Besides the patchwork clothes, the hemp jewelery and all of my organic endeavors...another reason some people label me a "hippy" is that I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist. Probably not a good thing, but sometimes my brain goes places I don't expect.
On that note, I thought about a possible "conspiracy" the other night. I had a couple of choices on how to spend that evening.
1. Watch TV - there were a couple of interesting/amusing programs on and I could have used a good laugh after a rough day.
2. Bake muffins for the week's breakfast, organize a bit to determine exactly what else I need (truly NEED) around what's in the pantry so I don't overbuy/consume.
I'm not saying I couldn't do both, but for me at least, a couple of shows often turns into a couple of hours and before I know it its time for bed....but what's so great about choice #2?
Baking would allow me to use up what's already in the pantry and fridge which would otherwise spoil. The added benefit is I have a healthy homemade breakfast all week without having to buy any packaged cereal or other convenience food.
Planning for the week also helps me to buy much less than I normally would for the week, consuming less resources in the long run.
Now I know the purpose of TV and commercials is mainly to make money and get us to buy more stuff. But could it be that in addition to wanting us to buy the shiny cars and body sprays, they would also prefer us to be distracted from more simple tasks so that we thus need to go out and buy more things in order to save time wasted in front of the Boob Tube? That certainly does make them more money when advertising frozen dinners and fast food chains...coincidence?
Fast living = expensive living, both financially and environmentally. We zip along in our car instead of walking, we discard something that could be fixed in favor of buying new to save time, do the drive-through rather than have a homemade meal, buy produce rather than grow some of our own.
Life these days demands a faster pace. Even in my academic work, with on-line publishing and grant applications, everyone expects more results, faster, cram more into your days and weekends to keep up with our competitors at other universities. Certainly the same is true in other professions. However on top of these increased time demands, many (I am guilty of this too) spend a lot of the free time they do have catching up on their favorite shows, the latest news about the hot star at the moment, ect. Again, we all need our ways to relax but it all leads to more expensive and not-so-green living. And to be honest, I got a lot more satisfaction and relaxation from my freshly baked apple-cinnamon muffins and not being so rushed for a quick bite every morning, and peace of mine from being organize, then from the few laughs I get from some of the shows I watch.
Don't misunderstand me - life is full of distractions, of course I am here playing on the internet instead of doing other things....but what if we all slowed down just a little? What if instead of watching that hour long show, or *gasp* blogging, or reading the latest tabloid we took an hour or so for a bit of planning, making something from scratch, learnign a new useful skill, repairing a broken item rather than running out to the store?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Lent - A Time for Simplicity, Reflection
This post may or may not be of interest to those who are not Christian/Catholic but I do hope that everyone can get a little something out of it.
The season of Lent is here. Lent is a very solemn and special period in the church and while a lot of others may dislike all the "rules" and regulations of Catholicism, I have actually gotten alot out of them, especially by knowing the spirit in which these regulations were thought of.
My priest gave an excellent homily on Sunday (luckily for me he usually does a great job, even talking about materialism and environmentalism on occasion) and talked about how Lent is not supposed to be just about giving up chocolate for a month, meat on Fridays, or whatever else it is people do. He describes it as a time to slow down and simplify our lives.
Its certainly not a bad thing to practice a little self-discipline and certainly money that would otherwise be spent on things like chocolate bars or coffee could be put to better use. However the purpose of Lent is truly to take a break from things that prevent us from hearing the voice of God and to tend to the more important things in life. He suggested maybe giving up TV or internet to make more "space" in our lives. Another thing one can do is give up things that hurt others such as swearing or gossip (and believe me, giving up gossip would simplify my life a lot!). You can then use the time to add other things such as prayer and meditation that truly enrich our lives. Simple living isn't necessarily about eliminating tons of items or tasks from our lives, but rather focusing only on what is truly important and enriching which sometimes means both taking away adding things to our life.
I think that even those who are not religous could probably benefit from a sort of "Lenten" season every now and then. Giving up some things that complicate our lives or suck up resources that could be put to better use for a more fulfilling purpose.
This season comes at a time for me when it doesn't make sense for me to slow down. A baby on the way and a dissertation to write make for very hectic times. However, I see God's plan in this as I learn to trust God, and make the time to follow my simplicity endeavors. Life will always have the potential to be hectic and cluttered, if I don't continue to simplify and make time for the truly important things now I never will. What I am giving up isn't going to help the environment, save me money, or even free up more time. I won't share here what I am giving up as I don't want to do this in hope or expectation of recognition or praise. However, I do hope that it will make some spiritual "space" for me and declutter myself of anger and bad temperment.
Regardless of religous affiliation, I think periods of spiritual and personal reflection are a good thing. It can help us declutter emotionally and point us back in the right direction of where we want to go. Sometimes we lose our way without even realizing it and just stopping and taking notice of our surroundings can get us back on the right trail.
The season of Lent is here. Lent is a very solemn and special period in the church and while a lot of others may dislike all the "rules" and regulations of Catholicism, I have actually gotten alot out of them, especially by knowing the spirit in which these regulations were thought of.
My priest gave an excellent homily on Sunday (luckily for me he usually does a great job, even talking about materialism and environmentalism on occasion) and talked about how Lent is not supposed to be just about giving up chocolate for a month, meat on Fridays, or whatever else it is people do. He describes it as a time to slow down and simplify our lives.
Its certainly not a bad thing to practice a little self-discipline and certainly money that would otherwise be spent on things like chocolate bars or coffee could be put to better use. However the purpose of Lent is truly to take a break from things that prevent us from hearing the voice of God and to tend to the more important things in life. He suggested maybe giving up TV or internet to make more "space" in our lives. Another thing one can do is give up things that hurt others such as swearing or gossip (and believe me, giving up gossip would simplify my life a lot!). You can then use the time to add other things such as prayer and meditation that truly enrich our lives. Simple living isn't necessarily about eliminating tons of items or tasks from our lives, but rather focusing only on what is truly important and enriching which sometimes means both taking away adding things to our life.
I think that even those who are not religous could probably benefit from a sort of "Lenten" season every now and then. Giving up some things that complicate our lives or suck up resources that could be put to better use for a more fulfilling purpose.
This season comes at a time for me when it doesn't make sense for me to slow down. A baby on the way and a dissertation to write make for very hectic times. However, I see God's plan in this as I learn to trust God, and make the time to follow my simplicity endeavors. Life will always have the potential to be hectic and cluttered, if I don't continue to simplify and make time for the truly important things now I never will. What I am giving up isn't going to help the environment, save me money, or even free up more time. I won't share here what I am giving up as I don't want to do this in hope or expectation of recognition or praise. However, I do hope that it will make some spiritual "space" for me and declutter myself of anger and bad temperment.
Regardless of religous affiliation, I think periods of spiritual and personal reflection are a good thing. It can help us declutter emotionally and point us back in the right direction of where we want to go. Sometimes we lose our way without even realizing it and just stopping and taking notice of our surroundings can get us back on the right trail.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Attached to Outcomes
One thing that is nice about simple living....one thing that I often take for granted in favor of all the distractions of modern life (constant business, TV, work work work...) is that I have time to reflect on my own self...that is if I choose to do it.
A hectic week led me to watching more TV to wind down (didn't help at all), and feeling that getting busier and busier and more and more flustered would get the task done (also didn't help at all). Now the week is almost over, some major projects and tasks completed and I finally took some time for ME instead of distracting myself with other things. Why didn't I do this earlier? I feel much better, more relaxed and content doing this rather than TV or anything else that I do to try and "relax"......
So what did I find? I have found that I am attached to Outcomes. DESPERATELY attached. And when these Outcomes don't occur, I mourn them like a tragic loss, rather than just a change of plans....
I want to accept what God and the universe has to offer me that day, regardless of how I envisioned it.
Don't Be Angry. Don't Be Bitter. Don't Be Spoiled....Be Grateful, Be Joyful, Be Blessed....Just Be.
A hectic week led me to watching more TV to wind down (didn't help at all), and feeling that getting busier and busier and more and more flustered would get the task done (also didn't help at all). Now the week is almost over, some major projects and tasks completed and I finally took some time for ME instead of distracting myself with other things. Why didn't I do this earlier? I feel much better, more relaxed and content doing this rather than TV or anything else that I do to try and "relax"......
So what did I find? I have found that I am attached to Outcomes. DESPERATELY attached. And when these Outcomes don't occur, I mourn them like a tragic loss, rather than just a change of plans....
- I want the light to turn green....NOW so I can be to mass 10 minutes early...no later.
- I want plenty of closer parking spaces when I get to work (the university sold 600 more parking passes then they had spaces this year...)
- I want my experiments to turn out in a specific way and the data to tell me exactly X, Y, and Z and on the first try.
- I want chores and tasks to follow the timeline I set out...no longer.
- I want vacations and trips to go along exactly as I envisioned them.
- I want friends and family to treat me a certain way, all the time, regardless of how their day went.
- I want the store to have exactly what I want, when I need it.
I want to accept what God and the universe has to offer me that day, regardless of how I envisioned it.
Don't Be Angry. Don't Be Bitter. Don't Be Spoiled....Be Grateful, Be Joyful, Be Blessed....Just Be.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Everyone Else's Dreams and How Little I Need
Whew! A very hectic week so I haven't posted in awhile. Work is crazy as I try to finish up labwork and my dissertation so I can graduate in April and be Dr. SimpleNeoHippy before the babe arrives.
One of my favorite sites is www.simpleliving.net , particularly the discussion forums. Lots of thought-provoking stuff, inspiration for simple living and nice people. There was a post from a woman there who is due about the same time and is getting really aggravated with "Everyone Else's Dreams". Basically - everyone is trying to tell her and her husband what they really want - big house, big car, ect. ect. and of course tons of stuff for the baby...but they really don't want any of that for themselves.
I must say I share the same problem. Everyone has an opinion on what we "need" to survive. How interesting how as I get closer to being a mother, my life has been an experiment on how LITTLE I can live with. I have cut expenses dramatically, cooked frugally, decluttered, and even cut back on TV and other "needs". I have been pleasantly surprised on how little you actually need to live....and not just get by...to live WELL, fulfilled, happy, and content. Some things I have found I do NOT need to live well....
1. I don't need all 5 pairs of jeans I own...I am finding I only wear two pair frequently Same goes with the rest of my clothes, many of which will be donated to others who actually need them.
2.I don't need to eat out all the time. I get satisfaction out of cooking, and even spending time with friends, we have had just as good a time..if not better...sharing a homecooked meal together. I am healthier and have cut WAY back on my expenses this way.
3. I don't need TV. There are maybe two shows I actually watch but I end up missing them anyway because I get busy doing something else such as working, knitting, cooking, or reading.
4. I don't need a lot of space. I have been spending almost all my time in one room. I work on the computer, read, and eat all in this room. And of course as I declutter, I have 2 rooms of my house that are half empty...no need for a McMansion here.
5. I don't need kitchen gadgets. I have finally gotten into the habit of cleaning up the kitchen everynight. And I have found only a handful of utensils and pans get used, and certainly none of the "gadgets", even when I get creative.
6. I don't need a lot of food - being content with leftovers (actually a Godsend after a late night at work!) I really only need to shop for 3 meals to make the whole week.
7. I don't need a big car - The car seat fits, I plan to use a fabric baby sling, and my gosh half the backseat and the entire trunk is empty still! My little tiny 4-cylinder compact is more than enough for me, DH, and baby - even two later down the road - SUV is totally unnecessary for us.
8. I don't need cosmetics - short hair, sensitive skin - hair gel and expensive shampoo totally worthless for me, and with my sensitive skin prone to breaking out makeup only makes it worse. I only have to wash my hair every other day, and the look of my skin has actually improved by not wearing make-up (i think its silly anyway), or all the moisturizing, "revitalizing", "pore-cleaning", expensive stuff out there anyway...I don't think any of it really works better than simple soap and water anyway...at least not for this girl.
So how little do you need to live well? Are you living YOUR dream or everyone elses?
One of my favorite sites is www.simpleliving.net , particularly the discussion forums. Lots of thought-provoking stuff, inspiration for simple living and nice people. There was a post from a woman there who is due about the same time and is getting really aggravated with "Everyone Else's Dreams". Basically - everyone is trying to tell her and her husband what they really want - big house, big car, ect. ect. and of course tons of stuff for the baby...but they really don't want any of that for themselves.
I must say I share the same problem. Everyone has an opinion on what we "need" to survive. How interesting how as I get closer to being a mother, my life has been an experiment on how LITTLE I can live with. I have cut expenses dramatically, cooked frugally, decluttered, and even cut back on TV and other "needs". I have been pleasantly surprised on how little you actually need to live....and not just get by...to live WELL, fulfilled, happy, and content. Some things I have found I do NOT need to live well....
1. I don't need all 5 pairs of jeans I own...I am finding I only wear two pair frequently Same goes with the rest of my clothes, many of which will be donated to others who actually need them.
2.I don't need to eat out all the time. I get satisfaction out of cooking, and even spending time with friends, we have had just as good a time..if not better...sharing a homecooked meal together. I am healthier and have cut WAY back on my expenses this way.
3. I don't need TV. There are maybe two shows I actually watch but I end up missing them anyway because I get busy doing something else such as working, knitting, cooking, or reading.
4. I don't need a lot of space. I have been spending almost all my time in one room. I work on the computer, read, and eat all in this room. And of course as I declutter, I have 2 rooms of my house that are half empty...no need for a McMansion here.
5. I don't need kitchen gadgets. I have finally gotten into the habit of cleaning up the kitchen everynight. And I have found only a handful of utensils and pans get used, and certainly none of the "gadgets", even when I get creative.
6. I don't need a lot of food - being content with leftovers (actually a Godsend after a late night at work!) I really only need to shop for 3 meals to make the whole week.
7. I don't need a big car - The car seat fits, I plan to use a fabric baby sling, and my gosh half the backseat and the entire trunk is empty still! My little tiny 4-cylinder compact is more than enough for me, DH, and baby - even two later down the road - SUV is totally unnecessary for us.
8. I don't need cosmetics - short hair, sensitive skin - hair gel and expensive shampoo totally worthless for me, and with my sensitive skin prone to breaking out makeup only makes it worse. I only have to wash my hair every other day, and the look of my skin has actually improved by not wearing make-up (i think its silly anyway), or all the moisturizing, "revitalizing", "pore-cleaning", expensive stuff out there anyway...I don't think any of it really works better than simple soap and water anyway...at least not for this girl.
So how little do you need to live well? Are you living YOUR dream or everyone elses?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)