If I’ve learned anything on this journey toward simplicity and peace, it’s that contentment is the quiet key to happiness. Not the kind of happiness that comes and goes with circumstances — but the deep, steady kind that lives beneath it all. The kind that doesn’t depend on what I own, how the day unfolds, or what’s happening in the world around me. True contentment gives me the ability to live peacefully in my everyday, no matter what life brings. It steadies my mind and sof

Three years ago, at 51, I made a decision that shocked everyone — including myself. I walked away from the life I had carefully built for more than three decades. If you’ve ever felt trapped by circumstances, too afraid to make a change, or convinced that you’re “too old” to start over, I hope my story reminds you that it’s never too late to dream again. The Life I Built vs. The Life I Wanted For 32 years, I lived what looked like a perfectly good life. I became a mom at 19 a

Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? We plan, we prepare, we try to control the details, and yet it unfolds in ways we never expect. For a long time, I resisted that unpredictability. I wanted certainty, safety, something I could hold onto. But everything changed when I embraced one simple, but powerful shift in perspective: I began saying yes to life. And I don’t mean yes to everything on my calendar or every request someone makes of me. I mean yes to life itself — t

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

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

“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’

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

"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

"You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside." - Wayne Dyer We waste so much time and energy on things we can not control. We can not control the economy or the government. We can not control other people's opinions or actions. We allow other people to determine what we will do, how we will act, and who we will become. Sometimes it seems more natural to conform to others vision for us than to cr

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results. " - Willie Nelson We have about 60,000 thoughts a day. That's a lot of thoughts rambling around our heads. These thoughts have a direct impact on our moods, how we see ourselves and the world around us. Our thoughts shape who we are and who we will become. They are always with us, day and night, whispering to us. What are your thoughts whispe

"Balance is the key to everything. What we do, think, say, eat, feel, they all require awareness and through this awareness, we can grow." - Koi Fresco Do you ever feel out of balance? In the Wheel of Life, how do you find balance? If you are busy with work, your home life seems to take the back seat of your focus. You may be having a blast on vacation, but in the back of your mind, you are worried about your finances. You've never looked better and felt healthi

"The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are." - Goldie Hawn Happiness. Happiness can seem so elusive at times. Like a magical unicorn that only exists in fairy tales. It looks like just a few lucky people are truly happy. What do they know that the rest of us don't? Can everyone and anyone be happy? How can I be happy? Yes, everyone and anyone can be happy. I