SMART Living 365

Ideas to create a more happy, peaceful and rewarding life--365!

How Bridgerton Offers Lessons On Freedom, Duty and Passion

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Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

Liam Daniel/Netflix

If you are anything like me, you got hooked into watching the TV series Bridgerton Season One during the height of the Pandemic.  So, when Season Two came along recently I just had to watch.  Even Thom, who is not big on “period pieces” fell victim to its drama.  We aren’t finished just yet with the entire season but there is enough going on that it got me thinking about why it is such a compelling story.  I’ve also had lots of random thoughts about responsibility and duty as well as my personal desire to encourage everyone to follow their dreams.  And lest you think they aren’t connected, let me share with you how I think it causes us to consider those issues in our own lives and hopefully make better choices.

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The Ultimate Freedom

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Filed under: Aware

I am putting up this post to send you on Wednesday, the day after the election. That’s because Thom and I are heading out of town for a few days in honor of his birthday.  I think everyone is well aware that there is a lot of uncertainty happening here in the U.S. about the election right now and who knows where it will lead.  It’s not clear who won, who lost and how that transition will take place. Whenever I find myself in a circumstance that is out of my control, I am reminded of the amazing Victor Frankl who in the midst of a Nazi Concentration Camp where people were being brutalized and murdered all around him he could still hold on to this freedom.  No matter what the outcome of our current election, or other circumstances in our lives, we would be SMART to remind ourselves this on a regular basis.

 

Is Your World Big Enough To Keep You Alive?

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Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

 

I’ve been a big fan of the poet David Whyte since I first heard him speak back in the 1990s.  When he shares his amazing poetry he brings it to life and his words dig deep inside of you in ways you don’t always expect.  Plus, the fact that he blends his prose and poetry into the “real world” experiences of business, work-life, family and more, in ways that add a dimension not always found.  If you have never heard of him before, I strongly encourage you to check out his work.

 

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Why Rightsizing Works For Anyone At Any Age And Any Location

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Filed under: Rightsized, Sustainable

Rightsizing SMART Living 365This last week Thom and I led a discussion group about Rightsizing. It is something we’ve wanted to do ever since writing about it here on the blog during the last four or five years, and then after publishing the book, Rightsizing—A SMART Living 365 guide to Reinventing Retirement last year. Because we are so passionate about the topic, it was great to gather with others who are either curious or equally excited about the benefits.   And as we suspected, the topic is so rich that no matter where any of us are on the path, each of us can learn something from every other person’s example. It boils down to the simple fact that quality always tops quantity. [Read more…]

10 Big Benefits To Being An Entrepreneur At Any Age

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Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

SMART Living 365.com

Shortly after my husband Thom and I met in 1977, we opened our first business.  We named the beach nightclub that we owned and managed on the coast of North Carolina, Night Moves. Since then, except for a couple of painful months in the following years as employees, we founded several other businesses and fully embraced the entrepreneur lifestyle. While I can’t imagine living any other way, I recently realized that the entrepreneurial approach isn’t mentioned much these days. What happened? Where did it go? And why aren’t more people embracing the many advantages that come from being self-employed? [Read more…]

Tom Sighting’s View Of Rightsizing Your Retirement

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Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

This week I will be out of town attending my first ever Blogging Conference.  So when I recently read this article that Tom Sightings wrote for U.S. News Online explaining his view of rightsizing, I asked him if I could share it with all of you.   I’ve always believed that rightsizing is individual to each of us and hearing different versions is helpful to us all.  Thanks Tom for allowing me to share your perspective!

 

SMART Living 265.com

Rightsizing isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about finding the right fit for everything in your life.

According to a survey by the Demand Institute, almost half of Americans between ages 50 and 64 plan to move within the next five years or so. Some baby boomers — especially those who have been renting all their lives, or who never moved up from their starter house – actually plan to spend more on their homes in retirement. But more often than not, the baby boomer move will involve downsizing – trading in the old family home for smaller digs, perhaps in a less expensive neighborhood. [Read more…]

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

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Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

SMART Living 365.com

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…]

10 Commandments For A SMART & Simple Life

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Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Sustainable, Thankful

10 commandments

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:

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Freedom—What is it? Who Has It? And How To Get More

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Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable, Thankful

“Freedom is from within.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright

  SMART Living 365.com     One of the perks of staying in our rental condo in Baja, Mx is being able to enjoy a lovely infinity swimming pool and hot tub overlooking some cliffs on the Pacific Ocean.  Last night as the sun was setting, Thom and I put our suits on and walked the short distance to enjoy a soak.   After settling in we were soon joined by three young men and a woman.  (Did I mention it’s a big hot tub?)  Over the next hour or so we talked about many things, but a big part of the conversation was about freedom.  And because the U.S. is celebrating our independence day this week, I am naturally reminded that freedom is one of the greatest gifts available.  But just because most Americans have many advantages related to freedom, that doesn’t always mean that we are all free to experience them equally or fully.  What then does freedom really mean if we aren’t free to express, experience and enjoy our lives in happy and meaningful ways on a regular basis? [Read more…]