| Take me: to other places on this web site: to the Home Page of PastoralPlanning.com to the Resource Center for lifelong faith formation to "Getting Started" with lifelong faith formation |
| Key Links Just Faith A site which supports a parish program to teach in depth about just living. LiveSimply From CAFOD in England, the people who began the movement for simpler living. Catholic Relief Services A powerful agent of change in the world, also leading the US implementation of this movement. Common Hope A non-profit agency working to end poverty in the third world by establishing there a middle class. |
The Fifth Step Become aware of what really makes you happy. Let this inner sense of satisfaction drive your decisions. Begin with the prayer to the right. |
| For group use when teaching this step to others Invite the members of your group to share together the results of each one's exercise. Remember that what makes one person happy may make another person miserable. There really are no right or wrong answers to this exercise. The key is to be honest and open. |
| Prayer to assist you with this step Click here to print this or use it on your screen. Open your heart and prepare to take this step. |
| Read more deeply about learning to listen to God in prayer and about learning to "drive the speed limit" in life. See the e-books offered on the left side of this screen. |
| Tell us your story! What commitments have you made? What difficulties have you faced? What has worked for you as you chose to live more simply? How have you adjusted your lifestyle to one that is more sustainable? In what ways have you grown to be in solidarity with the poor of the world? Click here to send us a note and we'll share your story with others. To send us a video, song, pictures, poetry, or other media, simple attach it to an e-mail and send it to this address. |
| Take the other steps See a list of all 14 steps Step One: Step Two: Step Three: Step Four: You're on Step Five! Step Six: Step Seven: Step Eight: Step Nine: Step Ten: Step Eleven: Step Twelve: Step Thirteen: Step Fourteen: |
| Step Five: Become conscious of what truly makes you happy in life. We often find ourselves living rather complicated lives, working very hard to keep things together, and following a pathway that does not lead to human happiness. Some people are well off financially, but still can't seem to experience the joy of living that they seek. Others are less well off or downright poor, and find themselves waiting for a break or believing that happiness will never be theirs. Well, here's the good news. As we learn |
| to live more simply, in ways that are more sustainable on the earth, and in greater solidarity with the people of the world who are suffering and poor, we find a deep human connection which leads to happiness - no matter what your financial situation may be. The trick is to know what makes you happy. Use this exercise to explore your own happiness. Click here to download it. |
| On the Side... Think about the outside influences in your life: advertising, peer pressure, and so forth. How do these forces prevent you from being truly happy by making you think happiness can be bought!? |
Please consider making a donation to support the work of this web site. We get by with a little help from our friends. Click on the candle to contribute. Thanks! |
| Two powerful resources Click on the cover to buy the book. A New Look at Prayer: Learning to Listen to Your Inner Guide by Bill Huebsch This carefully written e-book helps you recognize your own inner voice which leads to "right living." Driving the Speed Limit: Learning to Live Simply, Sustainably, and in Solidarity with the Poor by Bill Huebsch This e-book provides you with a road map (almost literally) to help you make choices which are both satisfying and in support of the common human good. |
