IN THIS ISSUE:

I. Kelly's Questions
II. Five Quick Tips
III. References
IV. VRSelfHelp.com News

I. Kelly's Questions

Kelly is 10 years old and just finished the fourth grade at an elementary school in Ohio. She was in the gifted and talented class and had to do an assignment for a research project called "My Passion." The topic she chose was about leading a simpler life. She came up with the following hypothesis:

"I believe that even though technology has had a positive effect on people, they would prefer a simpler life because present technology is too complicated for people to understand or use."

Kelly wrote me a letter (yes, the old fashioned kind, not an email) and wondered if I would answer some questions to help her confirm or reject her hypothesis.

Here's a short excerpt of my reply to some of her questions:

1. How Has Technology Affected Your Life?

Technology has had a huge impact on my life. When I was a corporate executive for a Fortune 100 company, one of my main responsibilities was assuring that business messages and communications were received by hundreds of employees in many other states. This was about the time I got my first computer, followed by the ability to do conference calls, then video conferencing. Technology helped me get these messages out quickly and efficiently.

When I left the corporate world and started my own business in 1996, I took advantage of my experience with technology and used it to help me build a structure that allowed me to work from home. This year, I launched my new business, The Virtual Reality Self-Help Center (http://www.vrselfhelp.com), which is a completely virtual resource center for personal growth and wellness. The Center replies on advanced technology to provide not only information but also virtual learning environments like classes by telephone, email, online classes and more.

Without much of today's technology, I wouldn't, or couldn't, be doing what I'm doing now. My business wouldn't exist in its present form. So, you see, technology has affected my life in a very profound and positive way.

2. What Are All The Ways You Suggest For People To Live A Simpler Life?

Living a simpler life is a very big topic. Given that your research is related to technology, here are some examples of how people can actually use various technologies to simplify their lives.

They don't have to be locked into having to watch their favorite television shows at the exact times they're scheduled. They can use a VCR or DVR to record those programs and then watch them at a later time of their own choosing. My husband and I rarely watch live TV anymore and when we do sit down to watch our favorite show or shows, because they're recorded, it's at a time that is convenient for us. We call it "TV on our terms." It's so much simpler and more enjoyable to watch TV when we have some relaxing time in our schedule.

They don't have to answer the telephone at inconvenient times like during dinner or other family time. An answering machine or voice mail can take messages for them and they can return those calls at a time that's more convenient to them. It's still considerate to return calls as soon as possible. And for emergencies? We've let our friends and family know if they do call when they think we're home and we don't answer, that we will answer if the phone rings again right away.

They don't have to let their cell phone be the center of their life. It's okay, as well as courteous and considerate, when they're at a table in a restaurant, talking with a clerk in a store, or in an enclosed space like a car or elevator to either turn the phone off or set it to vibrate rather than ring and let the message feature handle incoming calls. Limiting who has their cell phone number is important as well.

They don't have to buy any technology with extra features that they'll never use. Learning more about what features a computer, a computer program, a VCR, a gaming device, a telephone, a digital camera or any other technology they're interested in will work best for them will save them money and frustration. The key is in doing their homework before they buy and deciding what they want it to accomplish and what "features" will help.

Over all, it's very important to know what they really want with any technology. It's a way of saying "Yes" to what they want, as well as "No" to what they do not want.

3. In Your Opinion, How Should A Person Start To Lead A Simpler Life?

A lot of people come to me because they want "something different" in their lives or a simpler life. The problem is, they're living such busy lives, there isn't room to change or add anything new to accomplish this. For them, and for most people, the first steps are to start "eliminating" things from their life. That's learning how to say "No" as I just mentioned.

I've seen a lot of kids whose lives are so full of things they want to do, have to do, or are scheduled to do, they don't know how to really play or have fun anymore. Many parents are pushing their kids and their schools for more academic classes and more homework and more after-school activities and more club participation and more, more, more. Much of this is because parents have filled their lives with so many responsibilities and time-consuming activities that they've forgotten how to have fun themselves and now they're passing these traits on to their kids. Someone needs to call a "No Penalties, No Bad Ideas, No Repercussions Family Meeting" and decide what's really important to each member and the family unit overall.

In Closing:

I agree with you that technology is complicated, but I think it's actually the instructions and the unassisted learning curve that make some things almost impossible to use. Instructions are not written in easy-to-understand tutorial language, answers finally found are not always clear, and getting help from experts today can be nearly impossible. Sometimes the "expert" is incompetent or the help costs a lot.

People also let technology run them, they don't run it. They tend to let technology take over their lives and drain their time. If better managed to perform and serve one's own purpose, technology can make one's life simpler in many ways.

A research project such as yours may help people step back and realize they can decide which technologies and devices are truly important and beneficial to them and which will help them simply their lives. The good news is that we do have CHOICE and, when we realize that, we can take ourselves wherever we want to go—with or without technology.

Warmly,
Linda

(This newsletter is technologically executed on my computer with my word- processing program and distributed via my cable access to the Internet to your computer!)

1. Look at all of the ways the technology you use is serving your life and the ways in which it creates more chaos. Decide that you do have the ability to control the chaos by changing either the way you use the technology or the technology itself.

2. If you find that you're get distracted from your task at hand by arriving emails, set up specific time(s) during the day to check them and respond. By giving your emails focused time you'll be better able to keep them cleaned up and cleared out while staying focused on your other work during non-email times.

3. Tired of being tied to your cell phone? Most cell phones include a voice messaging service and you can choose to turn the phone off when desired.

4. Decide what features of a technology product will make your life simpler and then don't overbuy. If you won't use the extra bells and whistles, save the time and money and only purchase what you need.

5. Take a technology break and enjoy nature! Take a walk, go for a bicycle ride, sit on the grass, or spend time creating pictures in the clouds. Nature has a lot of gifts and pleasures to enjoy especially when our technological world gets too noisy.

III. REFERENCES

"Living in Balance: A Dynamic Approach for Creating Harmony & Wholeness in A Chaotic World," by Joel Levey, Michelle Levey
http://www.simplifylife.com/stratgy1.html

A balanced life equals health—mental, emotional, and physical. "Living in Balance," written by two experts on the subject of balance, offers a synthesis of ancient wisdom traditions, such as mindfulness, with cutting-edge research on peak human performance, to show readers how to master the art of balancing within an environment of rapid change.

To find more resources, go to
http://www.simplifylife.com/reference.html

IV. VRSELFHELP.COM NEWS

Have you looked around http://www.vrselfhelp.com recently? There are a number of resources to support you in your own personal growth and wellness. For example:

* Did you know we have both a physical and mental health on-line library?

* There are numerous Ebooks with titles from "Tips for Tortoises: Getting Ahead At Your Own Pace" to "Kick the Procrastination Habit Workbook."

* If you prefer to "listen" in, there are a number of great audio classes like "Build Your Personal Foundation" and "Embracing Uncertainty" by author Susan Jeffers.

From Classes by Telephone to Online Classes there is something for everyone! Take a moment, look around, and see how you can use the technology of the Internet to support your own wellness plan.

MORE ABOUT "MAKING LIVES SIMPLER"

Linda Manassee Buell is a full-time Personal and Business Coach, and author of the tips eBooklet, "Simplify Your Life, 101 Ways to Create the Life You Love," the audiotape, "Simplify Your Life, 7 Simple Strategies for Doing What You Love to Do," the revised edition of the workbook, "Simplify Your Life: A Journey of Personal Discovery," and her latest book, "Panic and Anxiety Disorder, 121 Tips, Real-life Advice, Resources & More." She is also the President and Executive Director of The Virtual Reality Self-Help Center, vrselfhelp.com, an Internet- based resource center for mental well-being.

To order your personal copy of any of the above by check or credit card, just go to http://simplifylife.com and click on "Shop the Store."

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