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“Slow down. You move too fast. You’ve got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones. Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.” I’ve ALWAYS loved this song by Simon and Garfunkel even though many times I’m so in my head that I forget the true meaning of life. Since I’ve embraced minimalism and the minimalist lifestyle, I have slowed down but there are still things I struggle with.
There is a dog that is living in the woods at the corner of my street that my family has been feeding for about 2 months now. Every morning, I pack up some dog food, a dog cookie and a bottle of water and I walk up the road. This week as I was walking, I really wanted to be present. For someone like me that is a type A personality, do you know how hard that is? Is this something you also struggle with? If it is, you know exactly how hard it is to turn off our brains.
An associate recommended a book by Eckhart Tolle that really hit home with me and I’m only about 1/3 of the way through the book. The Power of Now and I downloaded it to my Kindle and will be eternally grateful for this book recommendation.This book has brought to the forefront so many ways my mind controls me and is helping me break the cycle. As a result, I now look at my thoughts neutrally and as an observer instead of letting these thoughts run uncontrolled which many times increases my stress. This is the perfect accompaniment to my minimalist lifestyle.
When I’m walking, I make it a point to be aware of the sounds and smells in addition to the sights I see. Sounds simple but this has literally allowed me to calm down and slow my heart rate and allows me to be present in the moment. Is it easy? Not yet but I hope eventually it will be.
If you are like me, take a moment and just look around. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? Life is meant to be lived fully. Don’t let stress override your happiness. Start with Aly’s book 30 Day Challenge – also available on Kindle.
Blessings,
Denise
For tips on how to begin your decluttering journey, you can Start Here, or snag a copy of the 30 Day Challenge (our Minimalism and Decluttering eBook).
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