Being mindful of the essentials in life.

"Why do people often lack strength? Because they give their efforts to inessentials just as much as to essentials. There are homemakers that can run their home in a completely relaxed way. They know exactly what is important: first take care of what is important. The question of what is important can be asked in many ways. Important is THAT IT BE ASKED AT ALL.
---- The Spiritual Tasks of the Homemaker.

Also from the book are the following six exercises that I am going to focus and be aware of for the next couple weeks. I will hang these words on my fridge:

"1. Concentration exercise
Meditate and work to "Differentiate between essentials and non-essentials," and develop a strong force.

2. Initiative exercise
For 2 weeks one does a certain act each morning and evening. This actions should not be determined by OUTER NECESSITIES but rather choose something that arises out of one's OWN WILL, OWN INTENTIONS.

3. Equanamity exercise
HOLD back all expressions of feeling for a short time (NOT the feeling themselves!).

4. Positivity exercise
Find SOMETHING positive in EVERYTHING.

5. FREEDOM from BIAS exercise.
Develop in oneself the feeling of approaching each new experience without prejudice, at every new moment one must be able to accept a totally new experience.

6. PERSISTENCE exercise.
One should try to repeat all five exercises again and again systematically in regular turns. In this way, a beautiful balance is gradually achieved in the soul.
One gains a quiet understanding of things that previously were totally closed to the soul.
Even the gait and gestures of the person chance under the influence of such exercises. "