Crave Less (when the default is to accumulate more)

The older I get, the more space I crave.

Space to think, to be, to breathe, to process, to simply exist.

Yet, it’s a theme for me to continually hear myself say, “I want less.” “I need less.” Still.

My old pattern is to do more, achieve more, and to move at lightning speed. Even if my body doesn’t move at lightning speed, my mind typically does. I plan, arrange, organize, and categorize ideas and tasks in my mind before I even get out of bed!

Craving less means I consciously choose less clutter around me, less food in my body, less commitments in my calendar, and less (aka no) toxicity in relationships. In exchange, I’m more connected to what matters most, and I make mindful choices about what I DO want.

Back in the 90’s, my husband and I rented our first vacation spot in the Pocono Mountains: a raised rancher with a sun-room, floor-to-ceiling windows framed in oak, ceramic floors, and completely surrounded by trees. I felt nurtured, connected to myself, and could have stayed there the entire time and been content.

Our “thing” back then was to shop. We had a saying that my husband would “Shop until I dropped.” Even then, I wasn’t into the consumption scene. But I did it because it was part of “our vacation” and something he loved to do. I also felt the instant gratification that came from our purchases, which was another theme for me. I’d run on the high that came from accumulation of things –in the moment. Only to realize later, it was an unconscious pattern to distract, rather than a conscious choice to consume.

Most of those purchases have since been sold at yard sales or given away. Though we did keep a few choice favorites, like this painting below. It depicts a woman sitting solo in meditation, silhouetted in gold, and still brings me peace and a reminder to ground from within.

As I started to crave less, I simultaneously wanted less inner-clutter. I spent a few decades exploring and befriending old beliefs, habits, and patterns that were ingrained in me from childhood. I replaced them with a mindset that focused on my core values and emotions and then took action on the things that I “said” I wanted.

Because here’s the thing. We might say we want something but then find ourselves taking actions that are in direct opposition to the things we say we want. A simple example might be saying you want to exercise, but you find yourself watching Netflix instead of creating space in your calendar to work out. This can happen because of unconscious programming that we’re not even aware of.

Here’s some benefits of Craving Less…

By craving less, I have more:

  • Space for experiences that fill me up, like yoga, meditation, learning, walking, being in nature, writing, reading and nurturing meaningful connections.
  • Flexibility to choose who I work with and when because I’ve eliminated the things that don’t work.
  • Gratitude for the things and relationships I do have vs. what focusing on what others have.
  • Capacity to live with less in some areas because of opportunities that arise in other areas.
  • Energy to keep going when things feel challenging because I’ve removed distractions (physical or emotional)!
  • Money in my pocket because I’m more deliberate and mindful of every choice I make.

And I’m acutely aware that these are choices I make from a place of privilege. Privilege and long, hard work to get to this point in my life.

I’m deeply impacted by my physical and emotional environment, so it’s critical to my mental well-being to keep things simple.

In essence, I need 3 things: Order, Ease and Simplicity. When I have order, I feel ease, and when I feel ease, my life feels simple. Simplicity brings me into balance and alignment with my truest self. The way for me to get here is to consistently assess and release what no longer serves as I evolve and grow.

This goes for my home, my car, my office, my relationships and my calendar. When I’m over-cluttered and over-committed, it’s challenging to make conscious choices because I don’t have clarity.

Most of the clients I work with are similar. Even if they say they love having a lot of stuff around them, or, “They are OK with the status quo”, there’s often a delightful exhale that happens when they remove the outdated excess in their life. This includes habits, patterns, beliefs, jobs, homes, and even relationships that no longer feel balanced or reciprocal.

Today is Feb 18th, 2025 and I’m curious, What are you craving today? What do you crave less of? What do you crave more of? Is there anything you told yourself you’d start or do, but you haven’t yet begun?

Before you click away, think about what it might feel like to achieve the thing you say you want? Imagine that you’ve started…how do you feel?

Just marinate in that feeling because that feeling just may be the catalyst that supports you to take the action you need to make it happen.

Interested in exploring this together, or just want to connect and say hello, simply reply here. I’d love to hear from you!

By |2025-02-18T22:40:24-05:00February 18th, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Avoiding the spiral of mental chatter ♥

We did a street-long yard sale yesterday, and after the sale I noticed myself engaging in mental chatter about lost time.  I spent time prepping for it, organizing it, physically being at the sale, then packing up the remainders for the various charities that will receive them.  Then this morning, I woke with similar thoughts on how this sale took time away from other things that needed to happen, but thankfully, I shifted quickly.

Truth is, yes, it did take time, and, the items are gone, which was my goal.  Our intentions were to make this our last sale, to have fun with family and neighbors, and to let my daughter have a lemonade stand with her friend.  We released unneeded belongings, and created space for things and activities we do want!

So if my goals were met, why the constant inner banter about what I could’ve been doing instead of the sale?  Because my to-do list is reallllly long and my mind chatter never stops.  I desire order, ease, and simplicity.  Letting go brings me these things, and it also takes work for me to get them.  As much as I love to feel at ease, to have order, and for life to be simple, I need the structures in place to have those things.  I also need good boundaries around my time.

How about you?   Does your mental to-do list overwhelm you and stop you from achieving what you say you want to do?   How do you move forward when mental chatter is in overdrive?

Here’s 3 things to do when mental chatter is spinning you into overwhelm.

#1 Start…Something.  Pick one thing and just start.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it mostly won’t be, but the act of movement will motivate you to keep going.  This morning, I considered my mental list, wrote out all that I wanted to get done, then narrowed it down to what was most important, and what would feel most productive by simply being started.  I slotted myself a specific amount of time and when that time was up, I stopped and moved on with my day.  I’m putting time and attention to my priorities, which feels gratifying, energizing, and productive.

#2 Ask for help.  I woke this morning mentally listing out all that needs to happen today, and the reality is my husband will be gone all afternoon, so it’s all on me.  In order for me to accomplish everything we need to make our home happy today and this week, I need help.  So I asked.

#3 Receive the help.  This may sound silly and obvious, but sometimes we can ask for the help, then when it comes, we find we’re still doing all the work anyway.  Give up the need for things to be perfect, and allow the support to be there for you.   Example:   My husband was grabbing some raised beds from Home Depot for me while I worked this morning.  He texted me photos with questions, and I couldn’t decide which one was best, plus I needed netting and wasn’t sure which kind.  I almost told him, “Never mind; I’ll run out later and get it.”   I wasn’t trusting that what we’ll get is fine, and we’ll work with it.  Instead I was thinking I needed to physically go there to pick it out.  I quickly caught myself, and chose to receive the help, letting it be enough so I can move on with my priorities.

These three things can catapult you into action, and give you the space and ease you need to feel productive and less stressed.

Here’s the thing.   We, particularly as women, are often the bus drivers in our home.  We drive the bus.  We’re responsible to maintain the bus with gas, oil, repairs, etc.  We create the bus schedule, and we make sure all the riders get where they need to go, on time, and they have what they need upon arrival to their destination. That’s a lot to hold, and often we fall off our own schedule.

Today, when mental overwhelm takes over, try these three things of #1, starting one thing, #2, asking for help and #3, receiving the help.  If you’re like me, your list is longer than you can do in a physical day, yet your Superwoman cape is probably pressed and ready to go!  🙂   Use this as an invitation to start something, drop the cape, and ask for (and receive) help.   You’ll be surprised at what can happen.

A 4th bonus step is to find the gold in the event that has you spinning into overwhelm.   My gold nugget from the yard sale yesterday was meeting a tow truck driver who offered to look at my 20 year old car that runs awesome, but needs an AC unit.  After looking at it, he told me it looks like an easy fix, (where my mechanic told me it wasn’t worth fixing), it shouldn’t cost much, and he referred me to guy that’s local!   Gold!  ♥

How about you?  What’s one thing you’re going to do this week after reading this?   How are you going to use your spiral to inspire you, instead of sabotage you?   

Tell me below or get in touch here.  

Until next time, my friend, put a practice in place that allows you to push that overwhelm to the curb and just start what you don’t want to start.

x’s and o’s,

Chris

If you’re not on my list to receive resources on living a simpler life and want to be, please click here.    If you’ve already joined, thanks so much for the support!

P.S. Sharing is Caring – if you know someone who would benefit from reading this, please share!

By |2018-05-07T01:12:48-04:00May 6th, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments

If you’re home was alive, what would it tell you?

If your home could speak to you, what would it say?  If your belongings could speak to you, what messages and words would you hear?

In Feng Shui, there are three main tenets:

  1. Everything is alive
  2. Everything has energy
  3. Everything is always changing.

In keeping with this principle, ask yourself, what’s your stuff saying about you, and to you?  Is what you’re keeping holding you hostage to old beliefs and patterns, or is it supporting you to take you to your next level. 

In my last blog, I talked about ways to release clutter so it doesn’t come back.  In this blog, I invite you to look at your home as an extension of you.

Your Home as an Extension of YOU…

Your home is simply an outer reflection of what’s going on inside you.  Further, we’re always matched energetically with our homes.  Meaning, on a vibrational level, we draw to us the very homes we need to grow and expand.  Whether it’s the layout of the land, the numerology of the home, or the history of the previous tenants that align with our life circumstance, we’re always attracting what we’re energetically matched to or aligned with.

Consider this quote:   “Our consciousness is reflected in our environment, and our environment reflects our consciousness.”  In other words, what we believe inside, we create outside.  And what we surround ourselves with outside, affects us internally.

What we keep matters. 

Imagine that each item you own could talk to you, what would your belongings say?  Would they want to be loved, respected, given a place to live?  Would they want you toss them or pass them on to some other owner?

Challenge this week:

This week, when you walk into a room of your home, notice, does your energy go up?  Or does it go down?  When you pick up your belongings, what feelings come up inside you?  Are you inspired, or are you drained? Become the observer of how you’re affected in each area of your home.  Be discerning.  If something drains you, let it go!  Give yourself permission to pass it on.  Yes, even that ceramic dog your Aunt Susie gave you that you put out every time she comes, even though you hate it.

Lastly, I need your help!  There’s a lot of noise on the internet, and I want to be sure you’re finding this information helpful.  If you liked this info, please hop over to Facebook page or email me here, to tell me what you liked, and what you’d like to see more of.  Just hit reply to this email!   I’d love to hear your comments and feedback!  If you know someone this could help, please share it. 🙂

Next week, I’ll share what each floor of our home represents on the spiritual level.

Like this info?  Follow my blog here.

A blog about living deliberately, aligned to what matters most.

By |2018-01-15T12:33:30-05:00January 15th, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Less = More. Simplify Your Wardrobe To 33 Items

My resistance surprised me.   I’d been finalizing my website, so my delay in starting this challenge on June 1st was reasonably justified, but beyond that, I really procrastinated mentally.   My inner voice kept telling me there was no way  I was going from 100 items of clothing down to only 33, especially since I’d already downsized to 100 items!  (see previous posts).  The final 33 counted accessories like sunglasses, earrings, shoes, sandals, jackets, etc.   Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it.  When I approached the 40 item mark, I was ready to amend the rules a bit.  I told myself I couldn’t simplify or release any more.  As I reached 36, I was too close not to make it work, so the final 3 had to go!

But I did it – I’ve chosen my final 33 items to wear for the next 3 months!  From June 5th to September 5th, I’ll use only the final 33 that made the cut. Project 333 Underway – Thanks Courtney Carver for the inspiration!

Here’s what I started with:

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Here’s what I chose: One pair of sneakers, two sandals (one not shown because I was wearing them), one pair of earrings, one necklace, one hat, one pair of sunglasses and the rest clothing.   (Workout wear and sleepwear don’t count – thank God!)

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Result – I feel completely empowered, more mindful, and less stressed.  I’m no longer sliding over item after item in my closet that I don’t feel great, searching for the ones I do feel great in.  The visual plus – every time I open my closet door, I see only what I need, want and love.  It feels simple, easy, and less overwhelming.  I also feel less guilt.  I don’t know about you, but I had a lot of clothes I didn’t wear.  But because I paid good money for them, they stayed in my closet – even though I’d slide them aside looking for something else to wear.

I’ll admit I felt close to giving up.  I felt close to backing out.  The impossibility of 33 felt like more than I wanted to embrace.  But it’s clothes – not people.   It’s stuff.  And I choose to live with less stuff.

I’m a little dorky and am always simplifying & organizing because I LOVE to, but this particular project has inspired me to simplify even more, beyond clothes.   No “thing” is guaranteed a spot to live within our home.  My family’s made me promise their stuff is off limits!   I’ve agreed to only work on mine.  Yet, I see them adding things to the donate pile as a result of my constant clearing.  Releasing is contagious, and not by force – simply by doing.

Maybe you could live with less?   Let go of items you keep sliding aside in your closet?   Share your comments below.  If this inspired you or you think it will inspire someone you know to action, please share this!

 

 

By |2017-04-22T19:37:36-04:00June 5th, 2016|Feng Shui for Home, Organizing Tips|0 Comments
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