I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about people who have become minimalist. This has been something I have been doing for years. A portion of my life was without my willingness to do so. I was forced into shedding, if you will, beyond my personal desire and I did so kicking and screaming in my heart and soul, but didn't let it all come out for all to see. Then life-experiences happened with nature and life. However, regardless why I shed things, I needed it to happen. I have read articles to books about cleaning out emails to computer documents to closets. I suppose that is my love for organizing things and I think I am pretty good at it...but...
I love to have a few things...tooooo many of them. Books. I love books. It doesn't matter what they are about, well, I draw the line at blood and guts to trashy books. I love to read. I did not in school, probably because they made me. I had an English teacher my first year of college that opened the world of reading for me and I have horded books ever since. The other thing I love is magazines. I use to collect them on art and cooking. Now it's on travel and fashion. I love to see the world from my happy place. I get to see all these amazing places, go there in my mind using all my creative avenues and make meals based on the various places I see. Then seeing the younger generation wear some of the most amazing clothing, textiles and fabrics is beautiful. I love to sew, although I have little time to do so. It brings my creativity to the surface for just a short time.
I take photographs of the things I want to remember, quotes or style combinations, restaurant meals of places here and there. I donate the magazines or leave them at the coffee shops for others to enjoy. I file away the moments of respite and relax in the evenings with my little glimpses of my family of stylish people visiting far away places. However, I know this is all crazed paper, photo-shopped and maybe no real, but...it is my little time in my happy place bubble..."learning how to dress," as my best friend calls it lol, and visiting places that you probably have already been. I smile a lot and have a trip or two down the road...then I shop, finding one snack item I might have seen in another country, right on my grocer shelf...
Bedtime snacking and reading seem to go together, but when I found beet hummus, I about died on the spot. There was carrot too. I can't remember where I had seen this in a magazine, maybe Greece. I will tell you that I have found something else to make at home. Hummus. A great snack anytime and can be made yourself and with a lot less fat...find your favorite ingredients and see what you come up with...
I am thankful for bookstores and coffee shops. I don't visit either often, but I do like to stop by on occasion and flip through the magazines and books. Someone sent me subscriptions to a couple of magazines this past year. Then I got two more last month. I am grateful and have no idea where they came from. Maybe someone is trying to tell me something, just kidding...However, respite and relaxation comes in a thousand ways if we just look for them. It can begin with a list of gratitudes, writing notes to those needing encouragement, reading to an elder person, beginning a journal of happy thoughts, reading the Bible starting with Psalms...whatever your venue is, do it. Start with one-minute then move to five-minutes of allotted happy time. It can make a big difference in your attitude and how other see you.
I love the smell of a new magazine, but more so of holding and opening a book. There is something about books, old or new. I have an ereader, use it often, but books... ((sigh, cleansing breath))... I challenge you to revisit reading...it's better than eating your way to sleep.
Getting 7-8 hours of sleep is essential to living a healthy lifestyle!
Set your clock...don't give up...it takes time to make sleep at habit.
Thirty-days...that has always been my goal in adding a new or changing an old habit!
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