Since New Year's Day I've been practicing a daily routine of spending at least 15' per day decluttering. It's based on a set of suggested daily activities from here. Each week is devoted to a particular topic, and the days are broken up so all you need to do to accomplish something is check the calendar. As one would expect from a freethinking progressive Unitarian Universalist Democrat I substitute my own missions when the daily one doesn't meet my needs.
I'm really happy and making lots of progress. But a few days ago a found another site, and I'm questioning my methodology and goals. Please grab a meditation cushion and follow me below the dingledoodle squigglie dKosagnocchi dividerthingie fold after a word from our sponsor...
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The article I read was entitled How To Get Rid Of Clutter And Live Abundantly, by Mallory Ortberg. I want to share several of the pearls of wisdom so that you understand fully what a change this will make in my life (and possibly yours?):
It’s important to be very rich but have almost no items in your home. This will confuse vengeful spirits that come looking to destroy your possessions.[...] Have you ever owned anything? This is why you cannot forgive any of your former lovers.
How many of the spices lining your pantry have you ever actually used? “Most of them?” Get rid of them. Every one. If you’re not using a spice right now, it’s not important. Your lymph nodes should be covered in turmeric 100% of the time, but you don’t even know where the lids to your Tupperware containers are, do you? Look at the moon. That’s all of the spice you need.
Thank every item in your refrigerator deeply – kiss each one of them softly and slowly with your mouth – then prepare for each item a small Viking funeral. Set them adrift on a blazing ship into the waters of a very cold lake. In the future, when you are hungry, eat your memories. The only thing that belongs in your refrigerator is mindfulness.
Chairs are rigid and static. Chairs lack suppleness. A chair is a frozen emotion. Every chair in your house is a locked-up resentment you sit on every day. Get rid of them. You don’t need them. Throw them out the window. You’ll find you’re now several inches taller, and that the chairs never even hit the sidewalk – they evaporated several stories down, even if you live in a first-floor apartment. They disappeared because you’re capable of forgiveness now.
Replace your couch with a pile of the least frustrated lentils you can find; no more than seven lentils.
Throw away everything in your dirty laundry hamper. If a piece of clothing really mattered to you, you wouldn’t let it get dirty.
Do you SEE why my life has been transformed?! I have been holding on to chairs... and Wedgewood pottery from my mother... and I have not yet produced my own argan oil moisturizer from letting go of my anger. I have wasted my time disposing of only expired food, by sorting piles of paper into shred and recycle bins, and by organizing my bathroom cabinets. When I needed to be searching for perfect lentils.
If you will excuse me now, I need to remove all the bowls in my kitchen cupboards and replace them with the husks of milkweed pods, so that I can let go of the trauma of fifth grade recess. What will YOU be decluttering tonite?
I will make an exception and vow NEVER to declutter BeninSC out of my life, even if it means I need fourteen lentils. We can use quinoa if it helps him provide the brilliantly organized formatting he always provides!
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From pierre9045:
I would like to submit this comment by Technowitch. Techno's story and message really left an impression on me.
From Puddytat:
Mother Mags astute comment on our current crop of Presidential wannabes must not be missed.
From Cali Scribe:
radarlady wanted to send this comment by blue aardvark from Retroactive Genius' diary on WBC's foiled plans to protest Leonard Nimoy's funeral, but the entire thread starting with jwinIL14's post is delightful.
Some comment 'flags:'
Flagged by Meteor Blades, this comment by Bob Johnson highlights GOP desperation for a quality candidate!
Flagged by Love Me Slender, this comment, ALSO by Bob Johnson, hits Hillary pretty hard. (Is that good?)
Flagged by offgrid, this comment by G2geek is a fine comment in Grateful Dead thread!
From Yours Truly, brillig:
In Kerry Eleveld's diary Marginalized centrist Democrats target Elizabeth Warren 'wing' of party, Phoebe Loosinhouse had a great comment that led to a wonderful thread!
Top Mojo for Monday, March 2, 2015, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) furthermore by Laurence Lewis — 114
2) Hopefully by fugwb — 103
3) The Kid Had 1 Second to Plan the Rest of His Life. by Gooserock — 93
4) Dean isn't a class warrior by Dallasdoc — 88
5) Utterly Fucking Brilliant by Wisper — 82
6) I'd go one better by MargaretPOA — 78
7) Howard Dean should be ashamed of himself by Paleo — 78
8) The Third Way is NOT even a Democratic by inclusiveheart — 71
9) Jeez, just ask the NSA for copies by palantir — 69
10) Franken has shown the way by MargaretPOA — 66
11) But we must think of all the good cops! by jrooth — 66
12) Please congratulate Chrislove! by nomandates — 64
13) It is hard to imagine how much more extreme by Denise Oliver Velez — 62
14) The Democrats need to get past their denial by kbman — 57
15) Solar will win no matter where fossil prices go by ivote2004 — 56
16) Five marriages. by ruscle — 56
17) I am so relieved we don't live in one of those by koosah — 56
18) Good. nt by tapu dali — 54
19) Well, The Third Way are carpetbaggers. by inclusiveheart — 54
20) I am a staunch Democrat and like Hillary by NYFM — 54
21) I cannot believe Loomis. by Matt Z — 53
22) Rice's speech to Aipac was excellent and more by HoundDog — 52
23) Brilliant for Pelosi by pierre9045 — 52
24) Dean was never fiscally progressive. by FishOutofWater — 50
25) no, dont envy the rich by Karl Rover — 50
26) The city also blamed the parents for allowing by Mother Mags — 49
27) Not sure if they're in this count by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees — 49
28) Schumer would be impossible to keep away by wader — 49
29) Alfred Hitchcock says there's nothing weird here. by jwinIL14 — 48
30) I sure wish my two California Senators would not by nspguy — 48
31) A possible silver lining here... by madmsf — 48
32) Bibi says he means no disrespect to Obama..... by Inland — 48
2015-03-03 Top Comments with Pictures, courtesy of
jotter!