The end of 2013 marks two and a half years of blogging at SMART Living 365. From a statistical perspective it is an excellent reminder that perseverance is one of the best qualities a writer can bring to her craft. At the end of 2011 I had barely 50 email subscribers and a handful of feed subscribers. Now two years later I want to thank the thousands of readers who have stopped by and made SMART Living a part of their lives.
With that in mind I went through and looked at my top posts during the previous 30 months. With so many new followers I’m assuming many of you may have missed some of them. As usual they reflect some angle of what I consider a SMART Life. And always my goal is to share ideas that will help us all live a more happy, peaceful and meaningful life. Here they are:
- Is there REALLY Proof of Heaven or Life After Death? My top read post of all time is this article I wrote after attending an IONS Conference in July and hearing author Eben Alexander speak about his life-after-death experience. Barely six months old, this article shows what a tremendous interest there is in this subject.
- Comparison—A Speed Bump on the Road To Happiness & Simple Living. This post was written in early 2013 and has proved consistently popular. I believe a big part of it’s reach comes from having been shared on an amazing simple living blog written by Joshua Becker called, Becoming Minimlist.com It is a great blog and deserves a look.
- Seeking Uncertainty –The Path of Miracles & Unlimited Possibilities. I wrote this blog post early in 2013 after publishing my first novel Finding Grace—A Transformational Journey as an ebook. Not only do I relay some of my personal experiences, I put it all in context to quantum physics. What do they have in common? You’ll have to read it to find out.
- Is Your Over-thinking An Addiction? —Here Are Eights Steps to Recovery. I wrote this post in 2012 for myself. Yes, I’ve been accused of over-thinking on more than one occasion and not only do I explain what that looks like—I offer some valuable tips that can help any of us suffering from this common addiction.
- Are you Really A Minimalist? —And Five Questions To Find Out. I wrote this post in 2012 when it occurred to me that there were lots of simple living and minimalist blogs who were very popular—but many of them never explained what minimalism is or does. While I can’t claim that answer for every blog, I thought it was important from a SMART perspective.
- Midlife Minimalism—How Your Focus Changes & The Rewards Increase. This post comes from early summer 2013. While I had already defined what I consider to be minimalism or simple living, I found that so many of the other blogs with the same topic were coming from the Gen X or Y perspective. So many of those bloggers are single and unattached, or young married couples. This post shows what I believe are some valuable perspectives from a midlife point of view.
- Variation on a Bucket List—The F*^K It List! This post is another that has been around for only several months but shot to it’s high ranking mostly from its being shared on the new website Midlife Boulevard in early November. Thanks to Midlife Boulevard, this tongue-in-cheek post shares that we must often let go of things that hold us back, before we are able to live our best life possible.
So those are the top-read articles on SMART Living 365 as of the end of 2013. It is gratifying to know that thousands of people around the world have taken the time to read some of them. A special thanks to all the readers who make SMART Living part of their lives by subscribing to my posts by email. And an exceptional thanks to those of you who take the time to comment and offer your perspectives on what I write. Even those of you who didn’t agree with my ideas helped because your interest showed that you had thought about the subject and were willing to share your feelings on the topic in a different way. I never expect people to agree with me—I only hope that I offer food for thought as you make your own life journey toward greater happiness and wellbeing.
So let’s see where we go and what is revealed in 2014. May your new year be as Sustainable, Meaningful, Aware, Responsible and Thankful as possible. In other words, stay SMART 365!
Hmm…I can’t decide if #4 is one of my problems or not. On one hand….on the other….I’ll think about it 😉
Looks like some juicy reading for me, and a year of juicy writing for you!
Hi Lori! Yes…I’m thinking about starting a 12 step group for us! I’ll let you know if I ever work out all the details-ha ha! Thanks for stopping by and checking out SMART Living. Your comment is very much appreciated. And I love your blog and look forward to many more of your perfect moments. ~Kathy
Congratulations on 2 years Kathy! I look forward to reading some of the earlier posts that I missed!
Happy New Year to you and Thom!
Hi Nancy! Ooh…how exciting that you are on week number 51 of your “Year of Sweat!” I definitely want to see what you’ve got going on now that the short time countdown is on….And Happy New Year to you and Mr. Enthusiasm! I hope that you’re both healthy and happy and have electricity by now. ~Kathy
Every post you write offers plenty of food for thought. I look forward to reading what you write this year. Congrats on 2 years blogging, I too reached my 2 year mark in November. Happy New Year.
Hi Lois! Thanks for your good wishes and YES! I think you know that one of my intentions with the blog is to get people to think, so I consider it high praise when others respond. I can’t remember when exactly I found your blog for the first time but I’m fairly certain that it was early this year. Connecting with you and other great bloggers has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience. I can’t wait to see where we take things in 2014. Happy, peaceful and healthy New Year to you too! ~Kathy
Kathy, congrats on 2 years!!! What an incredible accomplishment. I love that you put in the links to your top stories. Now I have some reading to do. 🙂
Hi Wendy! Thank you…as you know it does require a bit of work to keep at it–but as has been said, it isn’t work when it is something you love to do. I’m so glad we connected this year. One of the best things about being a blogger is finding other really GREAT bloggers out there and following along. I look forward to what we both create in 2014. ~Kathy
I love this list, and I will try to read all of the posts.
This has been a very difficult year for me and my family, and I’m looking for something – anything – to grab onto to keep my inner self balanced and nurtured. Thank you for all that you write. It is very meaningful to me.
Hi Cathy….thank you so much for stopping by SMART Living and adding to the conversation. And I sincerely hope that some of my ideas are helping to lead you to finding more inner balance and peace. I am so happy that we have recently connected here on the web because you also write a great blog that is very helpful to me and so many other people. One of the best things about blogging is all of the terrific people we meet and share ideas with. Thank you again Cathy. I hope that 2014 is easier for you and your family…and many others around the world. ~Kathy
So many posts I have to catch up on! Thanks for sharing your F$%k it list with Midlife Boulevard. It was very much enjoyed!
Hi Sharon…Thank you for your comment…AND for sharing The F$%K List Article on Midlife Boulevard along with several others. You’ve got a great website going there and it will be exciting to see it grow! ~Kathy
I am enjoying all of these thought provoking posts and your site.
Hi Doreen! Thank you so much for stoping by and leaving a comment. Let me know what you think of the posts and share what has been popular on your site as well. ~Kathy
I missed some of these so I look forward to curling up on the sofa and catching up.
Hi Christine! Did you have a good Christmas? Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hi! Please check it out and let me know what you think? Thanks so much for making being part of my life this year! ~Kathy
This is so interesting to see what ranks in the top. People love to speculate about heaven! I look froward to another year of great posts from you.
Hi Haralee! Happy New Year and thank you so much for stopping by. And THANK YOU for being one of my subscribers….as you know that is one of the best compliments possible. AND it is very much appreciated! ~Kathy