Should anxiety and fear make decisions for you?

Let’s say you want to let go of something, like leaving your job or leaving a relationship that’s not working, but you feel scared or sad about it – anything but happy. Should you stay because you don’t want to experience anxious or sad feelings? I talked about this in my last two posts on getting rid of stuff – asking, should you hang on to a certain item that’s clearly not serving you – but you feel too much sadness to let it go? But what about those huge issues – jobs, relationships, places to live and so on? Should your level of anxiety and sadness make your decisions for you? What if you’ve put a lot of thought into leaving your job because the negatives are outweighing the positives in a big way, but you’re scared? You’re scared that you won’t find another job you like, or that you […]

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It’s hard to let go

Last post I wrote about the banjo I hadn’t used but couldn’t give up. It sits back in its original place at home, propped up against the wall, still collecting dust, but still bringing a little smile to my face for whatever crazy reason. But now I’m having a hard time giving up even more stuff I don’t use – haven’t used. I thought I had it all together in the getting-rid-of-stuff department. Thought I was the expert in letting go, the expert in simple living, the one with all the answers about getting rid of what you don’t love and use. Hmm. I’m having a hard time. After my banjo, it was my grandma’s old amber glass cocktail set. I’d been storing a few boxes of these lovely things for years and never used them. But I kept them, thinking one day I’d bring them out and have a […]

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Purging stuff is like falling in love

I decided that purging stuff is like falling in love, and I just had my own experience. About ten years ago I bought a banjo because I am a huge bluegrass music fan. I imagined how fun it would be to be able to play banjo and join music jams and stuff. I took about two lessons and then life got in the way. Years passed, and I never picked up my banjo. But I also never tried to sell it. Nor did I fall out of love with bluegrass music. More years passed. The banjo was getting in my way and collecting dust. Finally I told myself I’d had enough. I wasn’t taking lessons. I wasn’t even picking up the banjo. It was definitely getting in my way, and I decided it was time to sell it. So one day, emotionless, I took it to a great place that […]

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How to massively simplify your cooking

I love to eat super healthy and interesting food, and I especially love sitting down to enjoy it in the evening. But I must admit – I don’t love spending hours in the kitchen, and I most definitely don’t like staring at the refrigerator at 6 pm, with no idea what to do. That’s why I just bought a new slow cooker, and a new slow cooker cookbook. Now I’m happy. PREPPING FOOD TAKES ALL OF 10 MINUTES Prepping food for a slow cooker takes all of maybe 10 or so minutes – that’s it. You do the prep, put it in the cooker in the morning, and go about your day. In the evening when you’re dreaming of coming home to put your feet up – you can. Dinner is ready. I love these things. They’re magic. I bought a new one because it’s bigger than my old slow […]

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