August Rush - Eddie Berman with Laura Marling

Dancing in the Dark. As recommended by Jen! 

August Rush - Built By Alaska

Built By Alaska

August Rush - Said the Whale

August Rush - The Arkells

The Arkells "Coffee"

August Rush - The Opening Act (Young the Giant)

Welcome to August Rush!

This month's goal is all about music! I'm not sure what shape this month will take. I'm going to design it... right... now... as.... I ... type ... this...

• Find a new song every day for a month. (ask friends!) 
• Play piano. Every day. At least one song.
• Go see live music at least once per week. 
• Visit the Grammy Museum! 

Done. Plan in place. 

First new song: featuring Young the Giant. How have I not noticed them before?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAsTlnjvetI

July Rides Recap

The original goal: A road trip every weekend in the month of July

I had been looking forward to "July Ride" since I first set the intention back in January. I wanted to make sure that I was exploring the world by road and taking trips (now) rather than postponing (until some indeterminate time).

The Portland trip was amazing (flying rather than driving) and the World Domination Summit exceeded expectations. More on that soon...

But my other road trips were overtaken by work that overflowed into my weekends. It's an unhealthy habit to let work take over my life, but I love my job and it's so easy to let it spill over into my personal time. Mostly because my work is so meaningful that it feels personal - doing my part to protect the ocean.

I digress.

So, I flaked on my road trip plan! In week three, I could still hear the call of the open road and I knew I didn't have the time in July to fully respond. Then it hit me... why take short, quick, turn-around road trips when what I really wanted was to drive forward, into the wide open world of the unknown, and to truly explore unconstrained by time and limits!

The new goal: THE GRAND CANYON!

Isn't this one of the ultimate road trips? I was inspired and booked my time off and reserved by hotels that same day. And, travel hacking gave me most of my hotels for free! Thanks Chris Guillebeau!

The trip won't be in July, but it will be a grand road trip and one I can't wait to start! One month away! I haven't been to the Grand Canyon yet so it's the perfect adventure. I'm also staying a few nights in Sedona.

As with most of these monthly goals, I set a course, an intention. Some months, the goal is met as planned. Other months, I may veer off in another direction. But every month, I experience a life I wouldn't have lived had it not been for this plan to live with deliberate intentions. Feeling grateful.

The call of the open road...

Northbound with a Guru Taxi Driver at the Wheel

Today is the first of four "July Rides" and the longest of any of my trips. I'm in the airport now waiting for my flight to Portland for the World Domination Summit.

What am I looking to gain by taking overnight or day trips every weekend for a month?

On the surface, it gives me the chance to see new places and finally make it to places that I never seem to make a priority. That is part of the driving force between all my monthly goals - to not let time just slip away. To set direction. To create. To ship. To live a pro-active life rather than a passive life.

On a deeper level, it is part of my lifelong search for meaning.

These goals place me in places and situations I wouldn't be otherwise, and it is in these places that I most often find meaning and wrestle with the concept of purpose and of truth - existentialism at its finest.

In the cab this moring, I found myself quiet and introspective. Slowly the taxi cab driver started to coax me into a conversation. I was relunctant at first, deep in my own thoughts and recovering from the hustle of running out the door on time. But soon enough, this guru taxi driver led us into a beautiful conversation of meaning and truth. Here are a few of his wise comments...

• Happiness is a choice.
• We see the mistakes our parents made, but we can change. We can turn it around and make better choices.
• A baby sits. A baby learns to crawl, then crawls. A baby learns to walk, then walks. A baby learns to run, then runs. There is a time and a season for everything. (reminds me of Maya Angelou's "When we know better, we do better."
• When we talk to each other, we both learn. Without talking, nothing happens.
• We must avoid those that are negative. They will influence us and take away our happiness.
• It is not how often you fall, but how you get up (and how you help others get up)

He imparted much to me in our brief ride to the airport. All things I've heard before, but his words were especially poignant today, as I begin this trip. As I slowly detach myself from work. As a I hopefully rediscover my bliss.

He also said we work too much. When we have a free day, we mostly "relax" at home. My thought is this and it haunts me as of late: But what kind of life is this? To work. To work. To recover for a day, then return to work.

I love my work. I can list hundreds of reasons why I love my work.

But am I walking instead of running?

July Ride

This month's challenge: to take a trip out of town every weekend. Tackle one direction (North, South, East, West) each weekend of the month to see and experience something new.

300 items. Done!

Books are nearly impossible to let go..

Minimalism continued...

This is now past the point of ridiculousness.

Why do I have so much stuff that I never use, wear, or or even like!

Minimalism

Hoping this isn't just one month of simplifying, but a lifelong shift to minimalism!



Ten more items out the door!

Sometimes an unexpected item in the back of a drawer can bring back a flood of memories. The emotions can be intense when letting go of items that symbolize so much more. The momentum of ten items a day is keeping me moving forward, thankfully!

Why do I have so much stuff?!?

Uncluttering the Kitchen - Ten items at a time!

Minimalism: Ten more things out the door!

Minimalist Project

In additon to these boxes, and a lot of the contents within, I also (finally) let go of my compost bins (I set the worms free!), two giant pieces of plywood, and everything else that was cluttering my side patio.

Clean. Done. Simple. 

The process continues...

It is hard to part with some of these items. They are beautiful and sentimental! But I never use them. So I saved parts of each collection (one wood bowl and one olive dish) rather than the whole set that I never use.

Ten more items out the door!

The unexpected bonus

Every month I embark on a new challenge, there is always an unexpected discovery. I should have guessed this would happen, but being that I love to shop (clearly), I just didn't see it coming. With all this purging (10 items a day!), I have no desire whatsoever to shop or buy anything new this month. We had our charity ball last Saturday and rather than buy a new dress, I just wore a gown from a few years back. Instead of feeling like I was missing out, I felt good making the right minimalist decision. And, I'm saving so much money by not making any new purchases!

Walking gently on this Earth. Ignoring the lure of conspicuous consumption. Living simply 

Ten items from the wine drawer

I'm so thankful I set-up this challenge to be ten items per day. I found ten items (more if you count each item separately) by just going through one small drawer. Letting go, ten items at a time! 

Letting go of sentimental things...

Letting of sentimental things is one of the most difficult parts of this 30 day challenge. I want to hold on to things that remind me of family, friends, trips, and experiences. But I have to remind myself that I carry these memories in my heart and in my digital photos, not in dusty boxes in my closet.

A few blogs that consider this same dilemma:

http://www.theminimalists.com/sentimental/
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/how-to-simplify-your-stuff-and-honor-your-memories/
http://mnmlist.com/how-to-let-go-of-possessions/

160 down, 140 to go

150 items and counting

I am at the halfway point. I've gathered 150 items. Most of them will be donated to Goodwill this week and a few were just tossed or recycled.

The challenge is becoming more difficult. The first 15 days were relatively easy. I made a first pass at my closets and a few cabinets to find things I knew I didn't need. But now I'm taking a second look and it's becoming harder to let go.

I've read a few blogs that talk about owning 100 items - and they mean owning 100 items total. It seems impossible! While I'm not striving for such extreme minimalism, I still admire the simplicity.

What does owning less mean to me?

• Simplicity. 
• Consuming less which is good for the environment and lessens my carbon footprint.
• Consuming less which allows me to save more, and spend more on experiences rather than things. 
• Consuming fewer goods that hurt developing countries and enslave a powerless workforce.

 In my home, it means...

• Living with less clutter.
• Having closets that are organized and simple.
• Simple wardrobe choices - paring down to only things I love and that I feel good in.

I'm still embarrassed that I own this much. I live in small place and it's unbelievable how many things are tucked away in boxes, cabinets and drawers. Wish me luck in the days to come!
 

Ten items lighter

Ten and counting!

Another ten items....gone!

Too many clothes

As I get further into this month, I'm facing the reality that I have way too many clothes. What exactly does that mean? On the surface, it means that I have closets full of clothes that I never wear. The quantity is overwhelming and only adds to the clutter. On a deeper level, I'm embarassed by the waste of spending too much money for things that end up unused and buried in a closet. Imagine what I could have done with that money? A trip? A donation to a noble charity? Life experiences rather than belongings.

This is, sadly, a lifelong habit. But one that I would love to turn around. I don't think I recognized how much this issue has weighed me down. My goal is to truly take a minimalist approach to my clothes.

• Keep significantly fewer clothes.
• Keep only one of any one type and wear it until it's time to replace it.
• Buy only clothes that I absolutely love.
• Buy less often.

The principles are simple, but I've yet to achieve them so far. Perhaps this month will trigger the radical change I need to transform.

By the way, I feel awfully petty even talking about clothes. First World Problems. But it's part of daily life that just needs my attention... then I'll return to contemplating the meaning of life. Ridiculous, I know!

I found this site helpful: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/a-practical-guide-to-owning-fewer-clothes/

Another set of 10 items to sell/donate:

Inspirational closets:



How to get rid of "just in case things"

Excerpt from the Minimalists: 20/20 Theory

"Anything we get rid of that we truly need, we can replace for less than $20, in less than 20 minutes from our current location. Thus far, this theory has held true 100% of the time. Although we’ve rarely had to replace a just in case item (less than five times this year for the two of us combined), we’ve never had to pay more than $20 or go more than 20 minutes out of our way to replace the item. This theory likely works 99% of the time for 99% of all items and 99% of all people. Including you.

More importantly, we haven’t missed the hundreds of just in case items we got rid of, and we didn’t need to replace most of them at all.

Getting rid of these items clears one’s mind, frees up their space, and takes the weight off their shoulders.

What are you holding on to just in case?"

Reminders of simplicity

wrapping dumplings in

bamboo leaves, with one finger

she tidies her hair

(Bash ō 1644 - 1694) 

Why do I have dozens of scarves?

I live in Southern California. This many scarves is a tad ludicrous.