I know. This is SO not a picture of simplicity. It is quite the opposite. But Elvis and his junky flea market entourage were just begging to make a cameo in the post. |
I love the idea of resolutions. A new year provides the perfect opportunity for start-overs, makeovers, and do-overs. Whether you're a resolution-ish person or not, I think most of us crave an invitation to embark on an adventure in change.
Fresh starts and clean slates, whether an everyday new morning or a crazy new opportunity, have a way of refocusing and revitalizing our tired and mired-down selves.
This year I didn't make any formal resolutions. Oh I have a few loose plans and goals but I don't want to be held hostage to them. Instead I came up with a word that encompasses all the {loosely-held} goals I have swimming around in my head.
Simplicity.
As I mentally surveyed the tasks and changes I hope to work out in this new year, I realized that they all fall under the umbrella of life lived more simply.
So I thought I'd spend the next few posts running with this theme. I hope to talk about the ways in which simple living is being cultivated in the everyday, how it's affecting everything from home to motherhood, from making rest a priority to how I think about God.
There are lots of simple gurus out there. I'm not one of them. I'm just an average woman who's been through a year {many years actually} of too much.
I'd like to change that. {Get thee behind me, flea-market Elvis.}
So I'm letting go, paring down, sitting still, and making space in the overcrowded margins of my life. And I look forward to sharing my hopes and adventures with you.
So what about you? Any plans to simplify in 2012?
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ReplyDeleteI am so into simplifying this year. In fact, I posted about this too last night. I can't wait to jump back and take it easy, say no once in a while and delete a little.
ReplyDeleteFunny you wrote about this today. We spent the majority of yesterday cleaning out and simplifying our basement and side porch closet. After removing a huge pile to the curb and another to be taken to donate, I love the open spaces and walking through it without all the clutter.
ReplyDeleteLess clutter in my space = less clutter in my brain = simplify.
For me anyway!
Just started reading the book - 7 an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker. It talks about too much - food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending and stress. Should be an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read Freedom of Simplicity by Richard J. Foster? Richard was simple when simple wasn't cool. Real food for thought!
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