Still A Consumer

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Tis the season for wrap-ups, and I'd like to start with purchasing habits. One year after the end of the Levelled up shopping fast and almost five years after I started simplifying my life, what kind of consumer has simplicity lead me to be, and what is there to learn from my ongoing journey?

Level Up Mini-Challenge | Mindfulness

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I hope December is treating you well so far. How goes that gratitude exercise? As you may have read, I wrote about how mindfulness is important in a previous post. Since meditation seems to be a scary word for many still (including myself to be honest), here is a Level up mini-challenge to exercise mindfulness in simple ways.

December: A Month for Gratitude

source: tumblr

Last week, the French blogger Anouchka launched a gratitude initiative for December. Under the hashtag #mondefigratitude (my gratitude challenge), she offers readers to practice gratitude for the month of December, one day at a time. I think this is an excellent idea to end 2015 on a positive note, and here is why.

Why Mindfulness is Important

source: tumblr

If you are interested in simplicity and minimalism, you probably heard about mindfulness before. I have broached the subject myself, about mindfulness and habits, or meditation for example. One could think it is a part of the trend, but I came to believe there is something really important in the idea of being mindful. Here are my two cents.

Food For Thought // #16

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By Mark Manson - 10 Life Lessons to Excel in your 30s

In the previous round-up, I mentioned one of Mark Manson's articles about what he learned in his 20s, which is useful for all ages of course, but made me want to know what I would advise my 30 year-old self as I'm preparing to reach that age.

The Feel Better List

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We all know these moments in life. When the mood isn't at its best. Sadness is a part of life, and it would be a mistake to think happiness is a state of constant pleasure and joy. I do think happy people learn to be more resilient in the face of harder moments of life. Here is a feel better list for you, because we might all need a bit of it these days.

In the face of hardship

We all know there is a dark side to humanity. And sometimes, one gets reminded of this close, so close to home. In the face of such hardship, what can we do? I refuse to give up to anger and cynism on this sad day. In the face of hardship, it is important to focus on the good.

The #PorteOuverte hashtag was born just minutes after the attacks, Parisians offering to shelter people in their homes. We received support from all around the world. Messages flow from friends and family. In the face of hardship, humans cooperate, support each other, stand up to evil. In the face of hardship, we are one. This time, I want to keep faith in humanity, see the positive emerge from hardship.

PS: We are safe. Friends are safe. And grateful for it. All our thoughts go to the victims and their families.

Blog | New Tags

source: flickr

As you may have noticed from the blog menu, I have changed the article tags around. This is usually the type of online tidying I look into during the holiday season, but I have decided to look into it early this year. This was also the occasion to look into what type of posts I'd like to write from now on. Here is what you will find on The Nife en l'Air...

Epicurean Simplicity

Delicatessen of my dreams | Savoie 2012

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher from these ancient times we picture with old wisdom and stone statues. He is also known for Epucureanism, a philosophy around the pleasures of life. We have however strongly misrepresented Epicureanism as an abundance of sinful and fleeting luxuries, when this philosophy is, at heart, around simplicity and enjoying the ordinary moments of our lives.

The "Proust Questionnaire"

Personal picture (via Instagram)

The famous Parisian library Shakespeare and Company has opened a café. One worth visiting if ever you are around, by the way. But, more importantly, there was an odd questionnaire with our order: The Shakespeare and Company Café Proust Questionnaire. I have decided to answer it here.

Cultivating Positivity

Testing around the new camera // Paris 2013

What does this title inspire you? Usually, there is one of two reactions: either “how naïve!”, or “what’s that crap?” We live in a society where too much positivity is seen as a weakness, a “feminine trait”, making people look soft and full of delusions. But it turns out science backs us optimists, and here is a bit of context, along with an exercise to cultivate positivity in your everyday life.

On mages, rodents, failure and life calling

Close-up, Autumn 2014.

Prepare yourself for a bout of spontaneous writing today, with a touch of role-playing game analogy and some rodent mind control involved, as I talk about life calling, the fear of failure and the barriers we build for ourselves...

The Need for Rest

In our ever speeding society, the importance of rest seems to be forgotten more and more. Search "sleep" on TED and you'll find numerous pieces of evidence of the importance of this daily rest, and as many proofs that we are not sleeping enough. But rest isn't only about that. It's about slowing down sometimes, finding time to reflect, look at our own lives, spend time with our loved ones, or simply do nothing and gain a new sense of purpose and meaning.

The Science of Happiness

Source: The Science of Happiness course

Since the start of this blog, initially built around minimalism and (mostly material) simplification, things have changed quite a bit, and the question of the art of simplicity and its relation to happiness has taken quite some place here. Let me hazard the guess that the quest for happiness and meaning is also interesting for you, who are still following me despite this shift of editorial line. If that's the case, I have the perfect MOOC for you.

September is Coming

Early Autumn in Auvergne // Personal picture

It all starts with subtle hints and silent clues. A few brown chestnut tree leaves on the sidewalk. The first plums on the market stalls. Some stationary ad billboards creeping into the metro stations. A few more people in the subway tunnels and cars driving around the city. And, then, one morning...

Favorites #2: Summer 2015

sources: Lumosity, IMBD, Steam, personal pictures

Some of you seem to have enjoyed the first round-up of random favorites, so I have decided to make a sort of series of it, just because some finds are worth sharing. This round-up is mostly cultural, after all summer calls for long reading afternoons and binge-watching series when it's too hot outside.

A Quest for Meaning

Autumn in my hometown // personal picture (yes I'm starting to long for Autumn...)

I think I may be reaching a point where my simplicity journey is slowly turning into a quest for meaning. As if I had reached a certain level in the "simplicity" class to unlock the "meaning" specialization (sorry for the role-playing game linguo). But what is that quest for meaning and how does it appear in today's world?

Some Summer Joys

Personal Picture

As I'm just coming back from a business trip, I have planned this tiny little update on what makes me happy in summer. I think this is important to celebrate every season, even those we like less than others - for me, it's summer!

A pile of old invoices

Because this beautiful feline looks way better than a pile of invoices (oddly) // Personal picture 2015

As I went to the family home during the summer, I sorted boxes of things left behind during my latest move, including one full of papers. As I sifted through old contracts and grade summaries and student subscription forms (and realized how far away student life suddenly felt), I unearthed a pile of old invoices and warranty documents. Here is what I learned from these.

Food For Thought // #15

Personal picture 2013

As a consequence of a slow two-week vacation (understand, without much travel), I have read and discovered many new sources of learning, inspiration and thought. Here is a little best-of, in case you have a bit of time for light or insightful reads this summer.