LIFE
Success in Creativity, Commerce, or any other discipline doesn’t necessarily lead to success in Life, as can be inferred from the many examples of “successful” people who had or have an unfulfilled Life.
I do not have everything figured out; still, here are some things that have helped me have a better Life over the years and that might help you too:
Practices & Resources—
–The Alexander Technique.
-Swimming.
-Yoga.
-Pilates.
–The Wisdom of Trauma
-Stoicism (I think this philosophy has a lot of stuff that’s completely irrelevant or even counterproductive to the Life I want, but the Stoics have certainly helped me in many ways).
-Buddhism (I have a very basic understanding of it, but concepts like “detachment” and “impermanence” are always good to keep in mind).
-Acceptance of the fact that no person, philosophy, book, or religion is omniscient, and that we all have to figure out what works best for each of our lives, moment to moment, mostly through trial and error. This can be scary, but it’s certainly freeing!
-Going into nature often.
-Using a planner.
–Digital minimalism.
–Diversifying my identity.
–Freeing my art from monetary concerns.
-Supporting the IndieWeb.
–Not using personal social media.
-Owning my own web domain.
-Creating, owning, and managing my own website.
–Having a /now page on my website.
–Using a private email account.
-Minimizing screen time.
–Screen-Free Saturdays.
-Screen-free evenings.
-Keeping my devices’ screens on grayscale most of the time.
-Keeping my phone on offline mode most of the time.
-Only using my phone or computer intentionally and constructively.
-Reading from a physical book every day, however little.
-Prioritizing reading from physical copies over reading from digital copies.
–Being mindful and intentional when it comes to money.
-Investing passively in financial markets (you can start here!).
-Exercising daily, however briefly.
-Combining flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular training.
–TRX.
-Keeping journal-size notebooks.
-Keeping a pocket-size notebook and a pen on me.
-Yoga nidra.
-Mindfulness meditation.
-Meditating each day.
-Being open to therapy or any other form of asking for help.
–Tapping.
–Neurofeedback.
–Somatic Experiencing.
-Caring about my diet.
–Athletic Greens.
-Eating red meat only on special occasions.
-Minimizing my gluten intake.
-Eliminating processed and “fast” food from my diet.
-Living alcohol-free.
-Living coffee-free.
-Living smoke-free.
-Doing my best to live free from any addictive substance or behavior.
–Caring about my sleep.
–Sleep with Me podcast for nights of insomnia.
-Sleeping with a weighted blanket.
-Nurturing meaningful relationships.
–Doing my best to maintain contact with cool people I know.
-Letting go of negative relationships (whether personal or professional).
-Living free from dating apps.
-Choosing to share sex only within a meaningful, committed relationship.
-Prioritizing real-life interactions over digital interactions.
-Asking for forgiveness (if applicable) and forgiving myself (always) when I make a mistake.
-Being accountable in relationships, e.g., keeping my word, not “ghosting,” etc.
-Being open to having difficult conversations.
-Natural breathing.
-Developing my voice.
-Training as a martial artist.
-Learning via deliberate practice.
-Writing a gratitude list in the morning.
-Journaling in the evening.
–Compassionate Inquiry.
Books—
–The Alexander Technique: A Skill for Life by Pedro de Alcantara
–Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
–El arte de amar por Erich Fromm
–The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
–Body Learning by Michael J. Gelb
–Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber
–Changing for Good by Dr. James Prochaska et al.
–Come as You Are by Dr. Emily Nagoski
–The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
–Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
–Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
–Eight Dates by Dr. John Gottman et al.
–Enamórate de ti por Walter Riso
–Food Rules by Michael Pollan
–Grieving Is Loving by Joanne Cacciatore
–A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine
–The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
–Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers
–The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron
–How to Live by Derek Sivers
–Indirect Procedures by Pedro de Alcantara
–Influence by Robert Cialdini
–In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Dr. Gabor Maté
–Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
–Lettres à son frère Théo de Vincent van Gogh
–The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō
–Los límites del amor por Walter Riso
–Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
–Maravillosamente imperfecto, escandalosamente feliz por Walter Riso
–Meditaciones por Marco Aurelio
–On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
–The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
–Peak by K. Anders Ericcson and Robert Pool
–The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
–Small Is Beautiful by E. F. Schumacher
–Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff
–Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
–The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali & Hasan Kubba
–When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Maté
–Ya te dije adiós, ahora cómo te olvido por Walter Riso