Raise your hand if you would like to be less busy.
Raise your hand if you would like to spend more time writing.
Did you raise your hand? I did. Peaceful creative lives happen bit by bit as we learn to rethink our basic assumptions about the way life has to be. Let’s get started decluttering your time. Turn off your cell phone and email as you answer the questions below. Please say or write the first thing that comes into your head—don’t overthink this.
- One thing I do that I really don’t want to do is . . .
- One object I hate and really want to get rid of is . . .
- One thing I do so that others will like me is . . .
- One thing I do for my children that they would be better off doing for themselves is . . .
- One thing I do because someone told me I was supposed to is . . .
- One thing I do to keep the peace is . . .
- Each week, I spend _____ hours shopping.
- Each week I spend _____ hours writing.
- When I really want to avoid something, I spend my time _____________
- If half of my material possessions magically disappeared, I would feel ________________, _________________, and ________________.
Have any light bulbs gone off for you as you worked through this exercise? Have you recognized one thing you can clear from your space to lighten your load? Please share! The real magic of living lightly lies not in any one answer to the questions above, it lies in challenging our own assumptions, pushing back against the power of should and supposed to, and in letting go of what it is not in our best interest to keep. The more we clear, the more time we have for what really matters—our creative communion with joy.
Wishing you empty spaces, joyful words—and blessings on your path.
Alix
