Today is the first day of the rest of my life and if you're reading this first posting on my first blog, you are part of the rest of my life. Welcome to my world.
This is a new adventure for me. I have been working toward simplifying my life for about the last 15 years or so. Let me tell you, I haven't moved very far off the starting line in the quest for most of those 15 years. Now, as I approach 60 years of age, I look around me at my physical life (home and "stuff"), my professional life, my relationships (I guess this would be called my social life) and other aspects of my life - like my dreams and goals. Boy, is life (still) complicated. So, after rereading my friend's book (Jeff Davidson), Breathing Space, published in 1991 and Elaine St. James books, starting with her book, Simplifying Your Life, I'm determined that I'm going to simplify my life so I can spend more time doing the things I enjoy and want to do and eliminate as much of the stuff I don't enjoy and don't want to do. This does not mean I'm forsaking society, my computer (obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this), my cell phone and my surround sound home theater. I'm not going to wear homemade clothes made from burlap bags. I'm not going to live in a one room cabin with dirt floors and outdoor plumbing and no electricity. You get the idea. What I'm going to do is to keep everything that I use, like, brings me joy and contentment and eliminate all or as much as is humanly possible of everything that takes up space and serves no useful purpose, takes up my time for which I get no joy or contentment, takes up my energy by draining me as in toxic relationships, commitments that need to be eliminated and so on.
This is not a simple task - simplifying ones life. But, with the small amount of progress I've made over the past 15 years and I'm working at with diligence currently, there is a lot of fulfillment and joy. With each thing - tangible or intangible I eliminate, I feel stress relief and a little lighter. What this blog is about is my "adventure" and my experiences in going through this ongoing process of simplifying and then maintaining the simple lifestyle. I'm not sure if I'll be posting to this blog everyday, I doubt it. But, I will be doing it as frequently as I am moved to do so (I hope that's pretty frequently). I have several objectives in doing this blog. One is to chronicle my experience and progress. A second is to share ideas and experiences with others who are either on a similar quest or who want to start simplifying their lives. Third, is to take what I'm learning and through developing a series of audio programs, perhaps a book or two (I am a publisher of books, after all) and workshops, inspiring and guiding others through this life changing and life reinventing experience. I'm just one year removed from being a bonifide "Baby Boomer", but the Boomers are all reaching this point where we've lived through the 70's, then the 80's and finally the 90's. Most of our families are grown and we are left with all the Stuff of those last 20 or 30 years. There is a movement to downsize and simplify - while those coming behind us are buying bigger houses, more cars, more stuff of every kind and their lives are cluttered by work, social commitments, obligations, etc. When I see those coming behind us, I have to shake my head and be thankful I'm past that phase of my life - and I still wonder how I made it this far.
So, this will end my first posting. Nothing too exciting here, it's just an introduction. But, check in from time to time and see the progress, contribute an experience of your own, throw out an idea or two that may or may not work for me and others reading this blog. But, watch as my "load" gets lighter and my life gets brighter. And every once in a while, you'll see some breakthroughs that warrant celebration. And, I know there will be some setbacks and backsliding from time to time also. Downsizing some 40 years of adult life and eliminating the "spoils" that have accumulated in just a year or two is going to be a daunting task.
Til next time . . . Virginia Sound Man
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