SMART Living 365

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10 Simple Ways to Create A Happy Minimalist Holiday

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized

SMART Living 365.com

Kloe surrounded by too many toys.

Earlier this week I had lunch with a girlfriend I hadn’t seen in a while.  Barely two seconds after we sat down, and even though December is just getting started, she immediately launched into how upside down she was about the approaching holidays. I did manage to get in a question or two when she paused to take a breath, but it was clear she was looking for sympathy, not solutions. After spending over an hour being as supportive as I could, I was relieved when she said she was late for another obligation and simply had to go.  Of course I can’t point fingers because I used to be a lot like her.  Fortunately, I have learned that there is a better way to feel the joy and peace of the coming holiday.

         It’s no secret that the Christmas season can be very stressful.  I, too, used to make myself crazy trying to squeeze everything in.  But there are solutions for anyone who is ready for a change.  By approaching the holidays from a more minimal or simple living perspective, we can each stay focused on what the holiday really means to us, without allowing the hype to drown us in expectations.

[Read more…]

25 Comments

Five Myths Of A Thankful Life

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

SMART Living 365.com

Grateful Me = Happy Me!

Last week my post talked about three challenges that I think stand in the way of many of us living gratefully each and every day.   What occurred to me from some of the comments and other conversations I’ve had during the week is that there are a number of people who aren’t convinced that we should live either gratefully or happy every single day anyway.  What’s interesting to me after all the research I’ve done over the years about creating happiness, is how closely the reasoning to avoid gratitude on a daily basis appears the same.   That led me to explore some of the more common myths that exist for happiness—and observe at how those same myths apply to living thankfully 365. [Read more…]

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Three Blocks That Keep Us From Living A Happy & Grateful Life

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Thankful

SMART Living 365.com

Gratitude is the key!

Those of you who may be new to this blog might be unaware that the “T” in the acronym SMART stands for thankful.  I included it precisely because I know without a doubt that the practice of gratitude and thankfulness is essential to a happy, fulfilled and content life.   At the same time I am also aware that just about every person I know and every blog I read with a focus on happiness, simple living and minimalism reports that a fundamental concept to the philosophy is appreciating what you have right now (in other words, “gratitude.”)   What I find a bit surprising is that even though so many of us admit that it is important, something holds us back from the actual practice of it on a daily basis.  Could it be possible that practicing thankfulness every day and making thanks living a habit, is the key to creating both a great minimalist lifestyle and a happy life?  [Read more…]

44 Comments

Fifty Things I’m Grateful for Today

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Thankful

 

Gratitude #13In scouring the Internet for the blog post links listed below I came across one that very simply listed 50 things they were grateful for in their lives.  What a GREAT idea!  If you believe the concept that what we think about grows, what we dwell upon we become, you might want to try it yourself.   (If you want to go directly to this week’s gratitude links—scroll down to the bottom of this post)

So, here are 50 things I’m grateful for in my life right now: [Read more…]

37 Comments

The Second Annual SMART Living 30-Day Gratitude Challenge-2013

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Thankful

Gratitude #1a

From My Renewed Mind.com

Most of us know that one of the best ways to live a SMART, happy and fulfilled life is to practice gratitude on a regular basis. As Mathew Henry said, “Thanksgiving is good, but Thanks Living is better.”  Unfortunately, if you’re anything like me it’s far too easy to get stuck in our routines or troubles and let the doing of it slip our mind on a daily basis.  That’s why for the second year in a row I am challenging myself to highlight aspects of “Thanksgiving” here on my blog in a way that keeps much of my focus and attention on both the feeling and expression of gratitude every day throughout the month. And hopefully, just like last year, you will be inspired enough to join me and “share the gratitude” in any way that you can. [Read more…]

25 Comments

Halloween—A Fun Way to Meet Your Shadow Side

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

SMART Living 365.com

Halloween 1997

 

Where I live Halloween is a big deal for both children and adults.  Not only does Halloween mark the biggest candy holiday of the year, according to the Christian Science Monitor, this year Americans will spend close to $80 per person to celebrate.  Favorite costumes for adults are witches, vampires and pirates.  Children prefer princesses, Batman and Spiderman.  Yet it doesn’t stop there.  Pets (mostly dogs) will go as pumpkins, devils and sandwiches.   What we  usually ignore is that all these costumes and masks are an opportunity for different parts of our personality to come-out-of-the-closet if only for the night.  So maybe it is SMART to take the time to look more closely at those energies within us, and perhaps learn to channel them to help create a more happy and fulfilled life. [Read more…]

13 Comments

Location, Location, Location–SMART Minimalist Tip #3

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable

SMART Living 365.com

Riding our bikes to dozens of local amenities

Having a background in real estate is handy for many reasons.  While I’m not actively involved in basic buying and selling these days—I still keep my hand on the pulse of what’s happening by writing about it.   And one thing I’ve learned in the process is that location is more critical than is usually considered.  Not only should it be near the top when evaluating any move—from a minimalist or simple living perspective I think it deserves closer consideration. That’s why I thought it might be SMART to make a list of the advantages that come from living in the right location—no matter where on earth it is.

[Read more…]

16 Comments

36 Relationship Lessons From 36 Years of Marriage

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, Thankful

SMART Living 365.com

Thom & I — 36 years later!

 

One of my blogging friends named Bethany  turned 35 a couple of weeks ago and she wrote a blog post listing 35 different lessons she’s learned during her life.  After getting over the shock of realizing I’d been married longer than she’s been on the planet—I realized that with my wedding anniversary happening this week, I had learned a great deal during the last 36 years of marriage.  With the hope that some of these might prove useful to others, here’s my list: [Read more…]

51 Comments

Minimalism + Compassion = Healthcare for All

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Thankful

SMART Living 365.com

Minimalism+Compassion=Healthcare

 

I usually stay away from politics here on SMART Living, but for an obvious reason healthcare is on my mind this week.  But let me be clear, I don’t think that healthcare is or should be a political issue.  Instead, our health and its care are two issues that touch every single human on the planet—including those of us who practice simple living or minimalism.  Unfortunately, with all the blogs I follow—everything from minimalism to personal growth to spirituality—no one seems to be talking about this very all-encompassing concern.  So, hopefully, by bringing this important subject out into the light we can recognize how vital it is and arrive at more conscious, aware and responsible actions for our future.   [Read more…]

37 Comments

How To Feel Rich, Safe & Content—No Matter What

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

SMART Living 365.comLet me state right up front that this article is not about getting rich or making money.  It is also not about the latest in security technology or the suggestion that you should be happy just the way you are.  Instead, I want to explore the biggest obstacle to why most of us don’t really feel rich, safe or content regardless of how much money we have in the bank, the circumstances surrounding us, or how great things might be at any point.  That big “elephant in the room” is an underlying, all-pervasive and largely unconscious belief in scarcity and lack.  In fact, whether you are on the path to a simple or minimalist lifestyle—or just trying to get by as you are—I’m convinced that discovering what I mean by that, growing ever more aware of it, and taking steps to counteract it are some of the most important steps we can ever take to increase our individual well being.  Interested? [Read more…]

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About

Kathy Gottberg is an author with seven published books and hundreds of articles covering dozens of topics in the last 35 years. Along with her books, her passion today is SMART Living 365 where she explores ideas and experiences that help to create a meaningful, sustainable, compassionate and rewarding life for herself and others. Beyond that, she lives with Thom, her best friend and soul mate in Tucson, AZ.

To contact Kathy: click here

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