Learning to live with less

I’ve been attempting to declutter & organize my house for years. I do a bit (this year I had 2 yard sales this year & quit selling Avon) but it’s never quite finished. I can never relax or move onto the next project. This constant state of disorganization reverberates in my life. I can’t enjoy my friends. I can’t sit & just read or listen to music or knit. I can’t take the time to do crafts that I’d like to do. I don’t take time to write down the stories I’ve had floating in my head for years.

According to Feng Shui, a cluttered home, particularly the basement or attic, is representative of the past cluttering your life. WOWZA! I must have 30 years of baggage to unpack. : >

This winter it’s time for spiritual & physical house cleaning. I do not want to become a bitter, neurotic, self-centered, energy vampire with no friends. Things have not made me happy; they have not solved my problems. I do not want to be surrounded by THINGS. I want to reconnect with God, Nature & my friends. I’m inspired to step off this merry-go-round of ego-centrism, entertainment & consumption. I want to laugh with my friends, feel the sunshine or rain on my shoulders, cook dinner with Ben & live. I want to be present in my life. I want peace.

Back in October I read “Give it Up: My year of Learning to live better with less” by Mary Carlomagno. In this book the author gave up a different habit every month for a year & this book is an amusing account of her travails. Each month she gave up one habit: drinking, shopping, coffee, cell phones, Television, chocolate, newspapers, etc.

Here’s my list of what I want to give up to live better with less: Television, Cursing, Sugar, newspapers (in my case print media), multi-tasking, computer, clutter, busyness.

TELEVISION: I am a TV baby! There is so much good stuff on TV that I could spend my life parked in front of the screen. Not to mention all my old-favorites that they are putting on to DVD. But I refuse to spend my life watching other people live or pretend to live. There’s lots out there to do: travel, play croquet, play games, learning to clog & ballroom dance, looking at art, creating art, laughing & loving. So I’m trying to cut down on television. Thank GOD, I don’t have cable. Besides, TV (& computer) makes it harder to sleep at night. It can keep your mind of important issues so that they stay unresolved. I know that’s what I use TV for much of the time. And don’t even get me started on how we are kept apathetic by entertainment. I want to try to take walks at night with Ben & then read in bed until my eyes are heavy. Maybe then I could be in bed by 10-11. It’s hard when you work until 815 & don’t get home until 9 p.m., especially when you have the high-energy levels of a Heather!

CURSING: It started with the 2000 Election. It’s gotten bad when, without thinking, you say the “F” word in front of your father! I think it’s going to be hard to stop between the slow decline of our civilization & bad drivers. I could carry a thesaurus to find more descriptive words to use though. : >

SUGAR: Call me Augustus Gloop. I love sweets! I can eat a whole package of cookies within 2-3 days. And there’s a constant stream of sugar at work. I know I use it to get my endorphins humming happily. Thankfully I’ve developed an addiction to dark chocolate. I also read somewhere to eat sweet substitutes, like Jell-O or fruits to curb those craving. I think I’ll try to bring snacks like that for work so I won’t be tempted by the chocolate.

PRINT MEDIA: I have at least 2 years of magazines that I have never read. I can’t throw them away & I have this compulsion to read them from cover to cover. For the last 2 weeks, I’ve taken one a day to read on my breaks at work. This week I’ve progressed to looking at the index & {gasp} reading ONLY the articles that interest me. The basket that I keep them in is now 1/3 empty!!!! I’ve also cancelled one magazine & I’m not renewing Real Simple when the subscription is up next year. When I want to read it, I’ll just get it from the library.

COMPUTER: I can get on my computer & suddenly hours go bye-bye. So the last few months, my goal has been to only check my email twice a day: once in the morning & once at night. This is made easier by the fact that I work full-time now. Although a couple of times this week I’ve checked my email more than twice.

CLUTTER: I’ve clearly never learned to not sweat the small stuff. I’m drowning in small stuff.

I’m finally ready to put down the clutter & organizing books & to let go of some items that are just collecting dust. I’ve amassed yet another pile of yard sale stuff in the basement. There’s still more that I want to go through. I look forward to spring, when I should can have a really good Spring Cleaning sale. My goal is to have one sale & then donate the rest & be done with yard sales for a while. Also in the spring I want to build a shed for the yard stuff that is stored downstairs. That will allow us to make the basement into a functional room & not just storage. We also have plans to add shelves to the built-in that is in our hallway. That will allow us to get the books of the living room floor.

BUSYNESS: I really need to give myself a few minutes on a daily basis to sit & read the Bible/books on spirituality/poetry/other inspirational/books & to meditate. I’d be less frazzled if I did this regularly. This will make me less manic & help me connect with God. Since last week I’ve been fairly persistent at giving myself 5-10 minutes of quiet time on most days. I will keep expanding that to longer. Baby-steps! Do one foot forward, so it doesn't get too overwhelming. : > Oh & I want to add yoga too.