Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Success, frugality and other questions to ponder

I've been reading a book called Raising Lifelong Learners which basically asserts the idea that parents should encourage the magic of learning--during playtime, at school, while doing household chores, etc. It's a wonderful book brimming with super ideas. I'll post more on this later.

In the meantime, family is still in town and we're swamped at the office and I'm over-committed on all sorts of committees and groups, whether it be for business, at my son's school, at church, or something else so I'm feeling overwhelmed. I need to take some time to consider what my priorities are, including this blog. One of the issues I'm contemplating right now about my blog is its title. To some extent "frugal", to me, means a life of denial and that's not always so fun. Also, to be successful in business, one needs to think big, to imagine the possibilities, to set lofty goals, to spend money to beget money. All of this is at odds with my personal life and I want these to jive, so to speak. What alternative title can I use that will encompass all that I am--a mom, a business owner, a careful spender and investor, etc? I don't want my children to think that a life of denial is how we reach success although I do encourage moderation, respect for the environment, and avoiding excess. I've chosen a school for my son, in fact, that helps students explore their own potential and to think big. If that's what I believe, I have to live that way, too, in all areas of my life, and living frugally, in my mind, is unfortunately defined as living with a scarcity mindset although living frugally also means living wisely, consciously, and carefully while still having abundance. It's just a question of semantics and the power of words. I'd like to choose wording that reflects possibility and abundance but also moderation and sensible spending. I'm wondering what that word or phrase might be.

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