Be more– by doing less!

America is a culture that values workers, but mindfulness teacher Jacqui Macdonald suggests we shift our priority from nonstop working to the point of exhaustion, to embrace, instead, the value in stillness. Do less, be more – to sum up her book.

The Lost Art of Being: Secrets to a Calm, Happy, Easy Life. Courtesy: Troubador Publishing

In her new book, The Lost Art of Being: Secrets to a Calm, Happy, Easy Life, Macdonald challenges the reader to be happy in a way that’s shockingly simple.

She points out the immense power of slowing down, letting heart rule head, and remembering how just to be. “It’s amazing,” explains Macdonald. “We already have the magic and ability within us to thrive in any way we want; we don’t have to drive ourselves to the point of breakdown in order to satisfy the ‘do more, be more, and achieve more’ pressures that life puts on us. The answers are already in us all, and the ancient wisdom in my book will ignite that fire.”

“It’s actually very easy to feel happy and calm, and to achieve our full potential and biggest dreams. The book offers a very different take on the traditional meditation and mindfulness techniques millions of women around the world adopt, and will provide the inner peace and happiness we all crave,” she concludes.

“Human beings became human doings,” she writes, “…stressed and self-destructive.” 

Macdonald offers some inspirational free-form poems, a question-and-answer section for those who just can’t understand how to let go of work, and finishes with a ten point guide on how to achieve all this. (Ironic, when you consider the book’s message is to just relax. I guess people are so tightly wound these days, we need a how-to guide on nothingness.)

She advises to breathe deeply, play outside, eat right, and start connecting with yourself today. For more, visit www.thelostartofbeing.com.

Diane Ako

Peace of mind By Diane Ako I like to reflect on life. Sometimes it’s philosophically. Sometimes it’s humorously. For all its beauty, life is far too difficult a journey to take alone. You need the support and connection with others to help carry you along the way. Writing brings me that connection– within and without. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. It helps me reach out to others for advice, wisdom, or feedback. Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. A wise yogi- Patanjali- said, “Speak what is true. Speak what is pleasant.” Let’s speak of things pleasant to one another and seek some peace of mind along the way. ABOUT Diane Ako joined Hawaii: In Real Life in October 2016. She likes being part of a community of local bloggers – people who like writing and sharing, like she does. Ako is an anchor/ reporter at Island News (KITV4 – ABC) in Honolulu. She previously anchored and reported at KHON2 (FOX) and KHNL (NBC), and at stations in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She freelance writes for NMG Network's magazines. In between news jobs, in 2017, she launched and ran her own p.r. company, Diane Ako PR. From 2010-2014, she headed the public relations department at Halekulani Corporation, which oversees luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. She’s been blogging since 2009 – before Hawaii: IRL, she wrote for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest daily newspaper, where her stories garnered a dozen journalism awards and an Emmy nomination. Ako has a BA in Communications from Menlo College and an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She volunteers as a board member of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a Shinto shrine maiden at Daijingyu Temple, a citizen-scientist studying shrimp, and a yoga teacher at a senior center.

Diane Ako has 274 posts and counting. See all posts by Diane Ako

One thought on “Be more– by doing less!

  • July 29, 2018 at 6:57 pm
    Permalink

    Diane, I saw your post re the Kaimana Tennis & Croquet Society. I would like to meet you the next time I am in HNL. All the stations you contributed to are close to what I did in all the years in Hawaii.
    Aloha,
    Bert

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.