This blog’s new tagline “Getting so much more from a simple, deliberate life” is about me — and you.
It can be taken two ways, and that’s intentional.
First, it’s a declaration.
I’m getting so much more from my simple, deliberate life than I ever dreamed possible.
While I consider myself a deliberately, intentionally positive, upbeat person, it’s not my natural disposition. I tend to get a bit depressed, a tad angry and a smidgen (great word) negative. Some days, a positive attitude, a gentle manner and beautiful words flow smoothly and almost naturally from me. Other days, it’s a struggle to maintain forward motion. In fact, it can be a struggle to keep from slipping into the cruder version of myself that was once more prevalent.
My expectations from life have been low at time, but now they’re higher than even I can imagine. And I’m capable of so much more than that. That’s right: However much capacity for greatness I can imagine in my wildest dreams, I’m capable of magnitudes greater than that. I really believe that.
Second, it’s a challenge.
I challenge you: Join me, and you’ll find you’re getting so much more from your simple, meaningful life than you ever dreamed possible. If your life is out of control, complicated or confused, I encourage you to simplify it. Make decisions more mindfully, and take your actions more deliberately.
My blog offers advice from my two decades of professional anti-professionalism. It offers comments on running a one-person, very small business. It contains a few spiritual lessons I’ve learned. There are essays on topics I consider interesting and important, and there are reviews and tidbits that are so very trivial.
Whatever interests you in life, go for more.
There’s so much more out there than you’re seeing. I really believe that, too.
I’ll put it one more way: The tagline is a declaration of my belief that you will, in fact, get so much more from a simple, deliberate life than from one that’s more complicated and less mindful. And it’s my commitment to offering you advice, stories and comments aimed at helping you go where your journey takes you.
Gip Plaster is a web content writer. Previously a journalist, online bookseller and even a corporate advertising guy, Gip now specialize in writing high-quality content for websites — his and other people’s. Learn more here.
I remember the cruder version. I think it runs in families. The simple life is wayyyy too complicated for me.
Having lived most of my adult life as an expat in (poor) foreign countries (my husband is a development economist and I am his trailing spouse 😉 I find it a real challenge to live in the US with all its many advantages and wealth.
The culture is so oriented towards buying and having and owning that the very air is saturated with it. Not that you have to follow that consumer route, but not doing it is counter to what life is all around you.
Fortunately, having moved so many times, I am good at traveling light, and have learned not to value stuff and junk much. Getting rid of household goods at every move has taught me a different mindset than I might have had. Also, living in poor countries has taught me perspective about many life issues and I feel richer for it. Owning less and being more feels good to me.
Thanks, Miss Footloose, for following my journey — admittedly less exciting than yours, based on what I see on your blog.
I’m glad to have you along.
“There’s so much more out there than you’re seeing.” I really believe that, but didn’t think about it in this way. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. Living life with eyes open to possibility can only bring more goodness. Thanks for the great post – Courtney
Sounds good. I keep changing my tagline – well, only once but it still needs work:) I like the professional anti-professionalism description!
Thanks, Annabel. I really need to do more with that “professional anti-professionalism” phrase. It seems to describe me and my life since getting out of high school very well.