If neatness alone determined one's level of spiritual enlightenment, I think I would be quite advanced, as I am somewhat obsessive about keeping a tidy and minimalist-inspired home. Here are a few of my tenets:
1. Everything has a place and must return to it by the end of the day.
2. When something new comes in, something old goes out.
3. Nothing in life is permanent - it is OK to let things go. Consider it a gift to the universe. Take the karma and release the clutter.
So, I have three work practice missions nagging at me here in early 2009. Inspired by my friend Laura's birthday gift to herself, I have launched Mission 1: Clean Fridge. The task - clean out all old stuff and the unit itself; even those nasty drawers. The good part is the reward - a shopping at Whole Foods to restock (this is such a nice healthy gift to give yourself, Laura).
Mission 2: Vanishing Toys is also inspired in part by Laura, who actually got Santa Clause to come in and remove bins of old toys from her boys' room on Christmas Eve (read about it here). I must be stealth, like Old St. Nick, to pull this one off. It involves making many unnecessary and underloved toys magically disappear from my girls' rooms. The reward for them is more room for imaginative play. For me...less stuff to pick up, of course!
Finally, Mission 3: Magazine Control. The stacks have grown out of control and something must be done. My mother isn't helping on this one, as she kicked this mission off at her house before me, and is sifting all her cut-up issues down to me to love on briefly before I too let them go (get ready Tonya - they're coming your way!). Mission 3's reward is sweet: lots of inspiration torn out and stored for just the right place & time and new material for my vision board.
This will be my work practice this month. I'm pretty sure it won't result in enlightenment - but a clean, well-stocked fridge, less clutter and a full well are certainly all divine pursuits!Happy Friday!
PS - Want to join in on one of my missions? Commit here and let me know how it goes. Or tell me your own work practice for January - maybe I'll adopt it too!
2 comments:
what a wonderful post. let me tell you that your friend's idea to have santa "collect" is awesome. will definitely use that one next year.
for now, we pick out the toys that we no longer use, or the ones that the kids don't love as much as another kid might, and pass them on to the many little friends in our lives. in turn, we have bigger kids who pass things down to us, so the kids find it a natural process to give and receive things in this circle of toy life. this is a new york city practice born out of necessity, but it would work in florida, too. you can sort through the things that the older kids pass down first, by the way, and pass on the things you don't think you'll use before they get married in with the rest of the stuff.
happy new year! and, of course, i'm dying to hear whether your bambina likes the dhal.
GO GIRL! You are my inspiration! Hugs, Mother
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