The Highlight Reel is a blog series where I share passages that I’ve highlighted on my Kindle during my commute to and from work each day. The selections are mostly from self-help and work/marketing-related books.
I’m sharing them because I don’t believe we get enough good advice about how to relax, stop worrying about the small things, and look at the bigger picture.
How to Be Here by Rob Bell
“Clutter is all those possessions you’ve got piled in the garage just in case you might need them someday. Even though it’s been seven years since you first made those piles and haven’t looked in them since. Details are those pictures that remind you why you do what you do. Details are those books that are filled with underlining and notes. Or the books that you actually will read.”
On Living A Cluttered Life
“If your desk is cluttered, don’t be surprised if you find it hard to focus.”
“If your closet and garage are piled with stuff you don’t use, don’t be shocked when you are easily distracted.”
“If things are lying around your living and working space that don’t serve a clear purpose, don’t be amazed that you aren’t very calm and centered.”
“If you often feel like you’re in one place but your thoughts are ping-ponging from one idea to the next, examine the space you’re in.”
How Vital is the Stuff that Surrounds You?
“We are integrated beings, everything in our lives connecting with everything else. When we feel like life is passing us by, like we’re skimming the surface of our own existence, often the best place to start is with our material possessions.”
“Clean out the closets and the bookshelves and garage, sort out what goes and what stays. Be ruthless.”
“It’s extraordinary how even small changes in your exterior environment can deeply shape your interior life.”
Brian Burns 