Simple Living

At the end of each month, my wife and I set aside time to do the important task of creating our monthly budget.  It’s something we’ve been doing for about 7 years now, and has become an important part of our simple living lifestyle. If you haven’t already read it, I’ve written before on the […]

It might not seem right, or easy, to forgive somebody who mistreated you. But the act of forgiving is not for them, it’s for you. It’s allowing you to move on with your life. When you hold onto negative feelings towards other people, they live within you. You have to bear that pain everytime you […]

We’re all guilty of procrastination on some level. There are things that we should have done, or want to do, but we just keep putting off until a later date. Either the urgency is not there, or we have other things we want to spend our time on. But the more we put things off, […]

Oh, the smartphone. This incredible device that gives us access to boatloads of information, allows us to communicate with our friends and family, as well as provide endless hours of entertainment. At the same time, they represent the ultimate drug in the world of digital addiction. Many people fall victim to the small hits of […]

What would happen if you didn’t read the news today? What if you didn’t know the BIG THING that’s happening around the world at this moment?  Would you do anything differently? Would your personal values, and the way you take action on them, change?  Of course not.  We watch the news as some sort of […]

A meditation practice is not a requirement for simple living, but it does help. The act of meditating allows you to be more mindful. You become more aware of not just your surroundings, but the thoughts in your head.  Recognizing your thoughts, acknowledging them as simply constructs of your mind, opens you up to making […]

It’s often the case that we try to eliminate stress in the pursuit of a simple life. We practice mindfulness and make lifestyle changes to make life more relaxing.  But while you want to reduce your emotional stress, physical stress can actually be a good thing. When we stress ourselves physically, through activities like going […]

When you complain about something, you are expressing your discontentment. You are saying “I’m not okay with the way things are.” Which, in and of itself, is an okay thought to have. There will always be situations where you are not content with the reality of what’s going on. But what you do after that […]

What’s the most important task that you need to accomplish today? What’s the one thing, that if you got done, would make the most impact? Starting your day by asking this important question can help you be more productive. Not because you are getting more done. But because you are concentrating your focus on what […]

It’s very easy to inflate your lifestyle. An added subscription here. A small weekly purchase there.  But it’s much harder to deflate your lifestyle. That is, to cut back on the level of consumption that you’ve become accustomed to. If you’re able to do it though, reducing your expenses will have a lasting impact on […]