Too Much Stress (Simplify Pt. 2)

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"Here are several suggestions for living more simply:STOP CHASING THE DOLLAR. Disqualify yourself from the rat race byliving with less to enjoy life more. A bigger house, a newer car,more possessions, the latest fashionable clothing create tremendousstress but do not lead to happiness and fulfillment. lin once wrote: "Money never made a man happy yet,nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. Themore a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, itmakes one. If it satisfies one want, it doubles and triples that wantanother way."FOLLOW YOUR CALLING. Many people in highly paid careers arefundamentally unhappy with their work and, consequently, with theirliving. The solution is to make a change and follow your calling. Askyourself what the ideal life and work should be for you. Then examineways to make that dream a reality. "It's never easy to leave a careerin

which you've spent much of your life," says Dainard,author of 'Breaking Free From Corporate Bondage'. "It's even harderif you've reached a high level of success and are locked in by thegolden handcuffs of a large salary, benefits, expense accounts, perksand prestige."Dainard speaks from personal experience. He was director ofmarketing for CBS television, but left his lucrative work to followhis calling. "I wanted to be a writer, my dream since I was achild," he explains. "I'm now following a path to realize that dream.I've already published two books, written 14 screen plays, and I'mworking daily on writing projects. My family life is considerablyricher. I've never worked harder, but is not longer seems like hardwork because I really enjoy what I'm doing."DON'T BUY WHAT YOU DON'T NEED. Although this sounds relativelyeasy to do, most of us have a habit of cluttering up our homes withthings we "simply

can't do without." Before making your nextpurchase, ask yourself two important questions: Is this an item Iwill use regularly? Have I had some need in the past for this item?Will this purchase enhance my life now?Many people purchase expensive exercise equipment hoping it willmotivate them from a sedentary life-style to one that is moreactive. "But if they never managed to even take a 15-minute walk inthe past, there's no reason to believe they will use some fancyequipment now," says Dr. Ahuvia. "Many home gyms are currentlybeing used as coat hangars."GET RID OF CLUTTER. "People tend to underestimate how muchclutter contributes to their stress," says Jann Jasper, aprofessional organizing consultant in Jersey City, New Jersey. Today,her job is to help others make their homes more simple and serene.However, only a few years ago, she was a veteran buyer of flea-markettreasures. Jasper accumulated so many

possessions that eventually shehad no place to display or store them. Unwilling to part with themshe piled them -- still in boxes -- in her living room with justenough space between them for a path. "It felt lousy to live thatway, Just looking around at all my stuff made me feel stressed," sherecalls. So, she decided to get rid of the clutter and the pleasureof being in her home returned.KEEP THE CAR YOU OWN. "Cars are the largest expense over afamily's lifetime," declares Larry Burkett, author of 'Debt FreeLiving'. He notes that people spend more on cars than they do on ahouse because car interest rates are generally higher than homeinterest rates and they are replaced more often. Butkett recommendsdriving your present vehicle longer rather than trading it in for anewer model. "It's always cheaper to drive the car you already own.It may not be as popular or as much fun, but it's always cheaper tofix that car

than it is to buy another one."VACATION ON A SHOESTRING. Whether your vacation is a week or aweekend, that vacation does not need to be a budget-buster. With somecareful planning and a little creativity, you can enjoy a memorablevacation without assuming huge expenses. Using your car can be themost economical way to travel and offers the greatest flexibility andgreat scenery as well.CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS IN THRIFTY WAYS. Don't let a major or minorholiday slip by without thinking about ways to observe itinexpensively. One Pennsylvania family came up with this idea. "Myhusband and our four children have begun to question thecommercialism and materialism of celebrating Christmas," explains, the mother. "So we came up with the idea of buying one smallgift for each person which is given on Christmas day. Then, we hitthe after-Christmas sales and buy gifts at up to 75 per cent off. Ourfamily gathers again

during the first week of January for a secondfestive party when we exchange presents again. This is somethingwe've done for three years and fine we enjoy a more peacefulChristmas by avoiding holiday shopping crowds and cutting down onexpenses. The money we save is given to a local charity."DESIGNATE A "POOR" MONTH. Choose a month and during those 30days, buy only the absolute basics without using charge cards. Keepall transactions in cash only. This tightening of your financialbelt accomplishes three goals: First, you will see how easy it is toreduce and simplify; second, you will have money that can be banked,applied to other debts, or perhaps donated to a worthwhile charity;third, you will be sensitized to how freely and carelessly your moneyis spent and how your purchases are made. After living throughone "poor" month, you will be more financially cautious and aware inthe ensuing months.As you begin to

cultivate a simpler life-style,don't becomediscouraged. Remember that developing the simple-living mind-setdoesn't happen overnight. For most people, it is an evolutionaryprocess. As you take each step, you gain more confidence and discovernewer and more creative ways to simplify what's right for you."This article was written by Victor M. Parachin and published inthe Positive Thinking Magazine published by Guideposts. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that empowers us with ways to sail through daily life stress. Come aboard! PJ and Gang