Give Your Stuff Away Day May 12, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Less IS More.comments closed
I know, I know . . . I’ve never heard of it either.
Give Your Stuff Away Day, the recent brain-child of Mike Morone, a 52-year-old former teacher turned entrepreneur, is scheduled for this Saturday ~ May 15th.
Morone unveiled the event for the first time last year, and called it Curb Day:
It’s a national swap meet, if you will, a day to reshuffle and recycle our collective unwanted but usable goods and, as Morone puts it, “magically shift ownership in one weekend.” Just bring items to the curb and watch them get snapped up. Then take a stroll to find some free stuff for yourself.
Morone is convinced that people hang onto stuff for too long ~ stuff that has little or no value to them, but would have value to others:
He cites as an example the life and death of a used bicycle. “It gets moved around in a garage for years but never gets fixed or ridden. It gets put out as garbage, but it’s not left on a curb long enough for someone else to take advantage of it, to fix it up and make it useful.” Eventually, he says, it ends up in a landfill.
For those of us with cluttered spaces, Give Your Stuff Away Day seems like a step in the right direction . . . but what about the other 364 days of the year?
Morone supports giving goods away throughout the year to local or national charities like Goodwill. “There are always ways to get rid of items,” he says. “But none is as easy as putting them out on your front lawn.”
Here’s your chance . . . if you have stuff that brings you down every time you look at it (because it’s infused with sad, stale memories) ~ kick it to the curb on May 15th!
To read the AARP article: He Embraces A Stuff Free Lifestyle
Related posts: The Power of 50 ~ Spring Cleaning * Simplify Your Life * Annie Leonard & The Story of Stuff * You Better Stop Shopping Around
Progress, Not Perfection May 12, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness.comments closed
This morning, I planned to write a post about “Progress, Not Perfection” ~ not necessarily “this” post, but something related.
As I read through the morning’s e-mails, I came across one from a friend which included a rather opportune (synchronistic?) prayer, which I revised slightly to share here:
May we remember to access the peace within.
May we trust that we are exactly where we are meant to be.
May we not forget the infinite possibilities available here and now.
May we use our gifts wisely, and share our joy freely.
May we accept ourselves as we are.
May we allow our spirits the freedom to sing, dance, laugh, praise, and love.
May spirit remain ever present ~ a beacon to light our way.
While I loved the prayer as a whole, what jumped out at me this morning was the 5th line, which said (in the original version):
“May you be content with yourself just the way you are.”
Why should we do that?
Doesn’t that type of attitude and thinking give us permission to be lazy, and complacent, while hanging on to all of our bad habits?
Yes. Yes, it does.
It gives us permission to be exactly who we choose to be at this moment in time. So, if we choose to be lazy, and complacent, while hanging on to all our bad habits, that’s cool.
But . . . if we’re looking to maximize our happiness, and become the “best” that we can be, we don’t do that.
Instead, we strive to do what we can, with what we have, where we are.
We encourage ourselves to be the best we can be every day.
We see progress as the path unfolds before us.
We move forward through the journey of life, knowing that the “destination of perfection” is likely to remain ever elusive and outside our grasp:
* We learn to go with the flow, accept the “what is,” and embrace all with joy ~ except when we don’t.
* We pass Spiritual Milestones, and still find Ego getting in the way of our happiness.
* We sail without fear . . . except when we get a case of the Heebie Jeebies.
Progress, not perfection.
When we accept ourselves exactly as we are at this moment in time, we move ever closer to becoming who we were always intended to be.
Related post: Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism
A Wild Ride! May 12, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness.comments closed
If you want to go on a wild roller coaster of a ride, check out Joanne’s Blog Post on Powerful Intentions:
“Wax On . . . Wax Off” and Mixed Metaphors
I can’t begin to cover all the ground Joanne covers, or do it justice, in a short introduction, so I’ll just fast forward through the main feature . . . and give you a sneak preview at the credits:
This blog has been progressively inspired by Cinematography, including, but not limited to the following motion pictures:
The Wizard of Oz, The Matrix, The Game, Existenz, Jumanji, Defending Your Life, Somewhere in Time, Deja Vu, and many, many more ~ Disney Channel, animated cartoons…
It’s all around us and right in front of us ~ clues embedded in our world of entertainment. Just open your eyes, your ears, your minds and your imaginations ~ the Universe is dropping us hints and clues everywhere.
Writers are channeling universal truths in the most unconventional and subtle ways. Sit back and enjoy the show and then — places, everyone! ~ get in and play the role that was created for you only ~ YOU ~ starring as the I AM in your own feature film.
Roll ’em!
Related Posts: The Law of Attraction * A Beacon in the Dark * Way of the Peaceful Warrior * Spiritual Milestones * Live Your Life
Spirit Lights The Way 