What If Money Was No Object? (VIDEO)

You probably hear this now-cliché question all the time: “If money was no object, what would you be doing with your life?” But hearing a question multiple times doesn’t make it any less valid. There is a profound truth underlying these words which it seems many of us have come to belittle or outright ignore, and yet the implications of truly internalizing their meaning are huge.

You may be a young, excited individual coming into the workforce or you may be part of an older generation who has been in the workforce for a while, wondering, “How did I get here?” Or perhaps you are someone who already loves what you do. In any case, I truly think that regularly asking yourself what it is you would love to do with your time if money was no longer an object can be a powerful tool. So why don’t we go ahead and do some self-analysis? But first, let’s listen to what Alan Watts has to say about the topic, as I think it will really get us into the right mindset for this task.

The Exercise

This exercise is a pretty simple one, just like the question it addresses. When answering these questions, it is important to go beyond some of the things we are kinda taught are the things to strive for. For example, letting go of our ideas about ‘success,’ money, material goods, fame, etc. and instead looking at it like Alan says – if money didn’t matter and I could do anything right now… what would it be?

Don’t worry about the whole career or job thing right now, just begin with what you like. Then think about what you feel you can contribute to the world, whether it be to just one person or a whole community (or the entire globe!). Educating others, contribution to a project, and bringing joy to others are all examples of ways you could contribute to the world. 

Then grab a piece of paper and write:

“What do I enjoy doing? What makes me tick or gets me excited?”

“What would my ideal day look like if I could do what I wanted to do?”

“What is my ideal job? What does it look like?”

“What are my favorite hobbies or things to do?”

Once you start answering some of these more basic questions, we dive into things like:

“Why do I like these things I enjoy doing?”

“What about them are interesting to me?”

What this does is gets you thinking about yourself and the things that you enjoy. More importantly, it gets you thinking about why you enjoy them. This is key, because it helps you to isolate the elements of those activities that are important to you. You can then use that knowledge to find or incorporate those things into many different tasks or jobs. Because sometimes you really should ‘sweat the small stuff.’ Sometimes it’s those little details which make a job really great, or really awful.

In the end it’s all about participating in activities that bring you joy and ignite your passion, even if it’s only for a few hours a week. The key is trying not to get too stressed about the process either. Worrying that you can’t find your passion or your purpose is not going to help you find it. Have fun and be playful with it. The answer may also change a year from now or 5 years from now. It is human nature to change and to grow, and our passions and interests may change as we do.

Do you want to bring more happiness into your life?

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Walking Beats Caffeine for Temporarily Boosting Energy

I am not a morning person, and coffee is my best friend. Sometimes afternoons don’t work for me either, so it’s back to the coffee pot. Some of you are probably the same way. But a new study shows that 10 minutes of walking could be more effective than caffeine at perking you up … at least temporarily.

Researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) tested the effects of a simple exercise that can be done in an office setting, where workers have only a few minutes for breaks. Their results are published in Physiology and Behavior. [1]

For the study, 18 female college students – all chronically sleep-deprived – were asked to participate in workplace simulations for three days. One group of students took capsules containing either 50 mg of caffeine (about the equivalent of a can of cola) or a placebo. The other group spent 10 minutes walking up and down stairs at a low-intensity pace.

After the simulations, the researchers conducted verbal and computer-based tests on the participants to determine their mood and ability to complete certain cognitive tasks. Neither exercise nor caffeine significantly improved their attention or memory. However, after walking up and down the stairs, the students saw a small improvement in alertness. Caffeine also increased alertness, but to a smaller degree.

Source: The Blaze

Co-author Patrick J. O’Connor, a professor in UGA’s department of kinesiology, said:

“It was a temporary feeling, felt immediately after the exercise. But with the 50 milligrams of caffeine, we didn’t get as big an effect.” [1]

So, although walking for 10 minutes might not keep you energized and alert all day, a stroll up and down the stairs during your break might perk you up when you’re starting to feel drained. It’s encouraging to know that even lesser amounts of light exercise can be beneficial.

Related: How Walking – Power Walking – Can be so Beneficial

Consuming too much caffeine can cause you to “crash” and feel even more exhausted than you were when you brewed that first pot, whereas walking releases endorphins, a type of hormone which helps you de-stress and become less anxious. [2]

Source: Develop Good Habits

Said O’Connor:

“Office workers can go outside and walk, but weather can be less than ideal. It has never rained on me while walking the stairs. And a lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.” [2]

A study published in August 2016 found that you would have to exercise for one hour a day to make up for all the time you spend sitting all day. Might as well get started while you’re at work!

Sources:

[1] Real Simple

[2] Medical Daily

The Blaze

Develop Good Habits

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About Mike Barrett:
	Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health.

7 Clever Ways To Teach Kids (As Young As 2) To Work

Image source: Pixabay.com

Believe it or not, children as young as two years old can begin contributing to work around the house and homestead, and there are a lot of good reasons to get started this early.

Giving children tasks inside and outside the home will support their learning and development and give them practical skills. As they contribute, they will gain confidence in their abilities and be willing to take on more responsibility. They will learn how to solve problems and become more grateful for the work that goes into keeping them safe, comfortable and fed. It’s easy to find ways for them to help.

1. Make a game of it. Mary Poppins would agree. Anything can be made easier if it is made fun. If you challenge your child to sort, tidy or clean an area according to a particular set of rules, you can make it seem like play. There’s no need to go over the top on this; kids have a natural sense of duty and also a natural tendency to make play out of work.

2. Be patient. At first, the chores will take a little longer as you teach the steps to your young child. Bear in mind that kids have to learn what adults have internalized; for example, it might make more sense to a young kid to eat berries as they pick them, rather than put them in the bucket. Try to think like a kid as you explain the chore: Get down on their level, break the task into small steps and remember to look for the fun in it.

Heirloom Audio: Christian Heroes For Christian Kids

3. Work at kid-level. One trick to help kids do more chores indoors and outdoors is to have a special kid-friendly set-up for the chores they are expected to accomplish. If your two-year-old is sorting laundry for the wash, it might help to have a white basket and a dark basket, for example. Storing the supplies at kid level, or having stools to help kids reach, will ensure they will be willing to do more chores.

4. Give lots of positive feedback. Adults know they are supposed to help out, but kids are still learning. Don’t be afraid to cheer and carry on when your child successfully completes a task on their own, especially the first time. As kids get older, give them more responsibility and tell them how what they are doing is contributing to the livelihood of the family. Make your children responsible for a portion of the homestead, piece by piece; they will take ownership of it and their pride in their work will grow.

Image source: Pixabay.com

5. Expect mistakes. As they learn, your children will break things, spill things, forget to finish tasks, leave supplies lying around and worse. This is part of learning. If you are choosing chores that your child can accomplish, the damage won’t be too bad (what’s a broken egg from time to time?). Talk to them about what they can do to avoid the mistake next time, see if you can help make the task work better for them and offer reassurance. Never lose your temper – or that may be the end of that chore for a good long time.

6. Keep kids safe. As with all things, teach young children how to do the task correctly and safely. Consider which hazards your child will be exposed to in the environment where they are working, and either move dangerous items out of reach or supervise your child to minimize the risk. Don’t expose children to unnecessary risk; instead, let them see you working safely and taking precautions so that when their turn comes they won’t eschew safety equipment or measures. Children under five should be supervised at all time, especially around water, vehicles and farming equipment.

7. Be realistic. First and foremost, don’t expect your child to accomplish a task that is too difficult for their developmental level. Below you can find a chart recommending the type of chores appropriate for young children; your child and the needs of your homestead may be different, but this will give you a jump start. Before you know it, your child will be contributing to the household and the community regularly and with enthusiasm, because you have been teaching the necessary skills all along.

Starter Chores

Very Young Children (Ages 2 – 5)	Young Children (Ages 5 – 7)
Always under supervision, they can: Make beds Sort laundry Match socks Wipe tables and counters Sweep outdoors Wash the car Feed animals Tidy playthings Collect yard debris Dust Wash windows Clean up spills Clear table Help with planting Water plants Help with harvest	Everything in the earlier list and: Sort supplies (buttons, screws, cutlery) Prepare food (such as shelling peas) Weed the garden Fold laundry Sweep indoors with a dustpan Set the table Help younger children Vacuum Put away laundry Brush animals Clean trashcans Light cleaning in bathroom Collect eggs Rake leaves Carry loads, load a wheelbarrow Composting food scraps

How do you gets kids involved in work? Share your tips in the section below:  

Can You Really Worship As You Work?

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As a pastor, I often hear something like this: “What I do at work is—work. What I do at church is for the Lord.”

Is this the right attitude? What does the Bible say about our work?

In Genesis 2:15, the Bible connects our work to something bigger—worship. The Hebrew word for “work” comes from the same root word as “worship.” So, Adam worshipped God not just by staying away from those out-and-out sinners (there were none — yet!) and reading his Bible (there wasn’t one — yet!), but he worshipped God by doing what God told him to do—work in the Garden.

Isn’t it also telling that 39 out of the 40 miracles in the book of Acts happened outside the walls of the church gathering? Or, that most of Jesus’ parables dealt with workplace environments?

Let me ask you: Do you see your work as worship? Is it possible to clean toilets to the glory of God? Or make sales calls to the glory of God? Or build a building to God’s glory?

Yes, everything and everyone is being put to work for the glory of God. Whether you know it or not. To do the work of the Lord for the glory of “self” is not an inferior approach; it is a stab in His back.

Let me offer you four ways that work can be worship and apply this practically:

First, work can be worship because it accomplishes God’s intention for you in creation.

Remember, Genesis 2:15 happened before sin entered the world. Work wasn’t a part of the curse of sin—it was part of God’s plan from the beginning. The word used for work in Genesis 2:15 also can mean “develop” or “prepare.” We take the “raw goods” (literal and figurative) of the earth and cultivate them for God’s praise and the profit of other people.

Christian Heroes For Christian Kids: These Amazing Stories Are Putting God Back Into History!

Image source: Pixabay.com

But, yes, it is true that God cursed the ground and made work toilsome (Gen. 3:16-20). Pastor Tim Keller summarized it well when he said, “The Fall means, we should expect to be regularly frustrated in our work even though we may be in exactly the right vocation.”

So, what do you do if you hate your job and it’s toilsome and it’s not what you want to do?

Stay faithful as an act of service to God and to benefit others. There can be pleasure in it.

Remember: Paul made tents (Acts 18:3). His call was to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47). Making tents wasn’t his call – but he did it to advance God’s kingdom.

Second, work can be worship because it aims for the top integrity.

Indeed, workplaces aren’t always known for being places of truth and morals. However, as Christians, we can treat work as worship because we seek to display and handle every situation and interaction with the highest standard of justice and integrity before God. Our faith should be reflected in how we handle ourselves.

Proverbs 11:1 says, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.”

To truly worship as we work, we must remember that we shouldn’t settle simply for the company’s ethics, but should go even higher—because God’s truth is higher than all (John 17:17). As Christians, our job is to live for God and to die for God in how we handle ourselves.

Third, work can be worship because we seek to do all things with distinction as ambassadors for the Gospel.

Image source: Pixabay.com

Every area of Christian living––our worldview, worship, walk, work and witness––is dependent upon the right knowledge of God.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord” (Col. 3:23). If a slave can transpose his work into worship, you can to!

“In the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). Living for Him, in every vocation, is the only non-waste of time in all this world.

The Secret To Driving Hours With Happy Kids!

“Take this job and shove it,” then, must not be the attitude of Christians in the workplace. Our jobs are mission opportunities. When we’ve understood our calling to serve the Lord in whatever vocation we find ourselves as a light to the world, Mondays will be a joy. And doing those routine, rote, and menial tasks will be a joy, too!

Finally, work can be worship because it is all about blessing others.

Before you complain about your employer, be grateful you have one. Not only does our day of rest and worship distinguish us from the world on Sundays, but it leads to a distinct work ethic on Mondays. Working hard for your employer is a part of your calling, and when you do, unbelievers will ask, “What is this hope within you?”

If you own a business, this may mean that to glorify God you don’t ask, “How much money can I get out of this?” but, what’s more, “How is our business advancing God’s kingdom?” And it may require that you give away a lot of extra money earned for Christ’s kingdom. After all, isn’t this what our Savior did for us (2 Cor. 8:9)?

One last word of caution: Worship the sovereign, triune God—not your work! Don’t make work your security. Since Christians are hidden with Christ in God, to be a Christian is to be as secure as Christ is. If you have “put on Christ,” you are as secure as He is.

Friend, work is where you will spend most of your time on earth. Work really counts for something to God and God really matters for your work.

Do you view your work as just work—or as worship to God?

How To Homestead Without Going Bonkers

Image source: Max Pixel

Most people today lead busy lives. Between work, kids, house, errands, religious and civic organizations, volunteering, and personal time, there is usually not enough time in the day to squeeze it all in. And if that were not enough demands on people’s time, some folks add homesteading—and all the peripheral responsibilities accompanying it—into the mix.

It is little wonder that even the most seasoned homesteaders, when facing the challenges of fitting not only ordinary life into their schedules but the added pressures of livestock care and gardening, as well, can feel overwhelmed at times.

The good news is that it can be done. The bad news, or at least the news that may not be exactly what we all want it to be, is that sometimes compromises are required.

Here are a few ways to help fit homesteading into an already jam-packed life:

“The Big Book Of Off The Grid Secrets” — Every Homesteader Needs A Copy!

First, determine priorities. The first step in doing this is to identify those critical tasks and activities which cannot be left undone. Asking yourself what is the worst that can happen if it does not get done can help determine which must be placed on the first tier. For most people, the homesteading matters of highest rank are those involving animals. If lawns become overgrown or weeds grow in the garden or some of the lettuce bolts before it gets eaten, none of that is as potentially catastrophic as animals that do not get fed, watered, milked, vetted, and put in at night.

Every homestead and season has its crucial must-dos. Tasks such as getting the hay in before rain, sitting up all night with a sick calf, and covering the tomatoes before a frost usually leap to the front of the line.  But if your homestead is suffering a drought or if a piece of the barn roof is loose and in danger of ripping off during the next windstorm, you might choose to juggle those in, too.

Sometimes it helps to compare the cost—in terms of time spent and other measures—of doing something versus the cost of not doing it. For example, will the time it takes building low tunnels over the berries now outweigh the time spent deterring hungry birds and suffering the loss of harvest later? Will getting the new woodshed built this season be worth it in terms of lower heating costs from burning better-dried firewood?

Image source: Pixabay.com

After figuring out which tasks cannot be left undone, flip to the other end of the spectrum and ask yourself what tasks and projects could possibly be superfluous. Homesteading is such an exciting endeavor and has so many possibilities that it’s hard to know when to say when. Is it possible to let the flower beds along the driveway go or maintain fewer birdfeeders or downsize the burgeoning goat herd or maybe heat your home with less labor-intensive fuel for part of the year? Perhaps the barn addition or new greenhouses can be put on hold for later, as well.

Once the most urgent and least urgent priorities are determined, those remaining in the middle might feel more manageable and can be eased into the correct place in line.

Having the order of importance figured out, it helps to write it all down. There is no single best format for everyone, but do try to include some of both short-term and long-term objectives. It is important to first have a conversation with others to make sure no mistaken assumptions are being made, and then create a written plan for the homestead and everyone involved in it.  Having goals on paper is not only useful in its own right, but it helps to further refine direction and to prevent straying off target.

With priorities and a written goal in place, the next step is to make it manageable. One way to do this is to chop projects up into bite-size chunks. It is good to keep the big picture in sight and be mindful of long-term dreams, but trying to achieve too much too soon can be overwhelming.  It makes more sense to carve off some attainable pieces of the overall scope and focus on a few at a time.

Want Out Of The Rat-Race But Need A Steady Stream Of Income?

A technique that works for me is to set finite limits. Homestead tasks often go the direction of the children’s book where a mouse is given a cookie, then wants milk to go with it, and then wants to clean up afterwards, and it never ends. Falling face-first into projects that never seem to reach completion can be discouraging, so it helps to set end caps in place before starting.

I like to set forth a goal that is lofty yet achievable, and promise myself a reward when it is done. Sometimes the reward is a fun or easier activity, and other times just the intrinsic satisfaction of making progress or knowing that the task is done is enough. I might commit to splitting firewood for the duration of one tankful of gas in the splitter and take the rest of the day off to go paddling, or plan to spend exactly two hours working in the garden before moving on to some other job.

The next step toward homestead time management is to share responsibilities with others in the household. A crucial task for leaders in any organization is to train others to do their jobs. It is folly to believe that you are the only person who can do what you do. Delegate to others, no matter how difficult it is for you to let go. By doing so, you will relieve your own stress, help others build proficiency and confidence, and create a more efficient homestead operation.

In the end, there are only 24 hours in a day. No matter how wisely we use our time, everyone must accept the fact that we cannot do it all. One way to help embrace this concept is to measure progress according to accomplishments instead of failures. Rather than look at unfinished work and feel dragged down by shortcomings, it makes more sense to pat ourselves on the back for all we have gotten done.

By prioritizing, planning, delegating and focusing on the positive, homesteaders can maximize their efforts and get more done than ever thought possible.

What advice would you add? Share your thoughts in the section below: