SMART Living 365

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

Is Your Over-Thinking An Addiction? —Here Are Eight Steps To Recovery

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Filed under: Rightsized, Sustainable

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

I like choices.  Nearly every one of my decisions is carefully researched to maximize the greatest number of benefits.  When I buy something, I like to know I purchased the best product at the best price.  When I travel somewhere, I am fairly certain I’ll enjoy the most outstanding experience available.  When working I am reasonably convinced that I have covered as many bases as possible and creatively contributed to my field.   And while most of the time I enjoy the process—I have to admit there are times when I take the whole thing to extreme. (I’m sure Thom, my husband, would agree!)  That’s when I know I am caught in the loop of over-thinking and that’s when it’s time to seek recovery. [Read more…]

Don’t Let Hornworms or Or Any Kind of Trouble Get You Down!

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Filed under: Rightsized, Sustainable

This year, for the first time ever, I planted a garden.  At the beginning, it was fun, rewarding and easy.  I began harvesting lettuce within two weeks and peppers barely 30 days later. Every day was a miracle as I watched green tomatoes forming on my wandering vines. Then, just as I anticipated ripe tomatoes, I noticed something awful.  Huge juicy caterpillars were munching my vines and my baby tomatoes.  Not only were they devastating my plants, their overwhelming presence shattered my idyllic garden image. Almost overnight, my garden became both a challenging endeavor and a reality check.   Much as I’d like to believe that disappointment or challenges don’t happen to all of us on a regular basis—the truth is they do.  And because it is SMART to stay focused on solutions rather than the problem, here are 8 suggestions anyone of us can use to overcome the hornworms  (or any other challenge!) you face in your life.

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It’s SMART to Define What We Mean By Happiness

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Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

The recent World Happiness Report reminded me that it is always a good idea to define your terms—even with a common word like “happiness.”  That’s because while we all tend to use the word on a regular basis, what I think happiness means, what you think happiness means, and what everyone experiences as happiness are very likely three different things.  And if we are going to pursue it as the U.S. Declaration of Independence suggests, then it is critical that we know what we are talking about. [Read more…]

The World Happiness Report And How It Applies To You and Me

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Filed under: Sustainable

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

The World Happiness Report is hot off the presses and critics are lining up to take shots at its diversion from the GDP and the economic status quo. Commissioned for a United Nations Conference on happiness and published by The Earth Institute at Columbia University, a major focus of the report suggests the outrageous idea that seeking the well-being and happiness of individual citizens is much more important than the growth and health of that country’s economy.   Using statistics from over 150 different countries and three prominent world studies, the report offers ways that governments can develop public policies to support and enhance the quality of life for its citizens, and create a more sustainable foundation for happiness for everyone.  What does that mean for you and I?  And why are the critics so worked up about it? [Read more…]

Priming the Pump and Other Reasons To “Act As If”

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Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

 

Anyone who has studied positive thinking, New Thought or the Law of Attraction understands the concept of acting “as if.”   You know—acting with confidence and grace even when you’re shaking in your boots, or putting a smile on your face and acting happy even when you woke up feeling terrible.  Many people believe that those actions can actually lead to their desired results.  But while “faking it until you make it” might sound like nothing more than an unsubstantiated urban legend, plenty of evidence now proves the process is beneficial in dozens of ways. [Read more…]

SMART Living—Seeking Wholeness and Balance In Everyday Life

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Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

Photo by mbeo on flickr–see link below

Have you been wondering what living responsibly and within your means has to do with positive thinking and happiness?  Or what about articles focused on the search for meaning and purpose, and how those ideas relate to being grateful and appreciating what you have?  And what do any of those have to do with staying curious, open-minded and conscious? In case you haven’t noticed, I write about all these and more here on SMART Living on a fairly regular basis.  And while they might appear at first to be unconnected, I’m convinced that all of these topics and ideas flow together to create a balanced and whole life.  In fact, embracing all of those ideas just might be the perfect way to achieve happiness and a sense of well-being every single day. [Read more…]

Goodness is Catching—The Gift of Unexpected Generosity

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Filed under: Meaningful, Thankful

 

Not long ago, a woman named Chris went with a friend to Disneyland. There in the massive parking lot of the Magic Kingdom, two other women approached asking if they would like free passes to the “Happiest Place On Earth.” The women offering the gift said they had two extra, and just wanted to give the other two away.  This simple act of generosity reminded Chris and her friend of the kindness of others, and restored within her a reminder that people are intrinsically good.  In fact, that charitable act inspired her to be more kind and generous herself. [Read more…]

Cheap Isn’t Always A Bargain—And Other SMART Ways To Save Money

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Filed under: Rightsized

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

The 4th and final!

My grandfather Pat Hiser was a horse trader from the sandhills of Nebraska.  I definitely inherited some of those genes.  I love getting a good deal and scoring a bargain makes every purchase a little sweeter.  But I’ve come to know that cheaper isn’t always a bargain.  And this week, thanks to recent lesson regarding used dishwashers, I’ve learned that the lowest price can end up costing the most.  [Read more…]

Is Your Thinking Lazy? Or Is It Just a Bad Case Of Cognitive Ease?

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Filed under: Rightsized, SMART Book Reviews

Happy SMART Day Everyone!

Kloe–in a lazy thinking mode.

I’ve always been fascinated by how people think.  Particularly, I’ve always wondered why seemingly smart and intelligent people think, say and believe crazy things.  For example, the evidence that humans are contributing to global warming is overwhelming and irrefutable by over 90% of scientists around the world.  Yet, a huge number of people continue to deny it.  Why?   Simply put, it’s lazy thinking—or actually not thinking much at all!  But before any of us start feeling superior—we all do this at least some of the time.  In fact, a book by Daniel Kahneman entitled, “Thinking Fast and Slow” explains how human brains are hard-wired to process and function in ways that are easy and fast.   The problem is—most of the time it’s not really thinking—although we all think it is! [Read more…]