“When we have a broader vision for our lives, many of the decisions we face become simple, because we have a reliable framework for making them. Because we made a single decision — that is, deciding on a big-picture value — we can see all other decisions as parts of a whole instead of as an endless string of isolated decisions. When a decision touches on our values, we have little to think about. With our internal world in order we can move outward in the right direction. These values can guide our lives in the big pieces and the day-to-day stuff. Whether we’re going to Thailand or the grocery store, what we do can flow naturally out of who we are.” 

“We tend to think of overthinking as something that happens in our heads, but it’s also intimately connected to our physical spaces. Clearing the clutter is a key way to stop overthinking before it starts.” 

“What we pay attention to affects more than just our inner experience, because those thoughts don’t just stay in our heads. What we think directly influences what we feel; our thoughts and emotions cannot be separated. We cannot just choose to feel happy or relaxed or excited or mellow, because those emotions are rooted in our thoughts. What happens to us is often out of our control. But what we think about what happens determines how we feel, and subsequently, what we do about it.” 

“Live within your means, make dentist appointments, save money, plan meals, wash your face before bed, go for walks, cook for people, keep your house clean, go to bed at a decent hour, all that boring stuff. Routines make everything in your life better and this is absolutely the most overlooked and underestimated form of self-care.”

Book Freak is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We run the Cool Tools website, a podcast, a video review YouTube channel, and a few other newsletters, including Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales, What’s in my bag? and Recomendo. You can support our work by becoming a patron via Patreon.

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