Bad Attitudes Aren't Cool!

Sometimes, in todays ever casual when it comes to language world, bad can mean really good or cool. When it comes to "Bad Attitudes", bad really does mean bad!

I've been a non-conformist as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, many of the friends I attracted into my life seemed to me at the time to share my disdain for conformity. When I look back on my life from my mature vantage point I can see that most of them just had "bad attitudes". As a mature, well adjusted, adult (still very much a non-conformist), I encounter a great many people with bad attitudes who conform very much to societal pressures, mass media, and marketing. My attitude has always been an allowing attitude, though I may not have fully realized it in younger years.

Let me explain what I mean by "allowing attitude", it's kind of a two sided idea. In my mind, I've always felt that people should be allowed whatever it is that pleases them or brings them joy. The other side to it, is that I want to allow all the things that bring me joy to come to me. If a person puts on an ugly mask or a bad attitude that's not going to be very inviting to any happiness or joy.

Think about what kind of attitude you have. Are you walking around with a chip on your shoulder? Maybe it's time to stop and evaluate just what kind of things that "chip" has brought into your life. Changing your attitude is easy, and you are the only one who can do it. No one else can change it for you.

New Year's Resolutions

It's early January, and many people are talking about the changes they want to make in there lives. Some are expressing hopes of making the coming year better than the last. I don't understand why so many people wait for a milestone day like New Year's, to try and make their life what they really want it to be.

In my mind, who I appear to be today is a reflection of who I was yesterday. I don't make New Year's Resolutions! I'll change what ever it is I don't like about myself or my behaviors and habits any old day of the year. I sometimes even break it down in smaller increments, and change my thought and behavior patterns in an instant, not even waiting for a new day, month, or year!

I guess if the perceived prospects of what the new year may hold for you, is some kind of motivator causing you to make changes and mold life more to your liking it's not such a bad thing. All too many start out hot and heavy with unrealistic personal goals, and quickly get discouraged when they can't live up to their own expectaions. Sweeping all of last year's bad habits and short comings under the carpet over the course of one night seems like a tall order to me.

My personal self improvement approach is to be a better person today than I was yesterday. For two reasons...

1.Baby steps are a lot easier to take than olympic feats!

2.There is no time like the present! Why wait for some imaginary line in time to get what you want in life?

A strategy I mentioned elsewhere on this blog, was to set your self up for a good day by starting out with an easily achieved task, progressively moving on to more challenging ones. Success feels good, and puts you in a frame of mind to follow it with more of the same. Why not take the same approach to changing your life for the better? Pick something you can chage instantly, and be done with it before moving on to something that's more of a challenging adjustment.

No matter what, changing your life to reflect more of what you want and love is a truly great thing. No matter what vehicle you choose to make those changes or what the catalyst may be...I wish you well.

It's so Simple I think I've covered it All

The original aim of this blog, was to communicate my thoughts on how you can find contentment and achieve a simple happy life. My ideas are so simple, that I think I've expressed them all to you. At least the core ideas, that make me content and happy. I constantly evolve those philosophies on a personal level, and you should also.

So for now, I think I'll cap this blog off with this post. Maybe as we head into winter I'll realize something that I forgot to outline here on the blog...at which point I'll post it for you all. There should be plenty of concepts already posted on the blog. Those of you who are interested in trying to work these ideas out and apply them to your own life will certainly need some time to do so.

Good luck! I know you can find happiness and contentment if you really want it. Just remember to get out of your own way!

Take care...

P.S. Don't be stingy and try to keep all this info for yourself! Share it with anyone you think may benefit from it.

How to Simplify for Contentment

In my last blog post I talked about simplifying your life to help acheive contentment. I linked to a very helpful book on the subject. In this post I'd like to discuss some of my own ideas on the subject. Hope I can help you strip down to find happiness!

One of the first places to start is your driveway. What are you driving? Is it an expensive brand new car? With high monthly payments, and the need for fire and theft insurance mandated by your lender? Sell it if you can still recoup enough to pay it off. Buy your self a nice used car. Chances are you can buy it outright, or at the very least you will have a much lower monthly payment. Add up the cost of your monthly car payments and your insurance for a year, and then way that against the sum of your yearly income. Are the numbers you see really worth it?

Next step, your garage,attic,basement,shed...or wherever you store all that stuff you thought you had to have, but never use. You know, the old hobbies you no longer persue because you have to work so much to support that fancy new car! Old comic book or coin collections. Fishing gear...whatever you've got that you don't use anymore. Pretty much if you haven't touched it for 12 months...you don't need it. Take all that stuff and sell it on ebay, or have a big yard sale. I think you'll be surprised at how much cash you can put in your pocket doing this. It doesn't matter what price that stuff brings. It's just sitting there collecting dust and getting moldy, because you think you are going to go back to it someday. Let it go. You'll feel lighter and happier instantly. Trust me, I've done it. I used to be a knife collector, and I've sold off my collection. Granted, I still have more knives than any one person will ever need! Most of the knives I've kept I actually do use through out the course of a year. Even if it is only here and there. It felt so good to let the ones I never had any intention of using go. I didn't even have the space to display them to appreciate their aesthetic value.

Once you start shedding some of these material possessions, you'll wonder how you ever lived with them weighing you down. You can use the money you make from selling them, toward paying off your house or saving for retirement. Another idea is to use the money to buy things you actually need to use now. Remember...all those new things...when they start to get pushed into storage, get rid of them instead!

'Tis the Season, to SIMPLIFY!

It's fall, and we are headed toward winter and the holiday season. In my opinion there is no better time to take stock and simplify your life. Fall and winter put you in the right frame of mind to cut excess baggage loose, and free your burden. Don't just think of excess baggage in terms of physical things...emotional baggage needs to be cast off as well.

Simplifying your life is one huge step toward true happiness and contentment! A lot of that un-needed baggage you have is causing you a great deal of stress and concern. Much of it is a financial burden as well. Here is a link to a great book to help get you moving in a more simple direction...SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE This book mainly deals with getting rid of the physical clutter, but a resourceful reader will be able to apply these ideas to mental clutter as well.

The more simple your life is, the easier it is to be content. Less stuff equals less stress! How's that for simple?

Everything in Life Boils Down to Choices

Let's face it. Everything you have or don't have comes down to a choice you made, or chose not to make. It's that simple. If you want to find true contentment...you need to realize the choice is up to you. I don't care if you are on death row, or on Wall street...you made a choice, or a series of choices that put you there.

As I've said before, I realize a lot of what I'm saying will be diffucult for some to hear. Sorry, but that is the harsh reality of finding a path to contentment. The good news is, if choices put you in the spot you currently hold...you can choose to change that spot. So, why not start putting this little tid-bit of knowledge behind the choices you make from now on?

If you feel that you consistently make bad choices, it's time to do what ever you need to do to rectify that! The answer may be as simple as finding a different support sytstem. (i.e. get new friends) Perhaps you may need to seek professional help, to learn how to make better choices. Either way, it's well worth doing!

Everything about your life hinges on the choices you make. You'll never find contentment with out making the right choices...the choice is up to you!

Smile and Think about How Good You've Got It

Short and sweet post today.

You've all heard the old adage, "No matter how bad you think you've got it,there is somone worse off."

Guess what....it's TRUE!!!

So, no matter what...SMILE AND THINK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU'VE GOT IT!