We all need to take a step back and examine our lives.
Are you happy?
Are you stressed?
Do you ever just throw your hands up and walk away?
Do you dread each day?
TAKE CONTROL - only you can do it. Live intentionally - by taking control. Don't let others, or spending, or outside influences control your life.
GET RID OF STUFF - too many things can clutter our homes and our minds. I am a constant work in progress on this count. Geesh - how did I end up with all this stuff? I know you ask the same question.
We need to free ourselves to keep ONLY what we love, find beautiful or need. Give it away (donate or re-gift), sell it, do whatever you need to - but control the clutter.
De-clutter one room at a time - that makes it easier.
USE CASH as often as possible. Debt can be overwhelming for sure. It affects every aspect of our lives. If you can afford it - pay cash for it. If you can't afford - don't SPEND!!!!!!
I admit I carry only a certain amount of cash - and I do charge many purchases (I use only 1 CC) - BUT we pay off that card every month. One bill - one payment.
CLEAN DAILY or as you make a mess. Don't leave things till later - it will only stress you out and make you angry that you have to do it at all. Get family involved - let it be know that you are NOT the maid!!!! Each person needs to clean their own messes as they make them.
DON"T make EXTRA TRIPS to the store. NEVER make a trip for one thing!!!!!!! If you are out - you are out. Substitute something else. We all know making a trip for ONE thing is basically impossible! You will always see something else you 'need'. Just stay home.
Along those lines - keep a DEEP PANTRY. Always have extras put back for that very reason. If you keep your stockpile up - there won't be need for extra trips and you will always have what you need on hand. As you start to get low on something - add it to a list (I usually add when down to a couple of something). This enables you to control spending, use what you have, stay on top of things, and HAVE LESS STRESS!
GET OUTSIDE EVERY DAY!!!!! I don't care if you just sit on the porch or the stoop, walk the yard, feed the critters, talk to a neighbor, tend the garden, mow the grass, take a neighborhood walk, pick up trash around the area, shovel snow - GET OUTSIDE!
Surprisingly the fresh air and daylight can make a huge difference in your life. I so wish I could make everyone understand that. Light, air, and water are essential to all life - and so many people just ignore some of those things, and can not understand why they feel like they do!
REMOVE THE NEGATIVE from your life!!!!!! This is huge. It may mean that you have to block or remove people from social media (you all know the drama people), or just get rid of social media all together.
Turn off the news - YES, we all need to be aware of what is happening - but it doesn't need to be 24/7.
Pay off debt - that is a huge negative in life.
STAY AWAY from those that drain your spirit. It doesn't matter if it is family, friends, or neighbors. I have had to step away from some family do to their hateful attitudes and controlling nature. They repeatedly drained me of my energy and I had to say NO MORE. I know that may seem mean or cruel to some - but my mental health and my spirit and energy ARE IMPORTANT for my life here with my hubby. It doesn't mean you don't love or care for someone - it means that you have to take back your life for your immediate family.
SLOW DOWN - some people think the world can't revolve without them going 10 directions at the same time. If you quit doing so much - the sun will still rise tomorrow! You get one shot at this thing called life. ENJOY IT - don't spend your life always in a hurry - trying to stretch yourself beyond your limits.
If you are working at many jobs - MAYBE you can quit one or two IF you do some of the things listed above! Just maybe!!!!!!
Limit the kids to a certain amount of activities. I know everyone wants their children to excel - but at what cost?
Have ME TIME! Time when you just sit and relax or read or meditate. Have a 'date' night with your significant other - time alone for just the 2 of you.
There are many things that contribute to living simply - not just less stuff. If we all try to intentionally take back control of our lives - we will be a lot happier!
Live an INTENTIONAL life and live a SIMPLER life.
It is up to you.
Please don't eliminate me I am a drama person.... Great advice girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteNEVER!!!!!! No you aren't - you just have a lot of life going on right now. You need to slow down some yourself!!!!!
Deletethank you very much Cheryl for this post...I really needed it today. Barb
ReplyDeleteBarb - you are very welcome. I hope you enjoy happiness and peace. We all have that control!
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree. Great advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Have a great day.
DeleteGood advise Cheryl! I try to stay away from drama also. Also I try to stay away from the negative, somedays I am the negative though! Lol As far as date nights go, I enrolled the hubs and I in a master gardener class! I told him I wanted us to have a date night! I can see this is going to be lots of fun! A lady brought a hydroponic tower and talked about it. I told hubs that I think I can rig one simular and it shouldnt cost more than $500 and about 1200 of his man hours!! Lol That seems to be the norm of my projects! I am going to research hydroponics more though! As a last note, planting tomatoes ridiculously late may pay off, where no one else is getting tomatoes, I picked 6 gallons of them today!
ReplyDeleteI hope you love your class as much as I did. very informative and learned a lot of new techniques.
DeleteThat is so cool to be taking the class and doing it together. Sometimes our lovely plans cost way more than we anticipated!
DeleteHow wonderful on the tomatoes. it doesn't matter when you get them as long as you do!!!
ENJOY
Vickie I almost forgot we have a master gardener on board. I would love to do that. My Dad become one years ago. He loved the classes.
DeleteVickie is the test hard at the end? Thats what worries me most! Cheryl you should check if there is classes nearby. With your friend close, maybe he could look out for G while you were at class. Ours is 3 hrs one evening a week for 3 months. My last project was putting an icemaker in a chest type freezer. I seen a you tube video! W is pretty ingenious and he modified it. But it took a couple weeks of trial runs and extra parts before it worked! I have plenty of ice now though!
DeleteGreat idea Phyllis. Our friend would be gad to do that.
DeleteI am always doing little projects around the house too. Ain't nothing us gals can't do!!!!
That would be wonderful Cheryl!! I hope you find a class nearby!! :-)
DeleteLove this! Such good advice!
ReplyDeleteI need to work on the clutter though. That will be my goal for October and ongoing.
I deactivated my facebook during Lent, and I haven't reactivated it. I was letting it steal my peace.
Kathy thank you. Oh wow, that is great - I don't know that I have that much determination, to get by without it all together (FB). It surely is a time stealer.
DeleteClutter is an ongoing problem for me.
Have a great one.
Awesome post! Simple living summed up in a condensed version! Great advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you. many things involved - but so satisfying!
DeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post, Cheryl, with a lot of good advice. :)
ReplyDeleteAahhh thank you Belinda. Glad you liked it.
DeleteI feel the same way about the movies today. I also, have NEVER seen a remake of an old movie that was better than the original! Very, very few are worth watching. We don't even watch TV any more except maybe for a weather station in the event of bad weather.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your "1% of 1% head thing and thoughts!"
Love your "words of wisdom"! (probably because they are what I also feel).
A couple of days ago I asked my granddaughter what she and her kids would do if a massive EMP happened. No electric, no water, and worse yet - no electronic devices such as Smart phones, tablets, computers etc. She replied " I don't know, but I do buy bottled water at times!" She has no clue. She's never used an outhouse or a "chamber pot" under the bed, washed clothes on a washboard and hung them on a line outside. She HAS grilled outside a couple of times and thought that was "fun", never lived without electricity and heated the house with a fireplace and used candles and kerosene lamps for light for eight days, never not taken a shower for eight days, never had to boil water on the stove to do dishes or laundry or take a sponge bath, etc. I'm grateful that my grandmother never gave up her outhouse - even though my kids HATED it!
I'm so grateful for having those experiences! I may not want them back permanently, but I'd know how to survive if I had to. I even have a wood cook stove in storage. Who knows, some day I may have to learn to use it!
sorry, you always get me to rambling!!