Happy Solstice

It's the solstice and I've been purging. I'm up to 645 items so far and I intend to have 1000 purged by the start of 2011. Tonight, we'll burn financial statements, life reflections, and health records in an effort to symbolically transform the state of each of these areas.

Finances: It isn't likely there will be an increase in Bill's income this year but from my end, we could improve our financial situation a bit at a time. As I advance in my passion for photography, generating revenue could be icing on the cake. I am committed to playing the business game big as EKP takes ground.

Life: Life is good - ours works. That said, there's still always room for greater sharing and fuller loving. I know I want to be vulnerable and courageous in my sharing and I have actions to employ to that end. As a mother, daughter, sister, partner and friend - I am committed to being more open, compassionate and considerate.

Health: I'm always interested in achieving optimal health for our whole family. We could eat better, rest enough, and laugh more. I am committed to reinvigorating our family's habits to improve health for all.

I am making more physical room in our home to accommodate abundant and loving energies. I don't intend to fill the empty space with material goods and can already sense the revitalization of the space.

Ants & Stomach Flu

It's kind of like a simplicity short cut - a minor crisis to jumpstart behavior modification. When we were attacked by ants, I realized how imposing certain pieces of furniture and my organization of things were. As we tried to clear the critters out, stuff was moved and much of it given away. I simplified the design of things to more easily accommodate any further insect invasions which ultimately led to a cleaner, easier to maintain space. It took the problem of ants to prompt a new shift in my ideas of space and organization.

In a similar vein, a recent stomach flu forced me to simplify my dietary habits. I've opted to maintain many of the new habits and in addition to the 5 pounds I lost while ill, I've lost an additional 3 pounds. Thanks to the stomach flu, I've simplified my sense of appetite and I am more in tune to my body and its dietary needs.

It's all about the silver lining.

100 items

I reached 100 items today!

Pulling from an article by 2 of the leaders of the voluntary simplicity movement, Elgin & Mitchell, I am applying a quick rubric to my living space: Does what I own promote activity, self-reliance and involvement or does it induce passivity and dependence? I am also applying this question: Does what I own promote consumption?

These questions have made a tremendous difference in how I see my things and while I still have 400 more items to go, I know I can easily distill our living space further. I already feel a newness starting to open up in my home and it's invigorating!