365 Opportunities

I'm not a big RESOLUTION person... generally, they're something to avoid on New Year's Day.  BUT... here I am a cross-road in my life.  Actively (and perhaps a bit frantically) trying to corral elusive clarity and nurture the fabled peace of "Simple Life."

November 1st is considered the Celtic New Year - and, as the traditional (i.e. American) New Year has historically been less than "successful" as a Change Catalyst in my life... I'm going to go for what worked for my ancestors. So, this New Year I'm going to... *drum roll please*... enrich my life 365 times, by reducing my possessions step-by-step, day-by-day, item-by-item for 365 days.

The idea is hardly original to me - no, all credit (at least in my case) goes to "365 Less Things" (http://www.365lessthings.com).  It's brilliant in it's (dare I say it??)... simplicity.  Beginning November 1st, I will select one item of my personal possessions and give it away every day for a year.  That means something of value - not broken, or ugly, or bound for the White Elephant event.  No... an item of beauty or usefulness or insight.  Something I valued at one time, but that no longer has an active use or place in my (diminishing) environment.

I'll take a picture and post it on my Facebook page - giving family and friends "first dibs" on the goodies destined for re-homing.  If someone wants it, all I'll ask for is the postage to get it from my door to theirs.  If, after 7 days, no one claims a particular memento of where and who I've been in past days - it will go to a local charity (on my way to the office), so that whatever specialness originally drew me to that particular item -- can enrich someone else's Here and Now.

A year is a long time, but I'm more than confident my many years of collecting (and hoarding) and trying to find happiness in *things* will sustain my efforts.  Not only that - but as these are only going to be items that I consider having value... those things that ARE broken, or ugly, or bound for the White Elephant event will leave too... under the guise of de-cluttering, simplifying, minimizing and re-prioritizing my life and the *things* that have earned a place in it.

It's scary - evaluating and letting go of things that used to define me (or at least I thought they did, at one point).  I've heard "the process" of simplifying gets easier as you go... I hope so.  I've spent a lifetime accumulating *things* to give myself a sense of security, an  illusion of success, the
trappings of "living."  As I look around my living room, memories flood back with the how's and who's and where's and why's.  Each item has a story and a reason for being in my life -- how do I choose what needs to move on?

I have a few days until this exercise begins.  I'm going to spend it carefully assessing the things I love that surround me... and decide which items will assist me in upcoming adventures, and those that will bring new pleasure to someone else.