I want peace in my life. I want space to allow my future to unfold and flourish. There is information overload everywhere I turn and I need a sanctuary where I can escape and breathe freely. I want to walk in my house and not have "projects" screaming at me for completion.
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No matter how much clearing I do, there's always another layer to let go of when the timing is right. Lucky for me, our community yard sale was today so I took a new look at my stuff and was able to let go of lots of books which are always hard for me to part with. Various things in my garage also departed even though "I might need them in the future". It felt good, although obviously money was not the main objective since the "profits" are never what they should be. As always, what didn't sell went straight to goodwill and never made it back into my house. It was simply ready to go. I think we could all part with more of our stuff if we knew it would be appreciated and needed by others. Some of the more sentimental items are hard to part with, whether they were given to us or we paid a lot of money for them, but when they are ready to go ... we just need to let them go. They have served their usefulness <and even if they have not> and need to move on. This is a good time to look at things that reflect who you used to be and that no longer serve you. Sometimes it's hard to close a door because of a false sense of security but until you clear out the space the "old you" occupies, you have no room for something new to move in. For me, I am not good at marketing myself so no matter how many brochures I come up with or teleseminars I have listened to on marketing ... I have not taken action on them. All they serve to do is make me feel guilty for my inaction. I need to examine exactly why I have not taken action ... perhaps I don't really want to do what I think I should do? Who knows but perhaps I will figure it out during this period and finally let it go once and for all. You never know: it might just lead to a whole new path for me. And while I am at it, I might just let go of all the fears and doubts about the future I am holding on to as well ... sounds like I might need to do a bit of tapping too! It seems like this should be simple but if I am going to be focused, I need to put it down on paper. That way I can look back and see how much I did accomplish and where I need to focus going forward. It's all about accountability. One thing that I know I will concentrate on amidst the chaos and fear in the world right now is raising my vibration. Whenever I am confronted with fear <either within myself or others> I will turn it around by using my essential oils, meditation, crystals, listening to uplifting music and focusing on love and gratitude for all that I have currently. Another thing I want is the feeling of spaciousness and expansion again. I feel very closed in and constricted right now and it is very stressful even though it is just a natural consequence of the choices I have made. So I will make time to reflect, to do some local traveling and perhaps even some camping. I am lucky to live where I do and it is easy to appeciate the majesty surrounding me. There's always more to let go and that will be another focus for me during this time. And finally, focusing on my health. It is so easy to sabotage my best health intentions. So I will get back to basics: daily rebounding, drinking 8 or more glasses of water every day, getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep, and logging into my fitness pal daily. It worked before and I just need to re-dedicate myself. Perhaps I can lose 20 pounds during this time. And most importantly, I want more energy so I can do everything I want without the overwhelming feeling that I need a nap! And even more importantly, I promise to be gentle with myself during this time ... "As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." –Henry David Thoreau I periodically review my values just to see if they have changed. I have noticed that they have been fairly consistent for the last decade, probably since I am older and wiser and more confident in who I am. Right now, they are as follows: Authenticity is probably at the top of my list of values. When I was young, I called it the "spark". I have spent a lifetime in self-realization and awareness, and I don't have time for relationship games <board games and card games are another story!>. I respect and admire people who are willing to be real; who are enthusiastic and passionate and accountable even if I don't always agree with them because at least I know where I stand with them. Freedom is way up there for me. It colors every decision I make and I truly believe it goes hand in hand with simplicity. When we have "less" we are more free to be flexibile and spontaneous without having to worry about extraneous "stuff". I still honor my commitments; I just no longer think in terms of "forever". Things change in the blink of an eye whether we want them to or not and I like to be ready for anything. Ease is a newer concept for me, but becomes more important the older I get. It is so effortless to be in the flow of the universe rather than worrying about being "right" and constantly fighting battles that really don't matter in the end. It means trusting my intuition more and using my discernment and cooperating for the best outcome for all concerned even if I don't get my own way. It ultimately means being patient and using common sense to find balance and simplicity in all things. Love as a value for me is all wrapped up in trust and vulnerability and loyalty and reciprosity and honesty and dependability and affection. I am still working on all that, but at least I have unconditional love from my cats! Joy is last but definitely not least! Laughter is a must for me, and spending time with those who are fun-loving and light-hearted is a priority for me. Spending time in nature and appreciating the simple pleasures in my life is a fountain of self-renewal that keeps me grounded yet curious and open to new experiences. So what are your values? Does your outer life reflect them? Okay ... I usually do my 100 day challenge leading up to December 31st but this year I thought I would try something new. For me, fall has always been a re-birth which goes back to looking forward to the start of a new year of school when I was a kid. Now I simply love fall for the crisp clear mornings which always reinvigorate me. Anyway, for me it's a good time to re-evaluate and re-commit to what I want to accomplish and how I want to be going in to the "new" times we are facing. I don't believe the end of the world will happen on 12/21/12 but I do believe we are in a time of re-creating who we are and how we want to be in the world going forward. A good way to do this is to briefly revisit your focus for this year. For me, "less is more" and "do what's in front of me" were my guiding principles. Simplifying and letting go have been important to me for years and this year it was my main focus. As I think about it now, it will continue to be for my 100 days. As a clearer focus, not only will I evaluate my current possessions for whether "I love it, use it, need it" but I will also see if they are in line with my values as well. Another test for me is to see whether it enhances who I am now or whether it enhanced who I used to be. This is a biggie for me: I aspired to so many things that just didn't work out the way I had hoped, and I know that letting go of them will allow the space for who I am now to flourish. I want to dedicate these 100 days to being in the now rather than living in the past or living for the future. No more saying "I used to be ..." "I used to think ..." or "When blah blah blah ..." All we have is right here ... right now ... in every moment! I believe that questions are important. So for the first few days of this challenge, I will be answering the following questions for myself: What values are important to me right now? What do I really want? Why do I crave simplicity? What do I need to let go of that continues to hold me back? Who am I and what's my purpose? As always, enjoy your journey ... The solar eclipse is almost upon us ... the energy has been building all month and although I wish the East Coast had a view of it, we are still affected by its power. Reflecting on what matters most to me right now: health: self realization, authenticity, quality sleep, healthy food, exercise love: kids, pets, friends to laugh, cry and share the journey of life with dreams: the freedom to follow my passion with enthusiasm and optimism spirituality: simplicity, connection to nature, appreciation of "what is" ... RIGHT NOW What matters most to you in this moment? What do you want to anchor in your life for the rest of the year? _another funny e-mail to brighten your day: On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking.. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"So God agreed......On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"And God agreed......On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"And God agreed again......On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?""Okay," said God. "You asked for it."So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family.. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.Life has now been explained to you.There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as a public service. If you are looking for me I will be on the front porch. _If you can start the day without caffeine, If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it, If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time, If you can take criticism and blame without resentment, If you can conquer tension without medical help, If you can relax without alcohol, If you can sleep without the aid of drugs, ... Then You Are ... ..... Undoubtedly ..... The Family Dog! _ I received this in an e-mail ... it's been around for years but always worth another read ... I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95. May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care... And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus! Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. ~Benjamin Disraeli This picture just breaks my heart. I am a big cat <and little cat for that matter> lover. To see these animals shot down and laid out is a tragedy and it affects me viscerally. Yes, I know the cops probably had to do it ... if for no other reason than the animals were mistreated and malnourished and would have attacked innocent people based on their survival instincts. It doesn't lessen the pain I feel for these beautiful animals. I can take the objective approach and believe they were relieved from the misery of their existence. I can take the metaphysical approach and believe they came into this world with a contract to die like this in order for laws to change. Someone looked at me today as I was reading about this and saw tears rolling down my face and asked why I chose to let it affect me. Upon reflection, I have concluded that I cried because I needed to cry ... because I couldn't stop crying and looking at the pictures. I don't need to know why: it was real ... it was cathartic ... it was in the moment. It made me appreciate all life more and when I got home I spent a little extra time with my own cats, basking in their love and affection ... knowing with each loving stroke that I was somehow helping to heal the pain that those animals suffered. |
Website Creator: Marie RussellChoose simplicity! VALOR: visualize, ask, let go, Archives
February 2016
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