Inspired Living
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Urge to Purge: Simple Strategies for Winter Cleaning
Once the holiday decorations are put away, I am always by how much clutter I’ve shoved in drawers and closets. Like many others, as I put things back in order, I have a strong urge to purge. Why wait for spring? These long cold months provide the perfect opportunity for true winter cleaning! Purging does not have to be as ruthless as Marie Kondo’s “tidying up” can feel, but it should follow the same principles. For example, the reason for doing it should be clear to you. In my case, I look at my winter clean-up from two perspectives: I am giving myself room and space for more good things…
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New Year, New You? A Different Resolution
The first weeks of January are filled with articles about New Year’s resolutions, setting goals, and making promises to yourself – all of which will help you start the New Year on the best foot possible. Many of them have the same title as this piece does, in fact! Setting resolutions begins with the premise that there is something lacking in the existing you. By setting the right resolutions, you can become a new and improved version of yourself. Like most people, I like the idea of starting fresh, of having a clear jumping off point for starting something new. But this year I noticed that when people are asked…
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Cultivating Hope (and Attitude)
With the recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, and reports of an over 30% increase in suicides nationwide, much has been written in recent days about who may be at risk for suicide, the symptoms, and ways in which we can all be more aware of and ready to help those who have reached such deep levels of desperation or depression. Social media has been full of posts asking everyone to remember that we are all fighting a battle and to be more compassionate with each other, which is all good advice, of course. Today in one such post, I read these words of the Dalai Lama and…