Broke-Ass Student

Manifest Wealth Through Creative Perspective. What Type of Reality Are You Creating?

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Baby step #12 - Concentrate refocusing energy on current blessings and wealth, as opposed to breeding negativity by focusing on what you believe you lack.

When one continually feels a certain way, they believe it and consequently create a reality for themselves.

I can’t do it. It’s too difficult. I’m not sure. I’ll never be able to. I can. I’m able to. I will succeed, and this is how.

To believe you’re poor and impoverished will create a similar reality. However, if you recognize how extremely wealthy you are (through good health, family, friends, love, laughter, career satisfaction, experiences, and memories), you start feeling an enhanced sense of gratitude for every blessing in your life. By becoming satisfied in other areas, you also willingly invite further wealth into your life through positive energy and emotion.

What type of reality are you currently creating?

Manifest Wealth Through Positive Reinforcement

There is much more to accumulating wealth than mere dollars and cents or calculating figures and spreadsheets on a table. It’s a deeply rooted spiritual and emotional mindset. Mentally, we may find ourselves caught up in the wrong endeavors. Instead of focusing on the blessings in our life and expressing gratitude for the necessities we have, we tend to obsess over what we feel we lack. This creates a destructive mental chain of misery – which in turn manifests dissatisfaction, greed, and the insatiable desire of never having enough and always wanting more. Through recognition of our blessings, see how leading a happier life has never felt so simple.

It only takes a quick glance through some of the past articles posted this week (such as the corruption of wealth) to receive a glimpse of the tragic burden wealth has brought upon some individuals (most notably, lottery winners who fell into unexpected earnings.)

But the money itself isn’t the problem here.

These individuals appeared mentally unprepared to cope with the huge influx of money that suddenly befell them. Spiritually they were unable to assimilate money into their lives in a positive fashion, and their wealth spiraled out of control. It festered into an excruciatingly chaotic and destructive force. Some of these individuals may have forgotten to respect and appreciate what they had previously, or perhaps it was a lesson they never learned to begin with. By failing to respect the unexpected gift of wealth, they weren't able to utilize it in a beneficial or enlightening manner. It deteriorated their lives.

Gratitude For Every Penny

Because money is such a powerful universal force, it demands immense respect. But consider your own habits. Are you respecting your income properly?

Do you currently feel appreciative and satisfied with what you have? Are you consciously aware of your expenses? Is your money thrown all over the place in disarray and crumpled in your wallet, or is it neatly folded together? If you searched through your home, would you find enough change in your cushions to service a Laundromat for a month? Are you making irrational purchases without realizing where portions of your paycheck are being funneled?

One of my best friends recently bemoaned to me how she had no idea where her money was draining away to. Christmas had come and gone, of course. But she anticipated the expense and prepared for the holidays by budgeting for gifts. She didn’t believe that was where the problem lay.

I asked her to briefly walk me through one of her days. Besides regularly buying food at work, she suddenly realized she also spent over $1 on bottled water at the gym almost every day. Surely an insignificant purchase, she mused?

When we calculated the expense of the bottled water alone, we were shocked to realize she was spending over $350 a year on just water at the gym. That’s almost $1,000 over a three-year period. It suddenly dawned on her that it would be more practical to bring a thermos and fill it herself at the water fountain. She realized she could more wisely utilize that money, and scoffed at her ineptitude in just that tiny little area. She also realized how easy and cost-efficient it would be to bring lunch to work more often.

But, ironically, a trivial bottle of water began to represent a foolish expense that wasn’t in line with my friend's personal goals. From that day forward, it became a trigger point. A seed was planted in her mind that blossomed into a conscious awareness of how she was choosing to spend every portion of her money.

I am pleased that my friend, who used to be extremely intimidated by personal finances, (the mention of the stock market would literally send her running and squealing), is now willing to learn about retirement funding and proper investing. She has found a wiser approach on how to respect her money further. For the first time, she is taking firm control of her personal finances instead of allowing them to control her.

Mentally walk yourself through a day or two of your normal expenses. What careless spending will you uncover?

For those still unconvinced of their inherent wealth and would rather look at their concrete net worth, take a peek at how well you rank with the global wealth rich list. Were you surprised?

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

Manifest positive emotion through continued gratitude - recognize and respect your blessings

=^..^=

When the Corporate World Sucks the Creative Life Out of Young People

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Some thoughts from Stevers at the Stever Robbins Company:

"A Fable that Starts True: Extraordinary People Producing Ordinary Results

A young man—college student—with a goatee and headphones sat across from me on the subway. Hunched over a book, he was wearing cargo pants, a T-shirt, several bracelets, and many necklaces. The knapsack in his lap proclaimed (in hand-written magic marker), “Life is a verb, not a noun.” A button on the knapsack: “Reading is Sexy.”

I looked around. Everyone else was wearing sensible clothes. Khakis. Button-down shirts. Gap shorts. Me? Khaki shorts and a generic polo shirt. Clothes, happily devoid of personality. The young man had more personality in his little finger than the rest of us had together. Pondering, I wondered if he would ever end up as Boring as the rest of us.

Step-by-step, he’s molded into Everyman

It would begin on the first day at work. “Wearing a goatee isn’t really appropriate for this office,” he would be told with a smile by the kindly secretary who wants to see him succeed. The next day, he’s cleanshaven. Bracelets, she informs him, aren’t really right for work. And why not leave the necklaces at home, too.

The next day, he shows up, feeling a bit less like himself, feeling like he’s holding back. But, eager to do a good job, he cuts his hair. He shoves the backpack under his desk and buys a smart, leather folio. He shows up “dressed for work.” A colleague sees his old knapsack under his desk, smiles condescendingly, and offers helpful advice, “As an expert at copy-writing I can assure you that technically, ‘life’ is a noun. The verb form would be ‘live.’”

A few weeks later, he finds his childhood hero is speaking in a nearby town. He wants to take a day off and go. “Sorry, kid. You haven’t accrued enough vacation time, yet.” He sighs, understandingly … and in that moment, his Life really does begin to transform from a verb into a noun.

Next comes his yearly review. His best idea saved the company a cool million, but some of his ideas are a bit … out there. We helpfully give him the Tried-and-True industry handbooks, so he can tone down the wacko ideas. He learns quickly what is and isn’t possible. And since he did a good job, we give a whopping 5% raise. (That is $1,750 given his $35K salary. We’re glad he’s not a $200K person; we’d be shelling out ten grand. He doesn’t notice that his raise amount has far more to do with his age than with the value of his idea. We don’t notice, either.)

Within a couple of years, our young friend fits right in. He wears the right clothes. He cancels his dinner dates for Oh-so-important client meetings. He knows the conventional wisdom, and can self-censor his wacko ideas in the bud. He spends his time working, attending industry conventions, and absorbing the Status Quo. He’s a success. And he’s quite unlikely to be an agent of innovation, creativity, or newness. Mission accomplished!

Conformity is our boon and our curse

The problem is conformity. We love it. We like people who look like us, who dress like us, who care about the same things, who live similar lives. It’s hard-wired, you know. Given two identical college applications with different candidate names and pictures, we prefer the one who looks and sounds like us. And never mind the Internet “revolution.” We’ve now made it possible to read only news that agrees with our existing beliefs, communicate mostly with people we know will agree, and read commentary that comes straight from our comfort zone.

Conformity has its good side, of course. It’s very easy to manage. You only need to learn one way of dealing with people, and, well, that’s that. You can pretend everyone’s the same, and since we all agree dress, emotion, purpose, and rewards in the workplace are pretty much standard, we’ll play along enough for us all to happily work together…limiting ourselves to the lowest common denominator of our uniqueness.

But we innovate, create, and find new ideas come people interact who think differently. People nudge each other outside their comfort zones, and if the environment is right, they can end up breaking existing molds and creating Great New Things. But innovation means helping people cultivate their differences and then bringing them together in ways that spark creativity.
When we all wear the same work uniform, we send the message: differences in expression aren’t allowed here. When we all work in identical cubicles, we send the message: individuality is limited to two 8×10″ pictures above your keyboard tray. When our idea of flex-time is letting someone come in at 8:15 instead of 8, we send the message: no matter what your own rhythms, they matter less than having your body here.

And guess what’s the worst of all? Hiring for “fit.” You know what happens when you hire only people you feel comfortable with? You get yet another carbon copy of the Standard Employee you already have way too many of. The candidate who makes you feel a little uncomfortable, who thinks a bit off-the-wall, will bring you genius, if you treat them right.

So bring some extraordinary results into being by bringing together ordinary people, just not your definition of ordinary. Practice stepping outside your comfort zone. Wear some clothes that you’d never normally wear. Don’t be my friend who, at age 60, confided that the only thing he can wear comfortably is a suit and tie (even at home). Go someplace new. Try a new cuisine. Stretch yourself. Find out what happens. Learn from it. Meet some people outside your normal sphere. Go to Burning Man.

But why stop there? Instead of looking oddly at the young man in your office who pierced his nose, go get something pierced yourself. Your belly button is a good choice; you can always tuck in your shirt when you want to be discrete. But above all, remember that conforming to the norm leads you nowhere but the norm. It makes for boring business and a boring life. If you’re going to dream big dreams, matter to the people around you, and create breakthroughs whereever you go, start by piercing your belly button. Khakis and a polo shirt in a gray cubicle just aren’t going to take you anywhere extraordinary."

Source: Innovate, Compete, Win.

=^..^=

... As 2007 Descends Upon Us ...

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Happy New Year, everyone.

I'm working on an article for tomorrow on small ways to help improve personal finances. I didn't want to publish the article prematurely so I decided to reflect on ambitions for the coming year.

Here are some current goals that have been a work in progress for months now, so none of them should be too daunting.

• Broke-Ass Student will be relocating to a new home. Thanks to a generous donation from John Chow, I can afford my own web hosting. Bare with me during the coming weeks as I make the transition to a new domain. I'm still new to coding and web design, so I'm learning as I zip along.


• Some financial goals are to contribute to a 403(b) retirement plan with a new job I've started today. I'm also going to look into opening a Roth IRA, to start dabbling into the stock market. But foremost I'll be aggressively slapping chunks out of my current debt, which consists mainly of car payments and pending student loans.


• Establishing a healthier overall diet. I'd like to transition toward a more wholesome balanced diet of organic fruits and veggies while trimming down on meat. I'd also like to up my physical exercise.


• More time for meditation. Currently I practice 45 minutes of yoga every day, usually 20 minutes during sunrise and continued asanas in the evening hours. I'm ultimately aiming towards two hours of yoga per day, with a half hour dedicated to quiet meditation. It's an invigorating way to start and end the day, and mental and health benefits outweigh any sacrifice of time on my part. It naturally detoxifies my body and soothes nerves while setting my creativity into an exuberant frenzy. My body feels more refreshed and I actually need less sleep, therefore gaining extra hours for productivity. It's been invaluable for staying awake longer and accomplishing the zillion things buzzing around in my head (or for quieting the chaos in general).

If one of your goals this year is to include more physical exercise, I suggest starting out with an hour of light-to-brisk walking every day. It will do wonders for your mood and health. Try it for a week - you'll love the results.



• Running regime. One of my favorite Christmas gifts is a pair of New Balance running shoes. I'll be sure to put these to use with a dedicated running regime at the gym this week. For an enlightening and humbling read, check out Japan's Tendai 'marathon' monks.
• Writing each day for at least half an hour.

That's it. I hope everyone had a lovely New Years celebration. Due to limited finances, I kept it simple. My boyfriend and I cosied up with some candles, wine, a veggie pizza and a huge snuggly blanket, and we watched the Godfather all night

... an awsome prerequisite to what a fabulous year it's going to be.

=^..^=

Make This Year Extraordinary

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

I hope everyone had an awsome holiday. I'm ready to hibernate for a few weeks due to the enormous amount of food I've consumed during the past three days. There have been so many different blessings in my life this year and so much to truly be grateful for. And as we settle back into our daily routines for the week, I just wanted to share this video to remind you not to get too comfy.

Find out more about Matt and his adventures at WherethehellisMatt.com.

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~ 

Don't settle for ordinary. Make this coming year extraordinary <3

=^..^=

Finding the Courage to Fail - Even as a Broke-Ass Student

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

"Oh, burp, my tummy's nice and full!"

(aka, what your piggy bank should be saying this New Years)

Darren Rowse is sponsoring a massive writing project over at ProBlogger in celebration of the coming New Year. Go check it out to win over $2,000 in various cool prizes (all winners are chosen at random simply for participating).

At the end of the project, I'll be posting some of my favorite posts and newly discovered blogs. This is a great opportunity for old and new bloggers to become better acquainted and build a community together. The first day of the project is barely over and I've all ready discovered tons of interesting websites. I look forward to what the remaining days will bring.

The theme for this mass writing project is "reviews of last year and predictions for the coming year". Go now and participate! Express yourself any way you'd like. The project is open to everyone until Thursday.

My Quiet Annual Reflection - Finding the Courage to Fail

When I reflect back on this year, I've learned an extremely valuable and poignant lesson that truly stands out in my mind. It has been finding the proper courage to take bigger risks in my life. In doing so, it also entails willingly facing the potentiality of greater failure. Perhaps I should rephrase this a bit - I've not only been accepting failure into my life, but embracing it as well. My personal journey this past year has brought me to a stunning realization. I've discovered a concept so liberating, it has literally turned my life into a tail spin.

I have never allowed myself to be afraid before, and yet be ok with that. I have never allowed myself to grow through embracing my fears or failures. Only recently have I realized how horrible this "safe" mode of thinking has really stunted my progress on many different levels.

Success Spawns from Numerous Failures

If it's one thing I look forward to bringing with me into the new year, it's the realization that I will screw up many, many times during the course of my life. Each of these failures, however, will serve as guidance tools and become sources of deeper wisdom. The key is continued perseverance, and simply not giving up when things get tough. If one avenue turns out to be a dud, there will always be zillions of others available to pursue.

I see so many people get caught up in a vicious rut because they find themselves stuck facing a dead-end street. They become afraid to step out and try something new. Perhaps, like me, they feel afraid and intimidated by the unknown. Thus they choose to remain stagnant where it feels safe and warm.

This New Years, make a list of your biggest fears. Let those little devils sit on your shoulder for an evening and dance around. Look them dead in the eye and celebrate in their disguised blessings. Imagine all the wonderful things you can accomplish by unleashing all the dread and fear in your life which is currently holding you back from what you want. So, stop sabotaging yourself!

Maybe, just maybe, today is your day to realize your passions and not look back in fear or regret.

Find your dreams and pursue them with a vengeance.

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~ 

Happy upcoming New Year, everyone! Dream it, and dream big. Because if you truly believe it, you will achieve it.

=^..^=

Manifesting Your Destiny

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Baby Step #9 - If you dream it and believe it, you can conceive it and achieve it.

A gentleman named Alex IMed me a few questions pertaining to inspirational Dream Coach Marcia Wieder. I'm not too familiar with her work, but I do know that David Bach, author of "The Automatic Millionaire", is a fan of hers.

Alex presented me with the following questions of Marcia's and wanted to hear my own thoughts;  What do you love? What do you want? What do you believe? And what are you willing to do about it?

I think they are valid points for anyone to consider. Here are my responses.

1. What do I love?

I love the ability to thrust myself in new experiences each day - because each of these experience help bring me closer to discovering my deepest potential. I will never stop learning or growing as an individual, and I love continually challenging myself on new and different levels. This is why I'm usually involved in many different projects at a given time.

2. What do I want?

I want to build a proper awareness (to the best of my ability, as we are all imperfect) to reality and the conditions of the world surrounding me. It is extremely important for me to tap into my essence and slowly draw it out. My ultimate goal is to use any resources at my disposal to help educate myself and others.

For example, we are abusing Mother Earth and it's becoming more and more critical for the general population to become aware of the monsterous damage we're inflicting every day. Species of animals are becoming extinct at a rate of one every three hours, the last tree in the rain forest is predicted to fall around 2043, and ecologists and economists are predicting our sea food to run out around 2048. The Amazon is declining at an alarming rate due to exports being placed before the environment.

Yes, people need money to survive. But what do they believe will happen once we've destroyed the beautiful planet we're living on? What good will all their wealth do if there is no longer an earth to support us. Delicate eco-systems are being pulverized. This just doesn't seem very smart to me. We're sabotaging ourselves and if it continues, our children will have nothing.

People need to stop and take a moment to look around to open their eyes a little bit wider. As a conditioning of our society in general, I feel we're completely wrapped up in the wrong things. This is resulting in dangerous ignorance.

3. What do I believe?

I believe each of us have a significant purpose in this life. I feel passionate in discovering mine. This will be a life-long process, I'm sure. I believe there are no coincidences in life, that our minds have immense power over our bodies, and that we each receive from the universe what we're willing to place into it. Anything is possible. If we dream it and believe it, we can achieve it.

4. What am I willing to do about it?

I feel, by bringing awareness to myself, I then have a duty to become critical and question certain attitudes and mind sets, and to bring information to others so they also have the opportunity to become critical and challenge their own perspectives.

I'm not willing to become complacent. If I can successfully bring awareness and strive to correct greater injustices in society through my actions and writing, I feel I am on a better path.

I hope I didn't come across as overly-preachy with my answers, but I do feel it's important for people to realize how much power their minds have over their destinies. For example, if you continually think on negative terms, you'll manifest loads of negativity into your life.

I am a firm believer that we should never sacrifice our dreams or compromise who we are. So what about you? Do you know where your destiny lays? Take a moment to think about it. It could dramatically change the rest of your life.

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~ 

Live courageously - dream bigger and dream better

=^..^=

The Money Conundrum

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Nonsensical musings on the spiritual laws that gravitate around my finances

"There is no statement so absurd that no philosopher will make it" - Cicero

Money is a necessity. It’s something we spend many long hours working hard for. To accumulate a mass amount of wealth by the end of our lives somehow signifies a great depth of success. Learning to respect money through nurturing and proper planning is a wonderful way to watch money grow. How then do so many people lose such desperate control over their money, over something they put so much emphasis on and therefore should be cherishing and nurturing, instead of allowing it to slip so frivolously through their fingers?

The Endless Pursuit of ‘Stuff’

Frivolous spending was my own downfall. I had no comprehension or meaningful insight into money for many years. I spent it faster than I could make it. Or I spent what I didn’t have for ‘stuff’ I thought I needed. Money was something I took for granted and basically abused. When I bought something really fancy for myself, the adrenaline would kick in and I would feel stoked. But it was always a short term solution. I’d quickly grow bored and disillusioned, and the item would be taken for granted. My sights would then be set on the next big fancy ‘stuff’ to acquire. And so, on and on the cycle would continue. Consumerism at its best, and society was more than willing to gorge my greed.

I finally woke up and stopped buying ‘stuff’ I didn’t need. I didn’t need it because ‘stuff’ was serving no useful purpose in my life. It was an empty and meaningless pursuit. It feels good to finally be gravitating away from the useless clutter that has only served in complicating my life. I feel I am finally on a better path.

As my respect for money develops, I also realize the irony in how rich I’ve been up to this point. Money does not automatically hand me over my happiness. It does not give me fulfillment or lead me closer to my greater purpose in life. Neither does money hold the answers to all of my probing questions, or help quench my insatiable curiosity. In the past, it has only led to items, to more ‘stuff’. More stuff’ which in turn led to more complications and more headaches. And to debt. And debt, unfortunately, results in a lot of heartache for many people in similar situations.

Money Used for Experiences Instead of Items

The experiences I’ve gone through in my life, my memories, are what I truly cherish. The experiences I’ve gained through living have brought me greater joy than collecting material things. I’ve reached the conclusion, therefore, that money is more wisely utilized for experiences instead of ‘stuff’.

When I graduated from high school, I burned with a passion to experience the world and witness life through different cultures. I worked non-stop for over a year in a crappy pizzeria joint and saved every penny I made. When I turned 19, I collected my entire savings and took a flight over the Atlantic to England. I was so enchanted with Europe that I stayed abroad and continued traveling to different countries for over four years. I visited England, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Greece during the time I spent there.

I don’t regret for a moment packing and leaving like I did, instead of falling into the rat race mentality trap of heading straight to college after high school. Hell, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with my life at that point. And even though I was piss ass poor and it was a struggle at times, each day presented a different challenge, a new awakening for me, and I felt so alive.

The experiences I’ve obtained from my journeys and struggles make me feel inconceivably blessed. No amount of money could ever replace that.

Am I not in a sense then one of the wealthiest people alive?

Wealth through Memories

When we leave this world, we won’t be packing up and taking all of our material possessions with us. We will depart this earth with our intellect and knowledge, and the thriving memories we keep alive in our thoughts and cherish in our hearts. Money should be used for experiences which allow each of us to access the deepest plateau we’re able to reach to embrace our passions; to obtain wisdom and spiritual growth, and to extend past our comfortable boundaries and dare to attempt any accomplishment our mind is set on achieving.

For me, this doesn’t necessarily mean working my arse off just to retire early on some fancy yacht to sip Coronas all day.

The Inherent Value of Money

Money itself has no inherent value. It’s a flimsy piece of green paper that may have passed through zillions of hands before it’s placed in our own. It’s ripped and faded and full of germs. It sparkles with the dew of sweat from people who’ve become brainwashed and locked into being slaves to the system. It’s a pursuit generated from a total ‘work’ world where many fail to take a moment to sit down, take a deep breath, and recognize the beauty surrounding them each moment of every day.

I sit and contemplate what I will do when I’m out of debt from my current loans. I plan to invest wisely, to live frugally, and to not complicate my life with unnecessary crap that has no depth or meaning for me. I enjoy giving money back where I can, to try to make a difference and touch other people and circumstances in the process. Ultimately, I can leave this world with the satisfaction of knowing I took the time to quietly contemplate my role in the scheme of reality. I’ve allowed myself the time for leisure to become receptive to discovering my greater purpose in life.

Stepping off the hamster wheel 

Through leisure, through stopping the cycle of demand from a constant work world, through opening up my heart and my mind in meditation and contemplation to rejoice in my blessings, I’ve been allowed an unexpected freedom. I’ve been given the freedom to question what I’ve observed and to become skeptical – and to demand better for myself.

Money itself has not necessarily given me the freedom to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery. I’ve been able to quietly absorb the madness of a work world that continues to grind away lives through jobs people despise but yet do for money; for necessity, for survival, and for ’stuff’. Through awareness, I’ve been given the opportunity to evaluate and embrace the nature of each of our stances in the universe and see through the illusion.

I’ve been given a deeper purpose.

Money, an interesting conundrum. It can be a powerful tool and ally when properly respected and used wisely. But money can only be utilized to a certain extent in bringing wealth and security. Slaving endlessly for money at a job we’re dissatisfied with can only bring us so far on our own paths to self-discovery.

What greater gift is given to us than our time? Yet each day billions sell their time at an incredible price for the hours they work at a job they hate, and fall deeper into the pitfall of neglecting their passions in the process. Why should I continue giving away one of my most valuable possessions, my time, when it detracts from my ability to discover my purpose of serving a greater good? And how can I stop a brainwashed society from needlessly sacrificing their time and making the same mistakes?

I’ve been given the freedom to step off the hamster wheel and embrace a different perspective. I’ve accumulated extensive debt due to ignorant past mistakes, which I admit does suck. But those mistakes have only aided in my spiritual growth and served as some of my greatest teachers. So have they really been mistakes, or unexpected blessings?

I am no longer disenchanted with one set perception. At least I am no longer a victim.

What about you?

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

=^..^=

Leading a happier life has never felt so simple

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Baby  Step #5 - Simple techniques can go a long way in improving overall happiness. It doesn't have to feel overwhelming.

Recent research is challenging the notion that attaining happiness is a futile pursuit.  In fact, some relatively simple steps have resulted in excellent long-term results and decreased depressive qualities. Here's a quick  snippet;

"Happiness is the process, not the place," [Deiner] said via e-mail. "So many of us think that when we get everything just right, and obtain certain goals and circumstances, everything will be in place and we will be happy.... But once we get everything in place, we still need new goals and activities..."

So what does it take? Here are some simple techniques to lead a happier life. You might be surprised.

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

=^..^=

Clearing Away the Clutter

(Broke-Ass Student has moved to a new home! Please visit www.brokeass-student.com for further adventures and content)

Baby Step #1 - Removing the useless clutter from my life

I have to admit, I am notorious for being a huge packrat. I’ve decided to take advantage of my days off from classes this week. My primary goal before Turkey Day is to go through my home and remove all the useless clutter that has accumulated over the past two years. It is unbelievable how much stuff I have laying around that is taking up so much unnecessary space. And most of it is just, well, crap.

I plan to attack my closets first and give them a thorough pawing through. Any clothing I haven’t touched recently will be stored in a ‘gently used’ bag. From there I’ll move onto the endless piles of paperwork I seem to love accumulating in every nook and cranny. Anything worth holding onto (such as receipts, verification codes for online bill, letters, bank statements, or pay stubs) will be filed. Everything else is getting tossed. The hope is that by diminishing these piles, it will help me become better organized and have a firmer grasp on my financial papers and monthly debts.

By removing the senseless clutter from my life, I will have more space to dedicate to items that are truly important to me. From there I can acquire an honest assessment of where I’m lacking and where I should save up. For example, I know I need a few new sweaters for the upcoming chillier months. But 1/4 of my closet is currently being consumed with clothing I haven’t touched in years, and yet continue to hold on to.

It will also be interesting to see how much loose change I’ll gather in the process. I know there are probably more than a few coins lurking in the ambiguous folds of my couch cushions and jacket pockets.

Wish me luck!
~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

=^..^=