A Resolution Worth Keeping
June 29, 2005
New Years Resolutions: Making them is a tradition -keeping of them is usually optional. That’s unfortunate, because some of the pledges we make in those moments before the calendar changes are wonderful things to aspire to - spending more time with our children, exercising regularly, stopping a bad habit like smoking - or considering chocolate one of the main food groups. Yet, this is the one time of the year that it’s condoned - almost expected - that we don’t follow through on our promises.
But what if we did follow through? What if we could make a resolution that changed our lives for the better? What if we made a tiny adjustment in our perspective and it allowed us to be happier, feel freer, and enjoy a more mindful existence?
Well, get ready to make a commitment - it’s as easy as embracing the idea of simplicity. Yes, simplicity.
The start of the New Year is the perfect time to make some changes. Resolve to get back to basics. I’m not advocating a cabin in the woods with no heat or electricity, just a small step to the left of the consumer frenzy. Where do you start? Right at home in your own headspace - by making a conscious decision that your time and daily experiences are more important than money and stuff.
Reduce your clutter: Unless you use it regularly, or it holds a high degree of sentimental value, it should go. Choose a charity and schedule a pick up. Just think of how much easier your house will be to clean, and how much easier it will be to find things once you’ve thinned out your belongings.
Decrease distractions: Cell phones, voice mail, two-way walkie-talkies, online instant messenger, and palm pilots are all tools created for convenience. Left unchecked, however, they can start running your life. Be sure your not becoming a slave to advanced technology. Oh, and turn off that darn TV too.
Learn to say “no”: This tiny two-letter word is your best defense against becoming overextended. Start using it - no one will think any less of you if you do.
Learn to say “yes” when others offer help: Stop with the Superwoman fallacy. There is no harm in accepting help when offered, or even in asking for it when needed. In fact, most people are happy to be of assistance.
Cut down on compulsive buying: Shopping has become a sport in this country and credit card debt is hitting an all time high. Before you break out your plastic to get that new Prada handbag ask yourself - do I really need this? Will this improve my life? Is this “thing” worth the time I will have to put in working in order to pay for it? If the answer is no then don’t buy it.
Relinquish some control: You can’t speed up the driver in front of you, make the check out line at the supermarket move more efficiently, or govern the happiness of others. Just let it go. Take some deep breathes in traffic, practice your Kegel Exercise while waiting at the grocery store, and lead your life with integrity. Don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders - it’s too heavy.
Reduce decisions: While having a choice is a good thing, too many options can be overwhelming. Whether you are contemplation a major purchase, or deciding what to cook for dinner, limit your self to two options. Choose one, then be happy with your decision - second guessing never helped anyone.
Enjoy the little things in life: Read a book, take a walk, have a bubble-bath, start a snowball fight with your kids, eat together as a family at the kitchen table, garden, snuggle, pursue a hobby, listen to music, write a letter, meditate, and follow your passions. Partake in everyday pleasures - all the things that don’t entail shopping, spending, or crowds - and spend quality time with the ones you love.
Living simply is not about depravation; it’s about living well. Our lives are complicated, in part, because we make them that way. Resolve to make 2005 the year of simplicity, and greet the coming months with a relaxed and peaceful spirit.
Deborah Martin is a Chicago born writer, life coach, and motivational speaker. She is Co-Founder of The Woman Project. Deborah holds a master’s degree in psychology and is a licensed professional counselor. She is a certified teleclass leader and offers teleclasses and workshops on a variety of subjects. Her new e-book, How To Keep Your Kids Off Drugs: A Parent’s Guide, will be available in January. For more information please visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com.
Pump Up Your Life with Scrapbook Pages of Certainty
June 29, 2005
If you can voice enthusiastically that scrapbooking is your passion, could you say the same thing about how you feel towards yourself?
Yes, can you tell others without turning all red in the face that you are passionate about yourself and about who you are?
Are you thinking what a Weird remark to make to others? Could anyone ever be passionate about themselves?
But why not?
Do you really want to wait a lifetime for that someone to tell you that they’re passionate about you, while you can’t say the same thing about yourself?
As scrapbookers, you might deliberately or unknowingly be consumed with the business of scrapbooking your kids’ or your loved ones’ lives. And all these time neglecting to do pages on yourself.
Has too much time lapsed since you last sat down and scrapbooked about you?
Do you find yourself brushing the task away with a mere, “Nay, what’s there to scrapbook about me? It’s more interesting to scrapbook about others.”
Do you really think so? Perhaps just think again.
Through scrapbooking about yourself, you aren’t depriving others of the chance to be in the scrapbooks. You are in truth missing out chances to validate yourself as a person. You are not giving yourself the opportunity to give voice to your thoughts and memories. You are also leaving the chance to build up scrapbook pages of certainty on the table.
Did I hear you asking curiously, “What’s scrapbook pages of certainty?”
Well, for those of us who do spend time to scrapbook about ourselves, we’ll feel a blissful sense of comfort. We become clearer on we’ve learned on hindsight. We start to own clarifying thoughts on our goals ahead. And we experience a growing certainty of who we are as a person, woman, worker, mother, nurturer, homemaker and other hats that we don on.
You can do the same for yourself too.
I urge you to not procrastinate on this important aspect of taking care of yourself. Instead, put others aside once in a while, and feed your inner desire for self-awareness and self-growth with scrapbook pages of certainty.
Scrapbooking comes in many formats. You can choose to focus entirely on the photos with very limited words thrown in. Or you can be an advocate for strong and meaningful journaling.
Whatever it is, when it comes to scrapbooking about you, I’ll like to say that heartfelt journaling is crucial.
Because by giving substance in the form of words to your thoughts, feelings and recollections about yourself, you are in a way reaffirming your sense of being. You’re telling the universe, “Hey, this is who I am!”
Occasionally, on my scrapbook pages, you’ll see mainly journaling without a stitch of photo. And yet, some of these pages are among my most effective pages.
So don’t be afraid to give strength to your words and let them pour forth and land themselves naturally onto your scrapbook pages.
Sometimes, certain themes might bog you down longer than others. Don’t give up. The harder it is to scrapbook on a theme about yourself, the bigger will be the affirmation or breakthrough that you might experience.
Do yourself a favor.
Focus on scrapbooking all about yourself on some days. You’ll be elated to uncover a growing sense of certainty of who you are, as you go about scrapbooking the scattered pieces of yourself and your memories.
“There is only one person who can write the story of your life, with all its foibles, follies, treasures and tears. That person is you.” - Kathleen Adams
Need some inspirations or ideas that can spark up your session on scrapping about yourself? Look out for my “Scrapbooking Yourself as a Girl, Youth and Your College Days” and “Scrapbooking Yourself as a Mother, Homemaker, Worker and More”.
Happy scrapping!
About the Author:
Fion Lim is the creator of Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com - Here’s your how-to-guide to learning about scrapbooking. Find ideas for scrapbooking pages, tips, inspirations, articles and resources to quotes, poems and fonts right here.
Feel free to use the this article provided it is published in its entirety, with the resource box and a "live" clickable link to: http://www.everything-about-scrapbooking.com
Four Words that Make Life Worthwhile
June 29, 2005
Over the years as I’ve sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life’s challenges, I’ve come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.
First, life is worthwhile if you Learn. What you don’t know Will hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. I’ve always said that it is too bad failures don’t give seminars. Obviously, we don’t want to pay them so they aren’t usually touring around giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable - we would learn how someone who had it all then messed it up. Learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.
We learn by what we see so pay attention. We learn by what we hear so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener, don’t just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.
Second, life is worthwhile if you Try. You can’t just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn’t mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?
Third, life is worthwhile if you Stay. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that’s the end, but just don’t end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.
And lastly, life is worthwhile if you Care. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.
Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com
Girls Gone Mild
June 29, 2005
Voices!
So many voices crying out for adherence and so many people confused about values, virtues and life.
What voices are calling out to you and what voices are you listening to?
My daughter is just now enjoying her first year in life. As I listen to the voices calling out to young ladies these days, I can’t help but wonder what the popular trend will be when she has to decide which voices she will lend an ear to.
As she enters young adulthood, I hope this is what she finds.
I hope the popular trend of the day is a video craze called, “Girls Gone MILD!”
No, that’s not a misprint!
I hope it is popular because it depicts women in the following ways:
* As more than full-of-brandy eye candy and toys-for-boys
* As pillars in the community instead of pillows for the community
* As being more concerned about innocence lost than being “not that innocent”
* As valuing their bodies and it shows by how they use them instead of showing them using their bodies to be valued
* As valuing being wanted for a lifetime of nights and not just a night of a lifetime
* As adhering to the belief in moral decency instead of the belief that it is indecent to be moral
* As being applauded more for lifting their skills to the world than lifting their skirts
High hopes, you say!
Yes, maybe high hopes, maybe wishful thinking, or maybe I’m just adding my voice to the mix.
(C)Copyright advice-for-lifetime-relationships.com by Stanley J. Leffew
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!
Stanley J. Leffew is the Author of, “How To Be Wanted For A Lifetime of Nights and Not Just a Night of a Lifetime”. His website is based on this same theme. Find out for yourself why feeding desire and leading-with-the-body in life and relationships fails to satisfy the longing of the human heart to connect by visiting http://advice-for-lifetime-relationships.com.
Country Home Accessories
June 29, 2005
Country home décor is the most sought after home interior and it’s no wonder since country décor invites a casual friendly lifestyle.
Make sure you carefully study the specific style, and color scheme then carefully coordinate the colors of each element of your country décor.
Although the kitchen is primarily a working area little touches can make a big difference:
Pie safes or glass door cabinets can be used for displaying antique china.
Hanging potted plants from the ceiling or placing them in the window.
You can also display:
- Cookbooks
- Wooden spoons
- Bowls or baskets of fruits or vegetables
- Vases of fresh flowers
- Pottery
- Old tin canister:
Pot racks are great for hanging:
- Copper pots
- Baskets
- Dried herbs
You can add a touch of country to your bathroom simply by adding:
Old glass jars, which are great, for holding cotton balls, Q-tips, or a fresh flower.
Decorative baskets, a galvanized pot, or a wine rack used in the bathroom are good for holding towels.
Baskets and pots can hold magazines, books, towels, oils, soaps, shampoos, sponges, and lotions.
Shelves can be used to display a collection of:
- Knickknacks
- Candles
- Potpourri
Don’t forget you can hang pictures or display your kid’s artwork, in the bathroom.
You will want your living room to have a comfortable lived in look that will always make your friends and family feel welcome.
Some charming accents can be displaying:
- Beautiful hand made quilts
- Throw pillows
- Rugs
In your living room you can also arrange:
- Candles
- Potpourri
- Plants
- Flowers
Be consistent in your choice of home interior color, styles and materials so as to avoid a patchwork look that is indicative of bad planning.
About The Author
Lisa and Charles French would like to invite you to visit their site at http://www.decorating-country-home.com
decorat3@decorating-country-home.com
How To Survive The Grocery Shopping Blues
June 29, 2005
If you are the normal consumer, then you’ve probably experienced the Grocery Shopping Blues. Most supermarkets use this trick to their advantage to squeeze more money out of their customers and turn a tidy little profit for themselves.
Grocery shopping should be a pleasant experience, but too often, consumers let it get the best of them and they end up getting frustrated. It doesn’t help that they don’t put themselves in a position to make things easier.
To get the most out of your shopping experience and save money at the same time, consumers need to focus their attention on the most important aspect of shopping at the supermarket. That is, getting organized. If you can master this trait, you will be far ahead of the average consumer.
By getting yourself organized, you allow yourself to shop without stress. A luxury most consumers have yet to conquer in this got-to-have-it-now society. You also give yourself the chance to buy what you need instead of buying what you want.
Here are the 7 ways ways to organize your shopping that will help you save money, time, and stress.
1- Know what you are going to buy beforehand instead of wandering through store aisles looking for things to buy. This means knowing what you need by utilizing a price book, store circulars, and having knowledge of your home’s food inventory.
2- Go online and and stock up on multiples of coupons from the free grocery coupon sites, coupon cutting services, and coupon trading forums and target only those coupons you normally use and those items that are on sale.
3- Set up your list and coupons according to the aisles in the stores. This way you don’t have to return to aisles you’ve already shopped.
4- Spend as little time as possible in the store. Store surveys show that consumers spend $1.70/minute for the first 30 minutes in the store and $2.25/minute thereafter.
5- Stock up on loss leaders. Buy as much as the store will allow you. If there are limits, (usually four) then make sure you use the same number of coupons to get the maximum savings out of the loss leaders.
6- Store and brand loyalty are out. Stick to what gives you the best value not the most popular item.
7- Never shop on an empty stomach. Hunger tends to attract impulse buying.
As you can see, it’s not hard to save both time, money, and patience at the grocery store if you are organized. While others are going crazy trying to find the best deals, you will have already done your homework, and decided where and what you will be buying.
This is how you will beat the Grocery Shopping Blues.
Barry Ferguson is known as “America’s Saving Money Man”. He is the author of two books called “How To Stop Wasting Money” and “The Saving Money Mindset”, and has 15 years of practical, real world experience saving huge amounts of cash every time he shops! How much do you want to save? http://www.howtostopwastingmoney.com
