Taking Care of You

After gathering items throughout this month and adding my little notes beneath, I was amazed to see how one of them was a perfect opener to all of the goodness to come. A gentle reminder of the benefits to be had from Taking Care Of You. I hope you enjoy "The Awakening" from Corey at Simple Marriage.

Relationships
From Corey/Simple Marriage:
What Do You Fear Most In Your Marriage
They will choose unhappiness over uncertainty...In this scenario, the only thing left to do is wait for death, which may be a long way off. But...what if you actually faced the fear? Took a risk?
Our marriage existed this way for many years and a divorce was an eventual outcome. One momentous event derailed that plan and we landed, albeit a bit bumpily, back onto the original path we had started following after we got married...the one that leads us to "happily ever after". I wish I could say that I had been brave enough to take a risk but it wasn't my doing. Through that experience, though, I can say that a life-sucking relationship is not worth keeping and that, if you are in this position, consider what Corey suggests.

Finances
From Trent/The Simple Dollar:
Eight Minutes To Financial Success - Minute #8: Bank On Autopilot
Simple moves, big improvements. That’s the kind of personal finance that can change a life.
When I began correcting bad financial decisions we'd made a few years back, automating my savings contributions and bill payments were a saving grace for me. Waiting until the end of the month to see what was left over to save usually resulted in an amount that didn't seem worth saving. Now I save 20% of my income right when I get paid and, because I know what I spend each month, the rest is allocated to bills and a cushion for the unexpected.
From The Simple Dollar's Weekly Roundup:
15 Things People Forget To Budget For
While reading this, I was a bit amused to see that my foresight and planning have come a long way! Now, I actually have a yearly amount budgeted for many of these things and money is set aside in savings accounts each month for: "Chiropractor/Massage", "Clothing", "Dentist", "Gifts", "Haircuts", "Kids Expenses (School & Hobbies)" and "Vehicle Maintenance". I also save monthly to a "Future" account (emergency fund) and "My Next Car".
From Get Rich Slowly:
The Power of Patience
"We live in a Culture of Now. We’re constantly bombarded by messages trying to convince us to buy now, to spend now, to have what we want this very moment. Nobody preaches patience. Nobody explains that the cost of Now is a loss of your future...But if you can learn to be patient, the world opens up to you."
I agree that today's values are so geared towards more, now and debt, that the very notion of patience has been pushed aside.

Diet & Exercise
From Jo-Lynne/Musings of a Housewife:
Top 5 Real Food Habits
Once you start reading and realize how completely and totally derailed the SAD (Standard American Diet) has become and how far from nourishing it truly is, you get overwhelmed. There is just SO much to change about our diets if we want to “do it right”...I have finally come to the conclusion that I just can’t do it all...I want to do it all, you see. I fully believe in the value of a traditional whole foods diet, and I want to give those benefits to my family. But I have finally decided that I will never get there — at least not all the way there...So here are 5 {real food} things I am committed to doing for my family. Everything else is bonus.
If you're stuck in a SAD way of eating, this is a good list of changes to consider making.

Self Improvement
From Pick The Brain:
How To Overcome Taking Criticism Personally
It didn’t matter if their intentions were good or not, for some reason my ego would take control my thoughts and I’d take offense to it. This negative thought pattern I had was on auto-pilot. I’d get offended even if what that person said to me was true. Which actually made it hurt even worse.
Whether you are the "offender" or the "offendee", there's truth in this perspective shift. My husband and I have the same dynamic as the author and his wife so I know how the "innocent" party feels. I don't take criticism personally, especially because I seek understanding and invite growth. As such, learning that not everyone is like me and that my words/actions might offend has been something I've had to grow into. If you find it hard to grow yourself so that it doesn't sting, try empathy. Convince yourself that the other person doesn't intend to or understand that they are being offensive. It's not true growth on your part and just masks the symptoms, but it does help us all to get along.
10 Ways to Chase A New Direction In Your Life
In the stillness of the night, blanketed by the never-ending comfort of darkness, I would begin to dream about the life I wanted to live. One filled with joy and peacefulness where I was doing work that mattered to me, pouring my energy into those I loved, and had the space to just breathe—pretty much the complete opposite of my current existence...When I started thinking about the changes that would need to happen in order for me to transition from one life to the other, the fears within me started to multiply...But I suspect, in the stillness of the night, that voice speaks to you loud and clear about the life you know you want to be living.
Reach Your Goals More Quickly: Use Incremental Change
The antidote to stagnation is “er.” It guarantees small, consistent, and most importantly, continuous progress toward your goals.
As a believer in kaizen, this feels much the same. Are you going to add some "er" to your life?

Awareness
From David at Raptitude:
Why Your Fears Won't Come True
What you fear, whatever horrible scenario you think you’re avoiding — it isn’t going to happen anyway. Similar outcomes may happen, but it will never unfold quite like you expected, because that would make you a genuine psychic.
Another great read from David!
From Pick The Brain:
12 Critical Things You Should Never Tolerate
Use the next few minutes to think about one area in your life you are just tolerating. How does this toleration impact your sense of well-being and joy? What is one action you could take today to begin to eliminate this toleration? Even a small change can make a huge shift for the better in your life.
I agree with all of these. In fact, I tried to find one to spotlight as the least tolerable and I couldn't choose. I've lived through several of these (as you can see by personal notes under some of the items this month!) If you are tolerating anything on the list, I urge you to consider any change that can move you closer to a feeling of peace. You deserve it!
From The Simple Dollar's Ten Pieces of Inspiration for this week:
Daniel Pink's TEDtalks presentation on the surprising science of motivation
He says the approach proposed at the end can be thought of as utopian...I call it awesome. For many people, it would create a positive result to the idea of work. A win for the worker and a win for the other party.

House & Family
From MaryJo at reSPACEd:
Do you live in an "Authentic House" or an "Idealized House"?
I believe that your family is your home's most important guests. It should feel comfortable and representative of you.

Life Clutter
From David at Raptitude:
Everything In Its Place, Finally and Forever
I had to reduce my possessions quite dramatically to get to be able to adequately house everything I chose to keep...There is an indescribable weight on your conscience that is released when you give something up. Every item you get rid of frees you, it really does...I will never go back. There is just zero advantage to keeping more stuff than you can properly care for, even though it’s the normal thing to do. And it’s easy to maintain. I won’t buy anything I’m not prepared to give a home to. For once I am committed to really owning everything I have...This all may sound a bit dramatic, but it’s hard to overstate the immediate difference this has made in my life. It was a lot of work, and I really had to get quite close to a 100% absence of homeless possessions before many of the benefits kicked in. But it could be the best time I ever spent, and it’s only begun to pay its dividends. If you’re looking for a “sure thing” to invest in, here it is.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Photo Credit: Iron Design

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