"So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"
— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)
Your mountain is waiting. What does this phrase mean to you? Does it speak of amazing new vistas to see? A grand adventure waiting to be taken? Or does it remind you of that arduous chore you've been putting off, or the scary task that seems just too hard to get through. Well what's ahead is a bit of both: it's time to let go of some stuff!
Lately, I've been reading a lot about culling, simplifying and living a simpler life with less, and I've decided that it's for me. But I have a problem: a mountain, if you will. The task ahead seems more than a little daunting, with time, emotional ties and bad hoarding habits all compounding the job. And so I've done a little reading of Peter Walsh's book "It's All Too Much", to gain some much needed strategy and moral support!
The premise of Peter's teaching is that the 'stuff' is not really the problem- it's our relationship with the stuff. If we deal with our stuff- if we organize it,categorize it, but still hang onto it, we have not really fixed our problem. To be really free of the hoarding habit, we need to reach a point where we can let go of all the things which we are not using now. Wow, for me that means a lot of stuff! Of course, there are a few things we might want to take exception with, such as photographs and maybe a few small mementos of our children's early years, but in general we need to grow up and let go. Wow, I'm already getting queasy at the thought of getting rid of that designer kitchen faucet I paid $73 for on Ebay 5 years ago. I'll get to use it someday, I just know I will!
See what I mean? This project is going to be far from easy! But I'll save sorting that particular cupboard for a few weeks away, when I'm hopefully toughened up a bit!
Nevertheless, cull I must, and as Dr Seuss said, "Today is your day". At one room per week (plus outside, minus my girls' rooms), I'll be done in 11 weeks- right on target for my birthday. Hey, after all that culling, perhaps I'll ask for different kinds of presents this year!
So for this week, I think I'll begin by culling my ensuite. It shouldn't be too hard to start there, right? I'll let you know how I go, but stick with me; I'll blog about other things too. After all, there's much more to living a simple life than just culling and being thankful!
Gotta go: my mountain is waiting!
Being able to write my thoughts and have them read across the world without having to go through a publisher! That I'm part of a fantastic church that loves and supports its people! That I'm free, not bound by the bad insecurities that used to plague me. That I have an awesome husband who loves me so much that he's even taking me to a dancing class tonight (woot!). I really am blessed! Thank you God!
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