Ten Ways To Simplify Your Life

Borrowed from the Newspaper …

A study conducted by Trends Research Institute revealed that about 80 percent of those questioned said they would be willing to accept a reduction in pay if they could work fewer hours to spend more time with their families.

It is a lovely thought, but how realistic? Working less usually means earning less–hardly an option for most people. But that doesn’t mean we cannot take small steps to simplify our complicated lives. A little bit here and there–before you know it your efforts will add up to something significant.

1. Dejunking your life by getting rid of clutter is a cheap, fast and effective way to become physically and financially sound. It’s also the path to emotional and intellectual happiness, too.

2. Cultivate contentment by choosing to be happy with what you have. The social imperative that one must consume to be happy is what breeds dissatisfaction and unfulfillment. The constant ratcheting up of standards demands that we constantly upgrade in order to keep up. It takes a conscious effort to desire less.

3. Write down the things you need to remember and forget everything else. Don’t allow your mind to dwell on things over which you have no control.

4. Share, lend, borrow and rent. Part of the reason we have our love affair with shopping and consumerism is because we think we need to personally own everything we use. Before you agree to complicate your life further with yet another possession, consider the alternatives.

5. Turn off the TV. You may not realize how your household television viewing is affecting your purchasing and lifestyle choices. If you are addicted to television, kicking the habit will simplify your life and allow you to find satisfaction.

6. Drive a simple car. High-end, luxury automobiles are nice to drive, but can complicate one’s life. Typically they are gas-guzzlers and expensive to insure, register, maintain and repair.

7. Select patterned carpet. Light colored, plush carpeting is beautiful but life altering. It shows every speck, spot, fleck and crumb. If you want your carpets to look good without having to spend all your free time spotting, vacuuming, deflecking and uncrumbing, go with something speckled, patterned or multicolored.

8. Take charge of the phone. Just because it happens to be a convenient time for someone to call you doesn’t mean it’s convenient for you to answer. Get an answering machine and then return calls at your discretion and when it is convenient. Getting control of the phone will add simplicity to your life.

9. Become label conscious. Unless it’s mandatory for your profession, do not buy clothes that must be dry cleaned. You’ll save time, aggravation and a ton of money over the long-haul.

10. Get up earlier. The best hour of the day is the one right before you normally get up. It may take you a few weeks to truly enjoy that hour right before dawn, but when you create the habit you will be amazed by the simplicity that 60 quiet, stress-free minutes will add to your day.

Copyright © 2005 Mary Hunt

May I add to Mary’s list?

See you next time!
Shalom, Sharaka
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A Lesson I Am Trying to Learn from my Dog

“Be content in whatsoever state ye are in.”

My husband and I are the proud parents of a 2 1/2 year old boy and a 17 month old girl. His name is Sammie and hers is Fiona, which means bright and fair. It’s an Irish name and it fits her as she is a white Pomeranian/Chihuahua. She weighs 5 lbs now and won’t get any bigger. Sammie is as black as can be and has ADHD. As a 20 some pound ball of black Poodle dynamite, he keeps up hopping, that’s for sure. Every morning at dawn, he informs me he wants to out and explore the world – which consists of our front yard and the ditch in front of it. No man or beast should dare to cross this territory as he promises to eat them alive if they do! He bounds out the door at the first chance he gets, even when the door is barely open. He is ON PATROL!

Fiona, on the other hand, has to be restrained. She doesn’t know her boundaries yet, and we can’t let her go out on her own. The few times we have – she runs down the street – right down the middle. She is very obedient – as long as we are close enough to enforce our commands. Once she is more than 25 feet away, she becomes completely deaf! And no amount of cajoling can get her to come back into the yard.

We have learned to keep a leash on her at all times – even in the house. If she starts for the open door, we just step on her leash. She knows this will happen. Does that stop her? Oh, no! EVERY morning, and any other time of day we put Sammie out, she’s right there. Barking and whining and scratching at the door, putting her little feet up as high as she can reach, trying to get some leverage to get the door pushed open. She wants out there so badly! She want to run and play and feel the sunshine. Her full name is Lady Fiona Rose and she is ever bit the Lady – except when she wants to go out and play “Big Dog” with Sammie. She begs, she pleads, she cries – it’s pathetic! Then comes the time when I shut the door. Does she explode in a fit of anger? No, she just trots off to find some other mischief. Doesn’t pout, doesn’t whine, doesn’t cry any more. Just accepts my decision, even ‘tho she want to go with all her heart.

Where am I going with this?

I can sure see myself in her. I want to go – to do – to be. I cry and whine sometimes, and beg G-d to let me go and do such and such. Many times, in fact MOST of the time now, he says, “No!” and steps on my leash. He knows I’ll get in trouble ‘out there’ and that I can’t handle it myself. He’s trying to teach me patience and long-suffering and humility. But unlike my puppy-girl, I don’t just run off and find something else to do. I try to analyze the whole situation, try to justify my actions and I sometimes pout for a while. I see Fiona do her thing day after day and she still remains happy and joyful, never complains or questions us “why”.

Why can’t I learn from this little sweet dog? How many times will G-d have to pull me up short for trying to do things He doesn’t want me to do? He loves me and wants the best for me. I know this and yet I keep at my old tricks, trying my best to “get out“.

Will I ever learn?

See you next time!
Shalom, Sharaka

BTW = Happy Birthday, Ruth!
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