“People often ask themselves the right questions. Where they fail is in answering the questions they ask themselves, and even there they do not fail by much…But it takes time, it takes humility and a serious reason for searching.” ~ William Maxwell
As I end this special month of my birth, now another year older, I continue to contemplate life…asking myself questions about what I am doing, where am I going, what do I want out of this life of mine….and I am finding many answers within, as I listen to my heart and soul speak to me. As you may remember, this year I have chosen to be part of an online group, Women’s Circle of Joy, led by Cigdem Kobu of Peaceful Triumphs.
And this month, we have been exploring, “Living Lighter”. It’s not just about losing weight or getting rid of your stuff…it goes much deeper. We were asked to examine seven areas of our life to see if we were Living Lighter. These areas included: Our Private Lives, Our Physical Body, Our Environments, Our Emotional Weight, Our Mental Hassle, Our Career and Work and Our Social Lives.
This path to living lighter really started for me last year in retirement. I wanted to simplify my life, and took time to reacquaint myself with my home, and my husband as we would now be together 24/7. We have easily slid into this new phase of our lives working together as a couple sharing the load. We did a huge clearing in February when we clutter cleared our house from top to bottom. It felt wonderful to let go of stuff we no longer needed, but I have learned this clearing of stuff is an ongoing process you must continue to revisit every couple of months as clutter can sneak back up on you fast.
And living lighter isn’t just about letting go of the things we have…it is also about the mental and emotional sides of simplifying. I have poured out many of my personal revelations regarding mental and emotional clearing in this blog. As I have worked through issues, such as worry and fear, I have found my heart and soul becoming lighter. And with retirement, I lightened my stress load, and now dictate what “work” I will explore and take on. Socially, I am reconnecting and opening up to invitations and connections put on the back burner. And I have let go of relationships especially where others try to control my life.
And most of all, I have been building better habits that will bring me closer to perfect health. Moving more, finding what physical activity I like to do, daily meditation and journaling, and discovering which foods are best for my body.
I have recently found it important to take time to pause and reflect on life. I think that is where the poetry I write comes from….those things that give me pause or that I see when I pause…so magical really that reflective time. And in that time when I let my mind wander and wonder, I think about my easy, carefree future. What does it look and feel like…..
In this future, I awake from a restful slumber to the sounds of nature…refreshed and eager to see the new dawn…the wondrous colors of the day both in the sky and in the garden. I move easily out-of-doors, and walk in this new light of day coming back home to the incredible smells of a nutritious breakfast. What do I want to accomplish today? A bit of weeding, a new writing project, a little cleaning and clearing in the house, or is this my day of rest where I can play or take a fun trip to a new spot. Will I be grabbing lunch with a friend or perhaps seeing a practitioner for a bit of wellness care.
And part of my day will be spent in quiet contemplation….writing about my gratitude for the wonderful things in my life. There is always time for daily reading; books for pleasure (mostly mysteries), or books I find more personal and spiritual….maybe someone’s journey of inspiration. There are always things I can do to keep life simple…and with that simplicity, comes time for joyful activities that allow more room in my life for new experiences, new friendships and new journeys.
Note: The Daisies pictured here are from my garden, and are said to represent simplicity. Daisies were the first flower I remember that I cherished as a young girl. They are such a simple flower of pure white that never cease to bring me a smile.
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I leave you with another thought about simplicity or living lighter. Feel free to download this photo and share.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2015. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.