Stripping Down to Your Priorities

Living a life of voluntary simplicity and minimalism is not an act of resignation. It is a brave, practical and very spiritual decision.
Instead of seeing living simply as a 'loss' you can see it as making a mature, unselfish choice to declutter your life of everything from personal dramas, to unproductive behaviors to ways of making money. In fact, many people immediately become more prosperous the minute that they start throwing things out, both physical and relationship-oriented, as they act as obstacles to your prosperity.

Living a life of voluntary simplicity and minimalism does not mean you have 'dropped out' of life. It does not mean you do not care about money or have let go of your ambitions. It does not mean that you have to become all 'Zen Buddhist' or give away all that you own.
Basically all that it means is letting go of those things that do not serve you anymore. The problem is that while we are living many of us tend to collect a great many things, people and situations that have nothing to do with propelling us forward or getting what we want from our lives.

The idea is that once you get rid of these things, you make room for those things that you do want in our life that can bring you the fulfillment and joy in life that you are looking for.
One of the main benefits of deciding to live your life this way is that it forces you to see with more clarity and get your priorities straight.

Other benefits of voluntarily making the choice to live in a life of voluntary simplicity and minimalism are:
• You feel more peaceful
• Your life costs less
• You are healthier
• You may live longer
• You live in a less cluttered home
• Others benefit from you throwing out your clutter
• You get rid of the drama queens in your life
• You are no longer controlled by the past
• You control your life; not other people
• You will be able to focus on your goals without distraction
• You will feel less stressed
• You will get more rest
• You have greater freedom
• You will be me organized
• You will create less waste and you will pollute less
• You will have more time

The bottom line is that when you start throwing things out of your life you empower yourself by saying 'no' to those people and situations that subtly undermine your goals and happiness and you will be able to get on with your own life.

Parenting Tips
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Signs of Substance Abuse in A Family Member

If someone is engaged in substance abuse in your family they usually try to keep their behavior a secret. You might have a teen that is acting strange – but you can't quite tell what is going on or what is wrong.
There are tell-tale signs that they might be user. These symptoms include
• Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are 'pinned' or dilated
• Changes in appetite that result in sudden weight loss
• Bad breath and unusual body or clothing smells
• Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming
• Clumsiness and impaired coordination
• Tremors
• Slurred speech and an inability to be able to focus
• Always in need of money
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Leaving people on a 'need to know' basis and being uncommunicative
• Frequently getting into trouble including fights and accidents
• Suddenly changing friends, hobbies and places to hang out
• Sudden mood swings, irritability or angry outbursts
• Unexplained changes in personality or attitude
• Being unusually giddy or hyperactive
• Appearing lethargic or spaced out
• Expressing anxiety, fear or paranoia for no good reason
• If the individual suspected of being into substance abuse is a teenager then look for these signs of addiction as well
• Denying you entrance to his or her room, drawers or certain possessions
• Being secretive about friends and whereabouts
• A sudden interest in offbeat fashions or music that seem out of character
• Avoiding eye contact with you or even making direct eye contact with you while you know the person is telling a lie
• Skipping class and declining grades
• Drugs are missing from your filing cabinet
• Money is missing from your purse
• Your teen spends a great deal of time sleeping
• Your child seems unusually withdrawn and depressed and isolates from friends and family
• Using a lot of incense, perfume or air freshener to conceal the smells from using drugs
• Uses eye drops frequently to mask the look of bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils
• Uses mouthwash a great dealt to conceal smoke or alcohol use.
If an adult or teen in your family has any of the above symptoms of substance abuse it might be time to seek professional help or counseling or consider talking that person in going to rehab.

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