Making Do With Less

We live in a society that seems to be largely focused on monetary wealth and material things. Too often, we focus so much on earning money and trying to get "ahead" that we don't realize that we're spending our time on making and spending money, rather than spending that time doing things we actually enjoy or with our loved ones. If you have to ask yourself if you are too focused on acquiring wealth and material things, chances are, you are.

Instead of worrying about what you don't have or trying so hard to acquire that which you do not have, try being thankful for what you do have and asking yourself if that which you are striving for is really something you NEED. Can you make do with less? Can you make do without that which you are working so hard to acquire? There are a few basic necessities in life - food, clothing, shelter, transportation... These do not have to be elaborate, name-brand or "fancy. " We only need that which sustains us and allows us to live in reasonable comfort.

Anything else besides things we "need" and keepsakes, is just extra "fluff." Trust me, we could all probably get by with a lot less than what we do.. unless you are already homeless or destitute, you probably have unneccessary items and unneccessary expenses. When the tornado took out my life as I knew it last year, my kids and I had our lives turned completely upside down, but we also began to look at it as a blessing in disguise, because we needed to downsize and de-clutter our home and our life.

My point is, making do with less isn't about living "poor" or being poor... it's about being happy with what you have in the true context of what it is. Focus your life on other people and being happy, not how much you can make, spend or acquire.

BUY MY NEW BOOK HERE!!!!

Beginning Self-Inventory

There comes a point in everyone's life where they begin questioning themselves, their circumstances, how they got to the point they are and they ponder their future.

I know this, because I'm doing it myself. I have reached a point in my life where I question all things - both good and bad - and I am making decisions as I go along.

A lot of self-inventory has occurred. And I'm still nowhere near finished. I find that I am questioning things about my past, my present and my future. More importantly, I am beginning to truly discover who I am and where I am going in my life, what I want out of my life and what I want for my children.

What's most important in a self-inventory is to be completely honest with yourself. When you ask yourself questions, you owe it to yourself to give completely honest answers. This has been a very difficult process for me, because I've had to face a lot of decisions that *I* made and the fact that a lot of those choices led myself down some very wrong paths in my life.

It's so easy to blame others or to use excuses when we don't want to face the flaws within ourselves or accept the decisions we've made as our own. I'm not talking about tearing yourself down or hating yourself, just honest acceptance and accountability.

When you reach the point of honesty and openness with YOURSELF, then making the right choices for yourself is a whole lot easier. I find myself crying and laughing at times, sometimes at the same time, but yet, I'm still here and I'm moving forward. This time, I think it's in the right direction. Time will tell, but at least I feel good about the steps I'm taking.

A big, positive change in a positive direction. Another day, another chance. Sometimes another chance and hope are all we have to hold onto.