Simplifying Life

rosieben

Ellidee wrote: »

Just had a thought. You are all trying to simplify - NOT acquiring my stuff !

:rotfl:

But it was a very generous thought nevertheless, and I thank you for it

groatie_queen

Day 2 - The first 27 books are in two carrier bags. Did this after I got in from work today. These were the easy ones to discard... I have two tall bookcases in the sitting room that got blitzed tonight. Didn't take long! The challenge will be to go into the eaves, where I have about 6 bookcases, which are now overflowing and the books are beginning to pile up beside them!! many of them are self help /spiritual themes, I am fairly clear about which are keepers.

The first self-improvement purchases were back in the 70's. I no longer feel the same sort of hunger to 'improve' myself by buying the latest words of wisdom, nevertheless I'm still a work in progress and will be until I stop breathing (and then another adventure awaits). Maybe I'm just more confident in myself and my own painfully acquired wisdom, and maybe I'm getting what I need from here and from all the wonderful internet finds we are sharing.

I'm seeing friends on Wednesday who can have a look through the bags, and the rest will go to the charity shop. Thanks Aril for sharing your experience of selling books online - I'm not well enough to deal with the in and outs of selling online - it just feels like too much pressure and even the thought of it scrambles my circuits! - so the remains will go to the charity shop.

Aril, how about regarding your work and daily tasks as mindfulness meditations? Sometimes doing things with a complete and total focus in the now has a huge impact, and blots out the inner and outer noise wonderfully. eating an apple, using a photocopier, driving a car - the possibilities are endless. I quite often stick a mantra on my car's dashboard and make it my focus for the day. This week's is 'blessings', scattered at random as I drive along. it makes me absurdly happy!

Blessings to all of us

GQ xxx

huxley

Morning all:hello: ok today not going well just deleted post before submitting it:mad: today should be decluttering computer area as this seems to be the nesting spot at the moment where I surround myself with all the must sort/deal with bits!But after being up most of the night wth a big box of tissues and the nebuliser (officially a cold not allergies now yuck) think the other plan may be to find the old scruffy comfort clothes that never get decluttered;) the biggest mug of comforting hot choclate and catch up on here. Hope everyone has a good day

Hardup_Hester

I sell on Amazon, I always wrap the books in a carrier bag, I cut the handles & bottom off first, if anyone complains I say I'm recycling them. I only sell heavy books if they are worth a lot of money I've sold a couple at £30.

ceridwen

Thinking of Aril's comments re "ants in pants" - aaah the Protestant Work Ethic rears its head here -lol!

Well - theres P.W.E. (aka that work ethic) and theres P.W.E. As in the virtuous side of it - making ones fair contribution to the work/etc that needs doing in society (which I do believe in doing - I expect to do a fair amount to "work my passage") and theres the other side of that coin - "busyness" because its difficult to sit still. I'm a pretty restless person myself - so I'm having to "train" myself a bit - into not doing things for the sake of it. I'm well trained now I reckon out of mindlessly trailing round shops and feeling I have to buy something - or I've wasted my time (thank goodness - and it saves money too) - so still working on removing the rest of the "busyness".

Still doing my decluttering the way that suits me (and that dreaded full-time w**k) - ie incrementally. Think thats the last of the aerosols of everything (cleaning materials/cosmetics/etc) binned - as I swop over to making my own natural ones. I'm a bit "torn" about just chucking any left - thinking of the money wasted - I'm working on that. I just chucked the aerosol stuff though and gritted my teeth about the money - as I thought "thats my lungs that stuff would be going into" as I sprayed those chemicals wherever and couldnt avoid breathing some of it in. Have given some of the chemical cleaners and the baking foil to my mother (as I know she will continue to use stuff like that - whatever I say!:eek: ).

One little organisational tip - I use post-it notes stuck in my diary covers for financial bits and bobs - like one list of the regular monthly direct debits that come out (fuel/water/etc/inc. Council tax - split into 12 monthly installments - by asking the Council if it can be done that way, rather than over 10 months pa). Another post-it note contains the other bills that will come up over the year (eg insurance/hairdresser (7 visits)/dentist & hygienist (2 visits)/Christmas) - with the total at the end and the average per month that comes to. With those 2 notes - I can instantly see what regular debits are about to come out of my next salary and what(if any) other more infrequent things have to come out - and see what I have left thats for living on & what I choose.

Have a good day all.

novice_money_saver_2

Aril wrote: »

Having said that I've just had to ring my friend to apologise and cancel our planned get to gether next week because I agreed to do something without checking my diary first. Bad move:D Anyway I didn't have a good excuse so I told her how it was ie that I had been a complete numpty to coin a technical term!!

Good friends appreciate honesty, no-one likes being fobbed off. You did the right thing!

I have found that no matter how many diaries, reminders, post-its I use, things always slip through the net like you have experienced. It's hard to accept that my systems are not fool-proof (and that I am the fool!), but accepting the inevitability is a step towards freedom rather than coming up with MORE systems and reminders to try and prevent it happening again.

Rowan9

Ceridwen - I think you have to make a conscious effort not to be busy busy busy but for me it has paid off. No, change that to it pays off when I remember to do it. It doesn't have to be long - just enough time to sit and just 'be'. I am working on making it more of a habit rather than having to remember 'oh yes, must take time out now'.

A quote from Susan Salzberg is:
'Rather than obsessively following states of mind such as anger, fear or grasping, states that will bring harm to ourselves and others, we can let go as though dropping a burden. We are indeed burdened by carrying around habitual unskillful reactions.'

Obviously this doesn't just 'happen' but I am practising mindfulness meditation and will let you know my progress (if you wish!!).

I have read that it takes 28 days to break a habit or form a new one. i have managed tostop taking sugar in my tea (since Jan 2nd!!) and have stopped biting my nails (hurray!! grand age of 47) and this is since November. So... training my brain now to think 'oh hello worry and fear - I will put you in an envelope and think about you at 4pm tomorrow'. So far I have only remembered one day at 4pm and couldn't be bothered to think about whatever it was I'd started to worry about in the night. I am very very slowly learning that i can't control everything, which is very scary, and have to let go and trust.

Re selling on Amazon - I think the trick is small light books that people want! I've sold a few and a few heavier ones - sometimes you just put it down to experience - that's what I tell myself. i donate lots to charity shops but sometimes I need an extra bit of cash and even the odd couple of £ from Amazon helps.

Still got to get my 27 things out. On day 1 I only managed 5 physical things but also worked on mental clutter and was able to let go of a lot. I am being kind to myself and thinking that i achieved enough for me on that day - it was sufficient to cope with without stressing me. So...today it looks like I'll be tackling the kitchen cupboards and drawers and letting 27 objects go.

Have a good day all
w

groatie_queen

"A quote from Susan Salzberg is:
'Rather than obsessively following states of mind such as anger, fear or grasping, states that will bring harm to ourselves and others, we can let go as though dropping a burden. We are indeed burdened by carrying around habitual unskillful reactions.' "

I just love this quote, it sums up so much - thank you so much, wmf



"Still got to get my 27 things out."

You will when the time's right. Some things you just can't force, but for me reading that particular '27 things' article caused a real internal shift which allowed me to move towards more letting go, from doing it as an intellectual exercise to embracing it with enthusiasm to see where it takes me.

Day 3 - clothes - will tackle this after work.

Have a great day everyone

GQ xxx

icandream

Sorry if I'm being incredibly slow here, but please, what is the '27 things' article you all keep mentioning - I've read back through the recent posts, but cannot find a link? Please put me out of my misery. :huh:

mary43

icandream - think this is it...........http://www.gratefulness.org/readings/27_things.htm

Want to have a go myself but 'life' keeps getting in the way of it all.
Stuff keeps cropping up so it has to be shelved and then I get annoyed with myself.
Still, musn't fret about it.............there are more important things in life than the odd bit of clutter (or loads in my case.)
I did make some headway today - not actually got rid of anything but found out in our local music shop they buy old sheet music and I've a load of it that Dad hung on to from the days of him being a musician..........I've hung on to it for the last 8 years now and I think its time someone else got some pleasure or benefit from it, plus whatever I get for it will be handy.
Maybe once that's gone I'll find it easier to part with a lot of the other bits and pieces. Already decided that an ex foster lad can have one of Dads penknives and lighter (he just might be able to get one to work..........lol)
I want to condense all Dads stuff into one 'memory box' of the more personal bits they maybe I can move on a bit.