emotions. I call it Joyfear. Copyright pending . I discovered this word in an exercise on Sunday at the World Domination Summit during a talk by the amazing Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen of Mondo Beyondo (check out their site, it’s awesome). During the exercise I came up with the word and wrote it on my arm. Joyfear. It turns out that the birth of each of my kids was filled with Joyfear. And it turns out every single defining moment in my life has been filled with Joyfear, with a mixture of intense joy and intense fear into one ball of powerful emotions that both lift me up and make me see things clearly when I hadn’t before. My first marathon was filled with Joyfear (actually every marathon had it). I felt Joyfear when I quit my day job and became self-employed. Joyfear was there when I fell in love with my wife and then when I married her, when I moved my entire family with absolutely nothing to San Francisco last year, when I published my first book, and in a smaller way every time I create something new and put it out into the world to be judged. Having only joy is great. Having only fear sucks. But having both … that’s life-defining. Do not shy away from Joyfear. Seek it out. Recognize it when you happen upon it. Joyfear will change your life, and you’ll never forget the moment you find it. — Tweet

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Editor’s note : This is a guest post from Jules Clancy of Stonesoup . Reading Get Started: From Overweight to Healthy recently on Zen Habits, I couldn’t agree more with Leo’s advice. Eat move veggies, drink more water, move more and get rid of the junk. All great ideas. It also got me thinking. For me at least, the most difficult part of healthy eating is when it comes to snacks. It would be nice to think we’re all going to start reaching for a raw carrot or celery stick when hunger strikes between meals. But it can be difficult to go from junk to super healthy in one step. So here are a few ideas to help you snack more healthfully. As with all things, remember that even healthy snacks aren’t going to be good for you in large quantities, so moderation is key. 10 Healthy Snack Ideas 1. nori sheets Head to your local Japanese or Asian grocery store and grab some nori. Yes, the seaweed stuff used in sushi rolls is delicious fresh from the pack. Although it is quite drying so you will need some water with it. 2. nuts My go-to snack, especially when I’m traveling. Almonds, brazil nuts, macadamias, pistachios: there’s so much variety to explore. Nuts are portable, delicious and packed with minerals. Look for dry roasted, preferably unsalted. And remember nuts like almonds with their skins on have more fiber than those without. 3. kale chips There are a heap of different commercial kale chips on the market these days. While delicious, they tend to be expensive, so you could have a go at making your own. Just toss some kale (or other leafy greens) in a little oil, layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until crisp. 4. salsa Based mostly on tomato and chilli, a good salsa can be a great way to boost your veggie intake. 5. nut butters Look for unsweetened nut butters such as almond or cashew butter at your local health food store, or try making your own. Pop a handful of nuts in your food processor and whizz until it forms a nut butter, adding a little oil to help if it looks too dry. 6. antipasto The Italians know a thing or two about healthy snacking. Olives, marinated veg like eggplant, artichokes or peppers all make wonderful quick snacks. You can even throw in a little proscuitto (but don’t tell Leo). 7. mezze Similar to antipasto, these Lebanese small plates are a great thing to have in the fridge. Hummus is probably the most famous but there’s also babaganoush, tatziki and beetroot drips to make your carrot and celery sticks more appealing. 8. boiled eggs While not for the vegans, eggs are a wonderful source of protein. Boil up a whole batch at once then keep them in the fridge to peel and eat with a little salt and pepper as needed. 9. roast chickpeas I just adore chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in all their forms. And have recently started roasting them and tossing with a little spice to serve as a snack. So. Good. [recipe below] 10. dark chocolate When only something sweet will do, dark chocolate is your best bet. At least you’ll also be getting some antioxidants. Look for good quality brands that tell you the % cocoa solids. The higher the cocoa, the less sugar. roasted chickpeas makes about 1 1/4 cups By all means cook the chickpeas from scratch if you prefer, but I find canned chickpeas work really well, without the effort. Feel free to play around with the spicing. If you can’t find smoked paprika, a little cayenne pepper or chilli powder would be lovely. Or keep it simple with just some sea salt and black pepper. If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Will keep for a week or so but I like them best while they’re still warm. 1 can chickpeas (14oz / 400g), well drained 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional 1. Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). 2. Place chickpeas in a roasting pan or oven proof dish, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes. 3. Stir the chickpeas and sprinkle over the paprika. Bake for another few minutes until the chickpeas are golden and crisp on the outside. 4. Season generously with pepper and sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature. Jules is a qualified food scientist and the creator of the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. Pickup more delicious, healthy 5 ingredients recipes at her blog – Stonesoup . — Tweet

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‘The Master allows things to happen. She shapes events as they come. She steps out of the way and lets the Tao speak for itself.’ ~Laozi Post written by Leo Babauta . When you think you control something, you’re wrong. It’s amazing how often we think we’re in control of something when really we aren’t. Control is an illusion, as I’ve said many times before. We constantly make plans that never actually turn out the way we envisioned. ‘If you want to make God laugh, make a plan,’ an old saying goes. We have been trained to set goals, and then work on the actions that lead to those goals … and yet how often do those goals fail? How often are we trying to control a future that we cannot predict? Did you know five years ago that the world would turn out as it has — that Obama would be president, that the stock markets would have crashed, that we’d be deep into a recession, that earthquakes and tsunamis would hit, that you’d be doing exactly what you’re doing today? Of course not. We don’t know the future, much less control it. We like to think we do, but that never turns out to be true. And yet we continue to believe in the illusion of control. We face a chaotic and complex world, and seek to control it however we can. Our attempts to control the world can be seen through: Trying to control how our children turn out, as if we can shape them like blocks of clay, as if humans aren’t more complex than we can possibly understand. Tracking every little thing, from spending to exercise to what we eat to what tasks we do to how many visitors are on our site to how many steps we’ve taken today and how many miles we’ve run. As if our selective tracking can possibly include the many, complex factors that influence outcomes. Trying to control employees — again, complex human beings with many motivations and whims and habits that we don’t understand. Obsessively planning projects, trips, days, parties, as if the outcomes of events are things we can control with our powers of manipulation of the world. If we can let go of this illusion, what are we left with? How can we live among this chaos? Consider the fish. A fish swims in a chaotic sea that it cannot possibly control — much as we all do. The fish, unlike us, is under no illusion that it controls the sea, or other fish in the sea. The fish doesn’t even try to control where it ends up — it just swims, either going with the flow or dealing with the flow as it comes. It eats, and hides, and mates, but does not try to control a thing. We are no better than that fish, yet our thinking creates the need for an illusion. Let go of that thinking. Learn to be the fish. When we are in the midst of chaos, let go of the need to control it. Be awash in it, experience it in that moment, try not to control the outcome but deal with the flow as it comes. How do we live our lives like this? It’s a completely different way of living, once we let go of the illusion: We stop setting goals, and instead do what excites us. We stop planning, and just do. We stop looking at the future, and live in the moment. We stop trying to control others, and focus instead on being kind to them. We learn that trusting our values is more important to taking action than desiring and striving for certain outcomes. We take each step lightly, with balance, in the moment, guided by those values and what we’re passionate about … rather than trying to plan the next 1,000 steps and where we’ll end up. We learn to accept the world as it is, rather than being annoyed with it, stressed by it, mad at it, despaired by it, or trying to change it into what we want it to be. We are never disappointed with how things turn out, because we never expected anything — we just accept what comes. This might seem like a passive way of living to some, and it’s against our aggressive, productive, goal-oriented cultural nature. If you can’t accept this way of living, that’s OK — many people live their lives with the illusion of control, and not realizing what it is that makes them unhappy or frustrated isn’t the worst thing ever. But if you can learn to live this way … it’s the most freeing thing in the world. — Tweet

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