Symplifying--What a Relief

In my quest to simplify and make my life more fun and easy, sometimes extenuating circumstances make choices for me I might not otherwise make. For instance, I have always had rotten luck with cars. I'd always invest in repairs only to have more costly repairs around the corner and then ending with repairs more expensive than the cars' worth.

I had a car die on me last summer. The used car I got already died on me this spring. Instead of my usual car post-mortem sorrow, I just chuckled and realized life had been trying to tell me something for a long-time: "Find another way--an easier, less-expensive alternative that fits your values."

I'd been pining for a hybrid car but knew it was outside of our budget. But a creative solution came to be that would have me in a hybrid! In Minneapolis, we have a relatively new car share program called HOURCAR. It's a hybrid fleet that you basically just pay for the time and mileage you use it. The car is insured, clean and they just added a new hub not too far from where we live.

I've been without my own car for over a month now. I've become more efficient with the trips I take, walking and biking more, and orchestrating when I need to drive my husband's truck. And now that I've completed the orientation for HOURCAR, I can reserve it for times I'll need it for work.

It's a huge relief to not worry about when the next repair will be (and how much it will cost!), insurance and the escalating cost of gas. I hope this works out as great as I'm imagining it will!

What circumstance(s) in your life has caused you to reshift your thinking and simplify?

Is that smile real? (Just for fun)

Can you tell whether a smile is real or fake? I found out about this fun test through the Star Tribune newspaper and was a little disappointed in my results (I thought I'd be a pro and I only got about 70% correct). Once on this BBC site, you'll see several other intriguing tests. I took some of the tests and the results showed that I'm an empathic, mentor-type, "feminine-brained" extravert who prefers impressionist art and good at reading emotions...but I also learned that I don't think like a millionaire. Who knew? ;) So then I took another test to see if I'm capable of working like a millionaire...not quite. In the summary, it stated that millionaires tend to not value work/life balance and I'm not one to give up on that.

Gratitude is a Piece of Cake

I love having my own business. I'm able to prioritize my time for what is really important. I was able to take a "work" day off in order to prepare for my daughter's 4th birthday. I can't imagine any of my previous jobs (as great as they were) giving me a day off for party planning and cake decorating. ;)

Without feeling rushed, I was able to create this cake that I believed would take my daughter's breath away. When I unveiled my creation to her, she asked, "And next your going to put more cake on the top?" Immediately, I knew that she'd envisioned a tall, spire-filled castle.

When I said that I was actually done with it, she gave me a big hug and replied, "That's okay mama! It doesn't look like a castle, but I still love it!"

I admit my pride was a little squashed but it was offset by her authentic gratitude. Though I hadn't created the cake she imagined, she was still pleased and thankful. She told me (and others) many times that I made her a very special cake. My little four year old reminded me about feeling gracious even when things don't work out how I'd imagined.

In what ways can you still be grateful for things that haven't worked out like you expected?