mindful monday : clean clementine lines

September 19, 2011 in Uncategorized

There are three rooms left to do, to clear out, to declutter and make spacious-er.

And the attic.

And the basement.

Oh at the stuff.

Some of it is boxes of papers I will never use again. I don't need them. I don't want them.

Some of it is mementos. I don't need them. I want them.

And then some things I feel I need and I want.

Sorting. Making photos of precious things I don't need to physically have anymore, but want a piece of, even if in the form of a photograph.

My attic office needs making: white, turquoise, clementine. Repainting something to resemble this simple orange desk. Lots of light. A space now filled with boxes and dark.

We throw too much away. Plastic bags full of stuff, of food, of paper. To sit in a landfill somewhere. That's because we buy too much in packages and we don't compost and we print things that don't need to be printed. We don't reuse what we could. I'm committed to changing that. Here are some helpful hints on reducing waste to which I'll be paying close attention.

And it's "No Impact Week." What better time to commit to reducing your impact on the environment?

How about we do a better job of asking and giving and reusing? This little house on a shoestring is such a beautiful example of that. I want to learn how to build things.

Part of my impulse toward simplicity and spaciousness is to create an internal spaciousnes as well, one that is hard to do when smothered from the outside in. I realize I need to get back to yoga and I need to also sit every day.

I don't. But I am going to. My friend Susan Piver can help teach me.

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

4 comments to " mindful monday : clean clementine lines "


Denitachanette

September 19, 2011 AT 7:51PM

Hi Patti,

I have been simplifying and getting rid of stuff for some time. Reading your blog is such a inspiration to me to keep going, go deeper, om and breathe. I see things more clearly and live more in the moment than I ever did in my life..now. I am turning 50 in January and want to be more free of stuff and clutter whether material or of the mind. Thank you so much for your words of wisdom and reaching out. peace to you, namaste

Mani

September 20, 2011 AT 11:02AM

I am so inspired by your newly spacious lifestyle. And the pictures you have been posting in this series for inspiration are yummy.

jylene

September 20, 2011 AT 5:43PM

i am thoroughly enjoying your posts about the process of simplifying your life. it is a goal that i aspire to as well, and i keep telling myself ‘this will be the year’ i do it. and so i keep working toward it, little by little. i have gotten more faithful with my yoga practice this year. i don’t do enough sitting, but one thing at a time. thanks for sharing, my guru!

Connie

September 22, 2011 AT 10:52AM

I will forever remember a comment made by a Japanese exchange student who was struck by the spacious homes and landscapes in the U.S. She said things were so crowded in her country, in her house, in her family — that was why she tended to be quieter, and sometimes meditative — going inside herself was the only space she had.