'Make yourself simpler, and better'

Weekly Topic: My personal Motto

Ben Proctor

A motto I try to live by is 'Make yourself simpler, and better'. It's a quote I found in 'Meditations', a book by Marcus Aurelius, who was a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher.

I tend to overcomplicate my life, and I'm always trying to do several things at the same time. This motto helps me get back to basics, and to minimize the clutter in my life. But it's not always easy.

In modern life, there are many distractions. Our smartphones and our online lives. We consume so much information and so many products. Sometimes it's good to ask if these things are helping us or harming us.


Recently there have been a lot of movements that are using this same message in different ways. The MariKon method is all about getting rid of unecessary items and cleansing your home. Minimalism is about living with only the essentials you need in life. I think we will see more of these movements in the future.

I made the artwork in the picture to help me remind myself to keep things simple, and to always improve.


What do you think of this idea? Have you ever tried something similar? Please let me know in the comments or send me a message.

Thanks,
Ben

Vocabulary:
  • Quote - 名言 - A memorable phrase or sentence that is found in a book. (It can also be a spoken phrase). 
  • Overcomplicate (life) - 人生を複雑にする - Making things (or life) more complicated than it needs to be.
  • Clutter - 家のいらない物 - Unuseful or unnecessary items (especially in your home).
  • Consume - 消費 - To buy and use.
Phrases:
  • Get back to basics - 基本的に立ち返る - Returning to the starting point or fundamentals.
  • In modern life - 現代生活において - In our lives recently (often used phrase when talking about people's lives these days.)
  • Get rid of - 捨てる - To throw away something.





This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

Comments (0)

Login to Comment Log in »

from:

in:

Unterrichtet

Language Fluency

Englisch   Native
Japanisch   Proficient

Ben Proctor's beliebteste Kolumneneinträge

  • Garden Journal #9

    It's funny how you can think about doing something for so long, until it seems like you might never...

    Ben Proctor

    Ben Proctor

    0
    2932
    Aug 4, 2021
  • My Goals for 2021

    I always love the beginning of a New Year and seeing a new calendar on the wall. This year I h...

    Ben Proctor

    Ben Proctor

    0
    2818
    Jan 6, 2021
  • Garden Journal #3

      Getting sick is never fun but it at least gives you a renewed gratitude for your own health, and ...

    Ben Proctor

    Ben Proctor

    0
    2685
    Jun 23, 2021
  • 3 Best Places in Wales...kind of

    Croeso i Cymru! - This means Welcome to Wales in our own language, Welsh.If you like an adventure, ...

    Ben Proctor

    Ben Proctor

    0
    2169
    Jun 24, 2021
« Back to List of Tutor's Column

Got a question? Click to Chat