Category: Uncategorized
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5 Steps for Living Lighter
Did you know American homes contain an average of 300,000 items? No wonder the market size of the home organizing industry is approximately $12 billion! But it’s not just physical stuff that fills our lives—our email inboxes receive about 121 messages per day and our calendars reveal our tendency toward overcommitment. When our stuff and…
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Tensions Rising? How Giving Thanks Brings Peace
A “thank you” a day keeps the doctor away? Science tells us it’s possible. According to a number of studies conducted in recent years, the practice of gratitude has a positive effect on our mental and physical wellbeing, including better sleep, mood, and immunity, as well as decreased depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and blood pressure.…
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Is Giving on Your Bucket List?
Jack Reynolds started his bucket list late in life, attacking it with gusto and Guinness World Records. He became the oldest man to get his first tattoo (his name and birthdate) at age 104. Then, at 105, the oldest to ride a roller coaster; at 106, the oldest to ride a zip line; and at…
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5 Questions to Ask Before Making Your Will
Is making or updating your will toward the end of your to-do list? You’re not alone. According to Caring.com’s 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Survey, only 32% of Americans have a will in place. Creating a will, however, is one of the most important things you can do to care for your family. It ensures…
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Is it Time to Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth?
The unusual idiom Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth has its roots in the days when horses were used for work and transportation. If you were given a horse, it was best to receive it as is, because if you opened its mouth and checked its teeth, you might have discovered this generous…
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3 Ways to Give Like a Billionaire
Imagine you have a billion dollars. What would you do with the money? Maybe you’d have a bigger house, take some amazing trips, or provide everything your family needs. How preposterous would it be if you gave it all away? That’s exactly what billionaire Charles Feeney did. Embracing a “giving while living” philosophy, he committed…
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Are You Talking to Your Family About What Matters Most?
It’s the stuff of dramatic tension in books, movies, and TV shows: who’s named in a will, who isn’t, and what money or possessions are at stake. And while most estate plans aren’t nearly that exciting, there are some cases where bequests have been outside the box: Imagine getting a letter announcing you’d inherited a…
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Legacy Planning is an Act of Love
Before Dr. Gary Chapman was a bestselling author, he was a husband in a struggling marriage. His wife was frustrated that he didn’t help around the house. He was disappointed she didn’t respond to his words of encouragement. “One night she said to me, ‘You keep saying “I love you,” but if you love me,…
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3 Ways to Give in Every Season of Life
In 2018, a sculpture caught the eye of a Texas woman perusing the aisles of her local thrift store and she bought it for $34.99. She was curious about the piece and started to do some research. Several years later, a fine arts consultant identified it as an ancient Roman bust that once belonged to…
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4 Ways to Share Your Story This Christmas
One of Dave Isay’s earliest memories involves capturing the stories of his grandparents and great-aunts on a small cassette recorder (remember those?). He turned his love of stories into a vocation as founder of StoryCorps. This organization has recorded stories from more than 600,000 people and preserved them at the Library of Congress. Many of…