May reading Simple Abundance remain a comforting conversation with a good friend who's grateful that our paths have crossed. - Sarah Ban Breathnach
When I first heard of Simple Abundance I was young, but I've always had a rather kind of old soul. I was a freshly graduated college girl who had started the art of watching Youtube for a past time. And I fell in love with who is now called Pretty Neat Living. She was the one who originally introduced me to Simple Abundance. It was her video called Organizing Your Time: Reading & Journaling and it was there I was introduced. And more about Pretty Neat Living in the future-- because it's coming for me!
Most women in the 90s were introduced to this book because of Oprah. Can you imagine having a book that inspires Oprah to do something different in her life and then she suggests it? This was even before Oprah's book club! This is the effect that it had a very inspiring woman.
This is a book that's only had three editions: the original, 10 year anniversary, and the latest edition that came out in November 2019. I love how she addresses in the latest edition that millennials, like myself, were wanting her to update it for us without getting rid of the journey she has led so many women down. And, she has done so for us now! I know that's always been a rather struggle for me with the edition I had. I have the original one that I was gifted in 2014 from my now husband and daughter as a Valentine's gift. I finally decided to read it in 2016 to read with a group. I was so proud to have it in my hands I didn't care that it was outdated for me. Back then I was no longer intimated by it because I was reading it with my best friend!
I was so excited the day in either September or October 2019 when she announced that an updated book was coming!
Why do I love this book so much? It's inspirational without being too business-like. Most books geared to helping you find yourself have you doing things so outside your comfort zone you never do them. This book isn't like that, at all! This book has something for everyone with 365 essays on finding the authentic self that is inside you, and learning how to stay true to that authentic self. With the new edition, she does talk about how much we put ourselves into a virtual world. She wants us to learn how to live off the internet as well.
Another reason I love this book so much is that it's seasonal! Yes, you read that right. This book has monthly activities to do so that you can enjoy monthly things. They are called Joyful Simplicities in the book and most are pretty simple and pretty cheap to do. I've enjoyed a lot of them in the years I've had the book.
This book talks about tools. Now if you are like me you may want to know what the tools are before reading the book so you are not scrambling like I did.
- Notebooks! Do not get pretty ones. Get ones that you aren't scared to write in.
- Something for gratitude journaling. I suggest Erin Condren's Petite Gratitude Journal or a Moleskine notebook.
- An Artist Sketch notebook for collages.
- A 12x12 piece of cardstock for another collage.
- Magazines for collages.
- A mirror
I'm almost finished with January so I don't know what other new tools she will bring in as the year goes on. I want to update you as time goes on about how this in-depth journey with the new edition goes. I know I have spoken of this book before and you can check those posts out here:
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