Living life on a mission of fulfilling one crazy dream at a time is a wonderfully challenging and fulfilling way to live. The more dreams you realize, the more you’ll understand what I mean. In the midst of awesomeness – do you ever pause and think about how amazing your life is?

On the other side, making dreams come true will inevitably and simultaneously lead you into a road of defeat, challenges, obstacles and failures. It’s part of the game! So no matter if you’re on a streak of success or you’re in troubled water – there’s one thing that will always be your friend. Gratitude.

Gratitude is a way of life.

Personally, I’ve found so much encouragement, happiness and love from focusing on what I’m grateful for rather than what I don’t have. I ain’t saying it’s easy. Actually, it’s tough as hell sometimes. But it is possible, and you’ll find great results!

Here’s what I do to keep gratitude fresh:

• Write gratitude tweets like the ones above to help focus on the good stuff
• Take Instagram photos of things, places and people who make life joyful and bright
• Try to shift a setback or challenge into something positive
• Refer to the list of 48 things to be grateful for when nothing else comes to mind (see below)

48 things to be grateful for

Everything is possible

I’ll tell you a little secret, except it’s not secret at all: There are no limitations on how you can live your life. EVERYTHING. IS. POSSIBLE. Now, if that’s not something to be grateful for (every day!), then we need to have a serious talk.

Dreams in the making

Are a girl on a mission? Are you making conscious choices and living the life you want to live? Are you on your way to dream come true? Be grateful for the path you’re on, the joy it gives you and the hope you’re experiencing.

Dreams come true

Even better! Make a list of all the dreams you’ve had that you made come true! This list will be the ultimate inspiration list to achieve even more and bigger goals.

Being able to help others

Be grateful when you find yourself in a position to help others, because it means you are abundant. Think of it this way: You are so plentiful, you are filled to the brim, you have more to give! It’s a wonderful situation to be in, and think about how you are making an impact on someone else’s life.

Family

Familiy is familiy, and no matter if you’re close or not – think about what your family members actually mean to you. It’s well worth your time to take a few moments and appreaciate all the good things about your family. Bonus points if you call your mum and thank her for everything she has ever done for you !

Friends

It’s easy to be grateful for good friends. Do you remember to tell them too? For your own sake, it can be really nice to write a list of all your friends and a little note on what about each one you’re grateful for.

Being thought of

“I’ll think about you,” she said while I was standing on her doorstep, tears flowing down my cheeks. Being thought of, especiall during hard times, really means a lot, and to this day, I am so grateful for those four words she said before I left. Is anyone thinking of you right now? Maybe someone is worried about you? Or just really care? (Or maybe someone is deeply in love and can’t stop thinking about you!?) Time to add it to your list of wonderful things to be grateful for.

Moments with strangers

Sometimes a shared moment with a stranger makes your day really special. It’s when you see something funny and realize the person next to you on the bus saw the same thing and is trying to keep his laughter in. You eyes meet for a second, and suddenly you’re both laughing out loud. He’s getting off at the next stop and you’ll probably never see each other again, but that moment probably made both of your days. That moment – be grateful for it. Just thinking about it will make you smile.

Your strength

You are probably stronger than you think! Being grateful for what you have achieved, endured and lived through can only lead to good things. Take a moment and appreciate what you’re good at, how well you manage. Well done!

Good health

Health is the most imporant thing, and yet we often take our good health for granted. Even if you’re not in perfect health at the moment, it is possible to be grateful for what you have, when you feel better, that it ain’t worse.

Opportunities

It’s easy to be grateful when a wonderful opportunity opens up, but gratitude can also work the other way around. Be grateful for opportunities and look back at the last few days. What kind of opportunities were you given? Does something strike you as a great opportunity now that you didn’t immediately realize then? For example – invites, requests, demands of attention, changes of plans might look more like an opportunity now than it did when you were first presented for it.

The place you were born

Chances are, if you’re reading this right now, that you live in a well-developed and modern country. It’s so easy to take this for granted! Personally, I’m lucky to be living in one of the richest countries in the world (thank you, oil), and I very often take that for granted. Think about all the benefits of living where you do – do you have great health care, universities, media industry or sunshiny warm weather? Do you have the best food tradition, holiday locations or job opportunities? Even if you don’t have it all – appreciate what you’ve got!

Your job

In uncertain times, you can be grateful for your job. Even if you don’t like what you’re doing, or you’re paid next-to-nothing, there are always things to be grateful for: the best boss, co-workers, work-time or the prettiest view from the office. You have wonderful customers or clients, great opportunities or are you just lucky to have a job at all? There are positive sides and lots of gratitude potential in your job!

Your wealth

Food on the table, money to spare, money in the bank, enough to come by, 5 dollars for a magazine, a small side-income, making money doing your thing – rather than focusing on what you’re lacking – focus on what you’ve got.

Great conversations

This is one of my favourites. I really, truly, deeply, appreciate a good and interesting conversation. When was the last time you had one?

Change

Most people fear change. This is where you use gratitude to really help you through. It’s so easy to find ways that change will be bad, but take five minutes and think about what you appreaciate with the changes you’re facing. Can you find room for being grateful for change too?

Health care

I’m really grateful for all the help I’ve ever received (and am still receving) from all the wonderful people who make it their mission to help and care for others. Instead of feeling bad about your illness and hurt, focus on your gratitude. I’m sometimes amazed at how wonderful it is that us human beings take care of each other in this way.

Help from others

Up the same alley, has anyone helped you today? People interact and help each other every day, so chances are that you’ve received help in any way. Look out for help in disguise! People might be trying to help even if you don’t realize it right there and then.

Fresh starts

If you’ve ever been given a second chance, you know what I’m talking about here. Fresh starts, new chances and big life changes are wonderful and easy to appreciate. However, have you ever thought about that every single day is a fresh start? I am grateful for this day.

Good food

Food on the table is a basic human need and if you’ve never starved – easy to take for granted. I’m not saying you have to be grateful for food just because you have it and others don’t (although you should seriously consider it), but how about being grateful for a wonderful and tasty meal? Sometimes I’m so grateful for chocolate it feels like I’m going to explode with joy!

Inspiration

You can always be grateful for inspiration. I’m willing to bet that you find a lot of inspiration around you to be grateful for if you look a little closer! For example, I’m very grateful for really inspiring blogs, books, poetry, and photography that inspires me every day. Which inspiration sources are you grateful for right now?

Smiles

Let’s be grateful for smiles together! Smiles from a stranger, a loved one or in a photo – smiling is contageous! Be greateful for the smiles others gift you with, and be grateful for your own ability to smile and spread love and happiness.

Education

If you’re fortunate enough to receive a good education, this is something you can be grateful for. How about thanking your teachers and professors, your parents if they pay for your college or be grateful for your own intelligence and ability to learn.

Synchronicity

Synchronicity is when you’ve just decided pursue a career and then immediately meet someone who is willing to be your mentor. Synchronicity is when you’ve decided to use the colour green to brand your business and you suddenly is surrounded by green everywhere. Synchronicity is when you think about a friend and then suddenly your friend calls! It’s the most wonderful thing in the world, and if something like this has happened to you lately – be grateful for it because it doesn’t happen all that often!

Shared or aquired wisdom

Sometimes people share their wisdom without even noticing, so be on the lookout for shared wisdom in disguise. In addition, people often deliberately want to share their wisdom because they care about you! It’s a nice thing to be greateful – give thanks – and to look at each little piece of wisdom as a blessing. Aquired wisdom is when you suddenly realize something, make a connection or learn from your mistakes. Be greateful for your own insight, your knowledge and your wisdom!

Painful lessons

Some of life’s lessons are inevitably going to be painful. However, I often find that the harder the lesson – the more potential for growth it represents. Being grateful for life’s hard lessons, for the pain and the suffering – because it will help you grow – is a really nice way to turn something bad into something good.

A great book

Getting lost in a really good novel, or diving into a great non-fiction read is a wonderful feeling. The next time you sit down to read, send a little thought of gratitude to the author of the book, and be grateful for the book itself. Sometimes it amazes me how words on paper can bring me so much joy!

Great music

For the same reasons as above, music has the power to transform your mood and nothing is better than some music to dance to while you do your chores! The next time you enjoy listening to music, send a little thought of thanks to the musicians, the song-writers, the producers and the artist. Appreciating the people who contribute to make magical music will make you feel good as well.

Art

The next time you appreciate a work of art, focus your gratitude towards what the artwork gives you. Inspiration? Motivation? A sense of belonging? Do you feel anger? Disgust even? Focus on how the work of art makes you feel and focus your gratitude on the artworks ability to move you. Most of all, I feel grateful when I come upon a work of art that calms me down, but I’m working on that sense of gratitude for other kinds of art too.

The small things

The magic really is in the small things. That’s why I tend to focus on these when I do my gratitude tweets. A tasty treat, a cup of tea, sunshine through my window, a small moment of joy – all are really small things that give me tremendous amounts of happiness.

Pets

If are lucky enough to have a pet, you know how much joy and company it brings. I think everyone who has a cat, dog, horse or turtle (oh yes!) feels that their pet is the best one in the world – and it is! So, if you’re feeling low, tired or depressed, just be grateful for the moments when your dog greets you at the door, when your cat sneak up against you to cuddle or when your turtle smiles (apparently they do!).

Connections

Connections are wonderful to include in your gratitude practice. The really strong connections you have with the people closest to you – or a shared smile with a stranger on the bus. All connections are sacred and mean so much to us. Take a moment to think back on the connections you’ve made the last day. Grateful?

Kindness

Most people automatically give thanks when they recognize kindness in other people. So there are two more ways to be grateful for kindness: You can try to recognize it more, which means to actively be on the lookout. Can someone’s action be interpreted in a way that means they are actually trying to be kind? For example, that person who uses ages to order in a coffeeshop might actually be buying coffee to all of his friends. Or your flatmate who never cleans might be the too busy taking care of the people around her.

The other way you can be greateful for kindness is to do it consciously, not automatically. Look at how many times during one day you say “thanks”. How many of those times do you really mean it? How do you think it would make you feel if you managed to do it consciously every time? I’m willing to bet it would give you a lot of smiles and happiness.

Insight and clarity

You know when you look back at something that has been bothering you and suddenly see it in a different light? Or when you manage to make a really good decision in the middle of chaos? Add it to your grateful list and let the happiness you get from it grow!

Perspective

Looking at things in perspective is another one of life’s blessings. And it’s so much easier in hindsight than in the moment! Be greateful when you manage to look at a situation differently, from another persons point of view or you see consequences for different actions. Seeing things from another person’s perspecitve is often painful and hard, and it will often make us grow as human beings. Being able to feel gratitude when looking at a time when you experienced painful growth will double it!

Life

So easy to overlook, but so so fundamental. Be grateful for being alive!

Time

Free time, an open calendar, time off, fun times – be grateful for the time you have to do what you love. Even if you are super-busy, do you have the time of your life? Add it to your grateful list for an instant positive mood-booster.

Beauty

No need to explain this one, I just want to remind you to be grateful for all the beauty in your life. So easy to include in your daily grateful list!

Daylight

If you live in country with only 6 hours (or less) of daylight in the winter (like me), you’ll learn to appreciate the daylight when you have it. What are you grateful for right now that you wish you could have more of?

Memories

If you’re lacking of things in your present to be grateful for (look harder, dear!), look to your past. Focus on those good memories that make you smile!

Good service

… is often taken for granted, as we tend to focus on the times when we receive our coffees from the really grumpy barista, not the nice one who remember your daily order. How about thanking the staff next time you receive good service?

Gifts

No explanation needed here, just want to remind you that gifts come in a lot of different ways.

Creativity

Be thankful for the times when you can’t hold it in, when you just want to create, create, create. God a new creative idea? Add it to your list of things to be grateful for!

Your special talents

Can you remember almost any number combination? Do you write the most sparkly application letters? Or can you balance three grapes on your nose while singing a song? (lucky you!) Be grateful for your special talents, the cherry on top of the cake of you!

A good cup of coffee or tea

Well, I know I included this in the list of the small things, but a good cup of anything hot usually sneaks in on most of my grateful lists. Lavender earl grey latte, coffee with milk, red berry rooibos – I’m bursting with gratefullness for the ease it gives me. How about you?

Love

It’s to the end of the list, but it’s not because it isn’t important! Love in any form – just the thought of it will make you smile. I think there’s nothing in the world that makes me more grateful than the love I’m feeling from the people around me, and the love I’m giving in return. Are you experiencing love? Big life-changing-, deep mother-daughter-, or instant take-out-the-fire-exstinguisher-LOVE: I’m willing to bet that love is part of the solution to the meaning-of-life riddle.

Generosity

Look out for generosity and be grateful for the people who are! Generosity comes in a number of ways, people can for example be generous with their time, attention, help, advice or money. It’s easy to remember to be grateful when money and things are involved, but remember to keep an eye out for other kinds of generosity too.

Having something to look forward to

Last, but not least (as this list is not in any order), be grateful for the things you are looking forward to in your life right now. Are you planning a journey, starting something new or are you just looking forward to your friends birthday party? Thinking about something great that will happen in the future is an instant way to feeling good right now. Think about it this way; being grateful for something in the future now will double the fun!

What are you grateful for right now?

 I’m going to make this amazingly simple diy bracelet

You have to see this cool budget hotel in Berlin

This post on worth made me tear up

This cabin design is so clever, I want one!

Susannah Conway interviewed Danielle Laporte: This is how I write

Speaking of Danielle – Read this post on book writing!

Before the holiday, read this post by Rachel W Cole

Later today, I’m going to put this DIY tassel garland tutorial to good use

I’m also going to make this DIY clothes rack

My birthday is on Saturday, and I’m baking this cake (above)

I’m absolutely in love with Lavender Latte, but this must be even awesomer!

Several people have requested a book post, so here is the first post on great books to read this holiday. First up is 8 of the Best Novels, followed by 8 of the Best Non-fiction Books and last 8 of the best Visual Inspiration Books. Hope you enjoy!

♦ Stardust – Neil Gaiman

This fantasy novel is beautifully written and you’ll absolutely love it, even if you don’t normally read fantasy novels. If you like fairy tales – you’ll love this novel!

♦ Life of Pi – Yann Martel

This is a remarkable story about a boy who survives when a ship sinks in the pacific ocean. I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot, because it’s so amazing you have to figure it out by yourself.

♦ Siddharta – Herman Hesse

-If you’re into buddhism, I think you’ll like this book. It’s faily short (but good) and I think I read it in two days. Beautiful story and beautiful language.

♦ Hunting and Gathering – Anna Gavalda

This one’s huge, but I still read it so fast – always a good sign for a novel. It’s about a group of friends who end up living together in Paris. The characters in this novel are so unique and intriguing, you’ll wish they were real!

♦ Just Kids – Patti Smith

Technically, this is a memoir, not fiction. However, the story is so interesting and Patti’s past is so full of amazing people and events – it might as well have been a fictional story. Even though you’re not into her music, you’ll love this book about being an artist in New York City.

♦ A Moveable Feast – Ernest Hemingway

This is a classic, and a must-read if you’re at all into Paris and everything French! Also, if you’re a writer – this is the book for you! It’s a quick read perfect for a lazy holiday.

♦ 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami

I haven’t actually finished this yet, but I’m including it nonetheless. I’m reading this book slowly, and every word feels like dark chocolate in my mouth. A-ma-zing so far!

♦ The Secret History – Donna Tarrt

I really enjoyed reading this book, full of interesting twists. It’s about a group of college students who try to conceal a murder. Still, I wouldn’t call this crime, as it is not written as a crime novel. If you like a novel full of interesting psychological twists – read this one!

What are you reading at the moment?

Ps. I’ve previously written a list on 10 of the best books I’ve ever read – check it out here!

All picture sources can be found here

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I would like to use this opportunity to say hello to all my new readers! I’m so excited to have you here! If you like what you see, and wish to follow the Freedom Experiment, you can use these buttons:

 

“I really want to become a fiction writer, but it is so hard to get published. I’m not sure if I have what it takes.”

“My dream is to become an actor, but it’s impossible to make it out in the beginning without knowing someone with a foot in.”

“I just want to be an artist, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make a living out of it.”

“My dream is to live abroad for a year, but I can’t afford it.”

…

Sounds familiar? If you’re not saying something along these lines yourself, I’m sure you’ve heard others say it.

I know I’m guilty of always throwing in a BUT at the end of my dream statements.

I’m seeing a clear pattern when it comes to dreaming big and the obstacles that are keeping you back.

It’s easy for me to see that the girl I’m talking with is over-estimating the possible obstacles to make a dream come true. And it’s easy as an observer to see that she is grossly under-estimating her own abilities.

Are you doing the same? It’s hard to notice this in ourselves, as we hold our beliefs so close to our hearts that it impairs our vision. Right now, it doesn’t matter where these beliefs came from, we’ll deal with that later. Right now our focus is to re-phrase and turn around the over- and underestimating.

How to turn obstacles into possibilities + motivation

1. Start out by mapping your own thoughts by finishing the sentence: “[My dream] is impossible because …..” If this comes easy to you, you might be over-estimating what it takes to get there. Don’t judge your thoughts at this point, just get it out of your system. It might look like this:

Living abroad for a year is impossible because I don’t have any money saved up, I don’t know the language, I won’t be able to get a job, I don’t have a passport/visa, I can’t take any time off my current job/studies, I’m going to miss my family, I won’t be able to take my cat/dog/horse/kid ….. The list goes on an on.

2. Now look at what you have written. Are your obstacles reasonable? Are they unavoidable? Impossible to overcome? Would you say this to a friend who shared a dream like this with you? It might help to leave the list for a few days before you get back to it. Do you still see the same obstacles? It can also be wise to go through the list with a good friend or two. Do they see the same obstacles as you doo?

3. Make a new list of all the people you can think of who have achieved what you want to achieve. Google is your friend. Did the same obstacles apply to them? How did they overcome them?

4. Finish the sentence “[My dream] will happen because …” or even “[My dream] will come easy to me because …” This might feel a little more difficult than the first list. It might look like this:

Living abroad for a year will come easy to me because citizens of my country don’t ned a visa, I already have a passport, I can get an extra job for a while before I go, I have a friend who knows someone I can stay with for the first few weeks, I can skype with friends and family… This list goes ON!

5. Take a look at the items on list 1 that aren’t as easy to overcome. Take a sheet of paper and write each problem on top of a sheet. Now take a step back and pretend the person in question is someone else than you. This makes it easier to sneak past the fears and the what-ifs. How would you help someone else build a strategy to overcome this problem? This is where you turn problems into solutions and to-do’s. Here is how it might look like:

Problem: I won’t be able to get a job there because I don’t know the language well enough.

Possible solutions: You could apply for jobs withing the expat community, you could get a job that doesn’t require too much costumer service, you can take language classes before you leave, you can start your own online business, you can get a possible manager to hire you based on your charm – not your language skills, you can save up everything before you go, you can start a kickstarter campaign to help you fulfil your dream, you can work as an au pair …

Keep in mind that there will be obstacles, challenges and problems to solve. That’s part of the game that makes it all so much more fun and rewarding. The trick is to not over-estimate them, but see them realistically enought so that you don’t put off working towards your goal, and don’t under-estimate the obstacles so much that they throw you off track.

…

Over to you: Do you over-estimate the challenges it takes to get where you want to go? How do you solve the problems in your way? What problems are you working on right now?

Part 2 is coming Thursday: How to turn self-condemnation into self-confidence, belief & happy dance

Sara Tso: E-mail. Blog. Flickr.

Sara Tso is the blogger and designer behind Sunshine by Sara. She is 24 years old and lives in  Los Angeles. She studied Graphic Design and dreams on starting her own stationary line. Here is the comment Sara left about her dream:

“My biggest dream is to be self employed. I want to start my own stationery line (by the end of this month!), eventually open my own studio and hold workshops, open up my own store, and then open a cafe! I plan to expand my line beyond stationery, including art work and jewelry. The objective of my store is to encourage people to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Everything will be from small businesses, use sustainable materials, etc. I want to hold workshops teaching people sustainable practices, such as teaming up with the local nursery to teach an intro to gardening class. As for the cafe, I hope to eventually have my shop and cafe next to each other with a outdoor seating area between. My goal is to show that living sustainably doesn’t have to mean living like a hippie or any other dramatic changes to a current lifestyle.”

She also wrote in an e-mail:

“For the past two to 3 years, I’ve been dreaming up the idea of starting my own stationery line.”

After hearing more about Sara and how long she has come in the process, we have decided that in order to help make her dream come true, she needs your help to:

1. build confidence
2. find a group of people you can get honest feedback from, but who will not force her into a direction she doesn’t want to follow
3. set realistic goals
4. find a mentor with Etsy experience who can help her set up a good store
5. gain a bigger readership on her blog

Can you help with any of the above?

Why you should help

- It will only take up a small amount of your time
- You can help with taking small steps like sending an e-mail or telling your friends
- You have the chance to truly make an impact on Sara’s life
- It will make you feel great!

How you can help

- Send Sara an e-mail if you like her work. It will help her to build confidence!
- Volunteer to be in Sara’s feedback group. Send her an e-mail right now!
- Do you have experience with setting up a business? A stationary line? Any creative work? Can you help Sara set realistic goals?
- If you have an etsy store, can you volunteer to help Sara set up hers?
- Visit Sara’s blog, subscribe, tweet and e-mail your friends about it to help her build readership.
- If you can’t help with any of the above, the least you can do is spread the word about this. Maybe you know someone who can help?

Photos&Design by Sara Tso. Visit her flickr to se more.

I would like to thank everyone who submitted their dreams to The Dream Experiment. I can’t help all of you, send me an e-mail if there’s anything I can do to help. I would also like to thank, in advance, everyone who helps me help Sara.

Click for source

What is it about the big dream that keeps us from realizing it? What makes you put off doing what you really want to do? It all boils down to fear of failure. It’s your life goal, your reason for being, your soul and your spirit. What happens if you mess it up? Painfully, truth is, messing it up is better than doing nothing.

Like many of you, I have always dreamed of moving abroad. I was scared. When the big day came, I was sad. I feared I would never feel at home, manage to relax. And here I am, settled in in just one month. Feels like I’ve been living here for ever.

Wisdoms from moving abroad - Or lullabies for frightened soon-to-be expats

- It’s not as frightening as you think in advance

- You will adapt well to new surroundings

- Adapting takes less time than you imagine

- Living abroad will not take away your desire to travel

- Going out of the house always means you’ll discover something exciting

- Being apart from friends and family can actually make your relationships stronger (you might even stay in touch more often than you did before)

- Distance (from friends, loved ones, habits, familiar places) can be a powerful source of inspiration

- You will discover that there exists vegetables you have never heard of, seen or ever tasted

- You probably won’t miss any food from home in particular

- Unfamiliar streets will lead to exciting discoverings when you get lost

- A smile goes a long way (especially when you can’t understand the language or an accent)

- Moving with just a few suitcases is possible

- You’ll discover that it’s not about the things, the place, the country, the people. It’s about you.

- You will get used to strange local customs

- New experiences and influences weigh up for what you miss from home

- You will grow tremendously as a person

Personal wisdoms:

- I am much more independent than I thought I was

- My english is developing rapidly. I might even get a british accent!

- I don’t mind doing the dishes as much as I thought (I’m used to a dishwasing machine)…

- Living with more than one person means there’s always someone to talk to

Have you overcomed a fear lately? What did you realize?

I’m neither a materialist or a minimalist. I don’t have any specific philosophy when it comes to owning and buying stuff. However, I have come to realize that buying less → having to work less → more time to live. And I love life. I know you do to, so here comes my little guide to shopping less.

How to appreciate what you have and buy less

1. Understand why you shop

How does shopping make you feel? Happy? Important? wealthy? Imagine finding something in a store, or imagine buying something on your wish list. Does it make you feel excited? Why? As for me, buying things make me feel inspired, energetic, exciting and interesting. When I’ve been out shopping I usually rush home and unpack my new stuff. Then I use the things religiously for about a week. And then the excitement is gone.

Sometimes I don’t even unpack my new things and leave them lying around in shopping bags for weeks before I remember. And sometimes I just never use or wear what I have bought at all. Sounds familiar?

I believe it is the act of buying new things, and not the things themselves that makes me feel good. Understanding how it works for you will help you understand where to break the habit.

2. Find other substitutes

What else in life make you feel this way? As the main goal here is to free up some time, try to find something that is free. Reading blogs for example makes me feel the same way as I do when I shop. I get inspired, it boosts my energy and I feel interesting and exciting. Decorating and reorganizing my home does the same. So whenever I feel like shopping, I should start doing these things instead. Other things that might be substitutes are giving yourself a home spa treatment, making an inspiration board, creating and crafting something, work out++ Find something that works for you!

3. Clean out the clutter

It is so much easier to appreciate your things when you can see them. Get rid of all clutter, things you don’t need and items you have bought, but never used. (Bindu Wiles’ the Shed Project is perfect for this). Work systematically and go through all surfaces, closets and drawers. If it is hard to remove something you don’t really need or use, consider to give it to charity or hold on to it for a limited amount of time, say two months. If you haven’t used it by then, just get rid of it.

4. Display what you have

When you have some clear surfaces, put the things that mean the most to you on display.You want to be surrounded with things that you feel reflect and reinforce your personality. Put the clothes that make you feel good in front of your closet. Place gifts received from friends and family where you can see them and be reminded of their generosity. If you are happy with your things, you’ll not be as tempted to buy more stuff.

5. Work out your buying priorities

We all tend to think that “if I buy this – then I’ll be happy” or “If I get that – then I’ll be able to realize that dream” and so on. Remember that things themselves don’t make you happy. They might give some form of instant verification or spark, but real deep happiness you’ll have to find within. I encourage you to make a list of things you should stop buying. And then make a list of things you are “allowed” to buy that will contribute to real happiness, not just give you instant verification.

I’ll leave you with a section from this post on Zen Habits that I use as my personal buying guide.

“When you think about your things or want to purchase something new, consider these parameters:

• It brings beauty into your life and stirs your soul.
• It supports a passion or hobby.
• It helps bring family and friends together in a creative, meaningful way.
• It educates and enlightens.
• It makes life profoundly simpler so that you can pursue more meaningful things.
• It helps someone who is sick or incapacitated.
• It is useful and necessary for day-to-day life.
• It’s part of a meaningful tradition or a reminder of a special event.”

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Thank you to everyone who has told me their dreams, tweeted and posted about the Dream Experiment. I still need you to help me spread the word!  And remember to submit your dream for before September 13th!!

The Thought Behind

I’m obsessed with asking people what their dreams are.

It’s the best way to get to know someone in an instant. And this is probably why we are so hestistant to tell people we don’t know and trust.

I have always been the kind of person that hold my dream tight to my heart. I guess most people (including me) does it out of fear. Of being laughed at, rejected or hurt.

But now that I have started to identify what my dreams are, I find it easier and easier to share them. Because no one has laughed in my face (yet). People have been incredibly supportive. And some people have helped me on the way already.

My dream is to never have to have a day job. To develop this blog and earn a living being a writer and a photographer. Being me. And travel the world. And most of all I want to live in my favorite place on earth, New York City.

Phew. Now that’s out of the closet, let me ask you; WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

The DREAM

Can be so much more powerful if you share it.

Each month I am going to showcase a dream here on The Freedom Experiment. And each month I commit (and hopefully get you on board as well) to help move the dreamer along the path of fulfilling the dream the best as I (and we) can.

6 steps for success:

1. You tell me your most powerful and important personal dream. Either in the comments, on e-mail, twitter or any other way you like (I love getting dreams in the mail). Just let me know who you are so I can contact you and help you. Sharing your dream is totally liberating if you have been keeping it for yourself for long. Let me know if you just want to share without participating. I need your dream by «SEPTEMBER 13TH».

2. I pick one dream to showcase on The Freedom Experiment*. If you are up for it, we will do an interview, video, photos and other interesting things that will help people understand your dream.

3. You and I work on and decide how to help you in the most effective & efficient way.

3. We all help as much as we can. This is an important step, I can’t make it alone. But if you are anything like me, I promise you will get a real kick out of helping.

4. We keep in touch for as long as we need to see some results, which are proudly posted to The Freedom Experiment.

5. We all get some inspiration and good karma to work on our own life dreams.

* I will pick a dream at random, since all dreams are equally important. However, I reserve the right to put a side inappropriate contributions.

How I need you right now.

The more people who hear about this, the more powerful it will get. Please start already today to work on achieving the dreams of others. Tweet, e-mail, blog and speak about this (sorry for not having some fancy plugin that only require you to click a button or two).  Let others know if you think this is a good idea, even if you don’t want to participate yourself.  And send me your dream today! Remember that I need your dream by «SEPTEMBER 13TH!»

“When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality” – Dom Helder Camara

After blogging for about a year, on an off, I have decided to take my blog one step further.

As you may know already, I am not very happy with my domain anymore. I think Mausumi is too personal, it means something to me, but not to anyone else. It is also difficult to spell (I see a lot of people who google me either writes the name wrong or is searching for something else and find me) and can easily be confused with a lot of other Masumi’s who I don’t want to be mixed up with.

As for now, I haven’t decided on a new domain name yet. I have a few thoughts, but nothing is final as for now. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! At this stage, anything helps, really.

The first step for me is to learn how to move my blog/change my URL. I have tried to google this, but all I find are comfusing articles that I don’t understand fully. If you think you can help, or maybe you know someone who can, please let me know. It would mean a lot to me if anyone would be able to helpe me with this.

I’ll tell you a lot more about the changes I’ll be making here in a little while so stay tuned. First I want to sort out this URL thing, and then I’ll be back with more.

Thank you so much for your patience with me!

I’m dreaming about travelling to India on this tour: North India Unplugged.

Have you seen the new Lomo LC-A instant back?

Have you read this yet? If you have been living under a rock like me, check out 279 days to overnight success.

I love the mix of chinese and scandinavian design here!

Check out five books on writing over at Code For Someting!

I found a lot of inspiration from 10 ways to upgrade your morning experience.

Found something interesting? What have you been reading lately?