I think we have all felt this at the start of a new year: “I feel behind. Everyone else seems to know what they’re doing, and I don’t.” And I understand that feeling well from my own experience. When a new year begins, there’s a quiet pressure in the air. New goals, plans and expectations. We’re told this is the moment to reset our lives, to finally get everything together. But for many women in midlife, that message doesn’t feel motivating. It feels heavy. If the idea of a “

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned on my minimalist journey is this: simple pleasures don’t have to cost much, and often, the cheaper they are, the richer you feel. Minimalism, at its heart, is about removing what isn’t necessary so that the simple becomes exquisite. It shows up in art, music, architecture, and for me… it shows up in everyday living. When I apply this idea to my well-being, everything becomes lighter. I live richly without spending much. I feel satisfie

It’s never too late to change your life. A couple of times a year, I reflect on the passing of time and the life I’m living my birthday, and the end of the year. These are natural times to evaluate the past year and also to look ahead.   Asking questions like, How do I feel about the past year? Do I like the direction my life is going? What changes would I like to implement? “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” - Carol Burnette I’ve had many past years when i

By letting go of expectations I’m lighter and more carefree. I think we all have expectations. Expecting things to happen a certain way, people to behave in a certain manner, and outcomes to be a certain result. But what happens when these expectations are not met? Disappointment, stress, and frustration are just a few of the negative emotions that can arise. “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” -Alexander Pope When I expect certain outcome

Living an authentic, simple life has its beauty and challenges. There is an art to living an authentic life. “True happiness and true power lies in understanding and accepting oneself.” -Thich Nhat Hann I’ve been mindfully simplifying my life for years. Eliminating items that take my attention away from the things I value most. Simplifying my possessions, lifestyle, personal habits, routines, work, and relationships. I’ve made mention before, that I have a brain injury which

It’s all about finding the calm in the chaos. Life can feel like it’s racing forward, and I’m hanging on the tail end, just trying to keep up with the avalanche of activities. Somedays, I feel like the day is a blur of emails, kids’ schedules, managing the household, meetings, and deadlines. I know it’s time to slow down when I’m craving moments of calm. After years of living mindfully, I know that I have the power to calm my busy mind. Each minute I can reduce overstimulatio

“Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essentials. Eliminate the rest.” - Leo Babauta A simpler time is something many dreams. We crave simplicity, happiness, and ease of life. The world seems to be growing more chaotic and moving away from simplicity with each passing year. Is a simpler life possible in the busy chaos of modern life, or is simplicity lost in the decades past of simpler times? Do

“Sometimes you just have to slow down to get back to where we want to be.” -Henry Allen We all know that life can get very busy and crazy sometimes. A reset routine can help get our lives back on track. When my life feels like it’s moving faster than I can keep up, it’s nice to have a weekly reset routine for my mind, body, and spirit to help me recenter. Taking a pause is just what I need to regroup, and see the world with a fresh perspective. When I’m grounded and calm I’

Simplicity boils down to two things: Identify the essentials. Eliminate the rest I have simplified my life with these five easy habits, making my life less stressful and more fulfilling. I hope these simplifying habits will bring you calm and peace. Many times, I have felt like I was juggling too many things in my life. I was trying to do everything, and nothing was getting done well. I realized that to lessen my stress. I needed to simplify my life by eliminating physical cl

Mindful living is a lifelong journey. Honor wherever you are. Using minimalist habits to live intentionally is a simple way to transform your life. I'm sharing eight minimalist practices for a simple, mindful life. I've been practicing living mindfully for over 20 years. I have found that using simple mindful habits is the easiest way to slow down and simplify my life. 1. Be aware of your choices. Intentional living is about making conscious choices that align with our valu

We can all use a little bit of joy in our lives. Finding little moments of joy can help with my overall well-being and mental health. I'd like to share ten little ways I find joy and happiness in my daily life. As I become more mindful of how I want to feel, I have made joy and happiness my priority. My life is more enjoyable when I pepper a few of these joyful moments throughout my day. I hope that these simple tips bring you joy too. 1. Cultivate Gratitude It's impossible t

I live mindfully and simplify wherever I can. I notice that when I started incorporating these habits into my life, I became happier. If you have wanted to slow down and live simply and mindfully, I hope that these five simple habits will help you along your path. 1. Self-Inquiry The more transparent we are about our values, and how we want to feel, the simpler life becomes. Taking time to do a little self-inquiry can shine a light on what we value most can impact our choices

Mindfulness, to me, is about being aware of my surrounding, my thoughts, and my actions. Over the years, I have adopted some morning rituals that have enriched my life. I thought I would share these with you in hopes that they will bring you a little joy and happiness. My slow mornings have become an essential part of my day. I cherish the quiet morning hours. I begin my day by drinking a large glass of lukewarm wake me up, water to help with digestion, circulation to organs.

Being present is easier said than done. I've been living mindfully for years, but I'm not a zen master. Mindfulness is a lifelong practice. Harvard study found that we spend 50% of our time not thinking about what we are doing. We think about our past or worrying about the future, sometimes we are consumed by what we need to do that day. However, our thoughts are not in the present moment. Making small steps to be mindful and live in the present is a gift to yourself. Living

I'm sharing 15 very unusual things I don't buy anymore as I try to live a mindful minimalist lifestyle. I thought this could be a fun topic as many people are curious about minimalism. We started our minimalism journey in 2008. During the past 13 years, we have lived in houses, RV, and nomadically while traveling globally. As each change in our lifestyle, so did some of the things we bought. There is no right or wrong way to be a minimalist. Minimalism should be personalized

One thing that I embrace in my life is keeping things simple. Today I'm going to be sharing ways that I live simply, mindfully, and incorporate minimalism. I feel better when I live simply. It makes a difference in how I live and brings me peace of mind. I hope you enjoy these tips, and they bring you peace of mind too. 1.Turn off unnecessary notifications on the phone, computer, and tablets. Only keep the notifications you need, like phone calls and texts. Turn off those a

The world moves faster and faster. With technology pushing for quicker, more productive, and efficient results, we begin to get caught up in the fast-paced rush of life. We look for immediate results. But is this fast-paced, productive, immediate gratification life good for us? In this evolving, fast-paced world, many people gravitate to a slower, more mindful life, craving a sense of balance and peace. Mindful living does not need to happen overnight. You can introduce slow

"Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blue print and begin to build it." - Robert Collier Visualization is tremendously powerful! There is one common thread with successful people, they all believe in and practice visualization. They know how impactful visualizing yourself living your future life is. If you listen to any famous actor, athlete, CEO, or top performer they will all share a story about h

"Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways." - Jerry Corsten Why is it so difficult to love ourselves? Why do we feel unlovable? Why are we our own worst critic? When loving yourself feels so far away from where you are standing, how do you get back to a place where you like yourself again? Loving yourself, all starts with

"Live your life, take chances, be crazy. Don't wait. Because right now you are the oldest you have ever been and the youngest you'll ever be." - Suzanne Collins This is it! This is the only life you have. Live every moment. Start living fully today. It is the moments now that make up your life. You are where you are in life because of what you chose to do at the moment. Everything that happens in your