Good Thing: Keys for Kindness

My building was recently sold, and one of the first things the new landlord did was change the locks. While this is certainly not a bad idea, it did create a small problem for me in the form of old useless keys. I just hate putting things like that in the trash, especially when there is a chance that they might be recyclable.

Thanks to the power of the Internet, however, I believe I have found a good home for them: Keys for Kindness. They collect old keys, recycle the metal, and donate the proceeds to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. What a great way to make good use of all the old keys everyone has sitting around! Mine are going in the mail straight away.

New Things: Week 3

Two new things this week. . . .

This year, Dan and I began what I hope will become an annual tradition by participating in Amnesty International's Write for Rights Global Write-A-Thon. Last night, on Human Rights Day, we made a date night of writing and/or printing and signing a total of 58 letters, notecards, and postcards in support of those suffering human rights abuses.

The letters that we printed and signed went to international government officials or embassy offices demanding action.


In addition, we wrote notes and postcards to the individuals suffering human rights abuses to provide them with support and encouragement. These include prisoners of conscience who have been unjustly imprisoned, communities that have experienced persecution and discrimination, and defenders of human rights facing daily threats. Reading their stories made me feel truly grateful for a life free from persecution; writing letters seemed like such a small (yet important) thing to do considering the unimaginable challenges they face.


After three and a half hours, our letters were ready to send to Romania, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Gambia, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other places all over the world. It was a pretty amazing thing to be a part of such a worldwide effort--they are expecting over 250,000 letters to be sent! (P.S.--If you're interested in writing, it's definitely not too late even after the Write-a-Thon ends on December 12.)

The second new thing of the week: After contemplating it for months, Dan and I finally signed on to CREDO Mobile, a cell phone service that supports progressive causes. I've had mixed feelings about supporting my previous phone carrier after learning more about their politics, so it's nice to get behind a company I can support 100% (and, as an added bonus, it doesn't cost any more than our old plan, and I'll make out with a new phone!).

All in all, I guess it was my week to do my little bit to promote social justice. Next week's new things are likely to be much less lofty, but for now, it feels nice to move from thoughts to action--even if they are just little actions--to support causes I care about. For me, it's all part of my journey to really prioritize the things that matter most to me.

A Christmas Collection

As a general rule, I am not a fan of collections. Not to say that I don't appreciate other people's treasures, but collecting is just not something I'm really into, especially given my efforts to have less stuff. I will admit that Dan and I are definitely guilty of having too many books, but other than that, I don't really have any intentional collections going in my house.

The one exception for me is Christmas tree ornaments. The first year that we got married, Dan and I started a tradition of collecting an ornament every year to represent a significant event or trip from that year. The first year we were married, it was an ornament from Oregon (where we went for our honeymoon); the following year, it was a picture of our cats who we had adopted that year. Our ornament from 2010 is one we picked up during our trip to Yosemite.

I love how, as we unpack the ornaments every year, each one tells a story. I hope that, 30 or 40 years from now, we will be able to look back at a tree full of ornaments marking special times or trips in our lives and it will bring back a host of memories. Here are a few of my favorites, including some that have followed me from the tree we had growing up.

A little bell from when I was six

One of several wooden ornaments my mother painted before I was born

An ornament marking our time in St. Louis (with Harry Potter close behind!)

Classic glass ornaments that pre-date me

My sister and I loved this one when we were little. You can actually flip through the book and read the entire story!

New Things: Week 2

For my second week of new things, I finally got around to doing two little things I've been wanting to do for a long time.

In the past few years, I've tried as much as possible to use green/natural cleaning products in my home. The one exception has been dishwasher detergent, as over and over again I have found that eco-friendly dishwasher detergents do not get the job done in my crappy rental dishwashers.

Back in the spring, I read that you can use a mixture of half baking soda and half Borax in the dishwasher. I bought the Borax several months ago. Since that time, it has been sitting under my sink, next to a box of baking soda, next to the package of Method dish tablets that I continue to buy even though I'm not 100% happy with them. Sad, sad, sad. This weekend, I took the monumental step of actually getting the Borax and baking soda out, putting them into an old bottle, shaking it up, and putting some in the dishwasher. One more step toward a greener planet accomplished.

The other new thing that I've been wanting to do for ages is make my own bread. I'm just not satisfied with the taste and/or ingredients of so many store-bought breads, and I love the idea of having a home filled with the smells of a freshly baked loaf. I'm a bit of a novice baker, but I thought I'd finally give it a go!

Dough ready for the first rise (I'm wearing my mom's old Christmas apron. She had it when I was a kid, and I love to wear whenever I'm baking!)

Hot from the oven in all its multiseed glory

Warm slices of freshly baked bread = yumminess

I have to say that the bread turned out quite delicious--nice and crispy on the outside, warm and chewy on the inside, and it has a wonderfully hearty, rustic flavor (which is one of the things I love in a bread). I was surprised to discover how easy it was to make. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at some other varieties!

Good Thing: FiveBooks

I recently read about this website called FiveBooks. As described on the website: "Become an instant expert. Every day an eminent writer, thinker, commentator, politician, academic chooses five books on their specialist subject. From Einstein to Keynes, Iraq to the Andes, Communism to Empire. Share in the knowledge."

What a fantastic idea! I'm always wondering where to start when I become interested in learning more about a topic, when I want to explore a new genre, or when I'm just interested in becoming better-read in general. This will hopefully prove to be a handy resource for directing me to some great books!

New Thing: Week 1

My first week of attempting to do new/more meaningful things happened while I was in Florida for Thanksgiving. After tiring of my workouts at home, I joined the YMCA a couple of weeks ago. While on vacation, I was fortunate that my father-in-law lived within walking distance of a Y, and since I have membership privileges at any of the locations across the country, I was able to pop in.

I went to the Y twice during my four-day vacation in Florida. I think that in itself is quite a feat (and definitely not something I would have made a priority in the past, as what usually happens is I pack my workout clothes and then never actually put them on). In the spirit of trying something new, I went to BodyPump class on Saturday. This is a class I've been meaning to try but have always been a bit intimidated by. I think it's that scary-looking barbell. But on Saturday I did it, and I did pretty well. Of course, I still hurt a bit from the class two days later, but I finished it upright and without dropping the barbell, so I consider that to be an accomplishment.

I also made some time while on vacation to pick my oft-neglected cross-stitching project. I still estimate that it will take me about 20 years to finish it, but it was nice to do a little something with a needle and thread just the same.

I'm still contemplating what new thing I'll take on this week. I suspect it might involve a project in the kitchen (always a slightly scary place for me). Stay tuned.

Thanksgiving

Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.
~ Khalil Gibran

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

In the In Between

For the last several months, I've spent a lot of time trying to focus on my priorities. The questions that led me to contemplate my next career move have really led to me asking myself, "What kind of life am I trying to create?"

The good news is that, after months of reflection, I think I'm able to answer that question. Perhaps my answer is best summed up in the visual map I created for myself and posted a while ago.

In its simplest form, my vision is a life filled with love and simplicity, family and friends, travel and nature, compassion and generosity, good health and balance, books and the arts, beauty and creativity. It is a life grounded in the things that are simplest and most important to me. It is a life that, when I envision it, makes me feel perfectly full and at peace.

Answering the question of what I want my life to be is simple. The more difficult question, of course, is how to make that vision a reality. Lately, I feel as though I am living a life in two worlds: the one which I am in, and the one which I am trying to create. Sometimes the chasm between the two seems daunting.

The biggest step in this journey, of course, will be the launch of my business. In the next several weeks, the planning phase of the process will most likely be complete. I take the beginnings of my business plan to a consultant at the Small Business Development Center on December 1, and unless I have some serious blind spots I have not yet foreseen, I anticipate that the time to launch will soon be at hand. And then, of course, the real work begins.

It has occurred to me, though, that waiting for this next chapter of my life to begin does not mean that I have to wait until my business is launched. The life I envision for myself is not just about work (no matter how much I might love that work). The simple things I crave are things I can start doing now. Most of them involve trying my hand at creating: baking bread, learning how to quilt, continuing to cross-stitch, picking up knitting again, making a pie from scratch. Others involve spending more time in nature, like going for a hike or visiting the beach, or doing more things to nurture my spirit, like taking a yoga class or beginning a meditation practice. They are small things, but for me, they are the things I am craving in earnest.

The thought of taking on all of these things at once--and, in a sense, reinventing myself--is a bit overwhelming. And so, my new goal (perhaps an early resolution) is to take on one new thing each week. It may only be a small thing--like popping in for a yoga class at my gym or finally making some homemade granola--but it will be something. One thing.

To help keep me on track, I'll post about my new thing each week. Perhaps, step by step, these little things will help me get closer to the life I want to create. My life will never be as picture perfect as the map hanging on my wall, and no doubt the vision will change as I move forward. But if I can even try to get closer to that vision, the In Between will hopefully feel less like an abyss and more like a bridge. Hopefully each step will be a good reminder to me that life is not about getting from Point A to Point B, but rather about enjoying the spectacular scenery and moments along the way. And that makes the In Between something to look forward to.

Wise Words

I am a worrywart of the highest order. I read these words recently and decided I need to keep them close. Should you have a worry of your own, I hope that they might also be a gentle reminder to you.

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. ~Benjamin Franklin

I'm Still Here (and I Have News!)

Someone pointed out to me today that I haven't posted in a month. I didn't realize that it had been that long, and I also didn't realize that anyone was even bothering to check anymore. So, if you're still here, thanks for not abandoning me in my time of absence.

The reason for my absence has been the classic one: I've been busy. Ridiculously busy. With what, you might ask?

As I hinted on posts several weeks ago, I've decided it's time for a change. I was keeping things mum for a while until I had time to do a little more research and give my ideas some more thought, but after mulling it over for almost three months, it appears the idea has stuck, so it appears that I'm moving forward. Ladies (and gents, if there are any), I've decided to finally strike out and start my own business.

I've been thinking about becoming a professional organizer for years. I bought a book about it in 2006 and started to do some research, but I ended up backing off the idea. I have continued, however, to secretly hoard every organizing article I've come across for years (all placed in plastic sleeves and tucked away in a binder organized by room and project type, of course). A big part of my reason for holding off was knowing that we were moving; it just didn't make sense to start a business and then have to start all over again when we relocated almost a thousand miles away. Even with that, though, I just don't think I was ready.

And then, in August, I came to the crossroads I posted about. I'm in the wrong work. No question about it. I'm good at what I do, but it drains and frustrates me. Even though there might be some area of social work out there just waiting for me to discover that it is a perfect fit, for now I've realized that it's time to take a step back.

At the suggestion of my fabulous friend Sally (who recently took an amazing step and launched Tilth, a business of her own), I picked up Martha Beck's books Finding Your Own North Star and Steering by Starlight. All I can say for what those books did for me is WOW. Through all the reading and exercises, the answer to "what next?" became obvious. In fact, it became impossible to ignore.

Even in social work school, my focus was on management. I am constantly analyzing the places I work for from a business perspective. I have always liked the idea of running my own show (just ask my sister), and I like even more the idea of working for myself, not answering to anyone, and not having anyone answer to me (let's hear it for sole proprietorship!). I want an opportunity in my work to be creative, to take more risks, and to have a direct impact. I want a chance to put what Dan calls my "organizational prowess" to work. I truly believe that calm, peaceful spaces that reflect our true selves help us live our dreams, and I want to help others create those. I want to share the good news of the joys of simplicity and really help get the message through that we are not our stuff. And, in the process, I'd like to create spaces that are beautiful and that encourage people to nurture themselves, their families, and the world around us.

The idea of this business--and the possibilities it holds--thrills me to my fingertips. A couple of months ago, when I was rattling on and on about my business plans, Dan just stopped, looked at me, and said, "You're like a totally different person." Noticing how my whole self just lit up, he said, "You look so beautiful." It's a little cheesy, I know, but it really is true that I feel like my true self--or what Martha Beck calls my North Star--is being tapped, and it feels so energizing. I've spent literally 15+ hours on weekends reading and working on my plans without even noticing the time go by.

Thankfully, my true self also includes a nice dose of practicality, so I'm not quitting my day job, and I'm doing a whole lot of research and planning and number crunching before I move things forward. I've been reading out the wazoo, starting a business plan, and learning all about the in and outs of business ownership. I've been attending seminars at my local Small Business Development Center, attending the local chapter meetings of the National Association of Professional Organizers, networking, and learning as much as I can about the profession. I've been doing a lot of thinking and daydreaming and writing things down on a notebook in the middle of the night. And all of this, my friends, is what has kept me away so long.

I have a long, busy road ahead of me. Even if my business is successful, it will be started small and part-time, and I'll have to juggle it while keeping my full-time job. It will be at least a year, if not much longer, before I can even think about doing this work full-time. I'll be starting out doing a lot of free and discounted organizing projects to build my portfolio, then hopefully I'll gradually build a small client base. If I finish with the planning and the number-crunching and the SBDC consulting and the business doesn't look viable, then I won't move forward. But I feel hopeful. Realistic, but hopeful. I'm so excited to see what this next chapter holds.