Journaling

I've mentioned writing in your journal in several of my earlier posts, but thought I would bring it up again just in case you haven't quite gotten the habit down yet. I still struggle with it myself, so I know how hard it can be. But I also know how much more clarity I have about my life, my goals, my dreams, when I do journal.

I like to journal in a planner. I found a great one at Target - the Weekly/Monthly Planner by Blue Sky. I like it because it has both a monthly and a weekly calendar for each month ... so I use the monthly one for appointments, etc. and the weekly format for my actual journaling. I try to do a gratitude journal each day - at least 3 things I'm grateful for, as well as a dream journal if I remember my dreams from the night before. And then I also just journal about my day - any synchronicities I've experienced, any inspiration that came to me during my meditation, etc.

I admit that there are weeks when I get very little written in my journal. But I never give up on the idea ... I carry it with me always and write in it whenever something comes up that I want to remember.

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

Homesteading Mindset ...

My comment today from Bobby Tall Horse got me to thinking about homesteading ... and when I went off and did a little research, I found this blog, which pulls together the ideas of simple living and homesteading.

I guess there's not much actual "homesteading" going on anymore like there was back in frontier days - when free land was available and all you had to do was agree to work it. Today, when someone speaks of homesteading, they usually just mean "self-sustained living" ... growing your own food, etc.

What can you do in your own life that would move you closer to a "homesteading mindset?" Grow your own garden (even a tomato plant in a pot counts!!), sew your own clothing, can or freeze food. Any step you can make toward simplifying your life in these ways will most certainly make you a happier soul!

Right in the middle of our urban chaos, we can carve out a small little "homestead", even if only in our mind, and make our lives so much richer by so doing.

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

Go Simple!

Simplifying our lives seems to be the hot topic right now. I'm seeing articles and TV shows about it everywhere ... even Oprah had a show about Simplifying Your Life this week ... although I must admit I have a little trouble listening to Oprah tell us about packing her own lunch every morning "to save $7" or "saving toast" that she doesn't eat one day and retoasting it the next morning!!

But getting rid of the "stuff" will indeed make you feel more alive and more connected to the earth. How many pairs of shoes does one woman need, after all? And in this time of recession, now is a great time to sell those unused or unwanted items on ebay, at a garage sale, or to a consignment store. That was one thing I mentioned in a recent article I wrote for Associated Content ... taking an "asset audit" of our homes and cleaning out the unnecessary clutter.

This week, start looking for ways to clear out the clutter in your home and your life.

Didn't need it when I bought it,
And sure don't need it now!
I'll clean the clutter from my space,
And add serenity in its place

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

"Nature" isn't always GREEN!

According to Free Dictionary.com, nature is defined as "The world of living things and the outdoors: the beauties of nature." So connecting with nature can be connecting with animals (and I guess, technically speaking) other people, too. But in particular, animals can have a very positive effect on our spirits. Whether they are cats or dogs, fish, hamsters ... or the outdoor kind of animal that you might have on a farm, just being around them makes you feel more alive.

And then there are people like Bobby Tall Horse, who's new blog, Homesteading and Homemaking with Bobby Tall Horse just makes you feel the joy of being connected to nature as you read her words. I borrowed this great photo from her blog ... it shows you just a small piece of her wonderfully "in touch with nature" lifestyle. I'm going to be following this wise woman ... and I hope you will, too! What a great life she leads!

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

Connecting with Nature

The EPA says that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors!! That is just wrong in so many ways!

This week, make an effort to get closer to nature. At the very least, buy a few plants for your home and/or office. I have discussed some of the benefits of plants in a recent AC article, but they are so much more important to our lives than just as toxin removers. A walk outside will not only provide you with beneficial exercise, but will calm your spirit.

Get outside every day, even if it is just to sit in the grass or on the hood of your car during your lunch hour! Buy some flower or vegetable seeds and try your hand at container gardening. Throw the ball or frisbee to your dog. Take your cats out on a leash! (I DO ... and they love it!!!!)

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

No time?

When someone says they "don't have time" for something, it generally means that they either don't really want to do it at all, or they are subconsciously afraid of doing it for fear they might fail.

What don't you have time for? Writing, exercising, getting organized? Put one thing in your journal that you don't have time for, and think about it every day for a month. Then be honest with yourself - do I not have time because I don't really want to do it? Or am I afraid that if I do it, I will fail? If it's the former, let it go and quit beating yourself up about not doing it!! If it's the latter, let go of the fear and just try!

Thanks for being here and now.
KT

Ready, Set, Go!

READY?
Have you got that list completed of things you would do if you had more time? Are they sorted by how much time they will take to accomplish? There are several ways to do the list, depending on how you want to spend all that extra time:

a little bit each day:
1. Organize photos - 10 minutes a day for 30 days
or
dig in and don't stop 'til it's done!
1. Organize photos - 1 hour a day for 6 days

SET?
Now we start making that extra time! Do whatever feels comfortable to you. When I started doing this, I would SET my alarm clock back ONE MINUTE each day. Sounds "wussy", I admit, but it worked for me! Keep going back one minute each day until you decide you've gained all the extra time you need to start making some headway on that to do list. For me, it was 1 hour. That's 5 extra hours a week (yeah, you should do it on weekends, too ... I'm still working on that one!) ... 20 extra hours a month ... 1000 extra hours a year!!!! 1000 extra hours!!! That's 42 days!!!!

GO!

Start working off that to-do list!

Thanks for being here and now.
KT