Dominique Loreau, 'L'Art de la Simplicité: How to Live More with Less' (2016)

Dominique Loreau, L'Art de la Simplicité: How to Live More with Less (English edition, Louise Rogers Lalaurie, translator, 2016; French edition, 2011). I love this kind of book: lots of everyday poetic-philosophical tidbits and holistic ideas blended together, take 'em or leave 'em.

". . . in the studio of your mind . . . putting thoughts into action takes vision: without it, you will lack direction"  (page 147).  

"We have a choice in everything we do. There are reasons why we focus on certain choices and not others" (which she then delineates -- pages 171+).

". . . there are many forms of intelligence -- emotional intelligence, intelligent good sense. Some people have neither" (page 187). Be aware and beware of these sorts of people.

"READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN . . . Words express our thoughts . . . Each of us is a unique collage, of our parents, our friends, our studies, experiences and travels, our reading . . . A cultivated person can perceive the unity and multiplicity of a thing at once, and see no contradiction" (page 210). 

Dominique Loreau, L'Art de la Simplicité: How to Live More with Less (English edition, Louise Rogers Lalaurie, translator, 2016; French edition, 2011).

"We acquire and expand energy through ideas" (page 227).

"QI AND ENTHUSIASM . . . Enthusiasm is an emotion that spurs us into action. It is a powerful energy form, to be cultivated with dedication" (page 231). This may be one of the most practical and important ideas in the book. 

"One thing alone is true: live well. But to live well we must  be truly 'alive,' and love life itself" (page 231). 

'TRAVEL, LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL . . . How can we be free if we cling to home like an oyster to a rock, mired in routine and boredom? Travel for pleasure . . . A pencil and notebook are all we need . . . The experience will leave an indelible trace in your soul" (pages 233-234). Indeed, go forth!

Today's Rune:  Initiation.