Buttercup
In the mornings when I walk my dog, Buttercup, I like to listen to podcasts. For the past 25 years, I have been a Books on Tape enthusiast, so I’ve long been listening as I walk, drive, clean my house, etc. It is a revelation to me that these podcast gems of free information now exist out there. This morning, I listened to the latest installment of a favorite podcast, Smart and Simple Matters (Value of Simple) by Joel Zaslofsky. I am about a week behind in my listening, and this episode was actually published October 19, 2015. It was memorable for me for a few reasons: first, he did a shout out to me for my iTunes review (I really do love the show) and second (much more important), because his guest was yet another person I did not know but was absolutely vital that I be introduced to: Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism. It is fantastic how many amazing people are out there who have brilliance and insight to add to the world, and I am ever grateful to Joel (and others) for putting them in my path (many of whom are listed in my second post about the people I am thankful for).
I stumbled upon Joel’s podcast early this year (January? February?) when I was first dabbling in the wonderful world of podcasts, and I searched for “simplicity.” I wasn’t on a minimalist search, but had been decluttering and had also just been introduced to Marie Kondo. So imagine my delight in finding the Value of Simple and the incredible people Joel has interviewed over the past few years. Considering he started the podcast in 2012, I have a lot of catching up to do, and although I’ve made a good dent in the episodes, I still have quite a way to go. The people he has introduced me to, and the concepts they have enlightened me with, are outstanding.
As I mentioned in my iTunes review, (and in my first post), one of the most meaningful insights I gained from listening to Joel’s podcasts is the term “multipotentialite.” It’s a 25-cent word for a concept that encompasses a range of ideas, but specifically it embodies the idea that some of us aren’t destined to be interested in, or even good at, only one thing. The term I previously used to describe myself was usually Renaissance Woman, after the Renaissance definition of a person (OK, Man) who had expertise in many areas. A polymath. And while I don’t claim to be an expert in any areas, I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years: writer, violinist, singer, web designer, ethicist, professor, public speaker, homeopath… and a lot of things I just wannabe. One of the downsides, however, is that I’m always eager to move on to the next thing I find interesting: herbalism, minimalism, author, blogger… where does one stop and take a breath and say, “Yes! This is it! This is what I want to focus on!”? So I loved discovering this new word. Multipotentialite.
And then there’s SimpleRev, Joel’s “intentional, passionate, and generous community–from the local to global level–that wants to connect with you just as much as you want to connect with them.” I whole-heartedly agree with Joel that what this really all comes down to is community. And I admit, I’m now searching for an intentional community of kindred spirits in LA/Orange County. I am starting slowly and, thanks to Joel, who email introduced me to Emily, whose blog MinimalMillenial encouraged me to jump in the metaphorical pool and start blogging, I hope to contribute what I can to a community that understands the Value of Simple.