Photo Credit:  ltl-light

How well do you know yourself?  Does what you know about who you are and how you interact with others, everyday, give you a feeling of purpose, achievement, and contentment?

Every person needs a certain amount of material comfort such as food, shelter, and clothing, of course; and it’s important to care about others and be cherished by them as well.  However, in order to live a happy, balanced and simple life, as human beings, people need to take care of emotional needs and not just the physical and visceral kind that sustain life.

To be able to fill your emotional needs, it is necessary to set aside a certain amount of time to pursue deep and meaningful relationships.  Many people work so hard to fill their lives with things, or feel authentic, relevant and important, that they don’t take any time to connect with family members,  life-partners, and friends.

Life and its pivotal moments fly by and people don’t even make the time to take a look at how their lifestyle is either helping them achieve their goals, or keeping them from having an opportunity to pursue dreams and have meaningful moments and memories.

Often, an entire week can pass without your having one conversation for the pure joy of reaching out to , and finding out about, someone on a deeper level than just saying “how are you”, with them giving the obligatory knee-jerk response, “fine”.  Neglecting the relationships that we should cherish, is like putting a brick wall between yourself and the activities that enrich you, and give your life the meaning and purpose you seek.

When you decide to make time to nourish and nurture your meaningful relationships with loved ones, you are also becoming fully present in your life and in the wonderful world around you.  It can be as if you are seeing every object, person and place in a new way, with dimension, scope, and presence.

This kind of happy and content existence is defined as simplistic.  Some say that it is a way of living from the “center of your being”, or from the best and deepest part of your soul.  How do you reach that inner most part of yourself?  Is there some straight line from the brain to your core, where peace and serenity are waiting for you?

The most content and serene people that I know, have learned to have acceptance about the process of being interactive in the world.  They try to do work that is satisfying and fulfilling, and make an effort to:

a. Be honest
b. Practice kindness
c. Be generous
d. Demonstrate love and friendship
e. Have compassion for others
f.  Find contentment by wanting less

Being the best and most virtuous person you can be, gives you freedom to live in the moment because you never have to rethink your own behavior.  You can count on yourself to do what is right.  Taking the time in each day to have peaceful thoughts, and practice patience, as well as, finding  moments to goof off and have a little laughter and fun, is as essential to your well-being and soulfulness, as having food and shelter.

Making the center of your world a place where quiet times are celebrated, people are valued, listened to, and loved; and living within and even beneath your means, is an everyday practice that gives you more choices to simply be happy and content.

It takes work and effort to find your life’s force or soul, and truly get to know yourself and those you love on deeper levels than just sharing ordinary daily tasks and troubles.  Meditation and spending quiet times in celebration of each other, and all that the world you share offers, from a rainbow, to the sunrise, to a sky filled with billions of twinkling stars; this is where you find  your core, your soul, your contentment and sustainable happiness.

It does not take the making of a million dollars to live a life of inestimable value. It takes a desire to live a simple existence, in the deepest and truest way.

Photo Credit:  Lumesoft

Is there really a way to have a stress-free, simple and uncomplicated holiday season?  How often have you asked yourself that question, only to get bogged down and overwhelmed by all the demands that accompany the celebrations of that magical time of year.

Every year you make a conscious commitment to keep it simple, and not get caught up in commercialism and the hysteria of the “Black Friday” shopping frenzy.  You promise yourself and your family that there will not be over-commitments made to the social obligations that celebrating the holidays creates.  Starting with a tight budget, you vow verbally and mentally not to lose focus and over spend, and to exercise self-control and manage each task with sensible decision making.  Of course, about half way through this process, you weaken, and all kinds of stress builds as you give in to the “media-driven” gift giving, and all of the other pitfalls of this festivity.

There is hope.  There is a way to not only survive this “hall decking” and gift giving time of the year, but to embrace and enjoy it.  If you make a specific plan, and whenever you begin to deviate from it, stop, think, refer to your plan, and then proceed.

1). Devote a small notebook to your written down (as if set in stone) list of tasks that must be completed.  Include the names of recipients that must be given gifts.

2). Add to that list, your decorating and entertaining expectations and this time, keep them simple!  Remember, that less is often more.

3). Address your holiday cards as soon as you can during the first ten days of the month.

4). Decorate with simple styles and objects that you like; or natural elements like twigs, berries, and greenery which are easy to get, cost-friendly and fun.  A large vase, filled with colorful ornaments, makes a beautiful centerpiece for your mantel or table.  Snips of boxwood from the yard can be weaved around a simple wire frame to make a lovely wreath.  Wrapping a ribbon around the vases and flower potted plants you already have, makes a lovely statement in your warm and cozy home.

5). Just say “No” when too many party invitations are extended.  You need to have time to savor the moments that you wait all year to share with loved ones and family.

6). Stick to your budget and comparison shop before you buy.  Price checking on line is a great time saver and money saver.

7). Reflect on last years bad experiences, and do what works to make a better result this time.

8). Ask family members and friends to share in the work of celebratory meals so that everyone enjoys this time.  Picking up cakes, and other desserts, already prepared, leaves time and energy for just simply being with the people that mean so much to you.

9). Send the left-over’s home with your guests and relatives.  They will love your thoughtfulness, and you will have a quick and easy kitchen clean up.

10). When opening gifts, keep a bag near by to catch the wrappings.  Pick a designated place to gift give, and no one will be tripping over the ribbons and packages, scattered all over the rooms.

At this beautiful and memory making time of the year, no matter how or what the occasion is, remember that the real meaning of your gathering is contained in the celebration of the human spirit of love, kindness, generosity, charity, spirituality; and a thankfulness for the blessings of being happy, healthy and safe in the company of loved ones and friends.

Photo Credit:  Twilit

Having overheard a conversation today, while waiting in line at the post office, it occurred to me that living simply keeps you grounded in the reality and wonder of small priceless miracles.  I felt joy and relief, simultaneously, that my lifestyle fits me perfectly.

Two people were engaged in an energetic debate about how the holiday season has become a mind set as well as an occasion.  The thinking now is that elaborate gifts equal unconditional love.  One person said that they felt obligated to serve an elegant meal and spend a lot of money on the “have-to-have” latest fades in clothes and toys for their children.  The other person said that no one should have a humongous wish list this year because the economy is fractured.  They both agreed that all expectations for the holiday season were now reaching exaggerated levels for their peers, friends and some of their family members, regardless of costs or conditions.

At our house, for the last five years, we have agreed to create a more comfortable and balanced celebration.  We decorate very simply, and use many natural decorations found in the garden and the yard, such as berries, and laurel leafs which we tie to wire frames  to make wreaths for the front door and over the mantle.  Seed pods and bayberry branches, as well as, dried alliums and twigs, are placed in arrangements for the foyer, and we tuck them here and there in our tree.  We buy the tree, a four foot pine, at the tree farm, late in the fall, and its roots are kept in soil and wrapped in burlap, so that we can plant it in the garden in the early spring.

Our family put together a gift list, and agreed to make many of our gifts again this year.  I’m a gardener, so mine are living plants that I’ve grown from seeds or bulbs.  I plant the Amaryllis and Paper- whites bulbs in pots, in mid-October, and they bloom just in time for the season.  My daughter bakes apple-walnut cookies, and my son draws and sketches small winter scenes for family, and burns CD’s for friends.  The grandchildren make decorations and every year, some from the previous holidays co-mingle with this year’s offering.  It’s a great tradition, and this way, we all participate, in some personal way, to the magic of the season.

At meal times, when we gather together with friends, neighbors and family, everyone brings a favorite food, so that the work of our celebrations is shared.  No one expects perfection, and we all enjoy each other, rather than slaving over a hot stove for many hours, that are instead fun-filled and comfortable.

There are so many ways to have wondrous holiday celebrations without spending money.  Every community has special events planned the whole family.  Downtown there is a huge skating rink and at the theater, the Nutcracker Ballet, is performing its magic. Volunteering to make the season bright for others is just another opportunity to make treasured memories.

This year, why not slow down, spend less, be creative, celebrate everyone you care about, and find new ways to make a very merry memory for all.

Photo Credit: lphilli04

The most integral part of living simply is to find contentment within yourself and your lifestyle.  Often, the most difficult element of seeking your own personal path to simple living is letting go of your constant desire for obtaining more of something.  It could be an insatiable need for wealth, possessions, power, achievement, or just a desire for control, which is often called perfectionism. If it isn’t possible to gain perspective about what is truly valuable, and how to find happiness and satisfaction in ordinary, everyday things, feelings, and small miracles; contentment cannot be achieved.

Many people confuse the terms simple living as meaning an acceptance of life “as is”, with no dreams or plans for a better future.  They think it is a “giving-up” mind-set. What they don’t seem to understand is that focusing on enjoying each day, and giving value to our loving relationships, environment, good health, and even to the quiet moments we must have in order to think, feel, breathe,  and do nothing; these are the real gifts and goals in life, for a growing number of people.  This is where happiness and contentment can be obtained.

Considering that simple living is being honest, truthful, thoughtful and practical, loving and nurturing:  all of these adjectives are more than descriptive words, they are the tools used for a better future, and they help us move forward, while embracing life now!  To actually move forward, in my view, a person must get honest with who they really are and stop trying to be what they think will please others.  True contentment starts with an acceptance of ourselves: warts, faults, imperfections, and all, as we really are; and it builds as we give up the pursuit of stuff, and the external world’s views of success, for the time to feel the simple joy of finding what fits us, and those we care for, as a personal lifestyle.

Giving up a driven-existence, to become more passionate and to embrace the day, whatever it may contain, is for me and many others, personal progress of the ultimate kind.  Living simply allows for a limitless mind-set and environment in which creativity flows.

I just read about an architect who has begun to design homes that have physical square footage beginning with 675 square feet, and the largest size is 1050 square feet.  When asked about his purpose, he said that it is possible to comfortably inhabit these spaces, which are well organized, have many “green” elements for health and economy, and each design can be personalized to enhance the occupants visceral needs.

This new design idea mixes many of the ideals of simplicity:

1)      good foundation

2)      easy maintenance

3)      organized use of space

4)      great light (for creativity)

5)      no clutter

6)      environmentally friendly

7)      acoustically  quiet

8)      cost effective (no large debt)

The less in debt we are, the more free we are.

Anyone who accepts themself for who they are, has confidence in their worth, beliefs and opinions, loves, and is grateful for the others in their life, and wants to feel productive, useful, and content; can have the tangibles and intangibles of life.  By stepping out of the box, giving something of themselves to the earth and humanity, taking time to feel and be loved and peaceful…..all of this is possible in a world that has been assaulted by unbridled greed for generations.

You are the recipient of loving support, boundless happiness, the potential for health and immeasurable contentment, which is the essence of everyone’s inner desire, when you make the decision to embrace simplicity.

Photo Credit:  Texasheartinstitute

Ok, so you’re not Bob Greene, Denise Austin or some other fitness guru, depending on your gender, but you do like to exercise.  Well, maybe that’s too strong of a statement.  It might be more accurate to say that you like how you look and feel after your mind and body work in union at some form of activity.  It might be racquet ball, tennis, swimming, hiking or any number of calorie burning workouts, but it helps you to unwind and de-stress.

If you make the time to simplify your life to some degree, there are more opportunities for recreation.  Many of us try different forms of yoga because we want to achieve increased strength, both mentally and physically, while remaining composed and peaceful.  The definition of the word “yoga” is “union of the body and mind”.  Practitioners’ believe that not only can you achieve a deeply restorative state while holding specific postures, and breathing deliberately and slowly; you also ease tension and learn to focus on becoming in tune with and attentive to, your space and place in this world.  Yoga exercise allows you to be more alert when awake, and to sleep very deeply and peacefully.

It isn’t necessary to pay a fortune at fancy health clubs or for private lessons with a trainer, in order to simplify your life through exercise and fitness.  Memberships in gym facilities are expensive and most people get bored and quit in a brief period of time.  Numerous video instructions are available, as well as DVD’s, which can assist you in learning to do yoga postures to heighten your awareness, and become more content.

Any exercise guru will admit that being physically and mentally fit does not have to be a complicated process.  Walking about 30 minutes, three or four days a week, is a great way to start getting in shape.  Another strategy that works amazingly well, is to increase your activity in any number of ways from walking to stair climbing, mountain biking in the fresh air, jogging or in-line skating.  The rule of thumb here is to increase your activity by 50%, and decrease your caloric intake by about 20% from what you had normally been consuming.

Simplify your plan for achieving great health and make it as enjoyable as you can, so that you stick with it.  Your rewards will be a better appearance, more energy, and the natural high that the release of your bodies’ endorphins has created.

Use your own environment, inside and out, as your gym.  Walk as often as you can, and pick terrain with hills and forests, if possible.  Ride you bike frequently or park your car farther from your destination and carry your groceries, books and work related items, further than you normally do.  Walk on the beach, mow the lawn, dig in the garden and wash your car as part of your daily exercise plan, and don’t let bad weather keep you indoors and sedentary.  Warm up before you start to exercise and always cool down for a few minutes afterward, to avoid unnecessary injury.

These simple efforts to become and stay fit and trim will help you maintain a healthy body and will hopefully, make the necessity for doctor visits and medicines a non-issue.  Exercise helps the body’s circulation, organ function, digestion, blood pressure, immunities and much more. It also improves mental concentration and memory, and increases your stamina.  You will find that this simplified exercise plan will assist you in coping with life’s little “trying moments”.  Your spirits will be uplifted and you will be realizing your full potential in a short span of time.  Don’t be surprised to discover that healthy glow you thought you might have lost forever.  The coming together of the mind and body, and the renewed spirit you will possess, are the priceless gifts of the simplified lifestyle.

Photo Credit:  Self Care Advocacy

Finding the time to take care of yourself may be one of the most difficult tasks that you face each day.  A very large part of living a life of simplicity is to nurture your loved ones, friends, neighbors, community and the environment; while sprinkling around a bit of random kindness, being a role model and making a living. Yep all that stuff, and don’t forget to smile, hug, and dance like no one’s watching, and this is called simplicity?

Putting self-care last isn’t as noble and admirable as you might think.  There is no life-time achievement award for self-sacrifice, and no cape came with your job.  When you don’t take the time to rest and replenish yourself, no matter what your age, physical condition or lifestyle is like, you are setting yourself up for some kind of disaster, as if it were a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Becoming a student of your own physical and mental health is a great idea and a proactive approach to being your best.  Our bodies tell us when we are tired, stressed, hungry, listless and not feeling well.  Emotionally our mood swings, headaches,  lack of patience and nervousness, are all symptoms which, if ignored, lead to complicated problems.

You have trained yourself to slow down, stop over-committing, eat healthier, exercise or meditate, and embrace life with all its mysteries and wonder for the sake of having time to be with your loved ones.  Now it’s time to “look in the mirror” and say to that person, “what about me?”

Learning to practice self-care as an integral part of living simply is easier to do with regularity, once you’ve realized that by nurturing yourself, you immediately regain the strength and propensity to continue being authentic in the lives of those you love and treasure.  Therefore, self-care is a gift of priceless purport.

It’s not enough to allow yourself an occasional latte, a hot five minute shower and some chocolate Dove bars.  You need to take 20 minutes, every day if possible, to just simply focus on you.  Listen to your body.  Do you feel like resting, listening to music, or taking a walk to clear your head?  Would you rather embrace the quiet and restore your soul with some meditation?

Everything you do when you’ve had no down time is affected by your lack of self-care.  If you truly want to live with a healthy philosophy of simplicity, take those precious moments to refresh yourself, because frankly, you deserve it.  Your energy and creativity will wane, mood swings will become more pronounced, and any chance for laughter and contentment will be significantly diminished, if no focus is ever placed on your needs.

Use self-care as a tool to sustain the lifestyle that you’ve made an enormous effort to achieve.  Use it or, frankly, you’ll lose it.  Commit to making wise choices about and listening to, what your body and mind are asking of you.  Find a way to stay joyous, focused, and happy every day by taking the time to nurture you.

Photo Credit:  Blogger

There are in life, moments and memories that evoke easy smiles and great joy.  There are thoughts about living and things you’ve experienced which highlight your life.

You live, work, play, and even interact at warp speed.  For this reason, you miss those inexplicably extraordinary times, which are a gift that life offers all of us; and it’s the kind of gift that keeps on giving.  Think for a moment about your favorite memories.  What were you doing?  Were you at the movies with your three best friends and the movie happens to be about three best friends?  You relate to these characters and laugh until your face hurts, then gasp when one of them is lost forever, in an instant. This experience creates an even closer bond with your friends.  Where are they now, and how often do you call them?

Perhaps, you‘re canoeing at summer camp, get tired and fall asleep.  While drifting on the water, in the warm sunlight, the only sound you hear is the slow steady beating of your heart, keeping rhythm to the lapping of the water against the side of your canoe.  Silently, you wonder if heaven is like this moment in your life.

Maybe it was your wedding day and you could barely breathe when you saw quiet tears stream down your father’s face as he watched his little girl leave his home to take her own place in the world?  The love in those eyes, the value placed upon your existence by that fine man, was a perfect moment in time.

Search your memory and ask yourself if the times that you recall with reverence, were all about expensive gifts, and costly objects; or were they simple pleasures?  Simplicity in life is doing what it takes to organize your time, so that you can slow down and make space and time to experience all the joy and wonder that relationships and events of everyday living, offer everyone one of us.

One of the most valuable aspects of a simplified life is experiencing little moments with others that you truly care about.  For example, cooking a special meal that your family loves and watching with joy, as they inhale it, and stuff their faces, between shared smiles and giggles; accompanied by heavy sighs when overly-full stomachs have been achieved.

Calling someone to say that you saw a solar or lunar eclipse for the first time; while knowing that on the other end of the phone, the listening person is sincerely happy for you.  This is the kind of pleasure that can occur with more regularity, if you simplify your life and open yourself up to these experiences.

Slowing down is required if you want to simplify your existence.  A hurried life leaves no time for gazing at the sun or moon.  The need to succeed doesn’t allow for water balloon fights,  eclipses or long conversations about small miracles.  Our relationships get pushed aside as we multi-task, because we can’t be fully in the moment with others, if we are focused on many other things.

Set aside the time to have special celebrations with those you love and care about.  Nurture each other by sharing, laughing, and being involved in positive ways.  Finding joy in and celebrating ordinary moments and events, while making a conscious choice to bring meaning to your life, is a huge step forward in allowing yourself to have and embrace simple pleasures, in the act of living your daily life.

Photo Credit:  Greenwichmeantime

Time is very precious.  It belongs to each of us.  Yes, you own the minutes of every day and night. Perhaps you’re thinking “no, my boss, business, schooling, or family, gets about 18 hours and anything left over is spent sleeping, if I’m lucky.”

It isn’t possible to achieve simplicity in life if you set no boundaries, and give all of your time to any one area of life, while neglecting the activities which are integral to your health and happiness. Setting limits for the time you spend working, by determining how much work related time is necessary, to do a diligent and efficient job; but stopping short of over-committing to a work load that detracts from relationships, allows  you to have the time for simple pleasures, solitude and play.

Leisure time is very valuable.  It is often considered “up for grabs” by friends, committees,  family obligations, chores, e-mail, voice mail, bill paying, car repairs, appointments and so much more.  The hectic and over-burdened schedule and pace that people often get into without wanting to, leads to a life on auto-pilot.  You are there, but by circumstance or need and not by intention or conscious choice.

What if you could find a way to make more time?  Sounds ludicrous, but it is possible, if you find the courage to make three judgment calls and take back control of your time by:

• Setting limits on time given to work

• Making time to relax and recharge

• Determining your life-plan or long term goals, as well as, who with or how you want to spend the most precious moments of time, in your life

When you make time to nurture yourself, you have more to give to relationships, work and others. Walk, move, and travel, whenever possible.  Expanding your experiences in a positive way, that is your own choice, increases your energy, spirit, health and the quality of the time which is spent in these endeavors.

If working less means having less stuff, but affords more quality time in other areas of life, then determine how important the stuff really is; if it makes you a slave to your job, and emotionally and physically exhausted, with nothing to give and no joy or contentment.

Re-prioritize those hours in the day to include wonder, laughter, intimate moments with loved ones, a walk in the moonlight, and so much more.  See if these events don’t bring you the simplicity and deeply felt happiness you seek.   Take back control of your time.  It truly does belong to you.

Photo Credit: Photobucket

Many people make the conscious choice to simplify their lives because of the awareness that joy, peace and contentment are either fleeting or missing entirely from day to day living.  Whatever success these people have achieved has been gratifying, but there is a constant feeling of inward turmoil and emptiness that is palpable within them.

Wanting inner peace, and looking for more time to pursue a better life,  many of us have simplified our lives because we:

a)      Reduced the number of social commitments

b)       made a solid financial plan for your future

c)       Eliminated clutter

When the real world becomes manageable and distractions are reduced, we still recognize that turmoil exists; however, it is no longer external.  The chaos or emptiness is deep inside of us. Know this, the next step in the quest for happiness is to meditate.  There are many kinds of meditation, and you can take classes, read to gain insights about each one, or just do what I do.  I like to sit very still and focus on the sounds of my spiritual center.  Often, people who meditate choose an inner focal point and imagine it over and over.  Others repeat a special word or mantra to focus inwardly.  I imagine an inner light, and it helps me to tune out the real world and listen to what is going on inside me.

It isn’t necessary to sit cross-legged on the floor, on a mat, and stare at the ceiling.  However, sitting comfortably, with your hands lying open in your lap, palms up, and your spine straight; is an excellent posture to achieve when meditating.  Take a few deep breaths and try about ten minutes of contemplating the stillness within you.  Let your random thoughts take over.  They come from your senses, which have been stimulated by the  real world for all of your life.  The senses have had a major impact on your behavior and have influenced your desire for sensory pleasure.  The problem is that the sensory pleasure of joy does not last long.

Your goal is to find inner peace.  Memories from the activities of the day, or past experiences will flood your mind when you first begin to meditate.  As this happens, if you refocus on your breathing, over time, you will gain the strength to learn how your mind works.  If you label the thoughts you have as being funny, happy, sad, silly or nostalgic, then you will have experienced them and you can let them go.

These insights about your thinking processes and the awareness of yourself that comes from meditation, are not easily achieved.  If you meditate with regularity, and discipline yourself to find  ten minutes every day, you will begin to understand who you are as a living human being.  From this understanding and acceptance of yourself, comes lasting contentment.

The decluttering you’ve done and your management of the time spent in the real world, has given you the opportunity, through hard work, to come to know your inner self.  Meditation, practiced with repetition and discipline,  teaches you to let go of always wanting more possessions, and gives you  insights about how to love  deeply and  how to truly appreciate and cherish your relationships.

By simplifying your life and daily meditation, you are and will continue to be more aware of your daily actions and you are truly learning to enjoy being alive.  This knowledge brings the lasting happiness and contentment that you seek.

Photo Credit:  Zenhabits

Simplicity in life doesn’t just happen.  It is the result of an effort that we make to streamline our lives so that we have sufficient time to find happiness in the little things that happen all around us, everyday.  Children look at the world as magical and from their perspective, which is more close-up because of their diminutive size, and more all-encompassing, because they have not formed judgments;  they easily find great joy in small wonders like watching floating dandelion seed puffs, hatching duckling eggs, and the beauty of  beating dragonfly wings.

Then, as children mature, they take pleasure in their new found physical accomplishments.  Riding a bicycle introduces them to a different and unique set of daily wonders such as:  the breeze in their  face as they move through space, being able to race with butterflies and actually keep up, and the simple joy of riding along with their own shadow at their side, where they can see it and feel its companionship.

When we’re grown, expectations, goals, and economic need have set in, and our lives have been put into over-drive.  Speed has replaced wonder, and there is little room in the day for the curiosity and awe that we once embraced.  It’s possible to get those simple and pleasurable feelings again in any given day,  if we put some conscious effort into the process.

SIMPLIFY.   If you choose to slow your pace and make a determination to get pleasure back in your life, it happens immediately.   Now you have the time to look around and see what you have missed.  If your space contains the treasures of those you love and places you’ve visited, reflect and remember the feelings you have about your loved ones and about the time you spent in distant places.  Perhaps a new trip is in your future?  Look out, or better yet, make time to get outside again.  Walking is so peaceful or it can be eventful, it’s your choice.  Outdoors or indoors, simple pleasure abound:

o   Feel the rain on your face

o   Plant seeds

o   Play tennis

o   Watch the sunrise and sunset

o   Ride a ferry

o   Go to the beach, or the mountains

o   Rent a boat

o   Have a picnic

o   Read a book in the sunlight

o   Listen to music that soothes or stimulates you

o   Visit an art gallery or museum

Simplicity in life means making the time to delight in life’s simple moments.  The act of slowing down, affords us the time to enjoy what we have and to nurture ourselves and those we love by immersing ourselves in everyday wonders.  What we get in return is a deeper sense of well-being that comes from truly living.   Make your list of simple pleasures, and do it soon.