It’s a foggy old morning outside today [see above pic] – sort of how we can feel sometimes within ourselves.  That misty feeling we get where we cannot seem to see things clearly.  Where if we try to look too far ahead of where we are it all seems blank, murky and unsafe.  A time when taking it slow and being a bit more cautious seems thrust upon us like a big heavy blanket, weighing us down as we walk.  All around seems to say ‘be still’.  When the fog comes to our surroundings, quietness seems de rigueur, the wind doesn’t blow, the birds don’t make much noise and there never seems to be anyone out and about.  Nature appears to shut down, to have a post slumber slumber…sort of a Sunday lay in even though it may not be a Sunday.

Yet often these foggy mornings give rise to a fabulous afternoon of glorious sunshine; one which seems to have more hours in it than it should, appears to last longer and ends up being very productive.  There appears to be more life around, more movement, more laughter and activity; the lethargic fogginess of the previous hours is long forgotten as we make use of the bright sunshine that now seems to cocoon us and inject us with cheerfulness and vitality.

So, if like me, you are feeling a tad foggy this Monday morning – brace yourself.  The haze will soon lift; our inner sunshine will shine bright and where earlier we could not see what to do next we will soon be seeing into the distance.  Imbued with renewed energy after our inner lay in……ready and eager for all that is ahead.

Enjoy

photo by B

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Some previous postings you might like to read:

Life is in the doing not the having

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

In the silence are all the answers you seek

20 ways to make life harder

No matter how slowly a duck or even an insect moves on a pond, ripples will still be made.  Movement other than that which is created by the mover will happen.  The water cannot help but to react to what ever is moving through it.

So it is with life.

No matter how quietly we may feel we move through life, what we do [and don't do] ripples far beyond the immediate spot we fill.  Tiny waves of energy emanate from our movements, meeting with energy that has originated from others to create new movement that neither may ever know about.

We may feel we live a non eventful life, that we achieve nothing spectacular, historic or dramatic during our day or our time here on earth.  Yet the energy which flows from us is powerful.  It continues to reverberate long after we are gone in a physical sense.

The life we lead and our attitude to our time is precious and powerful.  Use it wisely; send forth good energies – for they live on after we have finished with them.  They continue to create when we no longer can in a physical sense.

photo by Dawn via Flickr cc

idttmosvr

Some other postings:

Life is in the doing not the having

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

In the silence are all the answers you seek

20 ways to make life harder

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Don’t allow trivial matters to aggravate you

if the milk spills, wipe it up and move on to something  which deserves your energy

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Enjoy all you do

this is the only time you will live this moment so make the best of it

Enjoy

Other postings you might like:

You don’t have to save the world

Do you live a quantity or quality life?

Honouring your core values

The benefits of a neutral colour scheme

Oil and sugar scrub for your hands

We use our hands a lot during the day and they often take quite the battering.  They are one of our major gateways to experience the physical world and our usual mode for greeting others with waves, handshakes, hugs etc.

Following on in the theme of a previous post entitled Being productive and mindful – 20 one minute to dos I thought I would share with you this wonderful hand treatment which I learnt about a decade ago from a hand model.  It is very quick and easy and can be done anytime.   It is another great way to use those spare moments in the kitchen when you are waiting for something to boil or for the microwave to go ding.

The task:

1. Get the sugar and oil out; any sort of each will do though for obvious reason sugar lumps are not the way to go  …..and if I have it handy I prefer to use olive oil.

2. Either get a bowl of warm water or start the tap running slowly with water that is just warm [I understand it is important to conserve water but it is really hard to turn the tap on with the oil and sugar grit on your hands]

3. Put a teaspoon of sugar in the palm of one hand then a small blob of oil.

4. Rub together, massaging the mixture in – and don’t forget the cuticle area around the nail.

5. Do this for a minute or so and rinse in your water then dry.

This is a wonderful nurturing treatment for your hands and can also be used on your feet [sitting on the side of the bath is best].  Not only does it make your hands feel silky, it costs very little and is a great mindfully productive habit to get into.

Enjoy

(cc) Photo credit: FranUlloa

A few other posts you might like to peruse:

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

Benefits of a neutral colour scheme

Grey, taupe, ivory, creams and white can all be seen as part of a neutral colour scheme.  Sticking to one makes life very simple.

Grey is a bit more formal than the others with taupe being a slightly warmer shade of grey.  With white all colours are present, it offers purity but if you think it is a bit ‘too pure’ or sterile some of the shades of ivory or cream have a slightly more subdued feel to them.  Whilst we often think of these muted tones as being the neutrals, black also can be included.  It is the absence of all colours, thus goes with everything and can add an element of drama.

The Benefits:

1. Neutral colour schemes are often more relaxing as there is less busyness for the eye to comprehend

2. Neutral tones have been ‘fashionable’ for ages so won’t look dated as quickly

3. They are easy to change the look of with little or no cost

4. They are very flexible.

5. If you have a mish mash of different furniture styles it can all be co ordinated by painting them in a neutral shade like white / pale cream.

6. Possessions like books, pictures, photos or collections look great against a pale back drop – think art galleries

7. White paint is always the least expensive

8. You don’t have to worry about the colours not going together

9. Neutral schemes are easily changed with the season or when you fancy a different look/mood

10. Coloured household accessories can easily be moved to a different room to create a new look for no cost

11. If alot of your stuff is in muted neutral tones things never look as messy!

12. Neutral adapts to any style you favour- modern, french provincial, shabby chic, minimalist, etc

13. It is a great basis to let you creative juices flow from

14. You can make it warm looking in the winter, fresh looking in the spring.

By keeping the basic colour scheme of a room neutral you open it up to a multitide of options.  Imagine adding  a cushion or throw, a vase of flowers, coloured picture or even a large bowl of fruit into the scenes below.  It would change the look of the room and highlight whatever you put into it – including yourself .

photo credit: (cc) philaLAB

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photo credit: (cc) Gatsby’sList

Enjoy

Other posts you may like:

Simplicity tip #7

Simplicity tip #1

Top 3 habits to simplify your life

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Scouting around on the internet over the course of a month I often come across some blog posts and sites that I find really interesting or helpful.  So I thought it would be a good idea to do a list of these posts – and hopefully you will find them useful or interesting too.  A lot of the surfing I do is based around things to improve my life but some stuff I just enjoy because it is pretty or funny.  Some post are fairly recent and some a bit older.

My 5 favourite blog posts for this month:

1. The blog of Tim Ferris   5 travel lessons you can use at home

Rolf Potts, who wrote Vagabonding, guest posts on Tim’s blog writing about the five key things learnt whilst travelling can be incorporated in life at home.

2. Wisebread   Simple Living: Overcoming negative inertia

This is a post from oct 2009 but I only found it during the last month.  A few ways to help us stay on track and overcome and recognise some of the stuff that gets in the way.

3. The Satorialist

This is a photography blog on fashion – men’s and women’s.  the pictures are fabulous and I love looking at all the style and maybe getting an idea or two.  Apart from that I just enjoy seeing the pics.

4. Happiness in this world   How to be great

Alex Lickerman writes a weekly blog reflecting on his life as a Buddhist physician.  His posts are always insightful.

5. The rat race trap    12 questions you should be asking yourself

This blog has some great posts and this one I thought was very good if faced with a crossroad in life or if you felt a bit lost and not sure of which way to go.

Enjoy

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Smithsonian Institute Photo credit: The Commons   Smithsonian institution

Other postings you might find helpful:

10 free ways to enhance your life

What is your life saying to you and are you listening?

You don’t have to save the world

Micro productivity, for me, is not only about utilising all those unoccupied moments it is about recognising them.  Being mindful enough about the happenings during the day that I notice when I’m not living the moment.  It’s about living in the now.

So here are 20 to start you off and hopefully give you a few ideas:

At home

1. Throw out any old newspapers etc hanging around

2. Put away that coat or jumper that has been dumped on a chair

3. Fold a few pieces of washed clothing and put them away

4. Empty the bin

5. Wipe your kitchen sink or bench

6. Load the washing machine

At your desk/computer

7. Delete something unwanted from your desktop

8. Put away the file that has been in your tray for awhile

9. Put new paper in the printer

10. Decide what the next step is of something you really don’t want to do is

11. Take the first small step of the thing you really don’t want to do

12. Sit up straight as you type or browse

Anywhere, anytime

13. Drink a glass of water

14. Sit and breathe deeply for a minute

15. List all you are grateful for in your life – in your head, on paper or computer

16. Text someone just to say hi, thinking of you or to say thanks

17. Jog on the spot for a minute for a burst of cardio

18. Delete a few messages on your phone

19. Relax and let who you truly are come through

20. Visualise achieving a goal/goals

If you have any other suggestions on how to fill the odd spare moment then please leave a comment

Enjoy

Other postings you might like reading:

Are you are participant in your life or a bystander?

Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?

Honouring your core values

Simplify your wardrobe

~ ~ My contribution is on page 12

Enjoy

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Other postings you may like to read:

Simplify your wardrobe

Do you have a theme for 2010?

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All the moments of our day are there to be lived.  By being mindful of the small as well as the big periods of time in the day our awareness increases and we become more conscious of what we are doing and how we are living.  Often it is in the little bits of ‘spare’ time we have where we can be productive – micro productivity.  Those moments which easily pass by and are not thought of can add up to a large part of the day.  In any twelve hour period, say 8am and 8pm, if we spend 5 minutes each hour not being mindful of what we are doing this adds up to an hour a day!

5 things to do whilst you boil the kettle (or waiting for the toast to pop etc, etc) :

1. Go through the utensil drawer and get rid of anything that you never use

Pick just one thing and throw it out, if you aren’t using it then no one else will probably either.  Throw out anything that you can’t remember what you bought it for – the butter curler, avocado de pipper, citrus zester or at least the pair of tongs which works the least.

2. Wipe the bit in the fridge where the milk sits

It usually needs it

3. Take one thing that doesn’t belong in the kitchen and put it away

4. Find a home in a cupboard for something that usually sits on the counter

Having clutter free benches in the kitchen makes life easier.  It gives more room when preparing food and makes for easier and quicker cleaning

5. Just be

Spend those few moments being still, letting all that has happened during the day or will happen wash over you.  Realign yourself.  Often this can be the most productive way to spend a few minutes.

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image by Wendy Piersall

Enjoy

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Other posts you might like reading:

Life is in the doing not the having

Why living the life of your dreams is not being selfish

Our choices make our life

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As so many of us use computers for work and play these days it is a side of life which sometimes becomes neglected in our simplifying efforts.  Usually because all our computer files and online life is stored in a neat little laptop or a rather spiffy looking white Mac; a calm exterior which often belies the jumble of old and irrelevant files, draft typings, a bookmark column that stretches on forever and a desktop resembling a holding pattern in the skies around Heathrow Airport.

Sound familiar?

As it is very easy to go off on tangents when being online or working on the computer many things get stored without giving too much thought to whether it will be actually used.  With it being so easy to duplicate files it’s possible to end up with many drafts of different projects.

Organising computer files, especially if they have gotten a bit confusing, can take a while and whilst it is possible to do it all in one go it can be tiring and is easy to get distracted.  It’s best to do it in increments of 10-15 minutes a day starting just before you start your computer time.

Here are three suggestions to help you on your way:

Clear your desktop ~ Spending time looking for a file because you ‘know it’s on the desktop’ is not the most efficient use of your time and seeing a vast array of icons doesn’t make for a calm or organised computer experience when you first turn on your computer.

~ Have a ‘to delete’ file on your desktop.  As you download things to print off or temporary things that you do not need to keep, you can place them in this folder and empty it every month or so.

~ Remove everything from your desktop that doesn’t absolutely need to be there.  The desktop is a gateway not a repository.

Get rid of unwanted or non useful files ~ although computer space is not usually a problem now, it still makes for an easier life if there is not a bunch of things on your computer that are no longer relevant.

1. start a ‘to read’ folder.  Anything you come across you saved in order to read but never got around to it save into this, if you think you will definitely read it otherwise delete immediately.  When next downloading something you think you would like to read – this is the place to store it
2. start a ‘to delete’ folder.  It’s easier to just drag unwanted files into it rather than deleting one by one.  Also if you are feeling a pull at deleting things it can give you a grace period before actually deleting
   what to get rid of -
3. Delete any old drafts you created that you have finished versions of
4. Delete all those folders you opened but never put anything in
5. Anything that is no longer useful should be deleted
6. Sort out any duplicate files and delete as necessary
7. If you have files or folders which you feel you must keep for personal, tax or legal reasons then make a special folder for them and either store it on the computer or put in on a memory stick

Organise your computer files like you organise your paper files ~ that way your thought processes are similar and it will be easier to find what you are looking for.

Enjoy

image credit Katie@!

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Other posts you might like:

Work is life and life is work: it’s all balance

Look for the oneness in others today

The external journey is so passe

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