Get a journal or camera: want to slow down? Taking pictures or writing about something you see will slow you down.
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Filled Under: Simplicity
Aug
21
What do you need to make a difference in your life?
Posted by Lori . Published on 21 August 2008, No Comments Received
This is a easy one….
BELIEF
=> Belief that we really do control our own destiny.
=> Belief that we really can work smarter, not harder.
=> Belief that we really deserve a rich life without struggle.
you have to move past self-doubt and fear and simply believe that you can have the life that you have always dreamed of.
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Recipe for Simplicity
by Linda Breen Pierce
“Simplify, Simplify…” More than a century after Henry David Thoreau uttered these words, his plea for simplicity has more significance now than ever before. We work hard and play hard, filling nearly every moment with activity. Most families believe they need two incomes to pay for a standard of living that has doubled in the last 50 years. But do we? Based on my three-year study of over 200 people who have simplified their lives, I found that we can work less, want less, and spend less, and be happier and more fulfilled in the process. Here are ten suggestions to simplify your life. Don’t try to simplify your life in a few weeks or months; most people need an initial period of three to five years to complete this transition. Small, gradual steps are best.
1. Don’t let any material thing come into your home unless you absolutely love it and want to keep it until it is beyond repair. Too much stuff — it’s suffocating us. Purchasing, maintaining, insuring, storing and eventually disposing of our stuff sucks up our precious life energy.
2. Live in a home with only those rooms that you or someone in your family use every day. Create a cozy home environment that fits your family. You will find this is much more satisfying than living in a museum designed to impress your friends. Spending time and money to maintain a home that is larger than you truly need diverts these resources from more fulfilling endeavors.
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Filled Under: Simplicity
Apr
26
Yoga for Modern City Life: Yoga is now a Lifestyle
Posted by Lori . Published on 26 April 2008, No Comments Received
Is it any surprise models are wrapping their wrists in mala beads, fashion designers are heading off to India for yoga retreats and there’s a new line of active wear that takes its name from the Sanskrit mantra om.
To the uninitiated, yoga is pretzel-like poses and a dim memory of the Beatles visiting the Maharishi in the 1960s.
Gurmukh Kaur, the Center for Living’s white-turbaned founder, travels by limo — in a blaze of camera strobes — with one of her students, singer Courtney Love.
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Filled Under: Self Care, Simplicity
Have you ever felt nervous about making a decision that could affect the rest of your life? Sometimes even seemingly minor decisions can send you into a fit of anxiety when you begin thinking of all the things that could go wrong.
It’s fairly common for people to vacillate back and forth between several choices, whether they are related to career, money, business, opportunities, or even relationships. How do you know which choice is the best one for you in any given situation? Sometimes the best choice is obvious, but other times they all seem to hold a glimmer of possibility - and the threat of regret.
The good news is that making wise decisions is a matter of weighing the potential pros and cons of every available outcome. Below you’ll find a simple 3-step process to help you make wise decisions no matter what part of your life they may affect.
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Filled Under: Simplicity, Success
With the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, we can often find ourselves yearning for a quieter, simpler way of living. If your life has come to resemble an endless race to the finish line, take a look at the suggestions below to bring a greater sense of calm and simplicity back into your life.
1) Less is more. It’s amazing how much “stuff” we can accumulate in our homes because we think they’ll contribute to our lives. It’s true that we gain enjoyment from material possessions, but the more we accumulate the more burdened we often feel. Eventually we find ourselves living under a constant cloud of confusion, scattered thoughts and stress.
Begin immediately to clear out the material possessions you no longer need or want, and donate them to a local charitable organization. This will accomplish two things: first, you’ll feel lighter and less cramped in your home; and you’ll also feel good about giving these items to people who can actually use them.
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Filled Under: Self Care, Simplicity
Feb
17
Making the Most of your Workday
Posted by Lori . Published on 17 February 2008, No Comments Received
Chaos and a hectic pace seem to be par for the course in most anyone’s workday, and it can turn your workday upside down if you let it. However, with some careful planning, efficient scheduling and well-developed work habits, your workday can smoothly sail along.
Planning your workday actually starts the previous evening. Take a few moments before you leave work to jot down important meetings, phone calls that need to be made or returned, ideas or concerns that need to be discussed with your supervisors or co-workers, or other notes to yourself about projects you’re working on or clients you’re currently working with. That way, it’ll be right there for you to see the next morning, and it’ll make getting into the swing of things much easier.
You should stay on top of your both your desktop and electronic inboxes. Check e-mail when you arrive, and immediately sort each message into an appropriate folder. Even if you don’t have time to deal with the contents of a message or even read it fully, sort it for later action. Sort through and organize regular mail and correspondence as well, and organize into piles for later action if necessary. Make sure you come back to these at the end of the day and take any appropriate action or you can at that time. Try to make it a habit of responding promptly to all mail requesting a timely response. Check through these inboxes during the course of the workday as well.
Return or make your most urgent and important phone calls early in the day. Like you, most people are more likely to be at their desks during this time.
Get in tuned with your personal energy level and schedule. If you have more energy at the beginning of the day, tackle your toughest projects then. If your energy level dips after lunch, take care of filing, e-mailing or other general tasks at this time.�
At the end of the day, return to your checklist and prepare for tomorrow. Review your checklist and cross off completed items. Move any pending items to tomorrow’s to-do list.
Utilize both an electronic and wall or desk calendar to keep track of deadlines, meetings, and appointments. If your day allows, try to work on those long-term projects a bit so that as their deadlines approach you won’t feel so pressured or rushed.
Most importantly, take a break. Don’t get into the habit of having your lunch at your desk or cutting your breaks short. A walk during your break and time away from your desk to recharge are probably the most important things you can do for yourself to recharge your battery, clear your mind and prepare to tackle the tasks at hand more productively and efficiently.
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Feb
14
Keep your Car Organized and Simplify Your Life on the Go
Posted by Lori . Published on 14 February 2008, No Comments Received
American driver spend on average about 15 hours in their car each and every week. With busy hectic schedules, our cars are quickly becoming our home on wheels, so it should be as no surprise that our cars can easily become infested with clutter. And just as we have a system in place at home, so should we in our car. An organized car keeps distractions at bay and essential items within easy reach.
Visor CD holders and passenger seat organizers are great items to have to keep your life in the front seat calm, cool and collected at all times. Each of these organizing tools keeps important items within easy reach, such as your water bottle, toll money, or map.
If a good portion of your time in the car involves hauling your children back and forth to daycare, on shopping excursions or to weekly activities, it’s likely that your backseat is a toy box on wheels. There are simple and affordable mesh nets that can be placed over the back of the front seats so that books, toys, and allowable snacks can be kept within easy reach. Encourage your children to place their items in these organizers when they are getting out of the car, and you’ll encourage them to learn how to pick up after themselves in your home as well.
Trunk organizers are a great storage tool for keeping those needed items from floating back and forth in the trunk during car rides, and provide a safe haven for your groceries to travel home in. Cargo nets can also be installed in the trunk to accomplish the same secure environment.
Lastly, keep your pooch safe and secure in the back by placing a dog divider in the back of your minivan or SUV. This keeps them safely contained in one area during the commute, thereby decreasing the likelihood of him bounding onto your lap and getting in your way during the drive. It also contains him in an enclosed area if he’s dirty from playing in the mud or water.
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Filled Under: Organization, Simplicity
Jan
7
Fun Ways to Display your Favorite Photos
Posted by Lori . Published on 07 January 2008, No Comments Received
Photos of family, friends and favorite places add a touch of personality, style, flair, and jazz to any room. Sometimes however it’s difficult to think of inventive and creative ways to display your treasured pictures.
First you need to take a good look at the photos you want to display. One of your favorite photos might be a large group picture, but it may not actually display well when hanging on a wall. Save that one for the scrapbook and look for pictures that have vibrant images that convey a message or a thought.
Older photographs can be brought to live with the advances in photographic reproduction technology. If you have a favorite old photo that’s fading, or has been damaged or crinkled through the years, take it to a photo shop to have it restored and reprinted. You might even be able to do this yourself at home with photo imaging software. You might want to consider added a special effect, enlarging or cropping the photo differently to add a new perspective to a familiar photo.
Mixing frames of different styles and sizes can be fun, but takes some planning and forethought. Lay the framed photos on a tabletop or the floor and rearrange until you find a workable arrangement, then employ a friend or family member’s help when measuring and preparing to mount on the wall. Have your level ready to be sure that a picture that looks straight actually is straight.
Photos don’t have to be limited to the walls. Tabletops, desktops, bookshelves, and your family entertainment wall unit are all great places to add a picture frame. Even a dressing screen can make a clever and unique backdrop.
You can even decoupage photos onto a table lamp base or mirror frame for an added jazzy effect. And by using fabric transfer sheets, you can even transfer a favorite photo onto a pillowcase or wall hanging. Photo collages of friends or family members make great placemats. Simple arrange and laminate. This is also a great way to hang a collage on the wall or corkboard above your desk or in your office. Individual laminated photos can be affixed to magnets to put on the refrigerator and other metal surfaces in your home.
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Jan
6
Creative and Affordable Ideas to Bring your Living Room to Life
Posted by Lori . Published on 06 January 2008, No Comments Received
Your living room is the room in your house where most of the living takes place. It’s where your family gathers to watch television, read, and generally unwind and relax after a busy day. It’s also the room where company gathers during parties and holidays. But you’re struggling to come up with decorating ideas and strategies for it, and you worry that your budget isn’t big enough to do the job justice. But with a little planning, creativity, and ingenuity, your living room can be a relaxing environment where you can unwind or entertain with comfort and ease.
Consider pulling pieces you have in other rooms into your living room to use. A short, double-sided dresser can easily become a buffet when a table runner and an arrangement of candles or a colorful flower centerpiece is placed on top.
Use your furniture arrangement to define functional areas. Strategically placed floor rugs, lamps and furniture can create zones in your home. You can arrange your seating to take advantage of a focal point, such as a television, picture window or a fireplace. You can also find affordable component pieces that combine functional storage with fashionable decorating lines. Tables with drawers and shelves add valuable, and a simple desk doubles for homework, household management, bill paying and filing.
When accessorizing your room, remember that less is more. Choose neutral colors and accent with colorful textured throws, rugs, and other decorative and artistic elements. Keep the balance of your room in perspective. You don’t want to overwhelm a small room with large, bold pieces, nor do you want to place smaller, neutral pieces in a large room where they’ll get lost.
If you’re working with used furniture, try distracting from worn upholstery or a faded finish by using colorful toss pillows or table runners. Bright curtains can distract from a faded carpet and breathe new life into an old room.
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Filled Under: Environments, Simplicity
