Paige Power

  When was the last time you looked for a new car? It can be fun to consider buying a new car, and fun to fantasize about the new car you want, a Jaguar perhaps? Maybe you are a Mercedes kind of person. The last car I bought was a 2002 Honda CRV. I still have it. I don’t drive much, so it only has about 85,000 miles on it. At the rate I’m going it won’t have to be replaced in my lifetime if I can keep it going until it hits 200,000 miles, which, according to my spouse, is not unheard of. If I drive 5,000 miles per year, it will last another 23 years. I’ll be 81 years old by then. And actually, I drive less than 5,000 miles per year. I just have to keep taking it in for regular service and I should be fine. But if I were to buy another car, I guess I would get an economy car. I don’t care much for cars or driving, so it's not a priority for me. In fact, when I first met my spouse and he bought a car, a friend asked what he purchased and I correctly let them know it was a sedan!...

  Inflation has been a bear this year. However, I noticed that several of the items I normally purchase were at a better price the last time I went to the grocery store, so that gives me hope that food prices will come down to a reasonable amount soon. Dealing with unexpectedly high prices has meant I have to mix up how I shop, and how I cook. As I’ve mentioned several times, I cook almost all of the meals we consume. Most of those meals are plant-based, so my grocery bill is less than many meat eaters' grocery bills, which is great. But I feel the pinch regardless. I spend about $100.00 per week for myself and my spouse. I know there are many people who spend much less than this, but we are highly focused on health so we don’t purchase processed food too often. I follow a couple on YouTube, their channel is “Under the Median” and they are feeding a family of four for $50.00 per week. That is amazing! Their dedication is remarkable. Because I tend to overthink and over pla...

  Have you recently been in a conversation and found the person you are engaged with interrupts you? Or have you found you are so focused on how you want to respond you aren’t listening to what the other person has to say? Habit ten I’m working on this year is to improve my listening skills. It’s hard, but well worth it. In fact I’ve found as I engage in active listening I’m more compassionate, less likely to feel agitated, and I learn things I otherwise would not have known. Recently I was listening to an interview with one of my favorite authors, Margaret Attwood. She was asked what advice she would give to a young person, and she answered, “None.” Margaret explained that young people don’t want your advice if you are a mature person and if they did they would ask. If they ask - give thoughtful advice, otherwise don’t. With this in mind on my phone with my daughter the other day, I just listened to what she had to say, practiced empathy, and held back on advice. What I l...

  Have you struggled with indecision? Analysis paralysis? I have. I like to plan ahead as much as possible. I can confidently say that it’s my penchant for planning that has helped me find success. Sadly my bent for planning sometimes borders on the ridiculous. For example, I often preview restaurant menus so that I don’t get in a situation where I can’t decide. It is a weird habit that I want to discard; however, I worry that I won’t be able to follow through. The internal pull to review a menu online prior to a visit to a new restaurant is strong. I’m sure this pull is related to my specialized diet habits, and I don’t want to be the one person who takes too much time to decide what to eat and feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. I don’t want my dining partners to think I’m dull-witted. Clearly, I have an ego issue. I’ve been reading up on decision-making so I can overcome this barrier and part of the challenge I’m facing has to do with risk-taking and attributing an outsized...

  This past week I was trying to “get it together” and come up with a good marketing plan for all the good work I’ve been doing this past year. The good work includes finishing and publishing four books, creating a website with a blog, and offering one of the books I finished as a free option for those who are willing to part with their email address. I created and published two podcasts, one focused on frugal living and one focused on visualization exercises. I began exploring social media including setting up a FaceBook page, and creating an Instagram account. I find social media the most difficult aspect of the work I do, I just don’t get it, nor do I find it appealing. But I will persist because I understand I am fortunate to live like a magical space emperor. Imagine having the opportunity to broadcast your message to the world in the fifteenth century? This was pre printing press times. In the Americas the Aztec and Incas ruled. If you wanted to share your love of s...