Keeping it simple…

July 1, 2008 | 3 Comments

How hard is it to keep things simple these days? Even here at The Calm Space, where Simplicity is one of our key values, we sometimes find it hard to keep things simple.

Complicated just seems to be the way of things, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t have to be that way!

I’m a bit of a rebel (my kids have different words for it - they call me ‘weird’ and ‘hippy’… in a loving way, of course.) And when I’m being rebellious, it’s usually against the status-quo, against the ‘that’s the way things are done’ brigade. I like to do things the simple way. (And the natural way).

Of course, sometimes even the best intentions can be subverted or complicated. And I accept that as part of life. Like the fact that our ’simple’ home renovations last year haven’t ended yet. The painter disappeared before the woodwork had it’s gloss coat - we’re living with undercoat-only timber throughout the house. The books, good china, glassware, various childrens ’stuff’ and most of the contents of my office are still stored away in boxes in our shed, at the mercy of the ravenous rats that seem immune to normal extermination methods!

You see? Rats, painters, various builders and the weather all conspire to complicate matters around here. But I am not deterred.

Simplicity isn’t about not having dramas.

To me, it’s about how you view those dramas. And how you think about them.

Simplicity is a state of mind.

Simplicity is about uncomplicatedness (if there’s such a word).

It’s about finding the easy way.

It’s about believing in the goodness of people.

It’s about attracting that goodness to us, always, no matter what.

Here’s five ways I find simplicity and joy, every single day:

Being Grateful

I live with gratitude. Wonderful people come into my life, and I am grateful for their love, their giving and their being.

Give thanks, every single day, and the world will give you more to be thankful for.

Keep a Gratitude Diary. Write in it five things you are grateful for, every single night. It will change your life. What are you grateful for, today?

Clearing Clutter

This one I am sure my colleague and friend, Angela from Creating Order from Chaos (and our superlative contributor to The Organising Space) would support me in. If you are surrounded by junk, things aren’t simple. You have to store the junk. Insure the junk. Dust or clean or ignore the junk. And whether you like it or not, the junk will take up a little corner of your mind. Can you afford the space?

Last week, we had one of those kerbside cleanups in our area. Everyone was able to put all the junk they no longer wanted (up to 2 cubic metres) on the nature strip, and the council sent someone to take it all away.

Driving through our suburb I noticed the quantity of junk piled up on the street. How long had this been kept in garages and sheds and cupboards (or even in plain sight)?

Are you waiting for the next kerbside cleanup? For the next long weekend? For the next total eclipse of the sun? Get rid of it today! Toss it, donate it, give it away… just get it out of your life!

Clearing Space

There is a fine line between clearing clutter and clearing space… once you’ve cleared the clutter from your life you’ve done part one. The physical.

Clearing space is about not only getting rid of your old clothes, furniture, bric-a-brac… it’s about other aspects of your life too. Like clearing space in your to-do list. Clearing space in your diary. Clearing space in your relationships. Clearing space in your mind.

You know what I mean, and you know, intimately, what space needs clearing in your life. (Um, yes, I am talking to you. You only need sit quietly for a minute and you’ll realise it).

When you clear space - physical, mental, emotional, time, relationship - you create a void. Apparently voids are one of those things that nature abhors. Something always rushes in to fill it.

So you’re unhappy with a part of your life. It could be money. It could be love. It could be sheer busyness. It could be health or low energy. Once you clear out the old, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional ’stuff’, you create a space. A void.

And the universe rushes in to fill that space… with the very thing you’ve been thinking about and dreaming of.

What are you afraid to let go of?

Could that be the very thing you need to jettison in order to create space for what you really want?

Living Now

Life was pretty simple when we were kids, wasn’t it? We’d do what we wanted, roam the neighborhood and hang out with our friends, and the only thing we had to worry about was being home in time for tea.

There’s a simplicity in living in the moment.

When we leave the past behind - where it belongs - and concentrate on now, suddenly the world is more colourful, more full of joy.

When we let go of our concerns for the future, and focus on what we can do, dream and be, right now - we open space in our hearts for beauty and wonder.

Back to Basics

Sometimes we let the speed of life take away our enjoyment of simple things. Getting in touch with nature can ground us and allow us to find joy in little things.

Take a walk in the sunshine, feel the wind in your hair, walk barefoot on the lawn, watch the ocean ebb and flow, get your hands dirty. Throw a ball for your dog, ride a horse or climb a mountain.

The photos illustrating this article are ones I have taken in the past month, in my winter garden. I am finding a whole new appreciation for nature when looking at her beauty through a lens. Have you really looked at Mother Nature in all her wondrous simplicity lately?

Posted by karen | Filed Under July 08, Serenity Space

We’re talking about Simplicity

July 1, 2008 | 2 Comments

copyright Karen Wallace June 2008 Welcome to the July 2008 edition of The Calm Space. We’re thrilled you’ve dropped by. If you’re here in the southern hemisphere with us, we’ve popped the kettle on - and there’s a nice bottle of red wine breathing over there if it’s that time of day when you’re reading this. There is nothing nicer than something to warm the cockles of your heart in the midst of a cold winter!

And for our friends in the northern hemisphere, I take it you’d rather something cool and refreshing from the fridge… please help yourself and pop your feet up for a little while.

Wherever you are, and whatever the temperature, we’re sure you’ll find just that snippet of inspiration or calm you’re looking for here in the pages of our magazine.

This month, we’re talking about Simplicity.

As I’ve watched the articles arrive, I’ve noticed two themes emerge - both totally unplanned! Three of us used the number 5 - we each gave you five tips to keeping things simple in your writing, in technology and in life. There seems to be something very simple and balancing about five.

Then there are books! Not only do we have a diverse and interesting selection of books in the Reading Space this month, we also have an inspirational set of books on relationships and a simple (naturally) recommendation in the Spiritual Space.

Of course, there are other wonderful inspirations as well - a short and sweet jolt about ‘just baggage enough’ in Organising Space and the second in the series on financial freedom - this time looking at simplicity - in the Money Space. And don’t forget our beautiful Breathing Space, where the photographic talents of Amy Palko combine with the graphic wizardry of Leah Maclean to bring you a stunning downloadable desktop wallpaper.

Our growth continues! As you know, we endeavour to bring you contributors, inspirations and resources to bring a little calm, a little serenity to your day. And what better way to soothe than with music?

Our new Sound Space will bring you a musician and their music each month - with a free download as our gift to you! This month, we feature a bright, talented young man with a big future ahead of him. [update: we've had some technical difficulties which should be resolved in time for our August issue - apologies for the delay.]

I’m sure you’ll enjoy our Simplicity edition… and our contributors will welcome your thoughts.

Namaste

Káren x

Posted by karen | Filed Under July 08, The Space

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