Breaking down barriers (particularly political ones) is essential to collaboration and, therefore, progress. I am not a fan of labels, but I still subconsciously assign them to myself and others. Depending on the label, the result can be helpful or (more likely) detrimental. Finding common ground with each other is the first step to building trust and unlocking meaningful solutions to the collective challenges we face.
Impending apocalypse got you down? Me too. Fortunately I got a boost of hope from a book I recently read that is designed to help its readers create meaningful connections despite differing opinions on climate change. This book helped me prepare for a conference that was ultimately canceled, but the learning remains and will hopefully continue to guide me through a more thoughtful 2022.
Compassion for animals is often cited as the most important reason to go vegan. It is why I originally went vegetarian, but the extra step toward veganism seems unnecessary if the animals are treated well as they produce milk, lay eggs, or make honey. In fact, there are some foods that are vegan by definition but that can have some unpleasant effects on animals.
In addition to carving out time for meditation, I’ve been trying to figure out how to create time for play as well. We tend to stop playing as adults, but it keeps us creative, adaptable, and more resilient to stress. The trick for me is finding activities I like that don’t have productive outputs or external standards attached to them.
I have created a ritual for myself: before and after work every day I take 10 minutes and meditate, which helps me calm down, focus my attention, be present, and mentally transition between work and home time. Making it a formal part of my schedule helps to ensure that I do it, and making it clear to my family that I need it helps to keep me accountable.
After eight weeks of Marie Kondo’s challenge, I can see small improvements throughout my house, but there’s a long way to go before reaching the goals I set in Week 1. Through this journey, the real transformation has not been with my things, but with me. By practicing mindful, daily gratitude for the last two months, I do feel more joy – and that is magical.
Papers are where my hoarding tendencies come into play, and the pile I assembled at the beginning of this week rivaled my mountain of clothes in Week 2. It took a lot of time and energy to make it through everything in this category, and I’m aware that although I’m already at the halfway point, it’s only going to get harder from here.
No, Marie Kondo never said you should limit yourself to 30 books. She wants you to keep what makes you happy, and for me that was most of my books. Although I kept most of what I already had, it allowed me to reacquaint myself with my collection and inspired my husband to go through his books. He was a little more merciless than I.
I have never gotten rid of any of my clothing, ever. This first week of sorting through my belongings was emotionally exhausting as I battled my own hoarding tendencies to part with perfectly good clothes that I’ve owned for decades. On the bright side, I can fit all of my clothes into the storage space available for the first time in my life.
Eleven months into quarantine, and despite my best intentions, I still haven’t started any type of cleaning or home improvement projects. With the COVID vaccine (hopefully) bringing an end to social isolation soon, I need to get cracking! Although I tried and failed with Marie Kondo’s method before, she has developed “an eight-week calendar of bite-size tasks to guide you through the tidying process.”