The Life You Want



Beauty in the Simple



I have a friend, Cecelia Durkin, who owns a wonderful fair trade store called Women's Work.  Her subtitle is : "Enabling women to live their chosen/desired way of life".  One day  this last month when we were trying to connect to deliver something, and we were both running in circles, I finally asked, "Cecelia, is this our chosen way of life?"

Frequently as the new year rolls around, I find myself declaring that I'm going to simplify things, not get myself into so many obligations, declutter, etc. etc.  Sound familiar?

This morning as I was in the shower, noticing the three bottles of shampoo ( now really, I can only use one at a time), and was thinking about how my closets and cupboards get full, and how that theme runs to my art supplies, canned goods, clothes that I then have to make room for, I had an epiphany.

I thought of Annie Dillard's Book, The Maytrees.  One of my favorite lines was when the long gone husband returns to her dune shack and wants to know where the mirror went, and she answers something like "I got rid of it.  It wanted products."

Recalling that answer makes me think about what I need to get rid of.  Not just the stuff.  Not just saying no to invitations, requests, opportunities.  I need to identify what the culprits are in my life that demand stuff, activity, energy that I don't really have any interest in.  What are the underlying anxieties or bits of laziness that get me into my messes?  Where are the mirrors that want products that don't serve me and the life I desire for myself?
Where are yours?
Let's throw them out.
Happy New Year.