SMART Living 365.com--Ideas to create a more happy, peaceful and rewarding life--365!

Essentialism—A Better Way To Describe Minimalism?

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

Making the messy and complicated simple.

I’ve been writing about the value of sustainability, simplicity and minimalism for over six years. Because it’s a big part of living SMART, I’m always on the lookout for ways to introduce new people to the idea and explain the value and incredible advantages that such a perspective offers. Maybe that is why I synchronistically stumbled across the word “essentialism” during a recent Internet surf about how to create more meaning and purpose in a person’s life. Author Greg McKeown uses it frequently in his best selling book, Essentialism—The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. And after reading the book, it’s possible that Essentialism just might be a new and better way of describing what so many of us seek when pursuing minimalism or a simple life. [Read more…]

Creating A Birthday Celebration You Won’t Forget

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Thankful

Is it possible a birthday is more about what you give than what you get?

So May is my birthday month. On May 23^rd I turn 59. Yes, really! I only get to say that once so here it is in writing. And as I was sitting around thinking about how I wanted to celebrate I came up with a couple of ideas. Most importantly I want to offer all of you, my SMART readers a gift. If that’s sounds even remotely interesting, and/or you are curious about what I am giving away, please read all the way to the bottom of the post to discover how you can claim your free birthday gift from me.

But my thoughts about birthdays don’t stop there. By the time you get to be my age you’ve certainly been-there done-that with traditional ways to celebrate. So how can we celebrate in a way that makes this year stand out and not only be different, but be one of the more special years of all? [Read more…]

How Do You Live If Heaven Is Real?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

Is Heaven Real?

As some of you know, I wrote a blog post last summer after hearing a author named Dr. Eben Alexander speak at a conference. His book, Proof of Heaven raised a number of questions in my mind that I wanted to explore. That post attracted more readers than any other I have written in the last three years so I know lots of people are interested in the topic. Then last weekend Thom and I went to the new movie, Heaven Is For Real to discover if it offered any further proof of the concept. But instead of answers, it raised even more questions about the idea of heaven that I think each of us could benefit from answering for ourselves. And the biggest question of all is, “How would your life be different if you really believed Heaven were real?” [Read more…]

25 Quick Tips To Help Right-size Your Diet, Exercise And Health

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

The Gottbergs coming home from a hike in Idyllwild.

A couple of years ago Thom and I came up with the word “right-sizing: to help define our new lifestyle. By simplifying our home, managing our finances, focusing on what gives purpose and meaning to our daily experience, and eliminating the unnecessary, we have gradually right-sized almost every area of our life. It was only recently that I realized that in many ways we have also right-sized our diet, our approach to exercise, and our overall health. And while I don’t consider myself an expert, I do feel that as a student of SMART I’ve learned a few things along the way.

With that in mind, here is a quick list of 25 things we believe are beneficial broken down into three areas: [Read more…]

Why Good Enough And Done Is Better Than Perfect

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized

I believe that writing is like any other artistic creation. A piece is never really done until the artist says it is—and any artist who shoots only for perfection often doesn’t even start, much less finish their art. That’s why I can agree with Mark Zuckerman who has said, “Done is better than perfect.” But lately I’ve seen a number of other bloggers and writers complain on Facebook and their blogs that they are appalled at the poor writing, grammar and spelling that gets posted on the Internet these days. And I have to admit that a part of me, the perfectionist part of me, squirms a bit when I read that. Maybe because I know without question that my writing isn’t perfect, comments like those spark feelings of doubt or guilt around the merit of my work. So what is it about perfectionism, by a person who doesn’t believe she is a perfectionist, that has the power to make us question our gifts to the world? [Read more…]

7 Traps We Use To Imprison Ourselves and How To Get Free

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

What traps do you use to put yourself in the jail of your mind?

As some of you know, both Thom and I are self-employed. I get to be the writer and Thom has been a commercial real estate broker for nearly 30 years. While we both enjoy an incredible amount of freedom with our work, now and then things get challenging.

For example, this last week Thom made a commitment to a project he was working on for a client. But instead of being able to finish it as expected, several new opportunities popped up that demanded attention. Yet rather than enjoy the abundance of new business, he started stressing about not being able to meet his previous commitment. Fortunately when his neck and shoulders constricted like tight rubber bands, and he heard the catch in his breath, he knew it was time to stop and figure out what was going on. That’s when he admitted that his thinking was responsible for his stress. In fact, he had built the jail that was slowly closing in around him. [Read more…]

Do You Like To Play The Game or Just In It For The Trophy?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: What is SMART Living?

Like the game or just going after the trophy?

The other day during my morning walk I was listening to a talk by Abraham-Hicks who is the author of The Law Of Attraction. I find that listening to talks while walking makes the time go quickly, and if I’m listening to something uplifting I start my day in a positive way. During that particular morning Abraham-Hicks was responding to a question from a young man who wanted to know why it was taking so long for his dreams to be realized. Like many people, he wanted to know if he was doing something wrong or if there was something he could do to make it happen faster. That’s when Abraham-Hicks asked the young man a question that made me stop, rewind my iPod and listen again. She asked, “Do you think any successful person is doing what they do just for the trophy? Or do you think they love the game?” When I heard those questions I knew it applied to most people, myself included, in more ways than we usually consider. [Read more…]

15 Ways Simple Living Relieves Anxiety & Reduces Stress

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable

Several months ago a neighbor in her mid-sixties lost her husband due to a heart attack. Even worse than dealing with the unexpected loss and heartbreak of losing her life partner, is her torment with stress and anxiety because of her debt and lack of resources. Unfortunately, she’s not alone. A recent article by CNN Money confirms that most Americans as are deeply worried about their financial future. According to CNN Money, “The Great Recession may be over, but a Great Insecurity seems to have emerged in its wake.” What’s going on here and what can we do? Perhaps a focus on simple living is the way to eliminate the anxiety and stress that so many feel today. [Read more…]

Metaphors, Myths and the Musical The Book Of Mormon

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

A couple of weeks ago Thom and I saw the hit musical play The Book of Mormon at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Written by the guys who created the South Park television show, it was no surprise that the story is a hilarious and irreverent spoof on religion—the Mormon religion specifically. And while they poke fun at the origins and practices behind the Mormons and many people of faith, the real gift of the play is how metaphor and story telling play such a huge role in most of our lives whether we are aware of it or not. [Read more…]

Promotion or Prevention? What’s Your Focus And Why It Matters

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

What’s your focus and why it matters!

Do you see the glass half-full or half-empty? Do you hunt down risk or avoid it like the plague? Do you prefer the excitement of adventure or the comfort of the familiar? Until recently I was under the impression that those questions simply determined whether a person was an optimist or a pessimist. However, now I know they actually reveal two different but important motivational perspectives—a promotional focus or the prevention focus. And while each of us tends to favor one or the other, we all use both ways to focus from time to time. What’s even more important to understand is how each kind differs and how using one or the other can go a long way toward helping us stay motivated, and live a more fulfilled and rewarding life.

[Read more…]