On Simplicity

Friday’s not the time to be morbid, but let’s face it: someday we’ll all be going off to the big Container Store in the sky. How do you want to be remembered? What three traits would you want people to associate you with when it was all said and done?

For me, I’m thinking:

1. Kindness
2. Optimism
3. Subversive silliness

I want to be the person in elder care who’s still laughing at whoopie cushions while giving the world everything that’s left of me. That’s really what it comes down to.

Taking the time to realize what we want to leave behind is key. Once that’s done, I think it’s easier to cut out all of the behaviors and habits that simply don’t jive with our hoped-for legacy. We start becoming the people we always hoped we might be.

So what do you want your legacy to be? Pass into the comments and share your top three with everyone.

photo credit: Beard Papa

I’m not a doom and gloom naysayer, but as many folks this summer can testify, floods, fires, and disasters are a fact of life. My heart goes out to folks who’ve been hit by disasters, and I feel lucky that I have time to create a plan. I’ve had to sit down and think about what’s actually important enough to save in case of emergency, and it was an eye-opening experience.

So today, I’d like to extend the question: what three non-essential things would you save in an emergency? Your family, friends, pets, and any medical needs are considered essential for this question, so we’ll assume you’ve already got those.

For me, I’d like to save:

1. My bag of photographs. While I have digital copies of lots of these, there’s something about the crinkled and worn originals (especially the ones that go back a few generations) that’s magic for me.
2. The external hard drive. It’s not so much the basic information, though that would helpful. It’s all years of writing, including the awful college poetry, that I would hate to lose.
3. A pair of high heels. I know it’s ridiculous, but having something so frivolous would give me hope as I rebuilt and would be a physical connection to carefree times.

If I had anything that had serious heirloom significance, I would probably switch out the heels. At this point, though, none of that is at my house. Walking around and realizing that I had room to spare with a limit of three was a shocking feeling. I’ll be honest, it made me think two conflicting things: I’m so lucky to be so free, and Should I be concerned that I have nothing of value?

Well, I’ll leave the floor to you. What three non-essential things would you save in an emergency? Drop into the comments and let me hear your thoughts, or your stories if you’ve got any.

photo credit: futureshape

While there’s little point in having regrets, I think we all wish we’d been a bit wiser when we were young–at least in one or two ways. So this week I’d like to hear three things you wish you’d known when you were 20.

Here are mine:

1. Focusing on your school work will pay off (literally). But it’s also okay to blow off a few more afternoons and have some fun.

2. Don’t worry about guys. You met the right person years ago; you just don’t realize it yet.

3. You will change over and over again. Don’t worry about figuring out who you are just yet. Oh, and buy Google when it goes public.

What do you wish you knew at age 20? Or, what are you glad you didn’t know? I’d love to hear about your experience, so drop into the comments and leave a response!

photo credit: Anders Ljungberg

Most people who embrace simplicity agree that it’s its own reward. Still, I enjoy setting goals and rewarding myself. Whether it’s for a project completed, a hard day completed, or a financial goal, a reward is a great way of marking successes. So today, I’d like to know how you reward yourself.

I had to think about these for awhile, because I tend to find reasons to put off rewards. Once it’s within my grasp, I usually don’t need it as badly as I thought I did. Still, these are my favorites:

1. Pepsi (It’s awful for me, so I try to savor them deeply and rarely)
2. A bath
3. An agenda-free day spent watching movies

What about you? What nice things do you do for yourself? Or should we reach for goals without attaching rewards? Drop into the comments and let me know!

photo credit: nattu

I love desert island questions. Yes, I realize they’re completely facetious, but they can still be thought-provoking. After all, desert island living is the ultimate exercise in simplicity! So let’s hear it:

If you were stuck on a desert island, what three non-necessities would you want to have with you?

(I’m giving you food, water, first aid, and sunscreen.)

I’d want

1. A companion
2. A journal and pen
3. A crate of rum

As I created my list, I didn’t set out to do so, but I think I came up with a few basic requirements for long-term happiness: companionship, self-expression, and whimsical indulgence.

What do you think? What couldn’t you live without? What items would turn out to be unnecessary?

And does desert island happiness translate into real world simplicity? Please swim over to the comments and drop your opinion.

photo credit: ▼ijjug▲du

Last week, we were all very brave and opened up about Things We Suck At. If you haven’t checked out the comments, I seriously recommend it—I had a blast reading everyone’s dirty secrets. It’s good to remember that everyone’s got faults, and what we consider our weak points are often things no one else notices.

Today, it’s time to turn the tables. We’ve admitted that we’re not perfect, but I’m willing to bet that we’re all pretty good at a few things (or lots of things). As we head into another summer weekend, drop in the comments and let me know three things you’re good at.

As for me, I’m good at:

• Getting along with a wide range of people
• Walking in heels
• Bargain shopping

So, what’s your story? Please skip over to the comments and share your skills!