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23.10.11
20.10.11
On The Move
Yesterday I left my usual home to look after a friends house for a couple of weeks.
I have been reading about Ev Bogue and Gwen Bell hitting the road from Seattle to San Francisco and it got me thinking about what I do when I travel.
I noticed some similarities in their experiences with mine.
When packing the previous night, I felt drawn to put a scented candle in my bag. I once read that the memory part of the brain is right next to the smell part of the brain and that is the reason why smells trigger memories.
This can be particularly settling when you arrive in a new location and things are unfamiliar.
I packed very little; a bag of clothes, essential toiletries, no hair dryer or fancy electronics besides my laptop and phone.
Things I noticed since minimising:
I feel at home already.
Breathing deep. Relaxed.
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I have been reading about Ev Bogue and Gwen Bell hitting the road from Seattle to San Francisco and it got me thinking about what I do when I travel.
I noticed some similarities in their experiences with mine.
When packing the previous night, I felt drawn to put a scented candle in my bag. I once read that the memory part of the brain is right next to the smell part of the brain and that is the reason why smells trigger memories.
This can be particularly settling when you arrive in a new location and things are unfamiliar.
I packed very little; a bag of clothes, essential toiletries, no hair dryer or fancy electronics besides my laptop and phone.
Things I noticed since minimising:
- It took me very little time to pack - I knew where everything was - clothes in my wardrobe, washkit in the bathroom.
- It was way less stressful.
- I didn't pack for every eventuality.
- I felt settled very quickly and was soon out and about experiencing the sunshine and other goodness.
I feel at home already.
Breathing deep. Relaxed.
Would you like to hear more from me? Sign up for the free daily letter –a short daily invitation from me to join me on a deeper level, Beyond The Surface.
19.10.11
Embracing the Inner Kid
Today I went for a walk around a park.
Half way round I spotted a kids playground with a zip wire big enough for an adult sized kid at heart.
I thought twice and opted for the first thought.
I glanced around to see if anyone was watching then went in the park and zipped along the zip line. Repeatedly.
FUN!
The second thought I ignored was talking nonsense along the lines of:
Here is a little video of the experience.
How will you have fun today?
Half way round I spotted a kids playground with a zip wire big enough for an adult sized kid at heart.
I thought twice and opted for the first thought.
I glanced around to see if anyone was watching then went in the park and zipped along the zip line. Repeatedly.
FUN!
The second thought I ignored was talking nonsense along the lines of:
- You're too old for that!
- What if someone sees you?
- It's only for kids!
- You might get in trouble!
- Grow up!
I'm glad I ignored the second thought and did something that the kid in me really needed to do today.
Although the zip line was fun, it was more of a rush to ignore the second thought and go ahead anyway.
Maybe my inner kid can trust me to listen some more.
I wonder if any other people walking by today really wanted a zip down the zip line?
I wonder if any other people walking by today really wanted a zip down the zip line?
Here is a little video of the experience.
How will you have fun today?
18.10.11
The Measure of Good Living
How do you measure the degree to which you are living the good life?
- Wealth?
- Health?
- Comfort?
- Material items?
Lately I have been measuring mine by answering the following question:
"Did I make a difference to someone's day today?"
If I can answer this with "yes", then I am living the good life.
Somedays the answer might be a very small yes, others it might be a BIG, often tiring and longwinded journey to YES!
It provides a very simple focus to the day, moment by moment. I can pretty much always find a way to make a difference even if it is just a smile, or listening, I mean REALLY listening to someone's problem.
Of course there are other elements to answering with a yes such as taking time for myself so that I am energised enough to give to others.
Somedays the yes might have been for myself - did I change something that positively impacted my own life. Did I make a difference to myself by eating well, breathing slow and stretching out?
If I want to feel good, at the end of the day I review the ways I have made a difference today and then the next day look for opportunities to do more of the same.
How did you make a difference today?
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17.10.11
The Sun Always Rises*
*based on my experience so far.
Today I witnessed an incredible sunrise. Golden beams of light and a red and orange streaky sky painted with clouds lit up at about 7.45am, followed moments later by a giant fireball peeking above a ridge of hills. All whilst driving along. I smiled and breathed it in. It was a fleeting moment and I wondered if humans have always appreciated the beauty of seeing the sun rise. There is even a salute to the sun in Yoga.
It got me thinking.
Right now in the Northern Hemisphere we are faced with darkening mornings and nights drawing in earlier. Many people go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, as the earth tilts on it's axis slowly away from the sun for the autumn and winter months.
However, the sun still rises everyday. It gets light every single day. Wow.
At the moment I am hanging on to this. It helps when I wake up in the dark hours to know that the darkness is merely temporary.
At lunch time, when all is light and I wander outside for some minutes of air, the dark morning is just a distant memory and the evening is still way off.
One benefit of the dark nights is that it allows me to focus on my work without feeling like I should be outside making the most of the sun and the heat. Time to press on.
I'm embracing the temporary darkness in the knowing that lightness is just around the corner.
Today I witnessed an incredible sunrise. Golden beams of light and a red and orange streaky sky painted with clouds lit up at about 7.45am, followed moments later by a giant fireball peeking above a ridge of hills. All whilst driving along. I smiled and breathed it in. It was a fleeting moment and I wondered if humans have always appreciated the beauty of seeing the sun rise. There is even a salute to the sun in Yoga.
It got me thinking.
Right now in the Northern Hemisphere we are faced with darkening mornings and nights drawing in earlier. Many people go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, as the earth tilts on it's axis slowly away from the sun for the autumn and winter months.
However, the sun still rises everyday. It gets light every single day. Wow.
At the moment I am hanging on to this. It helps when I wake up in the dark hours to know that the darkness is merely temporary.
At lunch time, when all is light and I wander outside for some minutes of air, the dark morning is just a distant memory and the evening is still way off.
One benefit of the dark nights is that it allows me to focus on my work without feeling like I should be outside making the most of the sun and the heat. Time to press on.
I'm embracing the temporary darkness in the knowing that lightness is just around the corner.
16.10.11
I Love Washing Dishes*
*When I have nothing else to do.
When I was on holiday I really enjoyed washing dishes.
I had nothing urgent to do at all besides enjoy the moment.
I took my time washing each dish.
I was not thinking where I was going, or of some place I had to be.
I had no plans.
The dishes loved it.
Each dish and piece of cutlery got washed and rinsed with care.
It also allows me to look out of the window and enjoy sights like this:
The challenge I find is to take this approach in day to day life, when there is more going on and you have more places to be.
When I was on holiday I really enjoyed washing dishes.
I had nothing urgent to do at all besides enjoy the moment.
I took my time washing each dish.
I was not thinking where I was going, or of some place I had to be.
I had no plans.
The dishes loved it.
Each dish and piece of cutlery got washed and rinsed with care.
It also allows me to look out of the window and enjoy sights like this:
 |
| Sunset Over Dishes |
It is of course, great to be able to practice at least twice a day.
Something I am working on.
Happy Dishwashing.
15.10.11
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Not me.
I want:
TIME.
Have you heard the expression time is money?
What if we all had enough time to create (whatever that means to you) and enough money to take care of all our living expenses? What would that look like? What impact would that have on the world?
Anything left over could go towards helping others and improving life on earth.
I'm thinking Equal distribution of resources and wealth.
I don't want more things. I want more time to create and more experiences.
How about you?
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