Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Have you heard the term "beauty culture"?  According to encyclopedia.com , it's the system of beliefs and practices that dictate a society's standards of attractiveness.  It influences how we perceive and pursue beauty, whether through cosmetics, fashion, grooming services, diets, gym memberships, surgery, or something else. In our society, beauty culture is influenced by all forms of media, and it's big business.  Huge business , in fact.  The cosmetic industry, the fashion industry, the diet industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and so many more industries benefit from our beliefs that beauty exists only in narrow parameters beauty is essential for finding love and happiness the pursuit of beauty is worth any amount of money, time, effort, and attention "beauty rituals" equal positive self-care What beauty culture says about us Beauty standards are often an expression of prejudice.  But honestly, determining someone's value by how they look is som...

We tend to think of anxiety as a bad thing, and do a lot to avoid it or numb ourselves to it.  But anxiety isn't always an enemy.  It's an alarm system.  It's our bodies' and brains' way of getting our attention and letting us know that something is wrong.  Just like a smoke alarm lets us know there's a fire, anxiety is a signal that alerts us to danger. Constant, low-level anxiety has several negative results for our mental and physical health, so it's important to figure out the cause and take what steps we can to relieve it.  Of course, we can't insure ourselves against every bad thing, but often there are steps we can take to gain more control and make our situation better. In other words, don't ignore the smoke alarm, or let it continue to sound off.  Put out the fire! The sources of financial anxiety When it comes to personal finances, many of us are playing with a dangerous, raging fire.  Just consider some of this data from the United States,...

The problem may have started when you were a teenager.  Someone sold you on the idea that clothes were a fun way to express yourself – as long as you did it right so you could fit in with the cool kids.  So you stopped wanting to wear anything your mom liked and started to go your own way. Freedom!  It was going to be so great, and you were going to look so cute. But then you found out that getting just the right clothes and outfits was hard, and if you got it somehow "wrong," you'd feel uncomfortable all day.  Clothes became a source of daily stress .  You spent your entire allowance trying to look good, and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.  You always believed you were just a purchase or two (or a shopping spree or two) from "getting it right," so you kept trying. Fast forward to today, and your closet is crammed with lots of different pieces.  Some of them you wear, and a lot of them you don't.  Not all of them fit, not all of them...

A minimalist home is more than a neutral color scheme, modern furniture, and perfect organization.  It starts with looking inward and thinking about what you love so those things can be reflected in your surroundings.  As Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist says, "Minimalism is the intentional promotion of what we most value by removing anything that distracts from it." That's a good thing, because even though I'm a minimalist, and my home has neutral, warm white walls, my color scheme includes navy blue, apple green, and sunflower yellow.  I use my parents' 60-year-old Early American maple dresser every day, and decorate with vintage blue and white English ironstone. Be intentional. Minimalism isn't about owning the fewest things or about adopting a severe, utilitarian aesthetic.  It's about knowing what you need and letting go of things you don't.  You're rewarded with a more open space that leaves room for people instead of things, allowing yo...

As we enter the New Year, we start thinking about what we want the upcoming days to hold.  Many people make resolutions for self-improvement, and even if you choose not to codify your desires in that way, you probably still have some.  Maybe you want to lose weight, gain physical fitness, or save for a trip.  Whatever you're planning, the idea of a fresh start is exciting and hopeful. I've seen criticisms of minimalism that insist that it dampens your sense of progress and any desire you might have to grow and achieve beyond what you currently have.  One post I read by blogger Jack Waters included this reproach: Wanting things is the fabric that holds our society together.  If I don't want the promotion, or the better house, or the Porsche, then what am I working towards? His complaint is that if minimalism makes you satisfied with less, you stagnate.  By controlling desires and being comfortable with a simpler life, he argues, humans would cease creating....

My oldest grandson just had his 10th birthday.  Double digits!  It's a milestone.  His younger brother lost his first tooth not too long ago.  And the youngest of all is so proud that he's now out of diapers. Change is the one constant in life.  It's the one thing we can count on. Some changes are within our choice, such as beginning a new habit, starting a new job, buying a bigger house or downsizing to a smaller one.  Others are out of our control, such as births, illness, aging, or economic booms and downturns.  But even when circumstances are not of our choosing, we still decide how we'll respond and what our attitude will be. Of course, not all change is progress.  Many people immediately assume that any new technology or social movement must be an improvement, but that's not always the case.  Others assume that new trends or innovations are inevitably bad – which is also untrue. A new job can mean more opportunities and higher pay, but ...