Choosing Voluntary Simplicity » Personal Development

A Challenge That Can Change Your Life

Shirley — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:22:30 +0000

I heard on the radio this morning that every year most people make the same three New Years' resolutions... to go on a diet, to stop smoking, and to spend less money. Supposedly, despite the original good intentions, more than eighty percent of these resolutions have been broken and forgotten by mid-February. Overeating, smoking, and spending too much money are all habits that people use to make themselves feel better... to fill an emptiness in their lives... so it's not surprising that these resolutions routinely fail when taking away the "comfort indulgence" is the only lifestyle change.

How To Be Happy In A Mostly Unhappy World

Shirley — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:22:33 +0000

Everybody wants to be happy, but many people don't realize that happiness has to start with "you." If you're not content with your life and at peace with yourself... no amount of money... no number of possessions... will ever make you truly happy. True happiness comes from learning to enjoy the life you are living right now and learning to appreciate all the wonderful things you have at this moment. Living for a future time and yearning for the things you don't have will never make you happy.

Accomplishing What Needs To Be Done… Efficiently, Quickly, and With As Little Stress As Possible

Shirley — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:11:54 +0000

Eventually just about everybody comes to the realization that housework is never ending and involves drudgery, tedium, and getting your hands dirty. It's a fact of life that if we want to live like civilized people in clean houses there will always be chores that need to be done.

Does Frugality Mean You Shouldn’t Have Nice Things?

Shirley — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:14:37 +0000

It's important to save for retirement.

It's sensible to have an emergency fund.

It's essential to live within your income and not go into debt.

But where did the idea come from that people who are frugal and live simply... can't... or shouldn't... have nice things? Or that they should feel guilty if they buy something new?

What We Don’t Say

Shirley — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:52:43 +0000

We all know that what we say can be hurtful and that something said in anger can leave scars that may never go away. What we often don't think about is that what we don't say... or what we don't do... can sometimes hurt even more.

Why We Chose Voluntary Simplicity — Sometimes There Is No Tomorrow

Shirley — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:15:40 +0000

Fourteen years ago my husband and I were still spending most of our time at work running a thriving business we had created. Financially everything was great... the store we owned and operated was in a wonderful location, it was an attractive and newly renovated space, and the comfortable, extra large office made our store feel that it was "almost" a home away from home for our entire family. Unfortunately, our success meant we had little time or energy left for anything other than the business... and it was obvious that we never were going to have that time and the freedom we yearned for as long as we had the store. Still, letting go of the store was almost unthinkable because we had worked so hard to get to where we were.

A Sense of Balance

Shirley — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:52:38 +0000

It was a most frustrating day. A really bad thunderstorm that started just after dawn and the resulting power outage got the day off to a rather unfortunate start. Then we discovered we had lost our telephone service as well, although by that time the electricity was back on (briefly) and another storm was in progress. The entire day was full of Murphy's Law and anything that could go wrong... did.

Seeing the Sunshine and a Happier You

Shirley — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:22:03 +0000

We're just coming out of a more than two week period of almost continual severe weather alerts. We've had warnings daily for severe thunderstorms, quarter-sized hail, floods, damaging winds, and for fifteen hours we were even under a watch for impending tornadoes that were supposed to center right over our immediate area. As you might imagine, we have had more than the usual interest in checking our two favorite weather sites for updated forecasts. It has been an interesting exercise in how the same circumstances can be looked at in different ways.

The Importance of Learning To Care

Shirley — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:32:33 +0000

There was a sad story in the news about a nine-year-old boy who poured lighter fluid on a kitten and then set it on fire. The boy and two of his friends stood nearby, laughing as they watched the kitten die. How could the boys be so cruel to a defenseless animal? How could they watch the kitten's agony and remain so detached? Did they not realize that their actions would have such painful and permanent consequences? And what about the parents?

Overcoming the Paralysis of Too Much Analysis

Shirley — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:07:51 +0000

Reader question... "Do you have any advice for someone like me who is having serious problems making decisions? I know the drill. I gather all the information I can and try to formulate a realistic plan while considering all the pros and cons and trying to prepare for anything that might happen as a result. I'm always afraid I'll make the wrong decision and I have become very good at not making any decisions at all. I have noticed that this problem is spilling over even into smaller and less important decisions in my life. Do you have any ideas that might help me?" --from Amanda T.

There actually is a name for what you're experiencing. It's a syndrome called paralysis of analysis, or sometimes analysis paralysis... when your mind is so full of what MIGHT happen that you can't think past those possibilities to make your decision.