ready to fight...

Getting to a place of simplicity isn't easy.   It's been a long path of obstacles, hidden agendas, falling over, mistakes, forgotten paths, distractions, etc.......
All of this usually happens when i lose focus....when i look the other way even for a second.  Living a life of simplicity and minimalism takes practice and diligence..........then after awhile, it becomes all you want...you are less distracted by this or that gadget......you begin to crave open roads, pastures, fields, sunshine, books, silence, adventure, etc....at least i do.  i always have craved these things, but even more now.  with every thing i get rid of, the more my soul's desire comes floating to the top...pushing through....i see what i want more clearly.

With each of us, we carry certain burdens....the things we regret or could have done differently....relationships we wish we had never gotten into...or whatever it is for you.....there ARE setbacks...there will ALWAYS be setbacks......the worst one is the 'what if'....or 'one day'......"one day things will change",  "one day i'll have my dream job",  "what if i had done this instead of that"..............blah blah blah.   I'm so tired of telling myself that....you should be too. 
What one thing can you do today that will jump start the "what if"..or the "could be"...of the "some day" ?   go and do it.  now.  we owe it to ourselves, TO LIFE...to do something about what we crave in our souls......we HAVE to.   screw fear....find a way to make it work, and fight for it....i got my boxing gloves on and i'm ready to push through barbed wire to get what i want.   are you?

freedoms of not owning a car....

i'm thinking of living in a location that makes it easy for me to bike or not need a car so much.....with my car in desperate shape and having so many expenses to getting it fixed, insurance, etc....i'd love another alternative.....i just read about this...Zipcar.....AMAZING.  

i am normally one who loves the freedom of having a car.  lately though, i just haven't had one that runs smoothly....so it made me think of not owning one and what that would be like.  of course, i would need to live somewhere that makes not owning one possible.   this is all still under consideration...but i like the idea of it for many reasons....


~getting healthier from walking and biking 
~no car insurance, gas cost, keeping it fixed
~no oil consumption....healthier for the environment
~less chance of dying in a car accident
~no road rage...yes i have it ....not extreme of course, but yes i fuss a lot
~forces me to rethink how i go about my day ...getting things done
~slows everything down....
~etc etc


i have ALWAYS thought there was more freedom in having a car, and now i suddenly see the freedom in NOT having one.  


so much is changing.

scaling down...

what i want...

is what i've said many many times before....a simplified life.....maybe a bike instead of a car.....fresh food from my garden and fruit trees instead of grocery store purchases......reading in place of tv.....thrift stores instead of dept. stores....hula hooping instead of the gym....you get the point........

most of this has already been in the works...and some i still need to work on......

a couple of months ago i got rid of PILES of stuff.......and now even more belongings are going into boxes to give away...as well as furniture and crafty supplies i "might" use one day. 

i just can't do it anymore...i can't own all this stuff....

scaling down...i can feel myself getting lighter by the minute.

so here we are....

so here i am......here we are......here you are.....

still simplifying....still making plans....still adjusting to unforeseen obstacles.....
how exactly does one slim down what they own to what they can fit in a vehicle to move??....how do you free yourself from 'owning things'..or the things owning you?......what do you *really* need?....it's what i am faced with this week.......time if flying by this summer and it's getting to a point where things need to start happening in order for change to occur.  

as of right now....a lightning storm is brewing and computer needs to be shut down........gonna go make a drink and throw things into yard sale or goodwill boxes.....

have a fantastic weekend!  laugh lots!

the quest....

the quest for simplicity is a long one....and a soul searching one......sometimes you realize you are hanging onto things you didn't even realize you were.

How To Be Alone

this is so amazing. fantastic. beautiful. brilliant. and i am in love with it. it's exactly the thing i wanted and needed to see today...just because it's how i feel.....i have always found beauty in solitude......

what i have learned and how i have changed....

~ you have to find balance in yourself....constantly maintain it.....find your center

~i once loved shopping malls, now i love thrift stores

~i compare myself less to other women now...i'm happier for it ( it still happens when i'm feeling low )

~instead of comparing yourself to other women / people, we must learn to celebrate our differences....if someone is beautiful or has better legs or boobs or eyes or jobs or whatever, embrace it and be happy for them...don't resent anyone for what they have, because guaranteed there is *SOMETHING* they don't like about themselves. we are all struggling with the same things.

~let go more.....dance....sing when you want....smile.....learn to dance even though life is stressful.

~dancing it out really does help

~pay attention

~listen

~realize that there is always more than meets the eye...when it comes to situations, people, life

~strive to find joy.......claw at it...fight for it.....live it.....be it......learn to see it and seize it when it comes your way.....create it........be a source of joy.......

~LOVE LOVE LOVE with all your heart..............ALWAYS keep your heart open ....even when things can bring you pain.....love anyway.

~learn your limits.....eliminate and cast aside people and things that push your limits in a negative way.

~always keep learning

~you can be afraid of change, but embrace change anyway

~push your comfort zones whenever you can......it leads to a happier life and soul

~find your tribe.....maintain it....appreciate it.....nurture it even when you think you don't have the time

~love your friends, your family.....love the world you live in

~don't litter.....EVER.....pick up trash if you see it

~gossip less.....you taint yourself and your life and the world around you by doing so.....i know, i know....sometimes it's easy to fall into it and participate in it...but actively try not to

~dream big. never stop dreaming. but also learn to love what you have....

~don't take yourself too seriously.....laugh at yourself as much as you can. believe me on this one...i practice it daily :)

i can't even begin to *really* describe how much i have changed over the past decade. i love getting older....i love growing more comfortable with who i am....i love that every year i ease more into myself......the older i get, the more i love life and see that there is beauty even with all the struggles of it.