What does it mean to live more with less? I'm Katie Wells and welcome to the Maximized Minimalist

podcast. If you found yourself caught up in the hamster wheel of modern day motherhood and want to

rewrite the script, congratulations you're in the right place. I'm here to be your guide and help you take

back your motherhood

and achieve a simpler, more joy-filled life. Cheers to being a maximized minimalist. Enjoy the show.

Welcome to the show. I wanted to do a quick listener shout-out from a follower who left me

a sweet podcast review on iTunes. Thank you so much. Ashley says, Katie is exactly who

you want on your team. She has firsthand experience and the knowledge to back it up. She's incredibly

enthusiastic and passionate about minimalism and has helped so many succeed. You rock Katie.

Thank you so much, Ashley. I am truly honored and humbled to be on this

platform and be able to make such a positive impact on my listeners' lives. Thank you. Okay,

let's dive into today's episode. If only I were skinnier, I could be happy. If I had more money,

I'd be happier. If I had a different job, I could be happy. If I had more money, I'd be happier. If I had a different job,

I could be happy. If I lived somewhere else, I'd be happier. If I had those new, cute shoes I've

wanted for years, I'd be happier. What do all of these thoughts have in common? They are

focused on something external.

Happiness is focused on external factors that give you temporary doses of happiness.

We've all been there.

We've all thought if I had fill in the blank, I'd be happier.

Our brains are wired to want to be in a positive state. So naturally, we do what we think

will make us happy, including purchasing things. But what we do when we think or say things like

that is we put our focus and energy on an external problem. And I feel this conversation really lends itself nicely to

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