Meaningful Archives — Page 32 of 41

Midlife Minimalism—How Your Focus Changes & The Rewards Increase

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable, Thankful

“We get too soon old and too late smart.” ~Pennsylvania Dutch proverb

I read many online blogs and a large portion of them are about minimalism and simple living. That’s wonderful because I believe there is richness to simple living that goes far beyond having less stuff. I also think that since I’ve been embracing it more and more, my life has become happier, less stressful and far more meaningful. But something I’ve noticed is that the vast majority of blogs about minimalism are written primarily by those in their twenties to thirties. And while I’m psyched to know that young adults are embracing the lifestyle, I also believe that maturity offers a perspective that should not be overlooked. In fact, it is often those who have lived through multiple choices and experiences that have the most to offer others. That’s why I thought a few perspectives from midlife should be included in any discussion about minimalism or simple living.
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A World On Fire—Living In A Time of Vampires & Archetypes

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

“…the archetypal energy of The Vampire has exploded into the consciousness of our current generation.”

I have been a fan of author Carolyn Myss since reading her first book Anatomy of the Spirit back in the mid-90s. Her clear, humorous, no nonsense style of communicating attracted me—but it is her constant reach for deeper levels of awareness and spirituality that makes me her student. This last week I listened to a recent lecture she offered on the Internet. During the talk Myss pointed out that the world we live in is both physically and spiritually “on fire,” and that one of the best ways to learn to navigate this new world was to learn how to use archetypes. Regardless of whether you’ve heard of Carolyn Myss before, or the “why” of archetypes, a couple of her ideas stuck out that I felt were worthy of discussion. The most important of those were how a couple of today’s common archetypes are a reflection of life in the 21^st Century and what that means to you and me. [Read more…]

The Science of Friendship—And Can Hoarding Be A Good Thing?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Sustainable, Thankful

“The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.” ~ George Vaillant

Those of us into simple living or minimalism knows that identifying and eliminating any thing superficial and nonessential in life is critical. In fact, the television show “Hoarders” illustrates weekly the extreme burden that too much stuff can bring to a person’s life. But I’ve just come to realize that there is something that actually should be hoarded—and that “thing” is a friend. Actually, an abundance of research now shows that finding, keeping and appreciating friends is good for our physical and mental health, good for our occupations, good for our creativity, will add years to our life, and enrich our experience in every way possible. If we are willing to accept that as true, then understanding the science of friendship is one of the most important actions each of us can take to create a life of happiness, meaning and purpose during our time here on earth. [Read more…]

Choosing To Thrive and Live The Happiness Advantage

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, SMART Book Reviews

“…study after study shows that happiness precedes important outcomes and indicators of thriving.” ~ Shawn Achor

As a long-time student of happiness and well-being I had no choice but to buy the book, The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. Of course the truth is, I did have a choice—just like every single one of you. But as a major focus of the book explains, even though most of us realize we can take steps to improve our ongoing feelings of happiness, and grow a “happiness advantage,” we still sometimes avoid it or resist it altogether. The reason we avoid this type of thriving, and what we can choose instead is well worth the time to explore. [Read more…]

Lessons Learned From Publishing An Ebook to Amazon Kindle

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

One of the best things about writing a blog is the opportunity to reflect on and share ideas about a person’s passions. For me, creating a life filled with happiness, meaningful moments, simple pleasures, and deep enthusiasm all show up in everything I take the time to write about here on SMART Living 365. One of my latest infatuations is the experiment to publish a novel as an ebook to Amazon Kindle. And just like every experience in my life, if I take the time to observe, learn and grow from the incident, I am usually rewarded by it regardless of the outcome. So what have I learned after just one month as an ebook author, and how might that be of benefit to you? [Read more…]

Comparison—A Speed Bump On the Road To Happiness & Simple Living

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

“Comparison is the death of joy.” ~Mark Twain

Don’t let comparison be a speed bump in your life.

A few months ago some good friends bought a new house. After several months of remodeling they finally moved in and Thom and I were invited over to see how everything came out. It was stunning, as it should be, because my friend is a designer. Everything, from the floor tile, to the kitchen backsplash, to the custom cabinet doors, was stylish and top–of-the-line. It wasn’t until later when I was back at home that I started asking myself what I should do to spruce up my living room. How would it look if that wall was painted another color, and was it time for a new couch? Fortunately after years of working on staying as conscious as possible, I caught myself. What was most interesting of all was how easily and unconsciously I slipped into comparing my surroundings with my friend’s home. Even though I love my current home and have no intention of making big changes, my unconscious mind slipped into an automatic routine of contrast and comparison. That’s when I realized that the seemingly innocent act of comparing can be a big speed bump on the path to happiness and simple living. [Read more…]

Celebrating Valentine’s Day or Just Another Consumer Holiday?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Thankful

“…celebrating is one of the best ways to pause and remember this one, wild, precious and amazing life we have been given.”

Celebrating SMART LIving 365 style!

I know I have mentioned more than once that Thom and I have been married for 35 years. That’s a lot of Valentine’s Days! And in spite of what you may be thinking, Thom has always resisted them. His argument is that Valentine’s Day—along with several other holidays throughout the year, were all manufactured to manipulate us into buying stuff. I, on the other hand, see those very same holidays as a great excuse to CELEBRATE something special. So keeping in mind that a major focus of SMART Living is to provide clarity and awareness about all things that affect our lives on a daily basis, how do you view celebrating holidays? [Read more…]

Seeking Uncertainty—The Path To Miracles and Unlimited Possibilities

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

smartliving365.com Last week I published my first eBook novel to Amazon Kindle. I actually wrote the book about ten years ago and when I could not find a publisher for it at the time, I saved it to the archives of my computer and pretty much forgot about it. Then about a year ago Thom and I began reading about the new explosion of ebooks and how that process is revolutionizing the publishing world. Then I remembered my novel and thought—why not? Why not publish it myself? I had everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. Although it took a while to get it ready to publish, (that’s another blog post subject!) it’s finally done and available. (*) What struck me the most the morning after the book went “live” on Amazon was the euphoria I got from the uncertainty/possibility of the experience. And that got me wondering—why don’t we all seek uncertainty on a regular basis to capture that feeling? In fact, why do we chase stuff or even experiences when one of the greatest highs around is just a tiny bit beyond what we think, know and expect during the course of a regular day? [Read more…]

Why Can’t We Just Get Along?—And Other Thoughts on Compassion & Communication

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

SMART Living 365.com Alien Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if aliens ever found our planet and began monitoring our TV networks? Thom and I have asked ourselves that question—especially after hearing about reality shows like “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” But even if those aliens only tuned into our news channels and programs, what do you think their view of the human race would be? Unfortunately, the day-to-day hostility and aggression frequently viewed on those programs would likely be enough for any alien to determine that our species is egocentric, violent, and highly competitive. In fact, if you watch much TV news at all, the average person would probably be tempted to think the world is a very scary place and that any minute something horrible could happen. But is that true? Are we really that egocentric and violent? Or are we actually much more compassionate and empathetic than we sometimes believe? Maybe exploring those questions is one way to find out why we struggle to get along in this day and age. [Read more…]

Rightsizing vs. Downsizing—Making A Positive Lifestyle Choice

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Can you guess which one gets 12 MPG and which gets 40+ MPG? It’s all about rightsizing!

Last month Thom came across an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) with a headline that said, “Everybody Says You Should Downsize. Everybody May Be Wrong.” We both found that statement to be so incredulous that we had to reread it. And we weren’t alone in our surprise. Most of the other comments online also questioned many of the negative points offered in the article. Clearly the author herself had not downsized and it was also obvious that her focus came from an outdated definition of the concept. Naturally that got me thinking that maybe most of us approach the topic from the wrong direction to begin with. Instead of thinking of it as “down” sizing—maybe we should consider it to be “right”-sizing. And once we get the label right—it is much easier to consider the real benefits that come from living a lifestyle that is right-sized from the beginning. [Read more…]