“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~Lao-Tze   So said Lao-Tze, perhaps one of the greatest teachers the human kind has ever had. When I committed myself to the most important journey of my life (of course I’m talking about the spiritual one), I was focused on gaining patience. I worked hard to free my mind and soul from all clutter and emotional charge. There was one aspect I kept ignoring: getting rid of the clutter. When one of my closest friends was in my room, she didn’t wait too long before noticing: “You have too much stuff all around.” What stuff? I had no idea I was living in a mess. I even had a name for it: creative chaos. You know how everything seems to fall into place at certain periods of time? It was that very same day when I encountered Lao-Tze’s quote. It just popped up on my Facebook feed. At that moment, I realized: I was focusing on gaining patience and compassion, but I was forgetting about a really important part of the journey: simplicity. And I knew my friend was right: you can’t declutter your mind if you don’t simplify your life. I didn’t limit that change to material possessions; I expanded it beyond that aspect of living. This was part of my journey, and I can’t find the right words to express the relief I felt as soon as I started making my life simpler. Hopefully, my experience will help you make that change, so I decided to share a few steps that will lead you to the bliss of living simply. Understand what possessions are. Get rid of them! Do you own too many things? That’s not a real problem if you need them. If, however, you’re collecting a pile of stuff you never use, then you have a real problem. This was the mindset I adopted: “I own these things. But they also own me!” You’ve probably heard the same advice many times before: don’t allow stuff to possess you. You need a car? I understand that. But would you go completely crazy over a scratch? Our material possessions drain our energy, because we have to take care for them. As soon as you get rid of the attachment, you’ll discover some true values. Simplify your work. If you have too many tasks on your daily schedule and you try hard to achieve them all, you’ll end up in a complete chaos by the end of the day. I know. I’ve been there. Start your day by making a list of five important tasks you have to do. Which one of them has priority? Do it first! Then, continue working through your list of priorities. If you have space for any minor tasks, you’ll cover them. With time, you’ll realize you’re becoming much more effective in your work, but you’ve also simplified the way you cover [...]