This week a celebrity came to Asheville, NC, my home town. She’s a lawyer and she wrote a book that everyone should own. The Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplicify Your Life & Build Community. The title says is all. Who wouldn’t want to own this book?We all could share better. We were supposed to learn it long ago as children. I guess we forgot. I sure did. Now I am learning.
This book has such practical information, forms, and advice. Hard to believe it was written by two female attorneys. No offense, must be all those years in a very litigious job, Human Resources. I ramble… The book is published by Nolo Press. Another great resource for so many DIY-ers (Do It Yourself).
When I had an opportunity to see Janelle Orsi, one of the authors, in action last week, it all made sense. Janelle has a youthful appearance and was dressed in Levis and a shirt, with short hair, casual and relaxed speaking style and a very Berkeley, California vibe. As someone from the Bay Area of California, I felt a little homesick. Many of her slides referred to California. Luckily, a local attorney, Thomas Beckett assisted in customizing her information for North Carolina.
Her PowerPoint included many cartoons and a casual script for easy reading and digesting. I had brought my very well used copy of her book for an autograph but decided to tell her how much I used her book instead. I think she knew that. It has been through much use and abuse. It has been rained on, and the number of sticky notes telling me where to find useful information was comical. She enjoyed seeing how much I used my copy. She wanted to take a picture of it. Instead I got a picture of both of us and my book (see here).
Information that she passed on was very valuable. One of the best things was a list of websites.
You can also go to my website page that lists many of my favorite books that I have accumulated and poured over in the past years on my journey of learning to share, my life, my passion about new ways to live, my possessions, and my heart.
Visit my Resource page https://www.womenlivingincommunity.com/resources/books/
A taste of The Sharing Solution for you: Thank you Janelle.
Below is an example a part of one of her worksheets:
Home Environment, People, and Lifestyle:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to live in a way that is environmentally sustainable. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to feel free to have social events where I live. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to live in a nonsmoking home. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I would like to have some rules about drug and alcohol use. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to be able to have overnight guests. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I would like a quiet space (or quiet times). |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I need space to practice trumpet (or other loud activity). |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to share housing with someone who can help care for my child/pet. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I am open to caring for others and/or their children and pets. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I hope to feel a sense of community with people I live with. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I want to live with like-minded people. This means: |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I would like to do activities with my cosharers, such as: |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | I would like to do mealsharing and collective food buying. |
