simplicity « Sweet Soliloquies

Posts Tagged ‘simplicity’

Simple Woman’s Daybook – January 25, 2010

Jan 25th, 10 / 1 Comment

FOR TODAY… from Pamela’s Daybook

Outside my window…the hard city streets tempered by gently falling snow.

I am thinking…that I’m enjoying getting back to blogging more although I’ll be easier on myself about it. No more pressure.

I am thankful for…a super fun weekend with my sister and her family, and my brothers. Good food, good company, good times.

I am wearing…brown dress shoes, medium brown slacks, a muted brown, green and cream colored top with a gothic design and a cream cardigan.

I am remembering…that I have financial obligations I must attend to.

I am going…to finally decide on a format for gratitude journaling this week.

I am currently reading…The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. I have fallen in love with her writing and recommend her books to everyone.

I am hoping…and praying that my son get over the stomach flu/issues he’s been having.

On my mind…my beautiful friend Jane and the loss of her daughter. I wish I could make it all better for her.*

Noticing that…While I still love stylish clothes, comfort is becoming more important to me.

Pondering these words…“The fault is in the blamer. Spirit sees nothing to criticize.” ~ Rumi

From the kitchen…leftover spaghetti and giant, yummy meatballs from last night’s dinner. Add a little salad and some breadsticks and wa-la!

Around the house…I’m going to go through the papers, magazines and boxes sitting in front of my desk. It’s truly a ridiculous sight! I’m also on a mission to get through the laundry pile this week!

One of my favorite things…the soft, fluffy “stay at home” socks Santa brought me for Christmas.

From my picture journal…

Jane

*Please pray for her.

To enjoy reading more daybooks, please go to the host blog.

Memes

2010 Focus

Jan 4th, 10 / 1 Comment

Hello again, my friends. I’ve been a bit scarce the last month or so while attending to many matters and celebrating the holidays. I’ve also needed time to recharge and refocus.

Instead of making resolutions for the new year, I’ve chosen to put more energy into “focus areas.” Many of us in the blogsphere choose a word to focus or meditate on each year and the word I’ve chosen for 2010 taps into many areas of my life. Last year’s word was “Inspiration.” I found, and continue to find, inspiration from many sources, and it has helped to clarify my dreams. I also hoped to inspire others through my words and actions and long to be given every opportunity to do so. While 2009 was difficult in many respects, inspiration knew no bounds.

My word for 2010 is “Nourish.” Nourish means:

– Verb (used with object)

to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth.
to cherish, foster, keep alive, etc.: He had long nourished the dream of living abroad.
to strengthen, build up, or promote: to nourish the arts in one’s community.

– synonyms

encourage, help, aid, back, advance.

One of the most beneficial things I learned in 2009 was the need to simplify, scale back, and focus on what is truly important. I may not have always been overloaded with activities and tasks, but my mind was…still is sometimes. It is time to relearn what is much easier to practice as a child, the ability to be in the moment. Just be.

Now that I’ve recognized the need to be in the now, put my full energy into each moment, remove hidden and not-so-hidden stressors, and enjoy a more simple life, it’s time to nourish this practice and the dreams, for myself and others, it will allow me to follow and make real.

Gracias by Rudolph Carl Gorman

Inspiration, Wellness

Wishcasting Wednesday – Take a Step

Nov 25th, 09 / 10 Comments

Our Wishcasting hostess Jamie (Ridler) is certainly on spot this week! Her question to us is:

What step do you wish to take?

The question couldn’t be more timely. I was just speaking with someone last night about the steps I’ve taken to reduce stress since being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and the steps I plan to take in the future.

Steps I’ve taken so far:

Let go of self-imposed commitments that will not hurt anyone if stopped. This step must be taken periodically as I’ve a penchant for joining groups and starting projects. “Starting” being the key word.
After much aggravation and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, I finally found someone willing to help my husband and I better budget ourselves and shake off one heaping hill of stress. It’s a bit scary, this budget, but the clouds are starting to part and we can see a hint of blue sky.
Our efforts at nudging our son in the direction of independence shows signs of actually working. It’s not always easy holding fast and firm through the whining and attempted manipulation, but he will eventually complete a less-than-exciting requested task. He is now filling out job applications, cooking more on his own, and dreaming about where he’ll live in the future. Now, if he’d only learn to love washing the dishes!

Steps I wish to take:

Continue working with my son on life skills.
Now that we’re on a budget, instead of going out shopping for the many books we desire, we can spend that time pursing our other interests like drawing, painting, writing, etc. Perhaps we can even collaborate. No more excuses about not having enough time!
I’ve always wanted to do something a little more with this blog, have more of a focus, and now, I think I know where I’d like to take it. Oh, I’ll still write my feelings and wishes and write book reviews, but in the next few weeks, you’ll find postings of another sort as well.
Be more consistent about talking 15 to 30 minutes for myself each day.
Enjoy more silence and simplicity.