During the last several months I’ve been experimenting with what is called the “list post.” For anyone who isn’t a blogger, a list post is one where you use both a number in the title and then you write the post around the ideas offered by that number. The reason I got started was that one of my favorite bloggers is Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. As a hugely successful blogger he reports one of the strategies behind his enormous growth was using the list blog post. In fact, it is estimated by List.ly that 30% of all blog posts are lists. So as an experiment I’ve been giving it a try and ten of the last eleven posts I have written have been in the form of a list. So do I keep it up or let it go? Here is my list of why I am both for an against list posts. [Read more…]
Lent…6 Powerful Ways Believers and Non-Believers Can Benefit
Want to let go of a bad habit? Lent just might be the way.
Yesterday I read an article about the coming season of Lent. It’s not something I’ve ever observed or celebrated before, but certain aspects of the ritual appeal to me. That got me thinking. Regardless of where a practice comes from, who says we have to be religious to learn and benefit from them? And even if we consider ourselves completely non-religious, we all routinely practice habits and other traditions, every single day. So why not mix the two ideas together into a powerful way to experience greater wellbeing and happiness? With the Lenten Season beginning next Wednesday, let’s consider whether a variation on the tradition can help us to be more mindful and eliminate a couple of bad habits at the same time. Interested? [Read more…]
Five Ways To Slay The Succubus of Crippling Debt
Ever feel like your Credit Card came from this bank?
Okay I’ll admit it—Thom and I enjoy tales of the supernatural. For years we watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer on television. Together we’ve seen all sorts of movies and shows about werewolves, vampires, aliens and all sorts of bizarre characters doing all sorts of strange things. Most of them are pure entertainment. However, one of the more sinister creatures is called a succubus. While never fully fleshed out in most episodes, it needs little description. Simply put, a succubus is something that sucks out the very essence and joy of a person in all sorts of horrifying and painful ways. When you think about it, oppressive debt feels exactly the same. The good news is that just like how Buffy knew ways to slay vampires, there are at least five ways any of us can rise above even the worst sort of debt succubus on the way to a happy life. [Read more…]
Volunteering—Seven Reasons Why Serving Others Serves Us
Serving others serves us.
For the last two years I have volunteered for a local organization called The Ophelia Project where I mentor teenage girls enrolled in high school. While not well known, I first learned of the organization from another volunteer named Sandy who told me how much she loved the experience. She explained that although it was an eight-month long commitment per year, adding up to about 12-15 hours a month, the time spent was some of the most rewarding things she did in her life. Right after that conversation, I got in touch with the director of Ophelia and signed up. [Read more…]
Ten Awesome Benefits to Growing Older
Good friends and inspiring role models who are 89 and 90!
Just about every day I read a post on Facebook or one of the many blogs I follow about getting older. And while many of them poke fun at the experience, most of the time the posts subtly (or not so subtly!) talk about the drawbacks to aging. But, when you think about it, every single day each of us is getting older—and thankfully so! Consider the alternative. So instead of thinking of life as a gradual decline, maybe it is time to start thinking of how life gets better as we go along—and that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. And even though I’m not facing a significant birthday for several months, I decided a good way to prepare was to start focusing on the benefits long before the day arrives. [Read more…]
7 Ways To Keep Fear & Worry From Hijacking A Happy Life
Me in 1995 preparing for my first tandem sky-dive!
Last week I noticed a very suspicious looking blemish on my cheek, and I started worrying. I was especially nervous because when my mother was my age, she developed skin cancer under her right eye. Then several years ago my sister Ann had an angry looking sore on the back of her leg that wouldn’t heal for months. Even though hers turned out to benign, the experience made for some anxious times. So it didn’t require much imagination on my part to convince myself that my blemish could require a big chunk to be cut out of my cheek, scaring me for a lifetime. Or worse.
Finally, after waking up in the middle of the night with worry on my mind, I called the dermatologist. Although he couldn’t see me for a week, I realized that I could continue to allow fear and worry to control my life for the following seven days, or I could do something else. But isn’t that choice something we all face every day in this thing called life? Fear and worry? Or peace and happiness? We decide. [Read more…]
10 Commandments For A SMART & Simple Life
Ten Commandments for Simple Living
As many of you know Thom and I have been on the path of simplifying our lives for several years. Every January we like to sit down and discuss ways we can better live that example during the coming year. But in case you haven’t noticed, there are many people offering lots of advice that it’s challenging to decide which way to approach the topic. So while we don’t consider ourselves experts on the subject, we do think it’s helpful to list what we consider to be most important. From that point forward we each can then decide where and how we can put our attention during 2014.
So here are our Top 10 Commandments:
Dante’s Inferno, Dan Brown & Other Thoughts About The Future
Dan Brown’s latest
I’m a fan of Dan Brown. His books and movies are pure entertainment, blending mystery with intrigue in a fast moving (somewhat repetitive) plot. I also admire his ability to question commonly held religious and cultural beliefs in both a creative and provocative manner. And let’s not forget the travel opportunities. His novels usually include captivating descriptions of exotic locations, illustrious properties, renowned art and unique insights into history around the world. His new book Inferno, similarly offers mystery and plot twists on a global scale—but this time he tackles hell, world population and the end of life on earth. Is this Dan Brown novel better, worse, or just more of the same? More importantly, does this novel introduce ideas that should be part of our ongoing global conversation and not just because they make for a thrilling novel? [Read more…]
5 Ideas To Make 2015 Your Best Year Ever!
Ready for a Great New Year!
I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve been around long enough to know that most of the time they might seem like a good idea on January 1—but they seldom have the power to make it through all 365 days of the year. But what I do believe is that you and I have a great deal more influence on what happens in any given year than we give ourselves credit for. And much of the time that influence can be consciously directed to create both a fantastic year, and a fantastic life. If you would like to experience the “best” year of your life, I invite you to consider the following ideas that you can use to do just that! [Read more…]
50 Inspiring & SMART Quotes To Start Off 2015!
SMART Quotes 2014
I’ve always loved quotes. One of the best things about them is that you can read one and it can instantly turn your attention around to a new, and likely more positive, direction. Quotes also have the ability to lift you up when you’re going through tough times or encourage you when you need a boost. That’s why I thought it might be SMART to list a number of quotes that are most helpful to me as a way to jumpstart our New Year. To make it even easier to read through them—I’ve classified them according to the SMART categories. When you’re done, I’d love to hear which one’s you liked best in the comments below. Even better, if you have one that you’d like to add to the list, please share it with all of us as well. Ready for a lift? Here are the quotes: [Read more…]
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