Review Goddess: Zen Habits Handbook for Life
Posted by Goddess Leonie on April 8th, 2009. Filed under: Review Goddess.
Hola gorgeous Goddesses!
Last week I reviewed my new favourite book – Zen to Done. I’ve also been devouring, picking at and supping on Leo Babauta’s second book Zen Habits Handbook for Life.
Zen to Done is more based on productivity and getting stuff done in a simple, happy, easy way. Handbook for Life covers productivity in it but goes on to talk about making the rest of your life simple, happy and easy too.
I’m kind of a book-addict. I don’t really buy clothes that often, prefer picnics to restaurants, have only a couple pairs of shoes and am content with staying at home to paint, write, read, hang out with my love and play with my puppehs rather than go out much. That said, I do spend my dobleros on self-help and hippy books and oracle cards. I have a pretty big collection of both. So I’d say I’m pretty experienced on the whole self-help book front. And they are great – don’t get me wrong – that’s why I keep buying them – but sometimes it’s hard to put their ideas into place.
Where spirituality meets practicality
I’ll be all “oh my gosh, I’m changing my LIFE from reading this book” while I’m reading a book. Then the book ends, and my habits don’t change. And habits are the things that by and large form our lives.
So it shits me a bit when I can’t apply the principles into my life.
Which is why I’m turning into one of those stark-raving fans about Leo Babauta. The dude is Lord Ganesha of Practicality and Usefulness, in a way that doesn’t make those words seem dirty.
It’s just beautiful wisdom that can be applied easily – so your life starts changing in this wonderful little way.
Case-in-point
I’m a Scorpio. Scorpees don’t usually care much about messiness. We’re not the most anal people in the planet.
But people have started commenting on my desk at work. How clean and beautiful and good it looks.
And I feel the same way. And it kinda happens in a not-pain-in-the-ass kind of way – just organically as part of what I do now.
It feels holy revolutionary.
Anyway.
Why on earth do I keep talking about my desk? Because it’s a big, big sign that my life is changing to make things a whole lot easier, clearer and kinder for me. I’ve now got a support structure that can help me live my life and do what I want to do.
So what does Handbook for Life cover?
Handbook for Life covers three sections:
Simplicity
Productivity
Happiness.
Each of those sections covers some big, gorgeous topics including some of my favourites:
De-cluttering
The Art of Doing Nothing
Cultivating Compassion
Become an Early Riser
Simplicity Tips
Purpose your day
Boost your self confidence.
Making a handbook for life
Yah. That’s a lot. As Leo said “When I first started out in my adult life, 17 years ago, it would have been nice if someone I respected had handed me a handbook, with all the essential topics covered in a how-to format. It would have taught me to simplify my life, which I’ve learned to do in the last few years. It would have talked about the essentials of happiness, and how to be productive and achieve my dreams. Of course, life doesn’t come with such a handbook, and I had to figure it out along the way.”
I really, really dig that he’s gathered together all the bits of practical wisdom he’s learned about having a simple, happy life of his dreams.
What’s the go with e-books?
If you haven’t read an e-book before and have no idea what it means or how to use them, have no fear! I hadn’t read an e-book until four months ago. I’m a crazy cheerleader fan of them now. Here’s why:
* It doesn’t use up paper. Happy, happy trees.
* You can print out the really important parts of it if you want to, or just keep them on your desktop as I do.
* You don’t have to pay for postage and wait for it to be sent to you. When you pay for an e-book, you can download and read it instantly.
* Most e-books are designed for a beautiful screen-reading experience. It’s not like reading a webpage or even a document. Leo’s books {and many others} are designed totally for your finger-licking digital-reading ease. Om nom nom.
* You can keep it where you use it. I read mine in chunks each morning and night, and re-read over and over. I’ve got a copy on my work desktop, my home laptop and my phone. Hello portable library!
Where to get Handbook for Life
Oh yah! The important bit! You can find Zen Habits Handbook for Life here. It’s something ridiculously cheap like $6.95. And Zen to Done, the companion book I reviewed last week is here. I have both. I bought my brother both for his birthday. They are just that good.
Okly dokly
Now you know what it’s like to be a friend of Leonie’s. I just LOVE taking friends to the bookstore, leading them around and showing them the books I adore and recommend. If there is a position vacant for a book pimp in this world, please refer me. Hee hee hee! Books change lives.
No more talking about books! Until next week!
Big big bookloving hugs,
_____
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April 8th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
” I just LOVE taking friends to the bookstore, leading them around and showing them the books I adore and recommend. ”
Hah! I thought I was the only person who did that!
Thankyou again for sharing, goddess leonie.
kazari’s last blog post..
April 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am
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Oh, yeah. That’s just like a conference high where we’re all ready to go back and change our lives in one fell swoop … you KNOW what happens!
But sneaky small changes ! The desk — now that’s like Flylady (do you know her) telling us to shine our kitchen sink every night as the start of living an organized life. Crazy! It works, too.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:29 am
[...] sprouted on and on before here and here about how much I adore Leo Babauta’s work. Last night I was clearing through my [...]
April 30th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
[...] enough *cough* – Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits. (Leo’s ebooks & zen philosophies are the ones I keep spouting happy love letters and posters to). Jonathan writes for Zen Habits and is also the [...]
June 20th, 2009 at 12:58 am
“But sneaky small changes ! The desk — now that’s like Flylady (do you know her) telling us to shine our kitchen sink every night as the start of living an organized life. Crazy! It works, too.”
Oh hell yeah! When I’m doing well I make sure I’ve cleared my table (which serves as dining table, studio, work-desk, chillout space and everythign in between!) each evening before bed, the side folds down you see, and committing to folding it down each night means I put stuff away, come down to a clear start (and clear head) and I can get to the curtains without climbing on the armchair (student, rented room, whole life in one square space gets a little cramped!).
Making sure my table is clear each evening is such a small thing but it really makes a big impact… so I understand this idea perfectly!
Haloquin’s last blog post..Serendipity Prompt
September 30th, 2009 at 1:32 am
[...] knows I’m a raving fan girl of Leo’s other two ebooks Zen Habits Handbook for Life and Zen To Done. Leo is the God of making things simple, easy and filled with grace… so if [...]
October 19th, 2009 at 10:57 am
[...] already gushed before on & on about Leo’s books & [...]
August 15th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
[...] sprouted on and on before here and here about how much I adore Leo Babauta‘s work. Last night I was clearing through my piles of [...]