My Simpler Life – Simple Living
My Simpler Life – Simple Living - Encouraging you in creating a saner, simpler life
  • Simple Writings
  • Free Peace
  • Shop and Events
  • Become a Client
  • Media Room
  • Contact
Browsing Category
Contribution
Contribution

Simplify for the Environment

Blog Action Day

Note: This post is my contribution to Blog Action Day, joining thousands of other bloggers to write about one topic for a single day. This year’s topic is the environment.

Most people are concerned about the environment, but in people’s busy lives it is easy to put caring for the environment below more “urgent” concerns. But each of us can make small changes that impact the world. I see more and more people taking action and through this action we will see a better environment.

Here are some changes I have made, and see if they are things you could do:

  • Recycling
  • Using environmentally friendly cleaners
  • Working from home – no commute
  • Walking or biking when possible
  • Bringing our egg cartons back to the farmer’s son that sells us brown eggs so they can reuse
  • Getting as much local food as possible so less fuel for the commute
  • Fixing things that have broken and then we don’t have to buy a new one
  • Taking good care of our things so they last
  • Buying things used
  • Bringing our canvas bag to the stores so we don’t need as many bags
  • Thinking before buying something
  • A month long spending fast each year
  • Replacing our iridescent light bulbs with fluorescent
  • Buying many foods that are organic
  • Living in a small, older home
  • Gardening

Next up: Learning about good for the environment cosmetics and cooking more from scratch

What are some things you are doing for the environment or plan to do?

Share:
Contribution•Relationships•Simplicity

What Will You Wish

I was reading an article in this month’s Guideposts magazine. A quote popped out at me. It went something like, “At the end of life, know one wished they spent more time at the mall.”

Think of all the purchases you have made in the last few months. How many do you even remember? How many are making a lasting impact of joy in your life?

In many cases your money can be better spent in saving for the future, paying off debt, or in experiences like plays, music, traveling and lunches out with friends.

Our best memories are usually of people we love doing things we love.

Share:
Contribution

Running for a Cause

My sister Debbie has decided to run a half marathon. I am so proud of her. She really is not a runner, but has been looking for more opportunities to serve. She is busy with two social work jobs and with her church, but this is a cause close to both our hearts.

She is running to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our Uncle John died of leukemia way too young, when his son was just a tiny boy. So many of the patients are just kids or young people.

You can read more or donate at http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/Gambino.

Share:
Contribution•Finance

Richer than you think?

Earlier this year I wrote a post on Are You Rich? where I showed how you may be richer than you think. Well now you can find out exactly how rich you are.

“Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world. Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here’s your chance to find out.”

Challenge your perception of wealth:

Global Rich List

Share:
Contribution•Finance•Technology

Get rid of junk mail

How many hours does junk mail waste for you?

There are places to write and things to do to get you off some of those lists. But, it can be hard to make the time.

You can go to Green Dimes and they will get you off the junk mail and catalog lists. They will also plant a tree each month you are a member.

It’s $36.00 per year, which I don’t think is too much considering the time savings and the good impact on the environment. I’ll be waiting till June, however, due to the Spending Fast I’m on.

Share:
Contribution

Why I Blog

Why I Blog has been asked and answered by many bloggers lately. The Stubborn Capitalist (a great personal finance blogger) has tagged me to answer that question.

Why I Blog:

Teaching- My Mom and Grandma have both been teachers and I inherited the love of passing on information I learn. I get excited about a nugget of information I read about, experiment with, or discover and I want to share it.

Ingraining the information in myself- The more I write about something, the more it becomes ingrained in who I am. Making it easier to make the right choices.

Sharing growth – Sometimes I use the blog to document my progress in an area and get people to join me – like the 30 day spending fast. It’s always more fun to make a change with others as we support each other.

Writing is in my blood – I have been journaling offline and in recent years online. I can’t seem to help myself.

And now I will tag some people to let us know why they blog:

Ariane from Neat LivingÂ

Marcia from Take Charge of Your Life

Kim from Swingset Reflections

Jay from Juggling Sheep

Â

Share:
Contribution•Simplicity

Reason #1 to Simplify Your Life

Today I am beginning a series on why it’s important to simplify your life. Often people have vague ideas that simplifying their life will make them less stressed and happier. But, without specifics “simplifying” never reaches high on the priority list.

Reason #1 to Simplify Your Life

Part of you that you could be sharing with the world is hidden under overwhelm and busyness. Maybe you have a dream that you want to help with the environment, but you can never make the time. Or you’d love to volunteer with kids, but where are you going to fit it in your schedule. Perhaps you’d love to light up a room with your humor, but you are so stressed nothing seems funny.

Or worse yet, you could be so busy, so scattered and running so fast you don’t even know what your gifts are. You don’t know what your passions are. You haven’t felt truly alive in a very long time.

The world doesn’t need another unhappy, overstresed martyr. The world needs vibrant, passionate, caring people.

By simplifying your life, you could create time to pursue your passions. Or uncover them. Even if you just simplify enough to be able to write an environmental letter to your congressman, you are starting to bloom. You will have a little more joy and aliveness.

And maybe that leads to some more simplifying to create room for volunteering every few months at an environmental group. Then you are volunteering regularly. Your life feels fulfilling.

What is one of your passions? Is it worth simplifying your life for?

Reason #2: You are in too much debt

Share:
Contribution•Personal Growth•Quotes

Good news

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” – Anne Frank

This is excellent news. And one I truly believe. You are all valuable and are needed in this world.

Share:
Contribution

Designing a Creative Business

I found this great article for those of you who are thinking of starting or are in your own business: Designing a Creative Business.

I am working on creating an even more nourishing workspace. I already have a dream board up helping me plan, holding a picture by Kerri Smith on being a superhero, a list of my goals, and of relaxing things to do. I want to get rid of some paper piles that accumulated over the Christmas season. I’d like to get some nature in here in the form of a fountain or a plant.

I also love her idea of listing your favorite things to do and incorporating them into your work. I am already able to do that with photography that I can post to my blog, writing for articles and programs, designing for my website, the calendar, some upcoming programs. I am going to think of what else I can incorporate.

How is your work, working for you?

Share:
Contribution

Voting

For other Michiganders, you can view your ballot online before hand: http://www.publius.org/. I am sure other states have something similar also.

Have you researched the proposals, local people, and national people we are voting on? I’ve been reading, discussing and planning on what I am going to do at the polls. If you are planning to vote (and I urge you to), know what the issues, people and proposals are before Nov. 2. As we found out the last election, every vote matters.

Share:
Page 3 of 4«1234»
Get Your Free Calendar

declutter habit
Paperback
eBook

Starts Jan. 20, 2020

Declutter Group

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Recent Posts

Just Do It, Yea Right

December 1, 2019
8 Things You Might Not Know Your Garden Needs

8 Things You Might Not Know Your Garden Needs

November 21, 2019
A Beautiful Life

A Beautiful Life

November 17, 2019

Pressure, perfectionism and grace

October 19, 2019

Autumn is…

September 23, 2019

Recent Comments

  • Beth Dargis on The Gifts of Waiting
  • Cheryl on The Gifts of Waiting
  • Allison on Just Do It, Yea Right
  • Beth Dargis on Keeping up appearances or priorities?
  • Beth Dargis on A Less Expensive, More Meaningful Christmas

Categories

Archives

Instagram post 2188833732039607102_261579023 Took a windy wander in my small town and saw they have been decorating for Christmas
Instagram post 2185245340540768880_261579023 Walking at the wetlands before the sun goes down
Instagram post 2159197682909224473_261579023 Image for post 2159197682909224473_261579023
Instagram post 2139714603561614125_261579023 We saw the eagle today on our walk at Grand Ravines
Instagram post 2127818861609496706_261579023 Remembering not everything has to be perfect. All done except for one missing piece which probably became a cat toy.
Instagram post 2107078569099396299_261579023 Fire time
Follow on Instagram

© 2019 MySimplerLife, LLC
PO Box 408 Zeeland MI 49464 | Privacy Policy
Hosting by SiteGround
Bucket List