Pardon me while I bust into storytime song-mode, 'cause here comes the hotstepper (word 'em up).

*****

“There once was a man named Joel

Who was trying to fill a big hole

Then Dan came along

And they both sang a song

Now SimpleREV's on a sweet roll

*****

What do ya think? Am I destined for a career in the limerick business?

I wanted to lead with a story because this Smart and Simple Matters episode is all about stories. But not just your regular “Ho hum, that was nice (and then I found five dollars)” kinda dealio.

You're about to hear stories of people camped at the crossroads of simple living and community. And this episode – part two of my SimpleREV 2014 event recap – builds perfectly on part one.

Want to know something schuper schweet, though? I have high-quality audio from the event and I edited in some stories, straight from the people telling them.

You'll hear struggles, triumphs, misconceptions, and a whole lot of insight like:

It's OK to want things and not fulfill the want immediately. – Anthony Ongaro

Maybe words like this strike deep for you like they do for me?

I'm a recovering perfectionist. And I'm getting over the whole all-or-nothing mentality. Little steps really count. – Michelle Russell

It's time for you to learn from these fantastic SimpleREVers, be touched and entertained, and hear about two SimpleREVers who are continuing the storytelling by Imagining Aloud (special details at the end of the episode).

You're about to Learn …

• How great it can be to have a … tornado destroy your house?
• The real and deep social stigma linked to intentional down-sizing.
• How little $11,000 might get you on Amazon over four years.
• What your own version of “patio furniture” pressure looks like.
• How Joshua Becker came this close to quitting Becoming Minimalist.
• Why losing $1,000 worth of clothing makes you want to own (and carry) less stuff.
• One man's conviction to prove that tiny houses are real houses.
• Why rejecting consumerism turbo-charges self-awareness.
• How one woman is buying back her time to contribute to society.
• One pilot's quest to bring meaning to everyone before he dies.

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Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode:

• Websites:
  • Revivers.ca
  • Enoughist
  • Simple Life Reboot
  • The Tiny House
  • Ashlee Consulting
  • The Collective Giving Tree
  • SteveTaubman.com
  • Becoming Minimalist
  • Pilot Fire
  • Simple Joy Living
• Cool Products or Services
  • Imagining Aloud from ParentsWho.com
• Resources:
  • SimpleREV Newsletter
  • Simple Life Together
  • Tiny House Decisions (affiliate link)
• Blog Posts
  • On All the Sentimental Stuff and Clutter
  • Determining If a Sentimental Item is Clutter or a Treasure
  • Finding My Voice at SimpleREV
• Podcast Episodes
  • How 55 People Got Simple, Became Friends, and Owned Huggr (SimpleREV 2014 Part 1) – SASM 059
  • Behind the Scenes of SimpleREV 2014 (with a Full Day 1 Recap) – ATSR011
  • Storytime, Workshops, and Taking Chances at SimpleREV 2014 (with a Full Day 2 Recap) – ATSR012
  • How Simple and Primal Living “Grok” a Ton with Mark Sisson – SASM 060

Topics

• [03:16] Introduction to SimpleREV 2014 Attendee Storytime
• [05:56] Anthony's story: Instant gratification and Amazon Prime
• [09:06] Jean-Francois' story: Physical challenges and inspiration
• [12:22] Michelle's story: Becoming “enoughist”
• [16:38] Connor's story: Travel, packing, loss, and growth
• [18:57] Dave and Sheryl Balthrop's insight about social stigma
• [24:26] Tiny houses, sentimental items, traveling the world, and owning “only” one car
• [29:57] Andrea's story: Expectations of what a professional should own
• [34:32] Steve's story: Rejecting the “consumer” label and knowing who you are
• [37:26] Joshua's story: Coming back from quitting blogging
• [39:25] David's story: What he wants to do before he dies
• [41:39] Rebecca's story: From cynicism to warmth
• [44:08] Details about Imagining Aloud: High-quality, all-original, entertaining audio stories for kids

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Transcript

The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).

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