June 2017 – thoughts of Melissa

What Can YOU Learn From Minimalism?

Posted on June 28, 2017January 17, 2018 by melissaburgess

“The average American household contains more than 300,000 possessions.”

Read that sentence. Now read it again and really consider it. Astounding, isn’t it?

It’s just one of the tidbits I learned in “Essential,” a book of essays written by The Minimalists. I known I’ve written about these guys before, but wanted to touch base on their book of essays, published in 2015. I requested my library purchase a copy and finally got my hands on it!

At its core, minimalism is about making you think. Rather than mindlessly buying more “stuff,” think about WHY you’re doing it. Rather than stashing things in your closet to collect dust for months, think about WHY you’re doing it. In a world of often-mindless consumption and consumerism, it’s nice to take a step back and think about WHY we own the things we own, WHY we do the things we do, etc.

What value is this [object/person/job/relationship/experience/etc.] bringing to your life?

That’s the question we should all be asking ourselves, and it’s definitely one I need to ask more often. The Minimalists look at that question from a number of perspectives, and in respect to various subjects, in the course of their essays in this book.

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A Better You, Love, Marriage & Relationships

The Navigator’s Council & Beating 50 Percent

Posted on June 26, 2017January 17, 2018 by melissaburgess

For those who aren’t familiar, Beating 50 Percent is a mission started by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff, inspiring couples to give more than 50 percent in their marriages. It’s about having an “above-average” marriage and honestly – I’m all for it. A lot of the mission and its readings are faith-based, which isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But the basic principles are about giving more to your spouse, to your marriage.

As part of their mission, the Roloffs created the Navigator’s Council, a weekly journal for couples designed to foster communication, conversation, and commitment.

My husband and I just finished our seventh week using the Navigator’s Council. In a world where things can get crazy and schedules are chaotic, it’s nice to spend even one hour every Sunday together focusing on nothing but our journal. Every week, we answer the same six questions together. It’s a nice way of checking in with one another and setting aside specific time for conversations about what’s bringing us joy, what’s difficult in our lives, and what challenges or stressors we need to deal with together.

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Social Issues

Fifteen Real-Life Wonder Women

Posted on June 6, 2017January 17, 2018 by melissaburgess

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Although I’ve yet to actually go see it, I’m thrilled by the hype floating around on social media regarding the new Wonder Woman movie. There’s just something about seeing a film surrounding a strong, powerful woman succeed that sends chills up and down my spine. It’s fantastic – and I wanted to feed off that energy by reminding everyone of some of the incredible women who have brought about change in society!

Hopefully you’ve already heard of these 15 powerful women and are familiar with their accomplishments, but in all honesty, you might not be. Their stories deserve recognition and acknowledgment, far more than I can give them – but I hope this is a start.

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A Better You, Food, Health & Fitness

33 Self-Care Tips in a Trying Time

Posted on June 4, 2017January 17, 2018 by melissaburgess

Alright, we all know these recent times have been, well, tough. The political climate in the United States is certainly stressful for me, and I’m not the only one. During these crazy times where it’s easy to get wrapped up in what’s going on in the news, what move Trump is making next to further destroy the country, and what else could possibly be going wrong, it’s easy to forget to focus on ourselves. But self-care is SO important, now and always.

Maybe you already have routines, big or small things that you do to take care of yourself – or maybe you don’t. Either way, we can always use more self-care in these trying times, so check out the list of 100 self-care tips below! (And feel free to share in the comments what *you* do for self-care, if it isn’t on the list.)

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