Simple Man

This is a song that I live by: Simple Man by Lynard Skynard. Read these lyrics and perhaps you’ll live by them too. I hope you do.

 

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it’ll help you some sunny day

Oh, take your time don’t live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
Go find a woman you’ll find love
And don’t forget son there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can? Oh yes, I will

Boy, don’t you worry you’ll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can?

Baby be a simple, be a simple man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man

Beautiful, isn’t it? Society gives us so much pressure to determine our success through economic status. Thanks to this song, money means little to nothing to me now. Why should it? If I have enough to live, I am happy. I will live simply, I know that the more things I have, the more things I have to worry about. No one really cares about how much money you have, and if they do, then they’re (for lack of a better word) ignorant.

I have friends who want to start small businesses, help underpriveliged kids, and teach. The best part of this is that they all know they aren’t going to have a mansion with a garage filled with luxury cars. They are following their heart, and I am so blessed to have genuine friends and family that are willing to put money aside and base their success off of happiness. That is really what life is about.

 

We all know the saying “Work to live, don’t live to work.” I recently read an article by the Huffington Post called “Bronnie Ware: Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.” I know it sounds like a depressing read, but it was very interesting and I’ve been thinking about the article ever since I read it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bronnie-ware/top-5-regrets-of-the-dyin_b_1220965.html

Here are the top 5 regrets of the dying the Ware wrote about in the Huff Post on 1/21/12:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

 

Ware began the article by explaining where she received such information. “For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last 3 to 12 weeks of their lives.” Regrets are very powerful, and I’m sure no one wants to live with them. I hope you take these 5 points into consideration no matter how old you are or what is going on in your life.

Listen to this song whenever you feel like you are doing something to please others, or if you’re putting work before your family. Listen to it when you’re feeling like you’re putting happiness on the back burner or when you feel like you’ve lost touch with loved ones. As you grow old you will realize that there will be a day that you wont be able to take care of yourself: your friends will. Keep in touch with them. Life does not have to be complicated. There are responsibilites that are a part of life, but they should not become a burden.

So go live a simple life and leave the stress behind! You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them!

 

 

A great post about New York. Although I am a Chicago native, Mk Americana beautifully captures the culture of the Big Apple. I am now going for a stroll around the Windy City after work…

Mk Americana

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

I love to travel and experience new cultures. For that reason,  I took a day trip to New York for a mini vacation.  My purpose in going was to visit all the places I didn’t get a chance to visit during new years. With that being said,  I still didn’t get a chance to visit all the places I wanted to. Regardless, I had a wonderful time and I plan on going back soon to finish my list. Below are a few pictures I took while I was there.

Before I went to the Brooklyn bridge I stopped by Duke’s cafe located in Soho no too far from H&M.

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Cooking at home: faster, cheaper, and way more fun

I am tired of people excusing themselves for eating poorly because they are on a tight budget. Being a college student, I have done many trial and errors to figure out the best way to save money on food.

Here is what I have concluded: Cooking at home is almost always cheaper.

I understand that fast food is a quick way to feed your kids while battling 2 jobs and soccer practice, but there are ways around that. Cooking at home does not have to take an hour. Some meals don’t even take 30 minutes.

Look at it this way. How long does it take for you to decide what you and your family want for dinner? Then you have to drive there, or call and wait for it to be ready. Perhaps you ordered something for delivery, and we all know that anything getting delivered around dinner time takes about an hour to arrive. By the time you receive the food, you’ve lost loads of cash that could have been spent on loads of groceries. Spending money on gas, tips, and junk food adds up fast, and it sure is a waste of valuable time that could be spent with loved ones.

We all know fast food is horrible for your body. Why waste your money?

An easy way to avoid this is cooking at home. Like I stated earlier, while in college I have been on a tight budget. Here are some things that I make for myself and friends.

Pasta with chicken and mushrooms: approx. $3.50 and 20 min. to make

Grilled chicken with steamed veggies: approx. $2.50 and 15 min. to make

Minestrone soup (feeds 6): approx. $4 and 25 min. to make

Low-cal Enchiladas (beef or chicken- feeds 8): approx. $10 and 25 minutes to make

Make your own veggie pizza: approx. $8 and 25 min. to make

Aw, ain’t that cute?!

See? There are no excuses now! These are all so easy and fast that ordering out will seem like a hassle. I used to help my dad make dinner when I was a little girl, which gave me some great memories that I still remember. If you have little ones at home, have them help you in the kitchen so they have a firm understanding about the process of creating healthy meals. They’ll also have fun with it and feel responsible.

Next time you plan dinner, remember what is worth spending your money on. Eating at home is, in fact, cheaper. It brings your family closer together, and it saves time!