An Elegant Equation

I am not a mathematician, however my life changed when I adjusted the equation. I started trying to live with intention rather than reacting to things happening around me.

For me, an elegant life is one of conscious intention and awareness. The intention of how I want to live. Determining what are the important things? Asking myself what kind of person am I  and what kind of person do I want to be?

I took money out of the equation. I had already spent years on a successful career path but discovered money did not buy my happiness. So, in a self-explorative journey, I changed the question from, “what do I want from life?” to, “what could I not live without?” I turned my focus to personal fulfillment. And just as important, “what can I give?”

By pairing down and simplifying from a surplus of choices to only those factors I could not live without, I gave myself even greater opportunity for other possibilities to exist. They suddenly came into perfect focus. When we peel away the layers, we can really see all the elements and how they interact, how they come together. (This probably explains why modern design appeals to me so much.)

I found that the sum of the parts became greater when I gave myself fewer places to put my energy. It’s a practice that leads me to a more elegant peace of mind.

I’d love to know where you find or foster elegance in your own life. What’s your elegant equation?