believing less is more

i just left sea and story sleeping together in our bed...much like this photo when story was only 5 days old... only they were facing each other more...they were showing signs of tiredness by 7 tonight and both asleep by 7:30...those of you who know sea know that she sleeps very little so i'm hoping we are all heading for more sleep in 2009...anyway, they have both been stirring since they lay down so this post, with its emphasis on "less" will also be shorter than usual...

this is officially my first post in my "blogger's challenge"...i didn't spend a lot of time obsessing over who to choose as my first inspirational post...in fact, i just chose the first one i read that was inspiring or moved me or was well written or i could relate with...elaine's post on less stuff (and supporting comments) and the previous post by her met all of these criteria at once. she is a very talented blogger and person for that matter and one of the first people to inspire me to blog, so i find it appropriate that i have chosen her post as my first inspiration in this endeavor. click on the highlighted words in the paragraph above to go to her blog and the two specific posts i'm referring to.

there is a lot about elaine's posts that i could relate with but specifically, as we start a new year and i should be posting my new year's resolutions, looking back over what i'm grateful for, feeling optimistic about the future, etc. i'm instead feeling crushed by stuff...physical possessions mostly but also all the mental crap i need to sort out and throw out in order to be more productive and less self-absorbed. if i could get rid of all of this "stuff" instead of feeling like it is all such an integral part of who i am, that i will lose some essential part of my essence if i part with too much, i think i would be a lot better person...to myself, my family, my friends...definitely to my husband who is the minimalist i would love to be...

i do believe that less is more in theory...i just can't part with enough to get to that point. i also believe that if you par down to what is essential or most important, you will value it more. i have tried to do that in the way i live my life, but i'm still stuck with so much stuff. in particular, the garage is full of boxes...manuel points out i don't even know what is in all of them which makes it worse...if i lost them and didn't know what i lost...yet isn't that the point? i COULD lose all this stuff and really not miss it that much...like all these skeletons in my closet that are lying around somewhere inside me or in my past or in my head or in my memories or maybe just in all that stuff and if i actually just let it all go they wouldn't haunt me? so why is that so hard to do? please share with me how the rest of you wrestle with "stuff" and deciding how to let it go without losing essential aspects of yourself...

i could really analyze this topic much more, be more disclosing, get more resolution, end up with resolutions for the new year, etc. but honestly i don't have the energy. i just want to throw the idea out there, mill over it and really get more SLEEP for a change since i always make rest my last priority in attempts to fit everything else in...

i've started some new vitamins, nutritional supplements of some sort (i tried to do a link here but the company--mannatech--is different in different countries...i'll be taking their optimal support packets if anyone has any experience/opinions with this product) that i really do believe in so i'm going to give those 3 months to work, get more rest, exercise/walk in the sunshine more and see if these simple things can help get me jump started to a place where i can deal with all this stuff.

i've totally lost my train of thought...not an uncommon thing these days i'm afraid...so, back on topic, if i had less in my life, i believe the less i had would be more valuable and i could appreciate the small things (see some of my labels such as friends, sunshine, tea and of course anything that has to do with sea or story)...but don't follow those links since previous posts have been filled with over-analysis and trouble just "being" and appreciating and experiencing in the moment...here's to hoping these inspirational bloggers i've been following can help me do this more in 2009...

but of course i will come back to all those posts i had hoped to fit in over the holidays:

"what i miss about our old home"
"losing corky"
"holiday rambles and resolutions"
"happy birthday dad...still missing you so much"

all come to mind but they may have to be combined or alluded to instead of each getting their own post...we'll see how i'm doing with energy, time, rest, focus, etc...

i hope this blog will be more interactive this year so please bring on the comments, suggestions, links to your blogs or ones you follow that inspire you...

oh, and one more shout out to elaine...thanks for being an inspiration to so many...