May, Mastering the Art of Enough
May 01, 2022 3:16 pm
Olivia's May Newsletter
I will be very honest with you, it is difficult to know where to draw the line. I have spoken with so many authors, friends and family members who are simply feeling overwhelmed. It doesn't matter how much you do, there is always more to do and never enough time to do it. Maybe, what we are missing and not connecting in the dot lines of life, is that possible, you just need to say enough.
Enough of this.
Enough of that.
When is enough.... enough?
I'm going to tell you honestly, it is time to break the cycle and get off the hamster wheel. There are givers in this world and there are those who will take everything you offer and give little to nothing back in return, leaving you to pick up the pieces to go on with life, feeling a little less appreciated and valued. It does not mean those individuals are bad people, we can simply give more than needed, instead of giving just enough at the right time, in the right increments.
Well, how do I stop giving too much Olivia? I'm glad you asked. Here are five easy ways to master the art of enough.
- The Life and Energy you save may be your own. Joshua Becker, author of The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own, says buying less and accumulating less, can make you feel less overwhelmed with life.
- Mindfully, let go of what you don't need in your life right now. Make your scale-down efforts into a game. We tried this on a 14-day trip with a travel-sized suitcase and a carry-on bag. It worked well and we only packed and used what we brought.
- Live Within Your Means or below your means. Make non-spending into a game.
- How many days can you go without buying clothes, nonessential trinkets, or little ‘rewards’ for yourself? When you do buy something, start over the next day and see if you can beat your record.
- After your next grocery trip, see how long you can go without buying food again. You’ll be surprised how creative you can be with leftovers. Plus, it trains you to use what you have and reduce food waste.
- Go for Quality selective materialism. By focusing on high-quality, durable, long-lasting products, you might hit the top of your affordability range. But consider the return on investment.
- Cultivate Contentment-developing an understanding of what truly brings us pleasure, and knowing how to savor what we’re doing, eating, or watching in the moment.
Okay, I'm going to stop here, because this is enough.
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On release day, we hit Number 1. Thank you. I really hope you enjoy the story.
💃🏾 🤸🏿
Buy links:
https://books2read.com/u/b5X9Jw
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I've been holding this news close to the vest for several months and I am super pleased to share this with you. I partnered with @ScribD to publish the Zelda Dairies into Audio Books. The fourth one is now available. The even better news is that you can try out the service for 30 Days for free.
The entire series is coming to Scribd! Get A Saucy Sunday here!
https://www.scribd.com/author/594686746/Olivia-Gaines
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...I am currently writing Nada
I gave myself the license to take a few days off and breathe. I'm breathing. I'm not writing, but I will be soon. I'll keep you updated.
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Chapter 4- You Know Where to Find Me
The meeting, while going well and spotlighting Lola's ability to avoid the mansplaining team of co-workers who wanted to find a flaw in her plan, but couldn't, applauded the presentation. The barista, who had taken a seat in the corner, also listened in as if he were planning to be the biggest investor in her efforts, also applauded. Her boss, while usually not sure if he was on her side, or if he'd hired her to fill a boob quota, praised her openly.
"I thought for a minute there the coffee on the white blouse was going to throw you off your game, Raymond Pettigrew said softly. "Glad to see you muddled through. Well done."
"Well done for someone who muddled through Sir? I'll take the praise, thank you," she said, watching the crowd leave the room.
A few of the men in the room gave her an appreciative nod, but her focus was on the hero in the corner. Her coffee genius. The man who knew how to get her morning started. He was the carrier of the white cloth offering an unconditional surrender to her coffee-loving palate. He was her hero of the hour. She pulled the napkin down, folding it as if it were the most delicate piece of fabric she'd ever touched in her life, and passed it back to him.
"You saved my hide, or in this case my heart, thank you, for the coffee as well," she told him.
"Always willing to come to the aid of a damsel in distress," he said offering a smile. A wry smile. A sexy smile that went along with his sexy body that she had no business looking at like a hungry cougar eyeballing a rabbit as a snack.
"Again, my thanks for the fresh cup of coffee too," she said smiling back.
The moment hung between them as she took it as her cue to find a clean shirt, and get to her desk. She was certain in her locker there was a tee-shirt from the gym. It might be smelly, but at least it didn't look as if a baby barfed on her. She tossed up her hand, waving farewell.
"Lola," he called to her, "you know where to find me."
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This is part of the Wanted: Mistletoe Boxed Set, coming this November. Pre-order is only $.99. Click here to support to the dream.
It's time to clean up the file drawers and file orders and get organized. Take the five-day challenge and get your writing life in order.
https://bit.ly/3ku39rA
