The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style
The Simple Sophisticate podcast, hosted by Shannon Ables, offers guidance on living a refined, quality-focused life on an everyday budget. Episodes cover topics like mindfulness, seasonal cooking, capsule wardrobes, and travel, with a particular fondness for France and Britain. The show encourages listeners to embrace simplicity and contentment over mindless consumption.
Episodes
429: How Embracing Uncertainty Leads to a Fulfilling Life and How to Do It
"Uncertainty will happen to us even when we try to avoid it. To reach our highest potential and live our noblest values, we need to be willing to step into uncertainty." —Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr, authors of The Upside of Uncertainty From knowing how the day will unfold to how our year will unfold, we cannot know until we live it. Uncertainty surrounds us, and to deny its existence by
The Paradox of Where We Find Peace — Un Moment de Méditation: No. 26
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment26
The Path to Contentment — Un Moment de Méditation: No. 25
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment25
428: Cultivating Equanimity — The Paramount Benefit of Living with Contentment for Everyday Peace of Mind
Dynamicism embodies the ability to move, adjust, adapt and thus thrive in whatever environment one finds themselves. To be dynamic is to be fully alive and thus living fully the life that we are given. Whenever we talk about contentment and what lies at the heart of experiencing contentment and how I introduce the Contentment Masterclass is the idea of a vehicle that provides us a mode of transpor
Plant the Seeds You Want to See Grow, Un Moment de Méditation: No. 24
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment24
Acceptance Is Where We Begin, Un Moment de Méditation: No. 23
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment23
427: 15 Life Investments — 10 Daily Choices, 5 Big Moves
The bad habits you didn't pick up. The good habits that you did. The thoughts you chose to hold on to and explore further and the ones you let go. The priorities we set and the long-term dreams we said yes to and gradually stepped toward. Both the simple everyday choices paired with the foundational decisions that require long-range planning and commitment play a role in the quality of our life to
Why It Isn't Working . . . Yet, Un Moment de Méditation: No. 22
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment22
The Difference Between Pain and Suffering, Un Moment de Méditation: No. 21
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment21
426: 10 Things I Miss When I Can't Visit Britain As Soon As I Would Prefer
Whether we've stepped foot on the terra firma of the British Isles or not, the time prior to an anticipated trip to do so, whether already booked or dreamed about, is a skill in patience and preparation. Yep, savoring how we've curated what we can right where we live to incorporate what we love most about the culture. Since my last trip in October 2023, the moment I returned home, I wanted to hop
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 20 — How to Find What is Needed
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment20
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 19 — How to Find Peace
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment19
425: The Intermezzo Effect: Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade Teaches How to Win at Life
Chess. At first, the idea of thinking like a chess champion may sound like an impossible feat if we do not know how to play the game, but as winner of two U.S. Women's Chess Championships and the first woman to win the U.S. Junior Chess Open, Jennifer Shahade shares in her new book, it all comes down to thinking well. Or to put it more precisely, thinking sideways. In my conversation with Jennifer
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 18 — Where We Find Stability
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment18
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 17 — A Curious Mind's Gift
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment17
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 16 — Relaxation as the Byproduct
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment16
424: Talking with Sharon Santoni about the Art of Antiquing in France
"The key is to enjoy the moment, and never stop learning along the way." —Sharon Santoni encouragement to explore France's many antique and vintage markets, fairs and shops France. The history, the ambiance, the food, ahhh, and the antiques and vintage treasures. If you've ever dreamed of traveling to France or have traveled to France and have wanted to know how to navigate the many brocantes, ant
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 15 — The Easiest Task of All
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment15
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 14 — Give Yourself Patience
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment14
423: How to Live in Sync with Your Inner Compass
My niece is graduating from high school this year, and as an aunt, it is a practice in letting go and trusting the amazing person that she is that she will find her way in life. If I were her parent, it would be different, as there is more direct support involved. This has been a great practice in exemplifying what is talked about here on TSLL: Living with intention, having clarity, being loving a
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 13 — Becoming the Chooser of Our Thoughts
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment13
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 12 — What Seeds Are You Watering?
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment12
422: How to Embrace Uncertainty and Why It Leads to a Fulfilling Life
"We might think that security is everything. But to secure something is to bind it. To keep it still. In contrast, in embracing uncertainty, we discover an ever-changing freedom and flow." —Andy Puddicombe An unexpected event. From startling good news that seems to come out of the blue or devastating loss, these events and anything in between that occur outside of what we imagine or have forgott
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 11 — Our Daily Life: Compost for the Mind
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment11
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 10 — Create the Conditions and Let Go
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment10
421: The Creative Cure — Strengthening Our Health and Well-Being with Daily Doses of the Arts, as taught by Daisy Fancourt
"Art—alongside diet, sleep, exercise, and nature, is the forgotten fifth pillar of health." —Daisy Fancourt, author Art Cure: How the Arts Save Lives Pleasure reading – mandatory. Listening to your favorite music – a have-to, not a want. Dancing – required participation. Viewing something of beauty – a daily must-stop and do. Each of these and so many more examples of the various forms of art that
Un Moment du Méditation No. 9 — Effortless Begins with Intentional Effort
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment9
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 8 — The Feeling of Connection
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment8
420: How to Invest to Build Wealth and Financial Freedom for a Long Life You Love Living
"The goal, here, is options—the power to choose the life you want. And this life is not going to happen without investing."—Amanda Holden, author of How to Be a Rich Old Lady The key to learning anything we don't know is to choose to learn. Then, we need to find people who not only know what we want to acquire as knowledge, but also know how to teach it. Not only do they know how to teach it, but
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 7 — Letting Go vs. Willpower
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment7
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 6 — What the Future Can Never Possess
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment6
419: The Foundation of Decorating a Home and Transforming It into a Sanctuary
"My Four Tenets of Good Design are not rules to follow, as much as they are a framework to help you think about design, not just as something pretty to look at but as something that inspires you to be the best version of yourself in the moments when no one is watching." —Nate Berkus, Foundations A feeling of immediate release of any tension, letting the day wash away, and a trust that the comfort
Un Moment de Méditation: No. 5 — Letting go of Comparison
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment5
No. 4 Un Moment de Méditation — Less Thinking, Deeper Breathing
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment4
418: Neighboring — How to Do It and Why It Will Enhance the Quality of Your Everydays
"There's a sense of comfort and safety that can come with knowing [our neighbors] — and building a safe and caring community is a valuable way to stay connected to the place you live." —Diana Opong and Janet W. Lee, in their article "How to be a good neighbor" Being a good neighbor is a daily practice in awareness. Both in what and who surrounds us, as well as how our own choices might affect othe
No. 3: Un Moment de Méditation — An Ease in Everyday Life
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment3
No. 2: Un Moment de Méditation — How to Heal
Find the text for this mini-episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment2
417: How Our Relationship with Ourselves Sets the Tone for the Health of All Relationships
"The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important relationship we will ever have, and we will have to continuously work on that relationship to break through the barriers that prevent us from true emotional intimacy with another person." —Jillian Turecki With a new year's beginning, the idea of love may be dancing about on our intentions list. But in order to successfully experience
No. 1 Un Moment de Méditation — Courage and the Mind
Welcome to the first mini-episode of TSLL's new limited series, Un Moment de Méditation/Moment of Meditation. Find the complete text on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/moment1
Introduction to New Mini Series - Un Moment de Méditation/Meditation Moments
A new limited series begins in 2026, offering guided meditation to help listeners deepen their mindfulness practice. Learn more by listening to this trailer. Un Moment de Méditation is a weekly limited series that will run for one year, sharing one mini-episode each Sunday afternoon, about 5 minutes in length. This new mini series is in addition to the regular episodes of The Simple Sophisticate
416: How to Find Peace — The Joy and Necessity of Solitude
"The moment being alone stops bothering you, your whole life levels up." —Uriel Maksumov With the holidays upon us, I have come to discover an unexpected gift of enjoying my own company during this time of year - the realization of what I most enjoy about the holidays. And here's the catch: when it is chosen, it is liberating. It's clarifying, and as the quote above acknowledges, it is life-eleva
415: The Life Nourishing Benefits of Welcoming Art into Our Sanctuary (and how to curate your own collection)
"Art is a language without words." —Kate Bryan, author of How to Art: Bringing a Fancy Subject Down to Earth Why art? Why bring it into our lives? Why spend our hard-earned money on it? We often hear about the skyrocketing headline-making prices of paintings being sold at auction, but what's the point of purchasing something if the entire reason is to accrue value to sell later? The primary object
414: The Art of Trusting Yourself (And Why It's the Key to a Joyful Life Journey)
"The more you practice reflection and appreciation, the more you build a reservoir of evidence that you can draw from in difficult times. You start ot see patterns. You start to recognize that while life has its ups and downs, you have consistently found a way to navigate them. You start to trust yourself more deeply. And that trust—that bone-deep knowing that you can handle whatever comes—is the
413: 13 Ways to Finesse the Art of Spending Money
"The best use of money is a tool to leverage who you are, but never to define who you are."—Morgan Housel, author of The Art of Spending Money If you ever want to know what a culture values, what a country values, look at their tax laws. I will never forget the wisdom shared by Martin Ginsberg, a tax attorney and the husband of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on how a country's subsidi
412: The Human Connection — 10 Benefits of Proficiency in a New Language
"You live a new life for every language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once." ―Czech proverb Did you know that 92% of students in Europe learn another language in school, and nearly a quarter of Canadians can hold a conversation in both English and French. Roughly one out of every two people on the planet knows at least two languages, and three out of four humans don't s
411: How to Deepen Your 'Joyspan' which will Lengthen Your Lifespan and Elevate the Quality of Your Entire Life
"Joy is the experience of contentment, gratitude, and meaning, regardless of our external circumstance. Joy is not simply feeling happy. Joy encompasses quality of life and the ability to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose . . . Joy, by definition, cannot be the goal." —Dr. Kerry Burnight, author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half A mindset s
410: What True Compassion Is and How to Employ It By Default, part Cinq/Five of "What Lies at the Heart of Living Simply Luxuriously"
"Just as we are wired to be in connection with each other, we are wired with an impulse to help, with an instinct for compassion." —Deb Dana, author of Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory Empathy in action. While to empathize with another is a good step, a step that acknowledges our shared humanity, it is when we are motivated to act to alleviate the suffering tha
409: How to Make Living Itself An Art, Part Deux (Who is TSLL Written For?)
To look up the definition of art through an academic lens is to discover there is no one agreed upon definition of art, and to my eye that is what makes it all the more beautiful to cultivate in the way we live each of our lives if we are to heed the above quote's encouragement of action. Earlier this week, a new series began here on TSLL that will explore and share Who TSLL is Written For? And Wh
408: How 3-Years of French Language Classes Elevated My Experience While Visiting France
The journey of learning anything new, putting in the hours, the practice, and progressing in a controlled environment eventually must make its way into the real-world to ensure any confidence we have gained is sound. Over the past three years, as many TSLL riders and listeners of the podcast know, I enrolled in French language classes (12 in total) with Washington D.C.'s Alliance de Français throu
407: The Joys of Living Alone —By Choice or Circumstance
"'I think that's just how life panned out. I had children and it was difficult to have a relationship with a man who was not the father. And I started thinking, OK, I'll take care of the children and then when they're grown up, I'll be available for a partner. But then I found, I have to say, the great serenity of being single.'" She pauses, as if to savour the words. "'And if I hadn't, I don't th
406: How The Essence of French Cooking Elevates the Everyday and is Simple to Learn (even if you don't like cooking!)
"Food need not be extravagant, complicated, or mysterious to be good. Quite the contrary." —Patricia Wells in her Introduction to Robert Olney's Simple French Food cookbook Whether you love cooking, loathe cooking or fall anywhere in between, we all need to eat. And if we eat well - a marriage of nutritive and delicious - we give ourself a very good shot at living a long and wonderful life. But w
405: How to Be Loving to Ourselves which Allows Us to Heal
"Love has the shape and feel of water. It is simultaneously flexible and powerful. It can adapt and roar; it can also be silently nourishing." –Yung Pueblo, How to Love Better We know we need to heal when we slip into being defensive, reactive or regress into any self-protecting behavior - anger, aggressiveness - passive or active. When we cling to perfection at all costs, avoid emotions especiall
404: 11 Classic British Wardrobe Details for Effortless Style
As we are in the middle of TSLL's 7th Annual British Week, I wanted to share with you 11 classic contemporary British wardrobe details for achieving effortless style. Each item and outfit shared below is not dependent on trends of the season, of which London is definitely at the forefront when it comes to embracing new and setting new trends. Rather, whether you live or simply visit Britain, wheth
403: 10 Ways Integrating Buddhist Psychology into Your Everyday Life Cultivates Contentment
"Buddhism is not a belief system. It's not about accepting certain tenets or believing a set of claims or principles. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It's about examining the world clearly and carefully, about testing everything and every idea. Buddhism is about seeing. It's about knowing rather than believing or hoping or wishing. It's also about not being afraid to examine anything and everyt
402: How to Keep Ourselves Healthy - Mind and Body - for the Rest of Our Lives (specifically for perimenopausal and beyond, but for all ages too)
"With the right training, nutrition, lifestyle strategies, and the power of the mind, women in their fifties and beyond can still [accomplish amazing feats] . . . women prove every day that our best years can be ahead of us no matter how old we are now . . . you've accumulated hard-earned wisdom and power over the years. You're higher on the totem pole of life. There are countless opportunities
401: What France Continues to Teach Me About Living Well
"France is Europe's most diverse, tasty, and exciting country to explore. It's a cultural bouillabaisse that surprises travelers with its varied, complex flavors." —Rick Steves The rain in Bretagne/Brittany. The dry hot heat in Provence. The bustle of Paris. The butter in Normandy (and Brittany). I could go on and on about the specialty delights and signature details in each of the many regions o
400: What I've Learned in French Class, So Far . . . : Part Neuf
When beginning this journey back in September 2022, I never imagined I would feel comfortable speaking French without thinking too far ahead of myself nor caring if I spoke incorrectly (which is still quite often), but two and a half years later, it has happened! Imperfect French is being spoken and the fundamentals are more confidently understood than ever before. Wahoo! While having attempted to
399: Eight Things I've Learned in my 46th Year
There is an awareness available to anyone who steps fully into their forties. It often happens a couple of years after turning the big 4 - 0, but it's there, waiting for each of us to realize we are half-way through (if we are so fortunate to live into our 90s) this beautiful gift called life. This awareness prompts courage and discipline as well as motivation to just get about the business of liv
398: The Simple Two Word Phrase that will Transform Your Life in Extraordinary Ways, as taught by Mel Robbins (and it's not on the cover of her new book)
"Taking back your power means reclaiming responsibility for your life. It means demanding more of yourself because time is ticking, and you've wasted enough of it worrying about things that don't matter. It means being laser focused on the things you can control, and not giving a single second to the things you can't . . . Let Me create a better life. A life that makes me proud. A life that makes
397: The Serenity of Savoring Being Single and the Abundance of Love that is Present
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, an annual holiday to celebrate love, those we love in all its different relationship forms, it can be helpful to be reminded that love doesn't have a hierarchy. One type of relationship be it a friendship, a spouse, a parent/child, a pet companion, a universal love for humanity, self-love - isn't more or less important, but merely other avenues of givi
396: Why Living a Simple Life Involves Courage and 6 Ways We Can Harness Our Bravery to Do So
"The confidence to dare to be simple." —Monty Don To be simple is to knowingly let go of what is not necessary and wisely keep, nourish and invest in what is. Gardens in many ways are a wonderful analogy for living well because they take time to mature into their full potential, and it isn't guaranteed that they will, but if they do, it is because the gardener had the foresight, patience and clar
395: 12 Balanced Living Ideas for a Great New Year
Maintaining our balance whether we are holding a tree pose in yoga or riding a bicycle requires dynamic engagement. While the tree pose in yoga may look static, nope, it is actually dynamic as various muscles are engaged. Similarly and more visually obvious is riding a bicycle. We must remain in motion, and a motion that is balanced, so again engaging our motions to align with each other if there
394: Setting the Foundation for An Extraordinary New Year and Beyond
"We can attain almost anything we want—but not instantly. If we're methodical, if we're persistent, and if we take small, deliberate steps, we can arrive there. The going may be slow at first, but the advantage of those actions, compounded over time, can lead to stunning results." —Doris Clark, author of The Long Game: How to Be A Better Long-Term Thinker in a Short Term World Five years. Seven y
393: How to Change Your Mind (literally), So You Can Change Your Life
"Some of [our] beliefs, habits and behaviours are acquired by chance, and some we have designed for ourselves. But the beauty of the human mind is that no matter how these beliefs were shaped, they can be changed." —Nicole Vignola, author of Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change Maybe it is the lack of confidence you have in your potential. Maybe it is the negativ
392: 10 Ways to Build a Strong (and healthy) Social Network, as taught by David Robson
"In general, people who have more optimistic expectations about the possibility of forming a connection are more likely to overlook superficial differences, and wait to see if they feel the spark of connection. They tend to have more diverse relationships, while those with fixed assumptions tend to have more limited social circles. Our beliefs about social connection can become self-fulfilling pr
391: 6 Important Skills and Abilities Gained When You Begin Living a Life of Contentment
In many arenas of life we witness what appears to be an immediate change, but upon looking at the road that prompted the change, the steps were gradual, intentional and focused. Over time, repetition and application, the skills coalesced, and much like finishing a house that has been built from the foundation up, it is complete. But it takes time, knowledge and consistent effort to experience the
390: My Skincare Routine at 45 for Radiant Skin, Simplicity and Results-focused
"Healthy skin begins the moment you start to take care of yourself." —Anonymous Healthy, natural, as well as radiant skin is something we can include as one of the most statement-making accessories in our exterior presentation. The questions begin though when we don't know what is worth investing in and how much is too much and just unnecessary. Alongside the food we eat, the exercise we regularl
389: The Importance of Gratitude and Celebration throughout our Everydays and along our Life Journey
When we see and acknowledge what is going well, we begin to permanently change what our mind not only looks for but believes is possible. And when we change our mindset, we change the potential of possibilities that cross our path. Which leads me to celebrating. Perhaps hearing that celebrating is a necessary part of the journey of success may come across as frivolous or unnecessary. Or perhaps wh
388: Why Not . . . Become the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) of Your Own Life and Experience Financial Freedom for the Rest of Your Life? 14 Foundational Pieces
What I would like to share with you today are 14 foundational pieces that will establish and continue to grow your financial freedom. Whether you work for a boss or work for yourself, I will be sharing how to make your way to financial freedom and also remain financially free once you arrive without being stagnant. In other words, when we are financially free, we now have space, energy and opportu
387: The Importance of 'Hero' Pieces in Your Wardrobe and the 6 Core Components
When we think of the term hero in its typical circumstance, we think of someone saving the day, making everything better, and restoring the peace, security and joy to those or what had momentarily been in peril. Now fashion or our personal style is not a life or death situation, I will acknowledge this upfront, but for the purposes of today's conversation, the hero pieces in our wardrobe are, as d
386: What I Have Learned So Far in French Class, Part Huit (8)
The learning continues, and the French language continues to become clearer and clearer with each word I hear. Granted, it is a slow journey of progress, but indeed progress has been made. As I sat watching both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Jeux Paris, I found myself for the first time actually wishing there were no translations as I found I could understand most of what was being sai
385: Talking Finances & Contentment with Jill Sirianni of the Frugal Friends podcast
When it comes to finances, to solely focus on the numbers actually can hinder the success and outcomes we seek of not only financial freedom, but deep everyday contentment. Co-host of the established podcast Frugal Friends, Jill Sirianni joins me to not only talk about the founding premise of their show which debuted back in 2018 and now has more than 400 episodes, and also to talk about her and h
384: 6 Things We Gain By Honoring Our True Self
When we make the life changing decision to embrace our true selves, a change that we cannot see at the outset, we open up a world of seemingly magic opportunities, gifts and moments of awe. Over the years, beginning in 2018 and the post from which the excerpt above came, we've talked about honoring our true selves, what it entails, why it's important and how to stay the course. The choice to step
383: 11 Health & Beauty Secrets for a Better Second Half, as taught by Liz Earle
"My years working in wellbeing have taught me that it's about living life in a daily, achievable balance. The one thing that counts above all else? Consistency. It doesn't have to be much and it doesn't have to be hard, but it does have to be consistent." —Liz Earle, author of A Better Second Half: Dial back your age to live a longer, healthier, happier life — Sharing my secrets to looking and fe
382: Antique & Vintage Shopping in Barnard Castle, England + 5 Ways I Decorate with these Treasures
You know you've found a quaint English town when the name of the town has a beloved nickname personifying it. Barnard Castle, or Barney, as the locals often call it, is a small town in County Durham, so in the northeastern portion of England, and the population rests just under 6,000. Now, when I began to make my plans to visit England for this particular trip, one of my top priorities centered ar
381: The Power of the Clarity of Our Intention AND Where We Direct Our Attention: Understanding Our Mind
We each have an amazing super power within us that when we understand how it works, transforms the quality of our lives. Instead of living in fear, constantly worrying and doubting the goodness of our fellow human beings or that our dreams can come true, when we understand how the Salience Network works in our mind, we unwrap a priceless gift. The salience network is the cognitive system the brain
380: How Rituals Enrich Our Lives IF We Choose and Engage with Intention
Rituals, whether designed by us solely for ourselves, or legacy rituals, or relationship or group rituals that involve others, give us more than can be imagined to deepen the quality of our life than we thought possible prior to fully engaging and incorporating them into our lives. You may recognize Dr. Michael Norton's name, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, as he
379: How (and Why) to Be Your Own Best Friend
"We are not born with the secret of how to live [well], and too many of us never learn it. There is nothing cold-blooded or mechanical about it, but there are many things we have to learn to do . . . the first thing is to realize we've probably been looking in the wrong place. The source is not outside us; it is within." —Mildred Newman & Bernard Berkowitz, authors of How to Be Your Own Best Frie
378: Choose to Compost Your Past: How the Arrival of the Spring Season is a Metaphor for Life
"Composting what was into what will be." Mother Nature and the cycle of seasons provide endless life lessons and nourishing guidance if we are wise enough to heed her teachings. More specifically, spring's arrival, the season as we all know that introduces itself after winter, the latter season of which for many of us can be frigid, keeping us more home-bound and bundled up far more often than we
377: The Slow Productivity Approach that will Elevate the Quality of Your Entire Life, as taught by Cal Newport
Author and professor of computer science at Georgetown University Cal Newport's latest book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout details exactly how and where in our daily lives and throughout the year we can apply the Slow Productivity approach and why it works. In today's episode I will be sharing with you 10 takeaways that caught my eye as areas of interest that I t
