Donald Trump has lit a fire in me

Donald Trump has inspired me. Lit a fire, to be exact. I know we’re up to our eyeballs in angry, divisive, political rhetoric and we can’t stand it for one more minute.   But Mr. Trump’s Access Hollywood tape has stirred me to write about something deeply important  –  to all of us. I’m talking about the tape where Mr. Trump brags about sexually assaulting women. And I’m talking about the way he has demeaned both both women and men all throughout this political season. The put-downs, the threats, the demeaning talk. As human beings, we can do so much better than this. So, why would this inspire me –  light a big fire? Because I write about how to simplify your life, and Mr. Trump’s demeaning talk has awakened in me the true meaning of simplicity – the heart of it all. Let me explain. Most people think that simplifying your […]

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Why you should eat a hearty vegan breakfast – and how to do it

I’ve been conflicted about what to eat for breakfast. Are you, too? Is it healthier to eat a vegan breakfast, even though I’m hungry shortly after eating something like oatmeal and fruit? Or is it better to eat high protein with eggs or eggs and bacon? At least that way I feel full. But is it healthy? Let’s talk about it, and then I’ll give you recipes and a plan. I just watched a great health video – Forks over Knives, and I’m also reading a book on preventing heart disease through lifestyle and diet changes, not pills. It’s called 30 Days to Natural Blood Pressure Control, by David DeRose, MD.  Both the video and the book lay out a very convincing argument that a vegan diet is healthiest. What Harvard Medical School says about diet I can’t go into details here, but I encourage you to watch the video and read […]

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Should anxiety and fear make decisions for you?

Let’s say you want to let go of something, like leaving your job or leaving a relationship that’s not working, but you feel scared or sad about it – anything but happy. Should you stay because you don’t want to experience anxious or sad feelings? I talked about this in my last two posts on getting rid of stuff – asking, should you hang on to a certain item that’s clearly not serving you – but you feel too much sadness to let it go? But what about those huge issues – jobs, relationships, places to live and so on? Should your level of anxiety and sadness make your decisions for you? What if you’ve put a lot of thought into leaving your job because the negatives are outweighing the positives in a big way, but you’re scared? You’re scared that you won’t find another job you like, or that you […]

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It’s hard to let go

Last post I wrote about the banjo I hadn’t used but couldn’t give up. It sits back in its original place at home, propped up against the wall, still collecting dust, but still bringing a little smile to my face for whatever crazy reason. But now I’m having a hard time giving up even more stuff I don’t use – haven’t used. I thought I had it all together in the getting-rid-of-stuff department. Thought I was the expert in letting go, the expert in simple living, the one with all the answers about getting rid of what you don’t love and use. Hmm. I’m having a hard time. After my banjo, it was my grandma’s old amber glass cocktail set. I’d been storing a few boxes of these lovely things for years and never used them. But I kept them, thinking one day I’d bring them out and have a […]

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