Simplify, simplify. ~ Thoreau

citybutch · 10-03-2010, 11:01 AM

I have started to NOT listen to the radio as I drive around to see clients. Somehow it has helped to de-clutter my mind... less mental idiotic stimulation brings more peace...

When I DO listen to something I listen to Ekhart Tolle on CD...

diamondrose · 10-03-2010, 11:15 AM

Two things I am doing to simplify my life..

1. Shopping clearance to save money and buy more
2. Organizing my school schedule to get on a good routine.

AtLast · 10-03-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by citybutch

I have started to NOT listen to the radio as I drive around to see clients. Somehow it has helped to de-clutter my mind... less mental idiotic stimulation brings more peace...

When I DO listen to something I listen to Ekhart Tolle on CD...

I love this! I am a political person and have always thrived on current events, but, I have to say that due to so many left-wing, progressive talk radio hosts begining to sound just like the right-wingers (not content, the manner of speaking- no yelling), these shows just ramp me up to a steady state of anxiety and dred. Give me Charlie Rose and text to read! Thom Hartmann is OK, too.

Talk radio- no matter the political stance- has become nothing but loud noise to me.

I agree, less clutter while driving!

Diva · 03-21-2011, 02:45 AM

I am coming back to this thread because I needed to.

A couple of months ago, I had a significant event in my life which has changed me. It has not been a pleasant change. I have 3 very dear friends who tell me I am being too hard on myself, but it really pisses me off that it has changed me and my outlook on many things. I am struggling to find a way to cope and I keep coming back to a more minimalistic lifestyle.

So I turned to Google and found >> THIS <<

It is helping me get rid of a lot of clutter....and not just the physical stuff, either.

All I know is that SOMEthing has to change in me. I have placed too much importance on things and people and events and less on peace and calm, my spirit's survival and the earth itself.

Gemme · 03-21-2011, 09:25 AM

Yesterday and today have been and are being devoted to this theme. It's a long road but we're getting there.

girl_dee · 03-21-2011, 09:40 AM

Diva I love the link you posted, especially the cookbook!

for me, I lost material things in a Katrina. I lost all the things I thought I "Could not live without";

my Disney salt and pepper shakers
Boat (that was a hard one)
ceramic knick knack thing that lived by the door for 10 years
rock collection
CD's
softball gear
etc....

Of course I could live without them! I can't tell you how good it feels not really feeling connected to *things* anymore. I still have sentimental items that I hold close but the unimportant clutter is gone and I realized the memories are never lost.

What I hold dear now are people, and the memory of the one special friend that I lost in the storm, not knick knacks. The memory of a City I loved before the storm changed everything. The what nots just don't matter anymore. Simplifying feels great!

Gráinne · 03-21-2011, 02:24 PM

I'm glad I found this thread. Ever since I got back from Washington, I've been thinking about how much clutter is in my life-not just stuff, but mental habits and wrong beliefs just taking up rent space. I'm really feeling a need not only to clean out my house, but to clean out my inner house, too. Too much spiritual, mental and physical clutter (ie. fat) here.

Getting rid of things and donating stuff is a tangible way to do it

. That makes me feel good.

girl_dee · 03-21-2011, 02:43 PM

Freecycle is a great resource to clean out the clutter too!

It's been proven that cleaning out a closet is emotionally cleansing!

DamselFly · 03-21-2011, 05:13 PM

when i moved, i left behind most of my "stuff". the only things i brought w/me are some clothes, my teapots, my Taoist/Buddhist books (even though i can't read them at this time), and my altar. having little stuff gives a sense of freedom...as Lao-Tzu said,
to have little is to possess.
to have much is be perplexed.
a good blog to go to for writings on minimalism is zenhabits. i have it on my igoogle page. once at the end of every season, i do a "housecleaning" and donate the clothes i haven't worn that season. i figure if summer has gone by and i haven't worn something, i probably won't wear it next summer and don't need it. my objective is to get a week's worth of clothing for each season. that's it. always feminine, of course.
DamselFly

Kelt · 08-17-2012, 06:18 PM

This little article landed in my inbox today, and I thought this might be a good place for it. I consider myself to be a moderate minimalist but this made me realize that I still need to organize...hmm..or not, a couple of areas in my home.

Organizing is often well-planned hoarding

http://theminimalists.com/about/

We need to start thinking of organizing as a dirty word. It is, in fact, a sneaky little profanity—a pernicious little booger—who keeps us from simplifying our lives.

Our televisions would have us believe that there’s a battle being fought on the consumption continuum, a battle between the organizers and the hoarders. And from our couches it’s hard to see who’s winning.

We’d like to posit to you, however, that these two sides are working together, colluding to achieve the same thing: the accumulation of more stuff. One side—the hoarders—does so overtly, leaving everything out in the open, making them easy targets to sneer at. But the other side—the sneaky organizers—are more covert, more systematic, more devious when it comes to the accumulation of stuff. Ultimately, though, organizing is nothing more than well-planned hoarding.

Sure, both sides go about their hoarding differently, but the end result is not appreciably different. Whether our homes are strewn with wall-to-wall material possessions or we have a complex ordinal item-dispersal system, color-coded and alphabetized, we’re still not dealing with the real problem.

No matter how organized we are, we must continue to care for the stuff we organize, cleaning and sorting our methodically structured belongings. When we get rid of the superfluous stuff, however, we can focus on life’s more important aspects. Said another way: We can spend the day focusing on our health, on our relationships, on pursuing what we’re passionate about. Or we could, of course, reorganize our basement again.

Once the excess stuff is out of the way, staying organized is much easier anyway.

10-03-2010, 11:01 AM	#1
citybutch Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: I answer to "hey you" (either works for me!) Relationship Status: 19 years together- Very Married for 10 years Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 557 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 835 Thanked 1,194 Times in 355 Posts Rep Power: 6434867	I have started to NOT listen to the radio as I drive around to see clients. Somehow it has helped to de-clutter my mind... less mental idiotic stimulation brings more peace... When I DO listen to something I listen to Ekhart Tolle on CD... __________________ Take care of your body, take care of your health... You never know when the walls cave in and it all changes for good.

03-21-2011, 09:25 AM	#5
Gemme Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Queer Stone Femme Girl of the Unicorn Variety Preferred Pronoun?: She, as in 'She's a GEM' Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The roads are narrow here Posts: 36,631 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 182,498 Thanked 107,927 Times in 25,666 Posts Rep Power: 21474887	Yesterday and today have been and are being devoted to this theme. It's a long road but we're getting there. __________________ Gemme's Journal I'm misunderestimated.

03-21-2011, 02:24 PM	#7
Gráinne Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Neither, nada, out of the box Preferred Pronoun?: My name always works Relationship Status: Happy whatever happens Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 1,864 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,117 Thanked 7,386 Times in 1,457 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	I'm glad I found this thread. Ever since I got back from Washington, I've been thinking about how much clutter is in my life-not just stuff, but mental habits and wrong beliefs just taking up rent space. I'm really feeling a need not only to clean out my house, but to clean out my inner house, too. Too much spiritual, mental and physical clutter (ie. fat) here. Getting rid of things and donating stuff is a tangible way to do it . That makes me feel good. __________________ The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one. ~Erma Bombeck

03-21-2011, 05:13 PM	#9
DamselFly Member How Do You Identify?: QueerStoneFemme Preferred Pronoun?: Ma'am or Damsel Relationship Status: single Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: hovering here and there Posts: 259 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,053 Thanked 771 Times in 199 Posts Rep Power: 396593	greatly simplified my life... when i moved, i left behind most of my "stuff". the only things i brought w/me are some clothes, my teapots, my Taoist/Buddhist books (even though i can't read them at this time), and my altar. having little stuff gives a sense of freedom...as Lao-Tzu said, to have little is to possess. to have much is be perplexed. a good blog to go to for writings on minimalism is zenhabits. i have it on my igoogle page. once at the end of every season, i do a "housecleaning" and donate the clothes i haven't worn that season. i figure if summer has gone by and i haven't worn something, i probably won't wear it next summer and don't need it. my objective is to get a week's worth of clothing for each season. that's it. always feminine, of course. DamselFly __________________ so long as space remains so long as sentient beings remain i will remain in order to help, to serve, to make my own contribution (Buddhist prayer, a favorite of H.H.)

10-03-2010, 11:15 AM	#2
diamondrose Member How Do You Identify?: . Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: . Posts: 1,384 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2 Thanked 2,895 Times in 923 Posts Rep Power: 13536274	Two things I am doing to simplify my life.. 1. Shopping clearance to save money and buy more 2. Organizing my school schedule to get on a good routine.

03-21-2011, 02:45 AM	#4
Diva Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Diva Preferred Pronoun?: Diva Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chez Diva Posts: 11,879 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,263 Thanked 17,174 Times in 5,239 Posts Rep Power: 0	I am coming back to this thread because I needed to. A couple of months ago, I had a significant event in my life which has changed me. It has not been a pleasant change. I have 3 very dear friends who tell me I am being too hard on myself, but it really pisses me off that it has changed me and my outlook on many things. I am struggling to find a way to cope and I keep coming back to a more minimalistic lifestyle. So I turned to Google and found >> THIS << It is helping me get rid of a lot of clutter....and not just the physical stuff, either. All I know is that SOMEthing has to change in me. I have placed too much importance on things and people and events and less on peace and calm, my spirit's survival and the earth itself.

03-21-2011, 09:40 AM	#6
girl_dee Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: dee Relationship Status: Hitched up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Livin’ the Dream Posts: 24,079 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,560 Thanked 54,829 Times in 13,908 Posts Rep Power: 21474873	Diva I love the link you posted, especially the cookbook! for me, I lost material things in a Katrina. I lost all the things I thought I "Could not live without"; my Disney salt and pepper shakers Boat (that was a hard one) ceramic knick knack thing that lived by the door for 10 years rock collection CD's softball gear etc.... Of course I could live without them! I can't tell you how good it feels not really feeling connected to things anymore. I still have sentimental items that I hold close but the unimportant clutter is gone and I realized the memories are never lost. What I hold dear now are people, and the memory of the one special friend that I lost in the storm, not knick knacks. The memory of a City I loved before the storm changed everything. The what nots just don't matter anymore. Simplifying feels great!

03-21-2011, 02:43 PM	#8
girl_dee Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: dee Relationship Status: Hitched up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Livin’ the Dream Posts: 24,079 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,560 Thanked 54,829 Times in 13,908 Posts Rep Power: 21474873	Freecycle is a great resource to clean out the clutter too! It's been proven that cleaning out a closet is emotionally cleansing!

08-17-2012, 06:18 PM	#10
Kelt Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Beach Butch Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 2,751 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 19,765 Thanked 15,284 Times in 2,538 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	This little article landed in my inbox today, and I thought this might be a good place for it. I consider myself to be a moderate minimalist but this made me realize that I still need to organize...hmm..or not, a couple of areas in my home. Organizing is often well-planned hoarding http://theminimalists.com/about/ We need to start thinking of organizing as a dirty word. It is, in fact, a sneaky little profanity—a pernicious little booger—who keeps us from simplifying our lives. Our televisions would have us believe that there’s a battle being fought on the consumption continuum, a battle between the organizers and the hoarders. And from our couches it’s hard to see who’s winning. We’d like to posit to you, however, that these two sides are working together, colluding to achieve the same thing: the accumulation of more stuff. One side—the hoarders—does so overtly, leaving everything out in the open, making them easy targets to sneer at. But the other side—the sneaky organizers—are more covert, more systematic, more devious when it comes to the accumulation of stuff. Ultimately, though, organizing is nothing more than well-planned hoarding. Sure, both sides go about their hoarding differently, but the end result is not appreciably different. Whether our homes are strewn with wall-to-wall material possessions or we have a complex ordinal item-dispersal system, color-coded and alphabetized, we’re still not dealing with the real problem. No matter how organized we are, we must continue to care for the stuff we organize, cleaning and sorting our methodically structured belongings. When we get rid of the superfluous stuff, however, we can focus on life’s more important aspects. Said another way: We can spend the day focusing on our health, on our relationships, on pursuing what we’re passionate about. Or we could, of course, reorganize our basement again. Once the excess stuff is out of the way, staying organized is much easier anyway.