Paper Purge

I'm on a rant about paper today. As a writer and information-o-holic I have always loved paper. I even like OLD paper, especially old books and ephemera. But I'm now on a personal crusade to lower the amount of paper that gets into my life. I've gone paperless on several financial statements and bills when vendors offer it. I pay my bills online almost exclusively and that's saying something, since I pay bills not only for myself and my husband but also for my 90-year-old mother and developmentally disabled brother. I do what I can automatically and the rest I do online.

But my struggle to cut down on junk mail has been just that, a struggle. I've found one tool that really seems to help. It's a web site called catalogchoice.org and it lets you control at least some of what comes into your mailbox. You can arrange to stop unwanted catalogs and compliment participating merchants while you're at it. Take a look. The recycling bin will thank you for it and so will a few trees.

Positive Thinking

I subscribed to Ralph Marston's Daily Motivator posts a year ago and I'm grateful every day that I did. Short and to the point, simple but truly "pithy," these "positive thinking" messages just help set you up for a great day. Their lessons are at the core of simplicity and they help me focus on what really matters. Click on the link I've provided under "Inspiration" and have a look for yourself.