Redefining the Meaning of Wealth » simplicity

Are you getting enough sleep? Part II

Paige — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:48:04 +0000

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. ~Irish Proverb

As mentioned in Part I of this post, I’ve become a big time fan of getting enough sleep so I think it’s deserving of another entry in this blog. I’m one of those lucky people. I fall asleep within seconds of hitting the pillow. However, I’m the first to admit that I sometimes fall into bed at way later an hour than is probably best for me and I pay dearly for it the next day. I’m well aware of the temptations that can keep me up if I’m not careful and how easy it would be for me to fall back into my bad habits of my younger adult years when I put sleep on the backburner.

If you think sleep is a luxury you can’t afford, I urge you to rethink your priorities. You can’t afford to not get enough of this precious commodity. Here are a few tips for making sure you hop into bed at a reasonable hour and get the beauty sleep you deserve.

Resist the temptation to schedule “just one more thing” into your day. I’m guilty of this since I’m a big list person and want to end my day with as many things crossed off my list as possible. Unless it’s something really urgent like a bill that must be paid online by day’s end or there’s a huge penalty to pay, it’s best to just hit the sack and admit you are not Super Person.
Try to aim for the same bedtime each night. Routine is the best way to develop good habits. I don’t always succeed but even on weekends nights I try not to deviate too far from the time I normally go to bed on week nights. It’s also helpful to wake up around the same hour each morning as well.
Are you addicted to the TV or computer? I could mindlessly surf the web till I was passed out on top of my keyboard if not careful. I love being online but at some point each night I have to tell myself enough is enough and start to wind down in a more relaxing way.
Find your own way of winding down that is enjoyable and relaxing. I like to spend time petting and loving my cats. They are very relaxing to be around and are excellent advocates for sleep and lots of it!
Try not to over extend yourself with commitments. When you have too much to do it’s hard to get to sleep and sleep well because of too much worry.
Expose yourself to sunlight and try to get in some sort of exercise during the day. Eat healthy foods and avoid too much alcohol. When we work on a healthy awake life, our sleep life becomes healthier.
Sleep under a nice comforter or blanket. I actually enjoy getting into bed each night because of a comfortable mattress and bedclothes.
Make your bedroom inviting and serene. It’s not peaceful to fall asleep in a room with clothes strewn everywhere and all others kind of things on surfaces that have no business in your bedroom.
Try to resolve all “issues” with your partner before you go to sleep. Even if you have to just agree to a temporary ceasefire and agree to finish resolving any disputes the next day.
Have as much ready for the morning as possible. You will sleep better knowing everything is organized, laid out and ready to go. I always prep the coffee pot the night before and lay out my clothes and any important papers I will need before I leave the house the next morning. It’s nice to know the morning will go a little easier because of a little planning ahead.

(If you’d like to read more about living simply and changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book which is available in paperback or Kindle: REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Part I

Paige — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:15:13 +0000

Another gorgeous California mountain view

“I love sleep. My life has a tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”-Ernest Hemingway

I entered adulthood in the eighties. It was popular to always be on the go and not get much sleep. I remember sleeping very little in college and being proud of it. When I moved to New York shortly after graduation, young ambitious people such as myself got up at the crack of dawn and worked and socialized ourselves silly till we finally hit the pillow for a couple of hours of really bad sleep. Then we got up and did it all over again. I kept up a similar pace in the nineties until I finally said ENOUGH! This is ridiculous! It’s a wonder I survived at all.

I’ve been a big fan of sleep ever since. Sleep is not some sort of luxury for those who don’t have to work for a living nor is it a vice for those people who are just too lazy to do anything else. Sleep is a necessity and a vital ingredient for a healthy prosperous life. Your body can’t function properly without it. We’ve been made to think that those who sleep too much are unproductive. There’s a huge distinction between sleeping till noon each day just because you don’t want to get out of bed and getting a healthy 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

I blame sleep’s bad rap on media stories where some famous entertainment or business leader brags about how little sleep they need and yet maintain these fabulously productive fulfilling lives. I don’t buy it for one second. Humans need sleep and at some point if you go without it for too long you will pay for it. Just like those super skinny models who say they eat tons of fatty food but don’t gain weight. Sorry I don’t buy that either. You might be able to do it for a while but eventually it catches up and you gain tons of weight. The same goes for sleep. Eventually it catches up and you just can’t go without it any longer.

Is sleep at the bottom of your priority list? If so, consider the following risks when we don’t get enough sleep. Our immune systems are more vulnerable and we get sicker often. We run out of energy during the day and are not as sharp and focused as we would like to be. We can nod of while driving (very dangerous). When we are tired we do things like grab unhealthy fast food, too much coffee, and other stimulants in a desperate attempt to wake up, not to mention we don’t have the ambition to exercise. We look tired all the time and age faster than necessary.

Do you want to be healthier and more productive? Then ask yourself are you getting enough sleep? If not, then maybe it’s time to put sleep at the top of your priority list. Next week’s post will explore ways we can make sure we get that much deserved “beauty sleep” we all need. Until then, sweet dreams!

Investing in your Health is Investing in Your Wealth

Paige — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:05:52 +0000

Another Gorgeous Sunset over the Pacific

Most of us probably have some sort of investment plan for our money but do we have a plan for our most valuable asset of all – our health? I’m constantly amazed at how most of us can find time to put in extra hours for our employers, follow the stock market, and fret over whether or not our money is growing yet we don’t have time to chop up fresh vegetables for a salad. Perhaps if we started to invest just as much if not more time in our well being, many other areas of our lives would fall into place.

Think of it this way. Is excessive monetary wealth worth it if we are overweight, undernourished, depressed, and can’t move very well? For me feeling good is where it’s at. I’m not averse to having lots of money but no thank you if my health has to suffer! I can’t control what the markets do or whether or not the dollar is strong. What I can control is the quality of food I eat, how much I exercise, and to a certain extent who and what I allow into my life and how it affects my peace of mind.

I find it fun to take some of the same advice for investing your money and apply it to investing in your health. When investing money you want to get the best bang for your buck and investing in your health is no different.

Write down your investment goals. When you invest your money, you usually have a goal in mind like building an emergency fund or saving money to take a trip abroad. Take the same concept for your health and come up with two-three very clear goals. For example, my goals are:

Feeling light in my body and light in my mind.
Keep my weight under control and my body strong and flexible as I age.

Keep it simple and don’t over-extend yourself. Like everything in life, simplicity rocks! Don’t over-complicate matters and come up with complex plans and goals. If I wanted to invest some of my money, I wouldn’t start off trading the foreign currency markets (Forex) because I would have no earthy idea what I was doing. I might be able to work up to that with some education and practice but in the beginning investing in some simple stocks might be easier for me. When setting health goals, I would not be very successful if I aimed for eating only fruits and vegetable that I personally grew myself and hiking ten miles in the Santa Monica Mountains every single day. These goals would be next to impossible for me because first of all I’m a horrible gardener and a ten mile hike each day would leave me little time for anything else. Set goals you can reach right away and then work your way up to more advanced ones.

Choose your investments. Now it’s time to choose what we want to invest in. As mentioned above, we want to keep it simple so we succeed and more importantly so we reap the benefits of our efforts. I choose to invest in the following:

A thirty -sixty minute walk each day. It’s doable for my schedule and I live in a neighborhood that’s conducive for walking plus I live just a few miles away from a terrific state park with a wonderful hiking trail.
A 90 minute yoga class 4-5 days a week as well as a home practice on the days I can’t make it to class.
Spending time in the kitchen. It would be easier to order in each night or buy food that was already prepared at the grocery store but I’m spending more and more of my time these days in the kitchen. I may not be making everything from scratch but I try to do so as much as possible.
I’ve cut back (although not completely) on keeping up with politics and current events and am focusing more on listening to and reading materials that inspire me spiritually. Right now I’m into the works of Arnold Patent. His teachings really resonate with me and make me feel empowered.

Be a long term investor. Most get rich quick schemes turn out to be disasters or worse yet require actions that are illegal or immoral. Slow and steady wins the game. Invest in your health for the long term. Although you will most likely start seeing results right away remember that good investments build on each other. Then comes the fun part-Watch your investments grow!

Getting Back on Track

Paige — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:32:30 +0000

Enjoying myself and relaxing in Mexico

Somewhere along the way this past year I fell off the simplicity train and got a bit off track. In all honesty I de-railed! Many people have contacted me and wondered if I was still blogging. I was especially touched by this. Yes, I’m still blogging but since I allowed the last several months to become so chaotic I felt in all honesty that I had nothing to say.

How could I be writing about simplicity and seeing wealth in a different light when my life was in turmoil. In hindsight it probably would have been helpful to have blogged about what I was going through because I’m sure many people could relate. But like I said I felt ridiculous writing about something I could barely practice myself.

Without going into all the gory details, I began to over-extend myself with commitments mainly work ones. The next thing I knew I felt like I had resorted back to those days in the last nineties when my life was one big chaotic mess. That was when I found out about the simple living movement and started reading online forums and books. I started to evaluate what was important to me and pared down my possessions. Life started to get easier and I was enjoying the journey.

Now that I have resigned from my job, taken several weeks off, and cruised with my husband to Mexico, I am back and excited about blogging again and the new directions that I’m exploring in my life. I am however going to change focus a bit (but not too much) and take this blog in the direction of health. Yes, health. It is now crystal clear to me that investing in my health is the best investment I can make.

Good health affects so many areas of our lives and healthy living is more than just diet and exercise. Healthy living encompasses our relationships, what we do for a living and our general outlook on life and what it means to be human. You get the picture. So going forward I will be exploring all different kinds of topics and how they relate to investing in one of our greatest assets in this lifetime-our health!

Things I Can Do Without

Paige — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:01:14 +0000

Three little beings I definitely can't live without!

A friend of mine recently forwarded a blog post to me from a site called Inside Higher Ed. It’s a great post called 5 Things I No Longer Wish to Own. I love it that simplifying and paring down is a topic that seems to be on more and more peoples’ radars these days.

Blogger Joshua Kim says, Is this desire to shed ownership of things a life cycle story, a digital story, or something else? Do you share my desire for life as a service? Has owning stuff also lost its appeal to you? The five things he no longer wishes to own are: software, hardware, books, a car, and a house.

What about you? Has owning stuff lost its appeal to you? I know it has for me. What are some things you could live without? Below are some things I either have no desire to own or wish I could rent or share with others.

Land-line: I have no desire for a land line. I’ve been “cell phone only” for many years now and it’s been a great decision. It’s been one less gadget or service I have to upkeep. Occasionally someone says to me, “But what if an earthquake hits and all the cell towers go down? How would you call anyone?” Sorry to disappoint but I was in the “94 Northridge quake in California. The first thing to go was my land-line. I refuse to live my life in fear of what “might” happen. I’ll take my chances.

House: Even though house prices are going down I have very little desire to own. The idea that I can pick up at any time and move anywhere I want is very appealing to me. Another thought that occurs to me often is real estate appreciation might seriously slow down for quite some time. If I ever do buy it will be because I love the place and it’s affordable, not because I think I will one day get a great return on my investment.

Car: We are a one car household but I really long for the day when we have adequate public transportation and I don’t have to own anything with wheels. Well maybe a bicycle because I love to bike. For those times I would need a car, I would rather just rent and let maintenance and vehicle wear and tear be the car rental company’s headache.

Appliances like vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, etc.. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a center in every community where you could borrow these items? Or maybe people could go in together on purchasing them for everyone to share. This way no one person would bear the financial and maintenance burden. The community would take care of everything together which would save money and precious living spaces in our homes.

Jewelry: I have a few nice pieces and quite frankly I have no desire for anymore. I’m a fairly small person and I look ridiculous with too much jewelry on. Most jewelry is incredibly over-priced in my opinion and I’d rather spend the money on experiences that I can treasure in my heart.

Cable TV, magazines and newspapers: I can get all of the shows, news, and articles I want on-line. Isn’t the internet great?

I’d like to take this topic of things I can do without one step further so below are some non-material things that I can live without:

Debt: Being debt free is true liberation. I’m not tied down to a job I don’t want to have nor do I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about who and what I owe. Letting go of the idea of having to own so much stuff makes it easier to be debt free and life is so much more enjoyable.

Cable News or any kind of mainstream news that goes for shock value: My mother thinks it odd my husband and I don’t have cable or watch local or cable news channels. But where do you get your news she asks me. Plenty of places and I think I’m probably more informed than the average American. Corporate owned news conglomerates are not the only game in town although they would want you to believe so.

People who suck the life force out of me. We all know those people who take, take, and take and then some. Fortunatley, I don’t have to many of these people in my life but when they do show up, I try to set up my boundaries with them as quick as possible.

Worry: There’s lots going on in the world today and change is on the horizon. What that change will be is still unknown. I’m done with worrying about money, retirement, and whether or not I will have enough money to pay next month’s rent. I still do worry from time to time but the less I do the easier life gets.

Reflections on Downsizing

Paige — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 07:56:01 +0000

Pippy: the little lady of leisure!

I have been downsizing for many years now. A great lavish lifestyle where all of the sudden I sold the Mcmansion and started taking the bus to work is not my story. I’ve been living somewhat simply since the late 90s when I began the process of getting rid of things that I no longer needed and searching for ways to make everything in my life from managing my work and social schedule to doing the grocery shopping as simple as possible. Below I list and reflect on some of those changes that have made the most difference and others that I aspire to in the future.

Our One Car Household: It’s been well over six years now that my husband I have gotten by with one car. We live in Los Angeles and cars are a big deal in this town. I’ve never been much of a car person nor been very impressed by anything that anyone drives. As a matter of fact, I react oppositely to how many people react when they see an expensive car. Instead of automatically thinking that person is loaded and successful, I immediately wonder whether or not they are in a lot of debt or if they got a really bad deal on a lease.

Being a one car household has saved us more money that I could ever have imagined. Another plus is not having a car payment and of course I feel like we are doing our part to help the environment in our own small way. I can’t say how long we will continue to be a one car household. We tell ourselves we will do it until it doesn’t make sense for us anymore. So far it’s made sense. There’s a certain amount of finagling of schedules and compromise but the benefits have definitely paid off.

My aspiration is to one day be completely car free but until Los Angeles gets its act together in the public transportation dept, I don’t know if being a no car household would work for us. Yes, it’s probably an excuse and we could do it now if we were really committed but the truth is we’re not ready for that drastic of a step just yet. Also, my husband doesn’t share this goal with me and anyone who is partnered up with someone knows the name of the game is compromise!

Going from Full Time to Part Time Work: Taking a part time job (even though it often ends up being full time) has given me the gift of control over my schedule. I love my job because I get to help animals and I love being able to set my own hours. There are of course some things I have to show up for at a particular time but much of what I do can be done at any hour of the day as long as I meet my deadlines.

I consider having control over my time a form of wealth. When I was stuck in an office, if I needed to visit the dentist or go home to let the plumber in, I had to get everything ok’d with my boss and make sure I had co-workers to cover me. The decrease in pay has taken some getting used to but I find I can make up for the loss of income by cooking more at home and having the time to shop around for better deals when we do need to purchase something.

My goal is to manage my time even better going forward so I can work fewer hours on the administrative part of my job and more hours doing the work that involves direct contact with the cats. I would also like to start a small vegetable garden in our front yard but I am having a hard time finding the extra time to make this a reality at the present time. I also have an idea for another book in my head and the more free time I can gather the more time I have to write.

A Smaller Wardrobe: Once upon a time my clothes closet was so full I barely had room for everything. Now I open my closet and it’s hard to believe an American (especially a girl from the south) would own so little! However I love it! I may not have as much as I used to but what I have is quality and I love wearing everything I own. I’ve also thrown out most of my jewelry and accessories that I don’t want.

Clothes are no longer a way for me to look good. I now concentrate more on exercising and eating well. I figure this is the best way to look healthy and attractive. Not the mainstream media’s idea of attractive but my own idea of what’s attractive. My wardrobe consists mainly of neutral colors and classic pieces. Most of the time I wear yoga clothes because they are comfortable and I go to a class almost every day.

As little as I have, I’m still looking to downsize my wardrobe even more. I mean really how many clothes do we need? Fashion will probably always interest me as I consider it a form of art but I’m learning how to enjoy clothes without having to buy everything I like. I now buy only a few pieces of that “art” and enjoy the rest from afar.

Buying Very Few So Called Beauty Products: I still wear make-up but not like I used to. A little bit of eye makeup and some light colored lip gloss is pretty much it for me these days. I also wear sun block every day. All of those miracle wrinkle cures and stay young forever creams no longer interest me. I think the day that I realized if money could buy you youth then women of great monetary means like Nancy Reagan and Queen Elizabeth would still look 35. And of course the men would to!

The vanity part of me also says that the older I get the better I look with the least amount of crap on my face as possible. I no longer have a lavish skin regimen and my skin actually looks better than it did when was in my 20s. Most of my life I have suffered with severe breakouts but now that I put very little on my skin I rarely break out anymore. Too bad I didn’t figure this out when I was younger and gave a hoot about what I looked like.

It’s not that I don’t care now what I look like now that I’m in my 40s because I do. I want to look presentable but I’m totally accepting of what I was given in the looks department. What you see is what you get and there are way too many interesting things to do and explore than to waste my time trying to coif my hair perfectly and find the perfect shade of lipstick.

I hope to one day be brave enough to say no more make-up but not because I think make-up is evil. Making up takes time and I think that one day I will want that time back even if it’s just 10 minutes a day.

Almost 13 years later, I’m still downsizing and looking for that balance that allows me to live life peacefully yet with just enough excitement to keep the journey interesting. The one amazing thing I can report is that I have never made a change that made me feel deprived or less than because it didn’t conform to societal norms. If anything, each time I have downsized I have felt more light and free.

In Praise of Housework

Paige — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:15:55 +0000

My parents' balcony in Birmingham Al. Finally some rain this Labor Day Weekend!

As we celebrate Labor Day in the United States this week, the concept of work is on my mind. Not the work we do at our paying jobs but the day to day work we do to keep our households running smoothly. You know all those tasks that take up precious time that we would rather be using for leisure activities or work we found more interesting.

I’ll be honest. I would love to have a cleaning person come to our home once or better yet twice a week. Hiring someone to wash the car, do the marketing, and wash and fold the laundry are also on my wish list. The bottom line is I can’t justify spending the money. Plus, neither my husband nor I are willing to do what it would take to outsource these tasks.

Our current jobs provide enough for us to pay our bills and do some traveling here and there but not much more for extras like housekeepers and personal shoppers. My husband is focused on creating a side business that will eventually allow him to quit his job. I am concentrating on my part time (which in reality is full time) job in animal welfare because it’s important to me that I be doing work that I feel is making a positive impact on the world.

It’s tempting to complain about having to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms and let me tell you I often indeed do! However, I am working hard to shift my mindset to one that’s more empowering and not one of dread.

Maybe just maybe this idea of being able to pay someone to do everything for us is not all it’s cracked up to be. Perhaps there’s much to be gained from performing what we view as tiresome mundane tasks. And of course if we are streamlining our material lives and keeping the clutter at bay, housework should be somewhat of a breeze.

Below are some of my ideas on how housework can enhance our lives and (gasp!) maybe even make us richer.

Housework is good exercise. The human body was designed for constant activity and sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing, and dusting force you to move your body in all different directions. You can work up a sweat cleaning your house. Exercise of any form is beneficial and healthy and cleaning our homes is no exception.
Housework improves our mental health. There have been times when I’ve been down or frustrated and I’ve dived into housework. It may not have solved all my problems but it certainly didn’t make me feel worse; if anything I felt better. I had a sense of accomplishment and an orderly clean home environment.
Housework creates community in our households and no one gets stuck with doing everything. It teaches us we need to all pitch in. All of us are integral parts of making everything run smoothly and each person’s contribution is important.
Housework saves us money. If someone wants to outsource their housework due to severe time or physical constraints and can afford it, I’m all for it. But for my family’s situation, we would quickly run a deficit each month if we paid someone to do what we are better off doing ourselves.
Housework grounds us and connects us with our humanity. Too many of us are disconnected from what it means to do physical labor due to our sedentary lifestyles and technological advances that do much of our work for us. Hey, I’m all too happy I’m not drawing water from a well or scrubbing my clothes on a washboard but there is something to say however for work that makes us break a sweat now and then. Why cheat ourselves of the human experience we were meant to have by never getting our hands dirty and acting like entitled little brats who should never have to lift a finger.
Housework can be meditative. It teaches us to be present and connects us with reality. When you are doing chores you may not necessarily like, it’s the perfect opportunity to practice acceptance of your current situation. Acceptance of the fact that we have to do something we may not particularly want to be doing and acceptance that if we want it to get done, it’s up to us to do it.
A clean well kept house creates a ripple effect in other areas of your life. Our personal lives benefit when we live in an environment that makes us feel peaceful and serene. We feel more balanced and have more stamina to focus on accomplishing those things we want to do.

Creating Social Change through Living Simply

Paige — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:01:47 +0000

Beautifiul Flowers at the Getty Museum

The power to change the status quo is in our hands.-Nathan Winograd

I recently heard an inspiring presentation by Nathan Winograd, founder of the No Kill Nation. This group advocates for taking the killing of shelter animals in America completely off the table. Making the United States a no kill nation is a tall order but when ordinary individuals step up to the plate extraordinary things can happen.

Nathan said that when you are working to create social change to never go looking for a savior or say “someone has to do something” because that person is you. He then told us what led four ordinary people to step up to the plate and advocate change for their respective social causes. I will share these people with you in just a bit but first I want to point out that all movements are up against the status quo and the Simple Living Movement is no exception.

Living simply and minimally requires a bit of an activist streak. Although I live simply for personal reasons I admit that I do have a social agenda as I’m sure do others who follow this path. The simple living movement has its roots in frugality, environmentalism, social justice, and spirituality. All of these things resonate deeply with me and I believe the world would be a better place if we cared more about the environment, consumed less, and had policies that did not exploit those in vulnerable positions.

Just because The Simple Living Movement has no formal group that represents us doesn’t mean we can’t still advocate for social change for the “simple living” cause of our choice. Think you can’t make a difference? Think again. The four people below did not wait for anyone else to give them permission to forge ahead and work for what they knew was the right thing to do.

I want to acknowledge that the information below is from Nathan Winograd’s presentation “The Power of You” which you can be read in its entirety on his blog.

Four People who Made a Huge Difference

Thomas Clarkson was a 25 year old student committed to becoming a preacher when he was assigned an essay “Is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting? He had no agenda other than getting a good grade but as he delved in further on the topic he was horrified at what he discovered about the British slave trade. He said that if what he found out were true then certainly some person should work to end this horror. He decided that person was him. He answered the calling right away and did not wait for anyone else to take the lead.

From that day forward in June of 1785, he spent his life working and ultimately succeeding at abolishing the British slave trade. He had no idea at the time but he was creating what is considered the first human rights movement in history. We also have Clarkson to thank for all the tools of social change we use today. These include the political book tour, the consumer boycott, letter writing campaigns to legislators, and newsletters to keep the public informed.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is no stranger to any of us and his contributions to society have been astronomical. Because of him, we have the Civil Rights Act and legal equality. But did you know that at first he was reluctant to lead the fight to end segregation? He had just received his PH. D. when local activists approached him about fighting against segregation. He didn’t want to make waves so he declined.

The arrest of Rosa Parks leading to the boycott of the Montgomery, Al buses on December 5, 1955 changed his mind. Dr. King said he watched one bus after another usually filled with African American workers, pass by him empty. He realized a miracle had taken place when he saw masses of people walking, hitchhiking and even driving farm equipment to work. “I knew that there is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.” Although still fearful and struggling with feelings of inadequacy, he made a decision right then and there to get involved and thank God he did.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was Susan B. Anthony’s best friend and a pioneer of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. Although Susan B. Anthony played a crucial role in women’s rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton often wrote her speeches and it was her who first suggested women should have the right to vote, even when other women activists thought that was going too far.

The deciding moment for Stanton was when her father who supported her no matter what she achieved told her “Elizabeth, if only you were a boy.” He knew that no matter what she achieved she would always have limitations placed on her because of gender. This made her more determined than ever to be the equal of any man and to work to create a society that would encourage rather than discourage female achievement. All of us women who work outside the home, run for and hold elected office, own property, are partners with our husbands instead of being property, start our own businesses, and live life on our own terms have Elizabeth Cady Stanton to thank.

Henry Bergh is the father of the animal rights movement. He founded the first SPCA in the United States and oversaw the passage of the nation’s first anti-cruelty law. He dedicated his life to enforcing this law and was also the first to challenge the round up and killing of stray dogs.

He was born the wealthy son of a NYC shipbuilder in the middle of the 19th Century, and his ambition was to become a diplomat. He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to the court of the Czar in St. Petersburg, Russia. One day while riding through the city he came across a Russian peasant beating his donkey. Disgusted, he ordered the man to stop immediately. The man did due to the fact that he was a wealthy well-dressed gentleman who held an official position. This moment was Bergh’s awakening and from then on he dedicated his life to the humane movement in America.

Bergh awakened the collective public consciousness about animal rights which in turn led straight to the No Kill movement today. All of the animal organizations that exist today do so because of him. More importantly, all of our beloved pets and every other animal who has legal protection by law can thank Henry Bergh.

Flying Light and Free

Paige — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:52:33 +0000

Plane waiting to leave from a hassle-free Costa Rica Airport

Airline travel is anything but simple these days. Between having to arrive at the airport hours ahead of time and waiting in line to be photographed nude by the TSA, flying is enough to make one yearn for the days of the horse and buggy. Disclaimer: I’m not against taking precautions to make air travel safe, but intrusive X- ray machines and TSA agents patting down three year olds and little old ladies in wheelchairs personally does not make me feel any safer. But that’s a different rant so I’ll spare you my politics on the subject.

While making an airline reservation this past week I realized I was about to embark on Flight Number 4 for the year with another three more trips on the horizon before 2012. Although I don’t consider myself a frequent traveler I do travel on average 5-6 times a year. Always on the quest to make my journeys as simple as possible, I get better at it the more I do it.

A few weeks ago my boss and I traveled to Washington D. C. for a conference. We set out to travel as simply as possible and I’m happy to report that our mission was accomplished. Our experience was hassle free as we floated through the airport smoothly and comfortably. Our trip was so easy that she suggested I write a blog post about travelling minimally. I decided to follow her suggestion. Below is a recap of what we did to simplify the flying experience and actually enjoy it in the process.

We printed out our boarding passes ahead of time. This is nothing new to most people but it’s a great time saver especially if you aren’t checking luggage. We walked into the airport and went straight to security and then to our gate. We also found out that most airlines now allow you to download your boarding pass to your smart phone. Talk about clutter free. We said we’ll both be doing that on future trips so we don’t have to keep up with yet another piece of paper.
Get to the airport as early as possible. It’s better to have extra time hanging out in the waiting room than to be stuck in the security line hyperventilating because your flight might leave without you.
We each brought one small bag on wheels. In my opinion bringing as little luggage as possible is the most liberating thing you can do for yourself when you travel. Feeling bogged down with a bunch of luggage is complicated and makes you edgy.
Pack less than you think you will need. I know it’s scary to set out on your journey with so few items but try it. See if you don’t prefer traveling light as opposed to bringing all those “just in case” items.
Don’t bring duplicate items if you can avoid it especially if you have a traveling companion. For example, we knew we wouldn’t be spending that much time on the computer but did want to bring one so we packed one laptop between the two of us and shared it. Both of our phones have internet access so we were able to check email and look up anything we might need to on the web.
Unless you are flying an airline that you know provides good food, buy something in the airport before you board the plane. We both knew that although we were about to embark on a five hour flight, American Airlines would not provide as much as a small bag of pretzels and would charge for all food items. Since we could potentially be at the mercy of a menu we didn’t like, we purchased something simple that we could share before we boarded the plane. In our case, we chose a vegetarian bowl with rice, beans, salsa, lettuce, guacamole and corn chips. Much better than the snack pack full of processed food for $12.00! We also saved money by sharing. Most restaurant portions are so huge that it makes sense from a health and cost perspective to share.
Wear comfortable shoes that are easy to slip on and slip off. I’m all about comfortable shoes and you will not find any stiletto heels in my closet. Traveling in flat comfortable shoes makes it easy to remove your shoes while going through security and you can slip them off on the plane and give your feet a rest.
We didn’t bring stacks of reading material in hopes that we would get around to reading it. I know many times in the past I have brought several books with me while traveling thinking that I would get to them all. I now bring one book and focus on that. Reading books on an electronic reader is another way to save space especially if you do want to bring multiple reading materials.
Enjoy being unplugged. My boss and I mentioned several times to each other how great it was to have several hours where we didn’t feel like we had to be checking our cell phones or email.
Don’t be afraid of boredom on long flights. You don’t have to watch the movie, you don’t have to read your novel, and you don’t have to converse with any of the other passengers. Maybe you will want to nap or listen to soothing music on your headset. Or maybe you’ll decide to do nothing at all because sitting there and simply being with yourself can be quite profound.

(If you’d like to read more about living simply and changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

Simplifying Further in a Fast Paced World

Paige — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:02:11 +0000

Beautiful Lake in Orlando, FL

The world seems to keep spinning faster and faster and sometimes I just can’t keep up. Often, I don’t even want to keep up. Do any of us ever keep up anyway and if so is the prize worth it? My head starts to oscillate when the world is coming at me from all directions. Is the world moving faster or is it just my imagination?

Here’s a fun scientific tidbit to contemplate. According to Mark Reid of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, “It turns out that our solar system is moving nearly 100,000 m.p.h. faster than previously thought — revolving around the center of the Milky Way at 568,000 m.p.h.” I’m no scientific expert but this does make sense. If you’re like me and you’re fascinated by science, you can read more about this at: Time.com.

As one who has worked for years to simply my life, I have to admit 2011 and my new part time job (which I do love by the way) has given me a run for my money. When life gets to be too much I have to consciously step back and ask myself what can I do to simplify further? I obviously can’t control others but I can control my reactions to what’s going on around me and I can make changes. Below is a list of some things I’m working on to bring my life back into balance and simplify even further.

Prioritizing my day: I’m learning that not everything on my “to do” list needs to be done every day. I get done what absolutely has to be done and everything else can wait if need be. The reality is I can’t do it all contrary to what the expectations of those around me may be. I am not “Super Woman” and that’s ok.

Turning off my cell phone when I need a break: I love cell phones and how they can make communication easier. What I don’t love is being expected to call or text someone back 10 seconds later just because someone decided to contact me. Maybe I’m in the shower or as unfathomable as it may seem, I decided to go for a walk on the beach sans my little Star Trek gadget.

Tossing out the excess: Getting rid of paper and electronic clutter as soon as it makes its way to me makes my work and home environment more peaceful and manageable. The info on business cards can be quickly entered into my computer address book and then thrown out. Junk mail and spam is obviously thrown out right away. Ditto for any other physical or electronic documents that I don’t need to keep.

Wearing comfortable shoes: I like a cute sandal or dress shoe as much as the next gal but what I like more is comfort. Wearing shoes that I barely notice are on my feet make life so much easier. Better yet, going barefoot feels even better. So many things in life are out of our control but we can make sure our feet feel good which in turn makes us feel good.

Spending more time with my animals: My cats always make me feel better. Whether it’s petting them or watching them play with their favorite toys, being with my felines never fails to put me in a good mood. My turtle Speed is also fascinating to watch.

Eating light: Eating too much or too heavily makes me feel weighted down and tired. Eating light gives me more energy. I also make sure I eat what I love. If you hate a particular food don’t feel you have to eat it just because it’s healthy. Eat only those healthy foods you love because what we eat should be a pleasurable experience.

Opting out of text messaging conversations: I don’t mind if someone texts me to communicate a simple message but long drawn out text conversations are anything but simple for me. I now give the person texting me a call and tell them I would prefer we resolve the issue via email or phone, because I can type or talk faster than I can text.

Declining social invitations when they don’t work for me: I have some friends who invite me to get together socially only when it works for their job schedule or that of their children. Although I don’t blame people for asking to get together when it works for them (we all do this), I am learning that I don’t need to feel guilty if the time doesn’t work for me. Just because someone has a demanding job or chose to have children does not mean I have to always be the one to accommodate and compromise. My schedule is equally important.

Doing something fun: Sometimes I get so busy with working and taking care of life’s daily chores that I forget to have fun and do something for me. This might mean working a crossword puzzle or reading a mystery novel. It may be an impromptu coffee date with a friend or better yet – it may be doing absolutely nothing at all!

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)