What's holding us back?

[image courtesy of Kurt Halsey]

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to
their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

*******

Let's be good to each other,
let's be kind,
let's be fun,
let's be laughter,
let's be beauty,
let's be song & lyrics,
let's be forgiveness,
let's
be
l o v e.

Last Week in Numbers

{Happy Birthday, Chloe Darling!}

6.07.09 - 6.13.09

1 - book I finished reading (Impulse)
2 - pitchers of Shock Top for James at Beer Bellies
3 - paintings for Chloe's Birthday
4 - weeks until our lease is up
5 - days of my new summer course "Grammar for Teachers"
6 - times loading/unloading the dishwasher
7 - hours spent training my replacement as store manager
8 - episodes of DVRed "Jeopardy!" watched
9 - bags of frozen grapes
10 - seconds spent not worrying

(I DEFINITELY need to work on #10!)

[blog topic inspired by Naturally Nina]

"I gotta feeling..."

Picture of the Day:

*oh how i ADORE Kurt Halsey*

Quote of the Day:

Phoebe: Pheobe. That's, P, as in Phoebe, H, as in heobe, O as in oebe, E, as in ebe, B, as in bebe, and E as in... Ello there mate.

(source = IMDB)

Fact of the Day:

The average smell weighs 760 nanograms.

Song of the Day (and week and probably month...):

"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

Delicious

Picture of the Day:

i say, the more color, the better.

Quote of the Day:

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Albert Einstein

Fact of the Day:

Lizards communicate by doing push-ups.

In love with Thoreau...

Picture of the Day:

{muy caliente}

Quote of the Day:

Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.
Henry David Thoreau

Fact of the Day:

Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas.

Do Be Do Be Do...

Picture of the Day:

hmm...i'm thinking it's time for a new tattoo...

Quote of the Day:
A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.
Henry David Thoreau

Fact of the Day:
The first Ferris wheel was built in Atlantic City in 1869.

Simplify

[this family put candles in a banana to show that even the simplest of activities are to be savored and celebrated]

What will or won't you do to save money?

[blog topic inspired by Remodeling This Life]

I don't mind that my fiance & I never go out to eat.

I like being resourceful; instead of buying new clothes, I look at what I have and make new outfit combinations.

I love DIY projects & crafts.

I like printing out pictures from my computer.

I have fun making my own artwork.

I like buying gifts for people I love...

...but I like making gifts for them even more.

I don't mind taking the time to research an item to find the best possible price.

I don't buy designer clothing.

I buy journals & books constantly.

I miss going to the movie theater...

...but downloading movies is quite convenient, too.

*******

On a similar note, I want to simplify my life--that means living more fully, having (and wanting!) less material possessions, and spending more time with people rather than with things.

How will I do this? My goals are to:

1. De-clutter. I am a huge pack rat so giving and throwing material possessions away is hard for me. My solution? To take pictures of the things that have sentimental value and then either give them away or throw them away. For things without sentimental value, I must really determine if they are worth my time or if I even spend any time using them.
2. Stop buying so much stuff! My new rule: if I buy something, I must get rid of something else; that way, I'm not adding to my collection of "stuff" but rather replacing and exchanging it. My other strategy, which always works pretty well for me, is to carry the item with me throughout the rest of my journey through the store; I almost always decide against buying the item once I've been holding on to it for a while.
3. Keep the tv off more often. I generally cannot just sit and watch a tv show or a movie--I have to be doing something else at the same time, whether that's blogging or sketching or painting or looking through a magazine or eating or whatever. I miss most of the tv show anyway, and I don't think either activity--the tv-watching or the other activity--gets my full attention. Instead of having the tv on to fill the silence in the background, I'll make new mixed CDs and download more music onto my MP3 player so that I can listen to music I really like instead of listening to the same old stuff on the radio.
4. Slow down and savor. This goes for everything in my life, from eating to spending time with my family and fiance to playing with my puppy to relaxing. I think we, as Americans, try to rush through everything--and end up missing the magic of our experiences. I want to try to just slow down and take in each experience, to indulge in every feeling and touch and sound and kiss and sight...
5. Create experiences. I'm typically not a very social person; I rarely get bored because my mind is full of ideas that I use to create with and write about and entertain myself with. But there is so much that I am missing by not getting outside of my comfort zone and meeting new people. My fiance and I just recently started hanging out with his co-workers--they're so different from me in so many ways but they have such wonderful stories to tell! I work at a tiny little candy shop and my day is made when I really connect with a customer and we have a wonderful, meaningful conversation. I've also started spending more time with my family, all of which live about an hour away; I miss them so much and I've realized that instead of missing them, I should visit them more and make memories with them. These are the kinds of experiences you remember.

*******

What can't YOU live without?

And, more importantly, what can you GIVE UP?