Keep Life Simple

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Nina

Keep Life Simple! It sounds like such a SIMPLE thing to do, doesn’t it? Sometimes it takes some work to get it to the place of being simple. It definitely takes some planning and making certain choices. Life is such a big thing, and sometimes we feel like we need to do more and do it faster in order to do it all! How’s that working for you? I know from past experience that it’s very stressful.

Life can be complicated enough all by itself. Why do more that makes it that much more busy and complicated? So much in life is out of our control, but those out of control things are so much easier to deal with if you’re coming from a calm place.

I used to work in my own insurance business for about 25 years. It was a good thing and provided me with a lot. But it was a busy and stressful time in my life. Now I must admit that a lot of the busyness and stress was just due to the time in my life, with 2 young boys. They were involved in a lot of activities in addition to the busy life that we had. Could it have been designed to be a little calmer, less busy and simpler? In looking back, the answer is YES! I tried to do too much!

Now I’m at a place in my life, older and wiser perhaps, where it’s the simple things that make me truly happy. I sold my insurance agency and now I work from home. I’ve learned to slow down, be still, take time. And as I was reminded by a facebook friend of mine yesterday, Happiness isn’t about just affirmations and happy quotes all day. It’s about enjoying real life, being grateful for the little things, and helping others do the same! It’s about the simple things. The quiet calm and peace that a pretty day brings. The day spent in the woods climbing a fire tower with your grandchildren.

The birds singing in the early morning when no other sounds are heard yet.

The little rooster salt and pepper shakers that a friend gave me.

Something about seeing these in my kitchen that takes me to a homey, cozy place in my head that just feels good. These are the things that happiness is made of. Happiness is an internal warmth and peaceful feeling that is felt when you slow down and keep life simple.

Why do we have to fill our calendar up with activities? Take a close look and decide which ones are really necessary. Why do we need to purchase every material thing that seems so enticing to be able to have? Do we really NEED all that? Spend the money on an experience instead. The happiness that the memory of an experience will provide will last a lot longer than the happiness that the newest greatest “thing” will provide.

Give up spending money on what you don’t need in an effort to buy happiness. Living simply allows the space for life to flow. We complicate our lives by spending too much money and filling our home with “things”. Less is truly more.

My son and his family are here visiting from Spokane for a total of 3 weeks. They’ll be here about 5 more days. Their time is spent between his wife’s family, our family and sometimes both families together. Their 2 children (one more due in August!) are 2 of the soon to be 6 joys of our life, but they are active happy fun normal little kids! What that means is that we are tired and sleep well when they are here. I have learned to enjoy and simplify with them here so that I’m not stressed and grouchy! I clean when they aren’t here. I only get on the computer when they aren’t here or are in bed. I’m not worrying about the clothes and toys and stuff laying all over the place, which the old me used to do! And we’re doing things with them that don’t cost a lot of money.

By keeping my life as simple as I can I’m much calmer, more relaxed, enjoying and loving my time with them, and happier!

You can click on my Happiness Journey link HERE

You can check out my Hapacus Courses HERE

Sunday’s Happy Thought

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Nina

What message is your life sending?

Have an inspiring Sunday!

You can click on my Happiness Journey link HERE

You can check out my Hapacus Courses HERE

Cinderella and Super Man Have Arrived!

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Nina

It was a busy weekend around here. My son and family from Spokane arrived on Friday and it’s been constant motion ever since. With a 4 year old Princess and a 2 year old Super Man, the action and the noise does not cease until about 9:00 at night. (We don’t think Super Man wore a mask, but this little Super Hero insists that he is Super Man!) This is how he traveled much of the way across country.

We’re having a lot of fun and laughs, but it wears this Grandma (Nani) out! Grampy’s getting pretty tired, too! Not to mention, not much time for work, emails, facebook and blogging. I’m getting this little post done in a quick hurry while the kids are getting their bath.

The noise level in my house is way beyond what this house is accustomed to and the clutter is past acceptable standards for this neat freak of a Grandma, but I’m looking past and beyond it all! The joy and fun and laughs going on in the house far outweigh the little things I’m not used to.

They’ll be here for about 3 weeks, but will be sharing their time between 2 sets of grandparents. I’m reminded of how different life is with children around and I’m forced to wonder how I ever did this mother job full time way back when! I’m exhausted before the day is half over, the washer and dryer are running most of the time, the cooking and cleaning is never ending and how in the world did I ever do this while working outside the home full time? I’m loving it, though! Especially when I know that in a few weeks they’ll be flying back across the country and it will be several more months before we see them again.

So I just hug them and kiss them and laugh at their antics – then I sit when I’m tired and get a good nights sleep! Oh, and by the way, there is a new baby girl princess coming due in August!!

I can put any negativity aside when I realize how fortunate I am to have a life filled with Super Heroes and Fairy Tale Princesses!

You can click on my Happiness Journey link HERE

You can check out my Hapacus Courses HERE

Happy Home Tip

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Nina

Take Time to Make Time

Spend time on things that return happiness. Time has value. Consider what you’re spending. Say “no” more often to the things that have no value. Time, like money, can be wasted.

As is true for almost everything in life, you have to find the balance. In order to have that Happy Home you need to spend more time IN your home. So many people have made themselves so busy running here and running there, they are never home. If all that running around and doing whatever it is you are spending so much time doing makes you happy, then I guess you have what you want. But if you’re looking to make that Happy Home for you and your family, I suggest possibly more of a balance needs to be found.

Personally, I am working on finding the balance between making my home pretty and clean and aesthetically pleasing, but not to the point where I’m so obsessed about it that it’s making me stressed and tired. I want to have more time to enjoy the fruits of my labors. What’s the use of making my back deck pretty and comfortable and filling the flowers boxes and cleaning the fountain if I don’t then take the time to sit out there and savor it. I have learned to tell myself much more often than I used to that “good enough is good enough”!

Take the time to make your Home Happy, but also make the time to enjoy it!

Have a great weekend!

You can click on my Happiness Journey link HERE

You can check out my Hapacus Courses HERE

Savoring or Just Being Lazy?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Nina

I’m not one that usually just wants to spend a whole Saturday just “vegging out”, but it seems as though that is what I’m doing!

First of all, the term “veg out” is a fairly new term. I looked it up to be sure I was describing myself correctly. I am. It means ,”to spend time idly or passively”. It is short for vegetate. Yep, that’s me today. That’s what I’m doing.

I’m sitting in the living room, in my big leather chair with my feet up on the big leather ottoman. My laptop is beside me, my knitting is at my feet, the phone and remote are on the side table, and one dog is snuggled in on the other side of me. Sitting across from me in another chair is my husband, half watching the History Channel about Big Foot and sleeping off and on. Snuggled and sleeping on his lap is our other little toy poodle.

Obviously I’m writing at the moment, but before that I was knitting, watching the Big Foot show, still in my pajamas at 2:30 in the afternoon and yet to brush my teeth or wash my face. (I must get up and take care of that!). I’m reminded of my grandparents years ago, or of my parents more of late. I used to wonder how they could just sit in their house all day and do nothing! I used to think how boring their life must be, as I was busy with two boys, weekend chores, buying groceries, and all the other weekend things I had to do when I was a young mother with a lot of energy. Why wouldn’t they do something, or go somewhere? They were healthy, able, no one to hold them back, free to be, free to do. Why would they just “veg out” in their house?

I know have a completely different viewpoint and now I understand. Because they could! And now I can, too! It feels so good! We work hard all week. Bob with his business, me with the house and my work/hobbies. I cook and I clean and I do a lot. Yes, we do get more tired than we used to. I can only speak for myself right now, but I now appreciate that I have earned the right to just sit. I’m writing. I’m knitting. I’m watching TV. I’m sitting, though, and I’m not getting up. I could clean a room or a closet, but I’m not going to. I could switch out my winter clothes for my summer clothes (that’s what we do here in the east, twice a year), but I’m not going to. I could work on bookkeeping, but I’m not going to.

OK, I did just get up to use the bathroom, brush my teeth and wash my face. Now I’m sitting back down and Bob is now awake and watching “Extra Terrestrials” on the History Channel. What I’m learning to do is to savor life. I’ve learned to enjoy the free time I’ve earned after 55 years. It’s OK to take the time to just appreciate what you have and do whatever feels good sometimes. I’m not vegging because I’m bored or lazy. I’m savoring the present and just being here with my husband and my dogs, in my home that is so comfortable to be in.

Oh, Bob just opened his eyes again to ask what might be for dinner shortly. I told him he could warm up whatever left overs he wanted to! Awww, Savoring the Day!!

You can learn more about my Happiness Journey courses HERE

You can sign up for a course HERE

Happy Home Tip

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Nina

Stop Multi-Tasking

Oh, this is a hard one! Something I really am working on. My many projects, courses I’m teaching, housework and meal preparation, bookeeping and our rental management, family vacation plans that need to be made, jeesh!! I really should fit in time to exercise and talk nice with my husband!

Here’s the problem with trying to do all these things I love to do and that make me happy. They can all be done, just not all at the same time! Because included in that list of things to do, I want to Live my life, Enjoy my day, and Savor each moment.

When you get so many things going at once and so many thoughts in your head, you almost become paralyzed and nothing really gets done very well. On top of that, you can become so scattered, which leads to frustration, which leads to unhappiness for you and anyone else you live with or come in contact with.

“Multi-tasking: The best way to get nothing done in the longest amount of time!”

Learn to control your attention. Become fully engaged in one task at a time, enjoy the task while you’re doing it, appreciate what you are accomplishing and the good job you’re doing, then move on to the next thing.

If I have several things I want to get done in a day, I make a list of the most important at the top. Don’t try to do a little bit of the first task, then a little bit of the second task, then go back to the first task, and so on. I have to really practice at not doing this! By doing one thing at a time you’ll notice how much calmer and happier you settle down to. Your spouse will feel the calmness and the happier tone. The feeling in your home will be happier and calmer. And if you don’t get it all done, that’s OK!

There’s always tomorrow. So make enjoyment one of the tasks at the top of your list and take time to savor your accomplishments.

You can learn more about my Happiness Journey courses HERE

You can sign up for a course HERE

Join Me on This Happiness Journey

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Nina

I just wanted to let you know that I have continued my Happiness Journey and finally arrived at a point that I have been working toward for a couple of years. I didn’t realize that this is what I was looking for until serendipitously it made itself known to me. The short story is that I am now a Happiness Teacher!

I teach for an organization called Hapacus. We are committed to spreading the science of happiness. The goal is to make our subconscious decision making conscious. Studying the science of happiness will help you understand why happiness can be elusive and what you can do to make it last.

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Taking the courses myself and then becoming a teacher has been an amazing part of my journey and is very enlightening, positive, and life changing! If you would be interested in knowing a little more here is my web page: Take the Happiness Journey

I have just scheduled my first 2 courses (4 classes, once a week) and I’m offering a discounted rate for these first courses. One is on-line, but the other one is an in-person course that I have scheduled for those of you that live close to me. It will be Friday afternoons at my home. Includes wine and chocolate, of course! Class size is kept small. They are intended to be taught in small, personal discussion groups. Course detail links are at the bottom of my web page here:

Take the Happiness Journey

Please email me or leave me a comment if you have any questions at all.

How to Be Happy at Midlife

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Nina

The following article of mine has been featured in the debut edition of the new website, “Generation Fabulous”. This is a fantastic new site for, about and by Women Over 50. I am very honored to be part of it. At the end of my article below is a link to their website. I hope you get a chance to visit there and read some of the other articles written by some extremely wise and talented Women Over 50.

Are some people just born with the happiness gene? Do we have any influence at all? Yes to both. Genetics can play a part but we also have control at this point now in our life.

Are you someone that goes through your life blaming your unhappiness on someone else and something that has happened to you in the past? Do you blame your parents or an ex-spouse? Do you blame your upbringing, or your school, or your parents’ divorce, or just bad luck? Doesn’t there have to be a point where you stop being a victim and start taking control of yourself and your life? As a Woman Over 50, I certainly don’t want to give up that control. Shouldn’t we be in charge of our own life by now?

It’s shown that our genetics are responsible for our happiness by about 33%. That leaves a major 67% that we can control ourselves. Or are you more comfortable just falling back on that 33% and letting it guide you the rest of your life?

There is no use in wishing that our past was different. It is what it is! Accept that and move on. Yes, it might be a little bit harder road for those that maybe started out with a more difficult, negative life, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t control it now. Don’t hold on to those negative emotions, thoughts and excuses. You have permission to let them go and move on.

Life does get hard, there is no question about it. We can’t just hide from life and put our head in the sand and ignore bad things that happen. Even if bad things don’t happen TO you, it is still sometimes hard to escape bad or sad emotions. The media and news and even the web sites and news headlines that pop up on your computer every day is hard to get away from. We have the ability, though, to manage it.

I know I have a tendency to watch too much news. Most of it not being good news! I listen to too much political back and forth. I can get sucked into Facebook discussions. And guess what I now notice and realize? This all affects me and my day. I can get really worked up about events that are sad or bad or scary. I can’t make it go away and I can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist, but I do have the ability to control how much attention I give it. I’ve started to turn the TV off more often. I’m really trying to scroll past Facebook posts that could suck me into an argument.

As Women Over 50, we can also get sucked into the negative emotions of many life changes that start to occur. Are you suffering from the Empty Nest Syndrome, aging, new aches and pains, loneliness, and boredom? I’m sure some of you can come up with more. Now think of all the positive that this time in our life can bring. Such as more time for ourselves, a quiet and clean home, an extra bedroom to turn into an office or work space just for you, time to start a hobby or take a class, more time to spend with your spouse, time to travel, grandchildren, children that are becoming mature adults, and the list can go on and on. Everyone’s list may be a little different. Write down your own list and you’ll soon realize that this is a great time of life!

Negative seems to have a stronger influence than positive sometimes. We tend to give it more weight and let it make a larger impact on us. So we need to balance it out with more positive events, thoughts and emotions. For the most part, this isn’t automatic. It takes a conscious effort and our brains need to be retrained. With practice, they can be.

We can tend to focus on negative and we just take positive for granted. Start keeping a gratitude journal, or at least write down positive things that may happen during your day. It doesn’t need to be anything major, just pay attention and appreciate the little things. If you focus on these positive events and emotions and make a point of writing them down, you’ll soon notice that the positive can easily outweigh the negative.

This article was featured at Generation Fabulous!

I am also a Happiness teacher for the Hapacus organization. I will be teaching an on-line course geared toward Women Over 50, starting April 16. You can check out the course details HERE