Here in Nevada City, local yogis gathered at the Wild Mountain Yoga Studio to participate in forming a “Mala around the Earth” by doing 108 sun salutations. (A sun salutation  is a series of 12 postures linked by breath in a graceful flow.) I was one of those yogis. We began at noon on Saturday. Two hours and a good deal of endorphins later, we completed 108 salutations. Two days later, my hamstrings and arms were still reminding me that 108 was 53 more than I’d ever done at one time.

Sore body parts notwithstanding, getting together with a room full of people—knowing we were one tiny bead in this international mala—all sharing the intention of expanding world peace was an exhilarating experience. A wonderful reminder that changing the world begins with changing ourselves. This newsletter’s theme fits right in—gratitude is the change I want to breathe in the world. What’s yours?

Shawn Tuttle
Head Simplifier, Project Simplify
Co-editor, The Simplifier

2. Our Featured Quote

You have many useful or valuable qualities, physical things, relationships, and experiences that support you. Call them assets, call them blessings, call them things to be grateful for. Whatever their name, the easiest way to grow them is to appreciate them!

This concludes the Inventory series of articles. Moral of the story: stop the drains and grow the good things. Easy enough, eh?

—

Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify.

Be a source of gratitude

Several years ago I decided to leave an organization I’d been with for a year and a half. It wasn’t a bad work situation, it was just time to move on. Well, the outpouring of appreciation for what I had done for them once I gave notice was amazing! I remember thinking, “It’d have been nice if they’d have told me this before!?”

While we don’t expect people to read our minds, we do often forget to let others know that we are grateful for their contributions. Whether acting within our job description or over and above the call of duty, one of the most rewarding gifts we can receive are kind words from another acknowledging our efforts.

Your tip this week is in the form of a challenge. How many people can you share kind words with? The barista at a café, your partner, the server at a restaurant, a colleague you don’t always see eye to eye with, someone you’ve had a hard time with in the past, your best friend. (And the obvious—the people on your gratitude list from the article above!) Think of something you are grateful for or appreciate about them and then tell them. Refrain from following up with justifications or explanations, just smile. See how this makes the other person feel. How does it makes you feel?

One additional benefit is that this very well may be the cheapest and easiest form of therapy available—so do it often for good health!

In the News is compiled by The Simplifier co-editor Lance Brown.

Busy-ness is not the same as satisfaction (Star-Bulletin - Honolulu, HI)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/244g8v 
Columnist Ruth Wong brings up the Pareto Principle, a.k.a. the “80/20 rule”, to make a simple point about deciding how to use your time.

Organizing your fridge (WTNH - New Haven, CT)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2×8rm6   
We’ve covered closets, garages, pantries, kids’ rooms, cars, offices…but I think this is the first time we’ve featured an article about organizing your refrigerator. And why not? You use it every day, right? [Enters “mother mode”] Right?…Because you look like a string bean. Have you been eating?

Too busy organizing to be productive (The Globe and Mail - Toronto, Ca.)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ysxs8t  
The smart thing is to be your own devil’s advocate, I always say. Or, I would always say that, if I had thought of it before just now. Either way, this article is about how overdosing on organizational systems (especially David Allen’s Getting Things Done) can possibly lead to an unproductive obsession with tabs, pens, and sharpening your scissors with aluminum foil. (And nobody wants to see that.)

If you know of something in the news that should be featured here, let us know!

By The Simplifier co-editor Lance Brown.

Our Newsletter Archive pages

The Most Famous Mime Ever

If I say “world-famous mime”, and a name pops up in your head, I’d bet pretty good money that name is Marcel Marceau. The “world-famous mime” club is pretty darn small. And actually it just got a lot smaller, as Marcel Marceau passed away this past week, at age 84.

But we needn’t be sad about his passing. He lived a long and, by many measures, nearly ideal life, which he created from the ashes of very tough origins. (He was a 16-year-old Jew in France in 1939, when France entered World War II.) He reached millions (probably hundreds of millions) of people with his particularly impactful art. He was considered the undisputed master of his craft, an honored teacher, a goodwill ambassador, a national hero in his own country and a treasure in most others…

…and most relevantly, he made lots and lots of people smile. We should all do so well. :-)   :-0   =>)   :-*)

Links:

Video of the performance pictured above: http://www.youtube.com/v/zNqskkKMkFQ (5 min 15 sec)

Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Marceau

Salon’s “Brilliant Careers” article (7-29-99): http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/07/27/marceau/ 

Quotes by Marcel Marceau:

“Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without words?”

“Music and silence… combine strongly because music is done with silence, and silence is full of music.”

“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”