HOLSTEE | Simplicity
The focus for May was simplicity which was welcome as I had returned from a month away in Turks & Caicos and spent a lot of April experimenting and regaining my bearings. Scaling back to see and appreciate where I am in my life was just what I needed.
The exercises this month worked well with my guiding word for 2022: more. It may sound counterintuitive but if I focus on what is essential in my life, I get more of what I want and less of the things that don’t satisfy me. It’s all about discernment and knowing what it is I want in my day-to-day existence while finding joy in the journey as opposed to the overwhelm of reaching a goal only to set a new one.
I participated in the Bonus Challenge in my own way. Every time I wanted to buy something, I simply put it in my cart rather than actually purchasing it. At the end of the month, I had 17 items in the cart. The whole idea was to bring awareness to mindless consumption and spending. At the end of the month, I went through my cart and realized there wasn’t much I actually needed and purchased only the 3 items that were actually required.
“All we can do is one thing at a time. All we have is this moment, this day. And it is enough. It is beautiful, incredible, if we just really see it and appreciate it.”
ICEBREAKERS
What makes you smile?
My home, my family, the life that I’ve made for myself.
What area of your life needs the most simplifying?
My daily practices are numerous. Something has to give. I am overwhelmed with time blocks and alarms on my phone reminding me to do this or that. I need to strip it all back and figure out which practices will give me the most satisfaction and joy. Focus on those for a while. Do I need to write morning pages? Not really. Do I need to pull an oracle card every day? Yes, it keeps me in daily communication with Bill. Do I need to meditate twice a day? Probably not, I could make it once a day. Do I need to stretch on the reformer Pilates machine? Absolutely, it’s the key to my future.
What do you feel are the pros and cons of a minimalist life?
By far and away the pro, to me, is having time and knowing what to do with it. The cons would be fewer creature comforts but that would also lead to less clutter. Discernment is definitely required.
DEEPER QUESTIONS
What in your life is most essential to your happiness?
Always having something to learn and do - read and create. Sating my curiosity is definitely key to my happiness.
Who in your life can help simplify seemingly complex moments?
I just have to lean back on my couch with a dog on either side. As I pet each of them, all of our eyes close, and things fall into perspective and become clearer.
If there is an afterlife or reincarnation, what one memory from this life would you bring with you?
I would bring with me the absolute to-the-bones-knowing of how it feels to be completely accepted, profoundly understood, and deeply loved. That was the most beautiful gift Bill gave me. I hope to never settle for less ever again - and by that I mean in any lifetime going forward.
What are you holding onto that you need to let go of?
Over time my weight became armour. It protected me from situations that were uncomfortable and sometimes potentially dangerous. The beauty of being heavy and becoming older is that I am becoming more and more invisible. (Though many don’t see the beauty of aging, I choose to look at it as a positive thing - I’m learning to prefer to be a witness to life rather than a lead character.) I no longer need the weight to protect me, it’s time for it to go.
What about you? Is simplicity something that comes easy to you or, like me, does it require effort and focus?