Living Simply: What it's NOT

In trying to live a life more simply, I tend to find so many blogs and websites dedicated to the lowest class of 18th century agrarian living. That's just not feasible for most people, and let's face it, it's not even something enjoyable to many people. I want to simplify my life, but not by being a 12 hour a day, 7 days a week farmer with a barnyard of animals to care for and maintain. If some people want to live off the land, quit their jobs, and do that, more power to them, but I don't want people to think that's how it HAS to be. If you hate your job, and want to escape from it all, great. You're living intentionally.
Just know that it doesn't have to be so primal to be a simple life.

What are some more realistic, modern ideas about simple living?

1.  Work at a job or business you love for a reasonable number of hours.

2.  Surround yourself not with only the things that bring you value or joy, letting go of the rest, but not necessarily counting how many items you own. Not everyone wants to own only what fits in a backpack.

3.  Perhaps not buying the newest expensive luxury car, but a reasonable one and still using either public transportation, walking, or biking to save on money and the environment, and getting a little functional fitness in as well.

4.  Cooking a few healthy, homemade meals a week yourself instead of fast food stops and eating oversized, overpriced, sodium and sugar laden restaurant meals every night.

5.  Make time for centering yourself, meditation, breathing, stretching, relaxing your mind and body.

6.  Take time to evaluate your life on a regular basis. What needs are/aren't being met? How are you spending your time? What's missing? Is what you're doing working?

7.  Relationships. This can be as a couple, with friends, being involved in the community, and if you enjoy your work, it could include doing things with your coworkers that you like. No one grows and learns as a hermit.

So whether you live in an RV, a tiny home, a trailer, a rented room in another's house, a dormitory, an apartment, a condo or duplex, or a traditional home, you can live more intentionally and more simply. What that looks like for YOU is your decision. Don't keep doing what you hate simply because you feel pressure to live up to someone else's standard.

Living Simply: When Something Goes Wrong

I want to be serious today. Sometimes life hits us with unexpected obstacles. It may be a cancer diagnosis, a breakup, a spouse asking for a divorce, a child who ended up in jail for breaking the law, an accident that left you in a physical state worse off than before it happened, loss of a loved one, and so many other things.

I won't pretend that in someone else's shoes (or even in my own under those circumstances) the answer is a flippant "everything will be okay", because I know, sometimes it isn't. So what do you do when you first get the news?

The first thing to do is stop. Breathe. Again...You need to take a minute to clear your head. Jumping in without all the information or thinking it through can lead to some seriously bad emotional decisions. It can cause even more anxiety, some of which may not be completely necessary. It can affect those counting on you who may or may not know what you're dealing with today. Where do you begin to work your way through and untangle the mess? I don't have all the answers, but I may have a few ideas that can help in the meantime.

1.  Ask yourself what you absolutely DO have control of. Maybe it's nothing more than your next breath, as when you lose someone you love. Maybe you only have control over what you do or don't say to those around you - and more importantly - to yourself. Don't condemn yourself for things that were beyond your control to begin with! Are there steps to take? Questions to ask? Things that will need to be done immediately? Decisions that must be made right now? Or in many serious cases, there's a waiting period. Isn't waiting the hardest thing to do? Too much time to think up the worst case scenarios and bury yourself in far too many questions simply because you don't have enough information yet. Do what needs to be done right now, and don't let what needs to happen "next" remove you from everything else going in around you today.

2.  Figure out what you DON'T have any control over. If you can muster the strength, can you simply do what needs to be done and let go of everything that won't be possible to fix until some time in the future? Please try to understand that if you're waiting for additional information, or tests, or to talk to someone, don't spend every minute torturing yourself until then. Try to move through the rest of your day until it's time to take the next step. If you're truly in mourning, then you need to take this time processing your thoughts, feelings, maybe find someone you trust to comfort you. All you may be able to do right now is just breathe deeply, over and over, and that's okay too.

3.  When you have more information, then try to work through some type of plan, or step by step list of things that have to be done. Get someone to help so you remember it all. Just don't try to do this step without enough information. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't think the worst until you know for sure what's what.

4.  Lastly, get some support from someone you trust to keep your conversation a secret. Find someone you know has their head on straight - even if that's not your usual best friend, relative, or spouse. Sometimes you need someone who's distant from the situation to see things more clearly. Whether you need advice or just need someone to listen while you unload your feelings, don't go through whatever it is alone. It's a big world with billions of people. There's someone out there that will listen. If not, message me. I'm here.

Hold on, find peace and comfort.

Living Simply: Prevent Getting Sick

This year, we're being told that the flu virus is up over 500% from the norm. Many people who get a cold find it just about goes away, but due to an impaired immune system, they end up with what they think is a "Round 2" of the cold, when really it's things like sinus and ear infections, bronchitis, and other more serious illnesses. If you've been fortunate enough not to get sick (that's no one I can think of), here's a few tips to prevent getting sick. Obviously everyone's immune system is different and is exposed to different things, but these tips will significantly reduce your chances of catching something.

1.  Wash your clothes in hot water and/or bleach (depending on if it's whites, you buy a bleach for colored clothes like Chlorox 2, etc.). Clothing can carry harmful things like salmonella, hepatitus, and other viruses. Most people don't use hot water anymore, and don't use bleach regularly. If you aren't able to do either, dry clothes for over 20 minutes, that can kill germs too.

2.  Disinfect your kitchen sinks and counters with disinfectant wipes (or sprays if that's all you have). Use paper towels instead of sponges or dishrags to clean. Microwave, soak in bleach, or run your sponges through the dishwasher to kill germs.

3.  Use hand sanitizer for your commuting, working, and running errands. You touch the same things many others touch every day, from buses, door handles, elevator buttons, computers, phones, and more to the things like shopping carts, ATM machines, the pay machine keypads at the store checkout counters. Keep your hands sanitized. The people before you may not have been careful at all about spreading their cold germs.

4.  Hang your purses and bags on bathroom stall hooks. Do NOT put them on the floor - don't put them on restaurant floors either! You'd be disgusted to find out how much fecal matter has been found to be on the bottom of the average person's bags.

5.  In restaurants, if you have access to disinfectant wipes, swipe your table and chair. Often the chairs aren't done more than once a day most places.