Archive for the ‘Balance & Simplicity’ Category
January 2nd, 2012 | 15 Comments »
A new year has arrived and with it a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the past, be mindful of the present, and to manifest what you hope to cultivate over the next twelve months. But, as I shared in my first post of the new year, transitions can be difficult and rarely do they follow a prescribed path. We are each on a different journey and periods of universal transition (like a new year) can act as a trigger with a multitude of effects. Prior to sharing a little inspiring activity for 2012, I want to begin this post with a simple mantra, “everything will be okay.” This phrase is beautiful to whisper to yourself—on both easy and difficult days. It’s also perfectly fitting for however you may be feeling in relation to this new chapter, chapter 2012.
Inspiration for 2012
When thinking about the next twelve months, I find it helpful to switch my mindset to that of my future self. I first got this idea from my friend Jess Constable who writes an annual letter to her future self (highly recommend!).
STEP ONE: I begin by asking my future self (i.e., Carolyn + 12 months from today) for one word that has had significant meaning over the past year. In 2012, my one word is confidence. Ali Edwards recently posted a roundup of “one words” chosen by others that your future self may enjoy perusing :).
STEP TWO: After choosing one word as an anchor for 2012, I brainstorm 12 actions that align with the overall sentiment of this word. I jot down one action per month and put these actions on an index card in the front of my daily journal.
STEP THREE: This year, I’m going to further explore this activity by jotting down one positive action/experience/accomplishment after each month. Then, at the end of 2012, I will have created a personal positivity treasury with a record of positive moments to reflect upon. I really think this simply activity will be tremendously powerful.
Inspiring Downloads for 2012
Inspired by the one-word concept, I created a cheerful printable file for you to download. [download pdf]
I also created a printable document to serve as a visual reminder of this new journaling activity. I plan on keeping mine pinned to my inspiration board for easy reference and updating as the year unfolds. [download pdf]
How do you keep track of positive experiences and accomplishments throughout the year? If you’ve chosen one word for 2012, I would love to know what you’ve selected!
image (everything will be okay): ello lovey
Tags: 2012, Ali Edwards, Confidence, Download, ello lovey, free download, Gratitude, Jess Constable, Makeunder My Life, one word, positivity treasury, printable
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Inspired, Personal, Tips + Techniques, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
December 30th, 2011 | 5 Comments »
As we embark on a new year, we have the opportunity to approach this transition with intention.
Imagine for a moment that you can create a bridge for yourself between 2011 and 2012. What does that bridge look like? What does the experience of crossing that bridge feel like? What do you hope to leave behind in 2011? What do you hope to take with you into 2012?
You are able to create a clearing as you cross this bridge—space within 2012 for growth and new beginnings.
Remember that this is your story to tell. What is the ending that you want to write? And how does the next chapter begin?
As you close this chapter, be gentle with yourself. Use self-compassion. Reflect with kindness. Allow yourself to be at ease, to start where you are. Let this transition reflect the way you would like to treat yourself in 2012.
. . .
As I exit 2011, I am saying thank you—to each of you that has been a part of A Beautiful Ripple Effect. To those of you that have read a single post, submitted a single comment, tweeted about a post, pinned an image from a post, emailed a friend or loved one to share what you’ve read here, emailed me about a post, or for spending any other moment on this journey with me in 2011, you have given me a tremendous gift. Your time is precious and I want you to know how much I value the time you take to help me create a beautiful ripple effect of inspiration. As I enter 2012, I will hold this feeling of gratitude close to my heart.
. . .
Wishing you a beautiful journey as you exit 2011 and enter 2012 .
Love,
Carolyn
Tags: 2011, 2012, beginning, conscious entry, ending, Havi Brooks, intention, Kindness, New Year, self-compassion, the fluent self, Transition
Posted in: Authenticity, Balance & Simplicity, Personal, Tips + Techniques
December 28th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
19. Joy. What does a joyful life look like for you?
A Joyful Life
… is composed of joyful moments.
… is being mindful of joyful moments.
… is now, not tomorrow—it’s a state of being not based on circumstances.
… is grabbing the moment, and not letting it go.
… is feeling giddy about what you’re doing or who you’re with.
… is working smarter, not harder.
… is accepting what is and letting go of what is not.
… is filled with imperfections and mistakes.
… is jagged and rarely smooth, made of turns and leaps—dreams realized and dreams abandoned.
… is undefinable, constantly evolving.
… is available to all who embrace it, all who feel worthy of embracing it. moments of joy enable you to get through life’s darkest moments, especially when you feel joy is the last emotion you should be feeling. it’s during the difficult moments that you need to dig deep and embrace little kernels of joy.
moments of joy. flashes of delight. that is what we live for, that is a joyful life.
What, in this moment, brings you joy?
image: ritzy bee
Tags: #reverb11, 2011, goal, intention, Joy, manifest, reflect, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Balance & Simplicity, Personal
December 9th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
6. Ease. What can you do to add ease to 2012?
First, to shift myself into the “ease” mentality, I turned to dictionary.com for some ways to think of “ease.” Below are a few of the definitions I found.
1. to free from anxiety or care
2. to mitigate, lighten, or lessen
3. to release from pressure, tension, or the like
4. to move or shift with great care
5. to render less difficult; facilitate
Feeling more tranquil after just reading the above descriptions, I realized how important it is for me to really prioritize ease this coming year.
Next, I opened my journal to a blank page and wrote the word ease along the top. On this page, my goal was to release any automatic and unfiltered thoughts associated with ease. Essentially, this is a brain dump of everything and anything that floats into the mind related to thoughts of ease.
Then, I looked at particular ways I could add ease in the coming year. To focus on particular ways, I asked myself a few questions.
What feels difficult?
What would make this feel less difficult?
What do I enjoy doing?
How could I make it easier to do more of what I enjoy doing?
In order to add ease to 2012, I need to check in with myself on a regular basis. By doing regular check-ins, I could practice making tiny changes (less daunting, more doable) and see what works and what doesn’t work to make the difficult stuff less difficult and the good stuff more enjoyable.
I will begin this practice by:
1. Scheduling a few minutes at the end of each week to focus on the topic of ease.
2. Using the questions above as journal prompts for this weekly exercise and revising the questions as needed.
3. Ending this weekly exercise with a focused action that I can use to add more ease to the upcoming week.
What can you do to add ease to 2012?
image: iro ivy
… have you entered the desire to inspire sparkling giveaway (ends sunday!)
Tags: #reverb11, Ease, goal, intention, manifest, reflect, reverb, Simplify
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Balance & Simplicity, Overwhelmed, Personal, When You Feel
October 11th, 2011 | 6 Comments »
Each week, I make a goal for myself and write it at the top of my weekly planner. As I flip through previous weeks, I notice that one goal appears most frequently: embrace ease. Time and time again, I bemoan the complexity of just about all elements of my life − nothing feels easy. I recently wrote in my journal, “Nothing is sticking. Lots of time, lots of ideas, but nothing glistens with passion.” I yearn for the days when things just clicked and came together effortlessly, with a sense of magic. Of course, I forget all of the work and the not-so-good ideas that came before The One that clicked; rarely does everything magically align without some work behind it.
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” –Pablo Picasso
Picasso’s words never really resonated with me before, but now, I get it. Inspiration is more likely to arrive and take root if you are holding a safe container for it to enter your life. You need to cultivate a life and an environment that thrives with inspiration.
The relationship between struggle and ease is a bit like thrift store or yard sale shopping. You hunt for the treasure among piles of ordinary junk. The process is in no way glamorous or easy (e.g., waking up at 5:00 a.m., searching for yard sales, and sifting through junk in the heat), but for many, the ease and excitement associated with the ultimate find overpower the struggle. People love this practice of treasure hunting and become regular thrifters, because the beauty of the find is magnified after the work is done. Writers, artists, and other creative professionals face a similar process. One must put in the leg work, sift through ordinary words, and allow time to pass in order to reach the treasure. Rarely do you find treasure immediately upon beginning a piece of work. To recognize and fully appreciate the result, you must know and appreciate the struggle as well.
Rather than compartmentalize struggle and ease, I love the idea of these two states coexisting. It’s liberating to relish the ease of success within the struggle and the struggle within the ease. This perspective produces a much greater sense of pride and self-worth. You value much more than just the sparkling treasures. Everything counts: the struggle as well as the ease.
I’ve been fighting against the struggle, focusing on its negative impact and wishing for a quick and easy escape. But I’m realizing that, within struggle, there is ease; moments of bliss emerge for us to embrace. It’s easy to miss them or fail to recollect them when you’re in the midst of a storm. But they are there. Similarly, amidst ease, there is struggle, but we typically don’t remember that—and maybe that’s a good thing for a while. But without recognizing its presence, we may become naive to the path ahead of us.
Within the natural rhythm of struggle and ease, recognizing and appreciating this rhythm empowers you to keep moving forward.
image: pinterest via sacramento street via apartment 34
Tags: Balance, Ease, Inspiration, picasso, picasso quote, struggle, treasure
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creativity & Inspiration, Defeated, Goals & Productivity, Inspired, Overwhelmed, When You Feel
September 8th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Today, the color of choice is CREAMY WHITE. Of course, I chose this color immediately after Labor Day because I’m not in favor of abandoning this gorgeous color just because the calendar says so (and I’m not alone). So that’s the back story—why I (or the rebel in me) chose the color. Then, when looking for inspiration for this post, creamy white took on new meaning. I noticed that I gravitate towards light neutral tones when I’m feeling frazzled and am craving simplicity and stillness. Light tones are calming and allow me to reflect on the beauty of simplicity. How about you — what color soothes you?
sources: see all the items featured above in my etsy treasury.
Tags: beige, Calm, cream, creamy, Etsy, Etsy Treasury, gold, Simplicity, soothe, stillness, Treasury, white
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Random
August 25th, 2011 | 6 Comments »
I am excited to share with you the fourth post in the month-long series on ABRE with the super inspiring sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, of Inspired Everyday Living. Inspired Everyday Living is about using your home as a vehicle for self-transformation—as you change your home, you can transform your life. Each week, during the month of August, Laura and Alison have shared a new post focused on ways to transform your home and life. This week the focus is on Changing Habits that Create Clutter!
Changing Habits that Create Clutter
Learning how to get rid of and organize our clutter is useful, but clutter is really just a symptom, rather than the root, of the problem. The real issue is how to stop the pattern of accumulating clutter in the first place! As long as we have too many things in our lives we will always be caught up in an endless cycle of organizing our “stuff.”
Dealing with our stuff takes a tremendous amount of time and energy – whether we’re cleaning, repairing, or organizing – taking care of our stuff takes time. Oftentimes, the stuff in our lives keep us from focusing on what really matters, prevents us from enjoying the present moment, and robs us of enough time for the essential, fulfilling things in life like our relationships and experiences.
While I was clutter clearing and organizing the other day, it occurred to me that no matter how streamlined my systems and how perfectly labeled and neat my storage containers are, as long as I have all this stuff, I would be spending time dealing with it again and again and again. The only way to end the cycle, was not to have the stuff in the first place. I needed to simplify and stay simplified. I began with creating habits and developing a mindset that does not create clutter in the first place.
The first step in developing this mindset is awareness. We need to figure out, and take a good, honest look at how much of our valuable energy and time is spent being a consumer. Take a moment to think about how much time you take out of your day that involves your material life. An easy way to do this is to look at your to-do list and see how many of those tasks involve being a consumer. How much time and energy do you spend thinking about what you want to buy, researching products and prices, buying, returning, or exchanging, learning how to use, organizing, cleaning, maintaining, fixing, storing, dry cleaning, or altering…. your stuff?
The next step is to ask yourself- is it worth it? Once we understand that every thing we bring into our homes and lives is a commitment of our time and energy, then we can begin to be selective about what we choose to bring in. Like it or not, we are in a relationship with all the things in our home and relationships take time and attention. So each time you go to buy something really ask yourself, is this something I want to start a relationship with?
The solution is simple, live with less stuff. Less stuff equals more time and energy. And make sure the stuff you do choose to buy, is worthy of your precious time and energy.
Below are fourteen steps that will help you maintain this new awareness by outlining new habits to keep you from creating clutter in your life. (more…)
Tags: Alison Forbes, change, clutter, clutter clearing, habits, Inspired Everyday Living, Laura Forbes Carlin, organization, organize, Simplify, transform
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creativity & Inspiration, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, Tips + Techniques, When You Feel
August 11th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
I am excited to share with you the second post in the month-long series on ABRE with the super inspiring sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, of Inspired Everyday Living. Inspired Everyday Living is about using your home as a vehicle for self-transformation—as you change your home, you can transform your life. Each week, during the month of August, Laura and Alison are sharing a new post focused on ways to transform your home and life. This week the focus is on Time Management and Balance.
How to Avoid Over-Committing, Over-Scheduling, and a lot of Stress!
The anxiety of always feeling like there is too much to do and too little time seems to be common among my friends. How often do you hear people say “I’m going to squeeze in a lunch,” or “I’ll try to fit you in,” or “let me work it into my schedule.” When you hear yourself saying that, chances are you’re spreading yourself too thin. By trying to do it all, we often over-commit and when we over-commit we usually end up sacrificing something— like focus, respect, quality time, and peace of mind.
Bottom line, we’re all busy these days and often trying to balance many commitments. But ask yourself what’s more important… participating in lots of activities, or thoroughly enjoying few… accomplishing as many tasks as possible, or completing one task well… having lots of interactions with various people, or having meaningful connections… you get the idea! It has become to clear to me that I need to honor and respect myself, and others, by setting aside the appropriate amount of time for whatever it is I am doing.
When I am honest with myself I realize it really isn’t worth it to do something half-way. I’ve had lunches with friends or peers that are completely unsatisfying because we’re not really present—we’re so rushed that we are talking a mile-a-minute, barely taking each other in, and thinking about all the other things we need to do and places we need to be! When that happens, I usually leave feeling very unsatisfied and wondering if it was really worth my limited time. What was the point? To say I did it? To check that person off my list? Am I hurrying to get somewhere else? What makes me think somewhere else is better? What else is there beside the moment?
Although we may not get to do everything we want, when we slow down, manage our time, and choose what’s important we are at least living each moment to its fullest. We are choosing to be present throughout our encounters. We are choosing quality of experiences over quantity, respect for people over disrespect, self-nurturing over spreading ourselves too thin, being focused over scattered, and peace over stress.
Usually we over-schedule for one (or more) of three reasons:
1. We truly do not realize how long certain tasks/events/meetings/errands take.
2. We know how long things take, but we have a hard time saying no or we want to do it all.
3. We forget to account for “transition time.”
Here are three steps to help you manage your time and avoid over-scheduling.
(more…)
Tags: Alison Forbes, Balance, Feng Shui, Inspired Everyday Living, Laura Forbes Carlin, Time Management, transform, Transition
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, When You Feel
August 4th, 2011 | 7 Comments »
I am honored to share with you a new month-long series on ABRE with the super inspiring sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, of Inspired Everyday Living. Inspired Everyday Living is about using your home as a vehicle for self-transformation—as you change your home, you can transform your life. Each week, during the month of August, Laura and Alison will be sharing a new post focused on ways to transform your home and life. This week the focus is on Clearing Your Inner Clutter.
Clearing Your Inner Clutter
Life gets busy, and we often find ourselves thinking about ten things at once, our minds racing trying to juggle everything on our plates. And we know we’re not alone. Many of our friends describe similar feelings of overwhelm and “mental overload,” but it is contrary to feeling peaceful and being fully present in the moment—two things we write about—a lot! So when we find our minds racing, we take time to clear our inner clutter.
Inner clutter is our personal to-do list, unfinished business, unresolved issues or relationships, and/or any thoughts or feelings that repeatedly come up that weigh on our minds. This includes thoughts about our life purpose to thoughts about mundane tasks like going to the grocery store and everything in between. In the same way physical clutter can prevent us from experiencing a peaceful home, our inner clutter can prevent us from experiencing peace of mind.
Think about how heavily seemingly small tasks can weigh on our minds. Have you ever put off going to the hardware or grocery store to pick something up? How many times did you think about doing that chore? Every day until you finally made the trip? And that is just one small errand—imagine how bigger, more pressing priorities can weigh on us.
When our minds are filled with unfinished thoughts, responsibilities, and tasks our focus is scattered and we’re less able to experience and enjoy the present moment. All of those nagging thoughts and concerns claim our attention and we have less energy to devote to truly important projects. We are also taking up mental space, thereby preventing new and creative thoughts from coming forth. If you find you’re frequently distracted because your mind is scanning an endless to-do list, or replaying scenes from the past, or obsessing about imagined future events, then it’s time to clear out your inner (or mental) clutter.
- Set aside some quiet time when you know you will have an uninterrupted half-an-hour. Have a calendar and a notebook at hand. Then take a blank piece of paper and write down absolutely everything on your mind—from defrosting your freezer to repairing the roof, to asking your boss for a raise—no task is too small or too big so don’t stop to judge or organize what you’re putting on your list, just keep writing. The simple act of writing down all the things on your mind will help clear your mental clutter.
- The next step is to organize your list. You may wish to first identify anything that needs to be done by a certain date or time and put those items on your calendar as well as on your list.
- Next pull out anything that can be done quickly, like picking up your dry cleaning or replacing a light bulb, then set a goal to complete one or two of those tasks everyday.
- Each time you complete a task cross it off—crossing things off on your list is a great feeling, so take a second to enjoy the feeling of satisfaction.
- For larger, more substantial tasks that may take time to complete, write down the first step that would need to completed next in order to achieve your goal. For example, if you want to write a book someday, but haven’t started yet, the first step may be researching your subject, or learning how to write a book proposal, or setting up a desk in your home where you can write. Once you’ve crossed that task off your list, write down the next step and so forth. Breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks will help you feel more focused and less overwhelmed.
As you organize your list you may realize that some tasks aren’t as pressing or important as you first thought. You may even decide that some items can be crossed off the list immediately because you’ll simply decide they’re not necessary to complete. It’s amazing how we can carry an idea around in our heads for weeks or even months, just because we never took a moment to really think about it and decide how important it is to us. These days we are bombarded with a constant flow of information from televisions, radios, the Internet, newspapers, and cell phones, so frequently we hear or see something that sticks in our minds, but that we never process. Sometimes just taking a moment to think about what you’ve just heard or seen, is all you need to do to get it off your mind.
Inner clutter often accumulates as a result of a lack of awareness and/or failure to make a choice. When you bring all the thoughts and ideas in your mind to your attention and make a choice they will no longer weigh on you. Your to-do list will transform from energy-draining, unfinished business into inspiring guidelines and next-steps for living the life you want to live.
Commit to the process of creating and maintaining a list at least once a week. If you ever have a moment during the week when you experience “mental overload,” then take ten minutes to write down everything on your mind. You can then review and process that list later during the weekly time you have set aside and can get back to the moment at hand. By clearing your mental clutter, you will be able to identify what is really important to you and then give those things and people your undivided attention. You are then truly free to experience and enjoy living in the moment!
Sisters Laura and Alison are authors of The Peaceful Nursery: Preparing a Home for Your Baby, bloggers, consultants, and co-founders of a home and lifestyle company called Inspired Everyday Living. They believe that by making simple changes in your home, you can transform your life. For more information about their work visit www.inspiredeverydayliving.com where you can read their blog, view press clippings, learn more about their book, eGuides, and apps, or watch video clips.
Tags: Alison Forbes, clear clutter, clutter, inner clutter, Inspired Everyday Living, Laura Forbes Carlin, transform
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, When You Feel
January 13th, 2011 | 9 Comments »
Simplicity requires intention. You must own what you do.
1. Be Decisive. Is it yes or no? Remove maybe.
2. Less is more. Replace “Could I do more?” with “Would I like to do more?”.
3. Think inside the box. Construct boundaries. Set time limits — when the timer dings, stop and move on.
4. Brainstorm 60 different ways to do X. Mix and match. Divide and blend. Then, choose one way. Ditch the rest.
5. Unitask.
6. Aim for imperfection.
7. Choose to start. Avoidance feeds complexity.
8. Edit everything — remove the unnecessary words, tasks, projects, numbers, cash, links, and stuff. Cleanse and breathe a sigh of relief.
9. Value quality over quantity.
10. Set a goal. Divide the goal in half. Aim for early success to fuel momentum. Slow and steady wins the race.
11. Replace memo pads and word documents with index cards.
12. When in doubt, label it.
13. Be specific. Use dates — always.
14. Filter your ideas. Incubate and decide to act or to trash.
15. Commit to relevancy.
16. Recycle. Don’t fix what’s not broken. Reuse what’s worked before.
17. Trust your intuition. Resist second guessing.
. . . . .
Be kind and share the simplicity with others :). How do you keep it simple?
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity
