This week’s SMART Photo…
(click on photo for larger version)
For more of my photos go to: SMART Photos by Thom
Curing Your Addiction To “More” –SMART Minimalist Tip #2
“Hi, my name is Kathy and I have been addicted to more.” What about you? The good news is that I don’t believe that any of us are powerless against it—but we do need to admit that it is a problem to begin with and be on continual alert to its presence. But what exactly do I mean by being addicted to more, and why is it so important to recognize? Plus, why is our desire for more such an important awareness for a minimalist lifestyle? Continue reading
Filed under Aware, Responsible
SMART Photos By Thom 6/10/13
This week’s SMART Photo offers a few reminders for us all…
Click on photo to enlarge. For more photos go to: SMART Photos by Thom
Filed under Meaningful, SMART Photos By Thom
The SMART Minimalist Tip #1—Uncovering A Boundless Mixture of Benefits
“Living simply is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. It’s about living an examined life where one has determined what is truly important and enough…and then just let go of all the rest.” ~Duane Elgin
While I don’t consider myself an expert or authority on minimalism or simple living, I do recognize the value of focusing on aspects of the practice. That’s right, I consider minimalism or simple living to be practices that lead to a more happy, balanced, and meaningful life. But because there are so many rewarding aspects to the practice, and so many juicy benefits to share—I’ve decided that a focus on each one as an individual “tip” would be helpful for myself—and perhaps you as well. So to start with, I wanted to come up with best benefit of them all. And I couldn’t do it! The truth is that since I started practicing a more simple approach to life—the benefits keep showing up. That’s when I decided that the primary SMART Minimalist tip is to let you know that simple living offers more benefits than you can imagine—and the only way to start experiencing them all is to just begin discovering them for yourself. Continue reading
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, Sustainable
SMART Photos By Thom 6/3/13
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, SMART Photos By Thom
Honoring The Special Turning Points In Our Lives
Last week was my birthday. Or I should say, one of my birthdays. That’s because we all actually have many birth-days or major turning points during our lifetimes if we choose to remember and acknowledge them. Each one of these birthdays marks a significant turning point in our experience here on planet Earth. And even though there are always a large number of major and minor days of significance for each of us, I believe my life contains four extra-ordinary days of beginning. By sharing my special days with you, perhaps it will be easier for you to pinpoint and acknowledge similar events and birth-days in your life that you might want to honor and commemorate.
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, Thankful
SMART Photos by Thom 5/27/13
Hi, I’m Thom, Kathy’s partner in life,
Starting today, and in the weeks to come, I will be sharing some of my photography with you on SMART Living 365 and a linked Tumblr account.
Inspiring words and photos have always uplifted my soul…and what I plan to share are my attempts to mix my photography with words in ways that will shift your mindset and help to create a more happy, peaceful and meaningful life—365! We’re calling this series “SMART Photos by Thom” and you can see all my pictures at any time by going to the link under the photo. Oh, and please feel free to let me know what you think in the comments under each post. Thanks!
Click on photo to enlarge. For more photos go to: SMART Photos by Thom
Filed under Meaningful, SMART Photos By Thom
How Trade-Offs and Opportunity Costs Help To Create A Simple & Happy Life
Kloe & Me on the day we brought her home from the shelter.
Like it or not, most of us are familiar with the idea that much of life is a trade-off. Like to live in the city? Then you’ll likely have to put up with noise and people. Hate exercising? Then you may gain weight and lose muscle mass. Want to live in the country? Then you might have to drive miles to find a Starbucks for your morning latte. But even if you are aware of the trade-offs you’ve made in your life on a regular basis, you may not have considered them in terms of the “opportunity costs” involved. What I’ve recently discovered is that when faced with trade-offs, calculating what are called “opportunity costs” is a great way to stay true to your values and focused on the benefits of a simple and happy life. Continue reading
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, Responsible
Love to Travel—Love to Come Home
“Wherever you go, there you are.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
By now it is probably obvious that I love to travel. But what you might not realize is that I also love coming home. It wasn’t always that way. Years ago I was constantly scheming up ways to get out of town. Naturally, the more exotic the location the better—but I really wasn’t that picky. Above all, I longed to escape to the open road and the infinite possibility that it held. When I finally had to come home it was more like a punishment, or at least the penalty that must be paid until the next adventure came along. Then somewhere along the line my thinking started changing—until now I am as happy returning home as I am packing my bags to go. So what’s different? Ultimately, I’ve come to believe that coming home after any length of time provides a huge mirror into a person’s life. What we think is important, what we feel we have to be and do, and even who we think we are, are all reflected in the thoughts and images of what we must return to after we’ve been away. Continue reading
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, Thankful
Packing Light & Other Thoughts on Eliminating The Unnecessary
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” ~Antoine de St. Exupery
As I mentioned in a previous post, Thom and I are currently traveling for over three weeks. After nearly a dozen overseas trips we’ve learned—okay I’ve learned—that you really don’t need to take as much stuff as you think you do. Of course it is easier for guys because they can get away with a pair of jeans and a couple of t-shirts. But even though I’m responsible for toiletries and toothbrushes, I’ve learned that the penalty for lugging around a ton of stuff while trying to enjoy yourself is not worth the benefit of having it “just in case you need it.” And that made me think about all the other things I’ve tried to over-pack throughout the years, and a few things I’ve discovered about eliminating unnecessary clutter. Continue reading
Filed under Aware, Meaningful, Responsible
I've been writing on all sorts of topics for over 25 years and have a couple of published books and hundreds of articles. But my passion today is exploring ideas and experiences that help to create a meaningful, sustainable, compassionate and rewarding life for myself and others. Beyond that, I am blessed to be healthy, content, and happily married to my best friend and soul mate--Thom! Plus, each day I'm doing my best to live life to Its fullest....and to remember, that I get to make it up! Check out my personal website for more info at: http://kathygottberg.com
