Dream Save Do – Amass the cash to live your dream

I just finished reading ‘Dream Save Do’ by Betsy and Warren Talbot. Betsy and Warren spend their days meeting people, traveling the world, and trying new things. Sounds pretty fun huh?

How did Betsy and Warren become world travelers? Betsy and Warren were your basic corporate drones, who on the cusp of turning 40 stopped buying things and started saving for their dream. Traveling the world.

In two years’ time they saved $75,000, more than enough to fund their travel budget of $100 a day (read Dream Save Do for all their money saving details). Last fall Warren and Betsy packed their backpacks and traveled to South America, then Antarctica, Europe, and now Thailand. They’re living their dream and inspiring others to do the same. Very cool!

Are Betsy and Warren the real deal? Yep! A couple of years ago I met Betsy when she was stockpiling cash and selling her possessions. I thought Betsy was fun and full of interesting stories (and this is before she started traveling!).

I love reading about people following their passion because they inspire me to do the same. Reading ‘Dream Save Do’ got me thinking about my dream.

What does my ideal day look like? If I could live anywhere, where would I live? What would I do? And what can I do today to make my dream reality?

Good stuff.

You can read all about Warren and Betsy’s adventures at MarriedwithLuggage.com.

Life is short. Live your dream.

Empty your library

I was reading Seth Godin’s blog last week and came across an idea that I like:

“Find someone you care about and give away a book that has changed you. Books don’t earn interest unless people are reading them. Ideas that spread, win.”

Like many things in life, books are meant to be enjoyed. Meant to be read. Once you’ve read something great, why not pass it on to someone you know?

“There is no delight in owning anything unshared.” Roman philosopher

I’d like to share a book that kept me up at night. A book that I thought about when I woke up in the morning. A book that I savored ’til the last drop.

“The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

This book is about three women who are determined to tell a story that no one has heard before, despite the inherent dangers of telling the story. This book is a real page turner – it’s funny, compelling, thought provoking, and inspirational. It’s simply wonderful. 

What book would you like to share?

Swapping books in your jammies

Lately, I’ve been swapping old books for new books without leaving my home. I started using PaperBack Swap last month and so far I’m enjoying it immensely. I like the idea of swapping what you don’t want for what you do.

How does PaperBack Swap work? First you locate a stack of books that you don’t plan on reading or rereading. Next, log in to PaperBackSwap.com and post your unwanted books for others to consider. You earn 2 credits when you post your first ten books.

Credits are the currency of PaperBack Swap; you use credits to acquire/request books. You earn a credit each time you mail a book, and it costs you a credit when you request a book. Lightweight books can be easily mailed from home without a trip to the post office, enabling you to send and receive books in your jammies (if you so desire).

While I’m enjoying the service, I’ve been disappointed several times when the book I wanted wasn’t listed on the service. Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life was one such book. I was, however, ecstatic to find Animal, Vegetable, Miracle available for download through my local library using OverDrive.  I downloaded the audio book and was listening to it in minutes (for free). Wow!

To see if audio book downloads are available through your local library, check OverDrive’s library list or your library’s web site.

Have you read anything good lately? Please leave your book recommendations in a Comment.

No Impact Man… The Book

There’s No Impact Man, the blog, the movie and now the book.

Colin, Michelle and Isabella (yeah, we’re on a first name basis) embark on a year-long lifestyle experiment where they attempt to live with the smallest environmental impact. Why do such a thing?

If you want to change the world, start with yourself. Or as the famous Gandhi quote says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Colin realized that in order to change the world he needed to stop condemning others for their consumption of resources, and start changing his consumption.

And so No Impact Man was born. The transformation towards a no impact life happens in stages over the course of a year. Each stage brings it’s own set of problems, stories and discoveries.

The first step Colin and his family take is towards zero waste. They examine the contents of their trash and vow to not produce trash – this means not buying packaged products or using disposable products like paper napkins. Next they take on carbon producing transportation. They use bikes, a scooter or good old fashioned walking to get around NYC. Next up they switch to locally produced food. And then they pull the plug on electricity.

While reading this book, I thought about the changes Colin and his family made. Could I go without a car? Could I shop at the farmer’s market exclusively? Could I go electricity free once a week? Could I avoid buying things wrapped in plastic?

What I got from this book, other than inspiration and ideas on how to shrink my carbon footprint, was an overwhelming sense that I can make a difference.

As Helen Keller said, “I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.“

It’s better to do something, than nothing.

I found the book to be entertaining, inspirational, thought provoking, and deeply personal. Colin is the real deal.

Check out No Impact Man, the project to see how you can make a difference.

Join us! ‘No Impact Man’ in Seattle

I’m a huge Colin Beavan fan. I just devoured Colin’s new No Impact Man book, and now I can’t wait to see the documentary about the year Colin and his family lived a non-traditional, green lifestyle in NYC. The movie trailer is fun and the book is thought provoking and inspirational.  

Join me and Betsy Talbot from Married With Luggage for an intriguing, entertaining and inspirational evening (yes, I think the movie will be all of these things and more).

• What: No Impact Man 
• Date: Friday, September 25
• Time: 7 pm
• Where: Landmark Theatre in Seattle

No Impact Man trailer

Is it possible to have a good life without wasting so much?

I think the answer is definitely YES.

No Impact Man, the movie

Is it possible to have a good life without wasting so much? Writer Colin Beavan explores this idea in a new documentary called No Impact Man. 

I was surprised and excited to see a No Impact Man trailer at the theater this weekend (I gave my daughter a high-five after the trailer). Is living a no impact life going main stream? 

No meat, no fish, no electricity, no cosmetics, no heat, no tv, no transportation (they live in NYC), no elevators, no disposable containers, no toilet paper… for a year. Does this sound too extreme? I was on board until the no toilet paper bit, and then I got a little squeamish.

Beyond the environmental benefits, Colin described his project as:

• The year I lost 20 pounds without going to the gym once.
• The year we didn’t watch tv and we became much better parents as a result. 
• Or the year we ate locally and seasonally, and it ended up reversing my wife’s pre-diabetic condition.

I love stories with unexpected results like this - I set out to consume less and became a better parent. 

No Impact Man probably won’t inspire people to give up toilet paper, but it may inspire people to eat local produce, walk more, live closer to their jobs, avoid disposable products, start a garden, buy used things, eat less meat…

And who knows what unexpected results could happen from a few consumption cutbacks?

No Impact Man trailer

Bravo, Colin! I can’t wait to see No Impact Man in September. Until then, I’ll keep reading Colin’s awesome blog by the same name: No Impact Man. And await the No Impact Man book.

What Shamu taught me about marriage

The most emailed New York Times article from 2006 was written by a journalist who spent a year researching exotic animal training techniques. The article, written by Amy Sutherland, described how she used animal training techniques on a species known as the American husband.

Animal training techniques on people? Amy received a few flame emails, but it probably didn’t bother her. Why?

After researching exotic animal training, Amy Sutherland became an altogether different person. She became less judgmental, more optimistic, more patient, a better observer, and she got along better with people - especially her husband. Amy wrote about her experience in the New York Times article What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage. The article was wildly popular and a book deal followed.

What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage by Amy Sutherland

I missed the New York Times article in 2006. I was busy riding the emotional roller coaster called divorce. Recently, a book club buddy recommended the book and I stored the title away in my head. This week I saw the book on audio at the library. I picked it up, listened to Amy’s stories, smiled and laughed. Her writing is conversational and her marriage and animal training stories are fun.  

What animal training techniques did Amy use in her life?

She rewarded her husband’s good behavior and ignored the behavior she didn’t like. No more nagging. Animals can’t be nagged in to doing anything. Instead, like a progressive animal trainer, she learned to reward the small steps towards the behavior she liked, and to ignore behaviors she didn’t like. She practiced self control, and no longer responded to things that in the past would have annoyed her.

She adopted the trainers’ motto: “It’s never the animal’s fault.” When her training failed, she didn’t blame her husband. Instead, she analyzed her behavior and considered how her actions might have inadvertently fueled his. This makes perfect sense to me, since you can only control your actions.

Why was this New York Times article so popular? I think Amy had an unconventional idea about something of interest to most people – improving relationships. 

I found the book to be entertaining and interesting. And, I may even try a few animal training techniques on my kids.

Have you read a good book lately? Please share in a comment.

While we’re talking marriage… I loved Gretchen Rubin’s post this month: Five mistakes I make in my marriage

Children’s book leaves me counting blessings

My 8 year old daughter picked out a book at her school’s Scholastic book fair: “How to Steal a Dog” by Barbara O’Connor. Excited that she’d picked a book instead of the various Scholastic craptastic toys, I happily bought her the book.

My daughter picked this book because of the cute dog on its cover. However in this case, you definitely cannot judge a book by its cover, because this book is about homelessness. The book opens with:

 

 ”The day I decided to steal a dog is the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car.”

What a great first line! The story begins with a mother and her two children living in a car. They’ve been evicted from their apartment, the father has left, and the mother is working two jobs. As the story unfolds, a moral dilemma emerges. Is it OK to do something wrong if your intentions are good? In the story, homelessness motivates a young girl to steal “borrow” a dog, with the hope that the owners will offer reward money, which she can then use towards an apartment. She knows it’s wrong to take the dog, and yet she hates living in a car. She desperately wants a real place to live. And so… well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

What my daughter and I got from ‘How to Steal a Dog’ is the importance of having a home. And that not having a home can drive a person to do something they might normally not do. As I read the book to my daughter there were a million opportunities for us to count our blessings. We read about the family’s plight and then felt grateful for such things as:

• We’re not embarrassed about where we live and can invite friends over to our home.
• Where we live stays the same. Our home doesn’t move between back alleys and parking lots.
• We have beds to sleep on, instead of sleeping curled up in a car.
• The temperature of our home is regulated by a thermostat, so it always feels just right.
• We have running water and a shower. We don’t have to wash our hair in a restaurant’s bathroom.
• We have a refrigerator and only use ice coolers for trips.

The list goes on and on… We have so much to be thankful for!

What are you thankful for? Please leave a Comment.