Life List Stories and Inspiration

When tossing old papers recently, I came across an April 2005 Sunset Magazine article about Bizbee Arizona, an eclectic small down I was always curious to visit.

Almost more fascinating than the article (viewable in PDF) was the sidebar about “remaking your life.”

Short and sweet, it touches upon how, if you want to “simplify” your life, you can thrive in a town like Bisbee - where the “economy doesn’t fuel many conventional careers.”

• Find somewhere with a low cost of living and relaxed pace then use your time to explore and be creative.
• Count your riches in terms of living a useful life instead of income or prestige.
• Take something negative like killer bees and put a positive spin on it.”

Know of other old towns that have newly thrived as former bigger city dwellers move in?

Tags: 1172Commentshttp://superviva.com/blog/2010/08/remaking-your-life-in-a-small-town/Remaking+Your+Life+in+a+Small+Town2010-08-31+14%3A52%3A57Susie

In But Will It Make You Happy? the New York Times sheds light on the result of living a simple life with very few belongings.

“While the current round of stinginess may simply be a response to the economic downturn, some analysts say consumers may also be permanently adjusting their spending based on what they’ve discovered about what truly makes them happy or fulfilled.”

A couple of years ago I chose 5 things a day to give away. Tshirts, knick knacks etc. It was completely fulfilling and I’ve never missed anything I shed. Having moved recently - and facing just how much I own - I’m going to start that up again. 5 a day to happiness!

While I’ll admit many of my things make me happy, in their beauty, representing the skill of an artist, or allowing me to dress for whatever occasion the mood fits - life is definitely easier with less.

Given the choice, good experiences vs. possessions is a winner IMHO. How about you?

–>Next stop: Freecycle

Tags: 1170Commentshttp://superviva.com/blog/2010/08/living-minimally-a-trend-worth-following/Living+Minimally+-+A+Trend+Worth+Following2010-08-09+16%3A31%3A24Susie

Very cool series in collaboration between Tony Robbins and the Huffington Post to gather stories from people about how they used stress to their advantage, “you meet someone and get inspired, you learn something, you’re given a strategy or tool. Or maybe you get angry enough to finally do it — you take decisive action and your life changes.”

Have moments of crisis led you to lead a richer, fuller life?

If so - share your story via text or video on HuffPost Living — in conjunction with “Breakthrough with Tony Robbins,” a six-part primetime special airing July 27 on NBC.

I’ll be contributing the story of how a major relationship breakup led to the best period of my life and gave me the opportunity to transform myself completely. It was the best thing that ever happened!

Tags: 1167Commentshttp://superviva.com/blog/2010/08/participate-in-tony-robbins-and-huffington-posts-most-inspiring-breakthrough-story-of-the-week/Participate+in+Tony+Robbins%27+and+Huffington+Post%27s+Most+Inspiring+%27Breakthrough%27+Story+Of+The+Week+2010-08-01+22%3A34%3A09Susie

Love the small house stories, not only as a career but as a concept. Three short clips of unlikely new careers:

-A guy who lives in an 89 sq foot house, and makes small houses.
-Psychotherapist turned perfumer.
-Aspiring oldest Olympic weight lifter, former TV producer.

Tags: 1163Commentshttp://superviva.com/blog/2010/07/3-great-second-act-stories-on-video/3+Great+%22Second+Act%22+Stories+on+Video2010-07-18+02%3A07%3A01Susie

On Instant Netflix there is a very well edited movie called Tales from the Script that’s about the trials, successes and tribulations of screenplay writers.

One interview was of Justin Zackham about how The Bucket List came to be.

The short answer: He made a list of things he wanted to do before he died - and voila - wrote a script based on that process.

Cooler yet, after Morgan Freeman accepted his role, he said he’d always wanted to star in a movie with Jack Nicholson. And so it came to be that he checked something off his list!

Given all the people who want to write a screenplay, this self-referential story of making a movie about making a life list delighted me no end.

Tags: 1159Commentshttp://superviva.com/blog/2010/07/writing-a-bucket-list-is-how-the-bucket-list-came-to-be/Writing+a+Bucket+List+is+How+The+Bucket+List+Came+to+Be%212010-07-10+19%3A08%3A55Susie