January 20, 2019 2:01 pm
Eleven more days till the end of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I haven’t fallen off the wagon though there are days. It would not be such a terrible thing if I do if there is a good reason. It would be if it’s due to lack of motivation and conviction. I have adopted this mantra from Regina Brett’s 50 life lessions in God Never Blinks. Lesson 46 –No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. This is one of my ways of showing up.
I was wrong in my self assessment. I am not a hoarder. I do use what I’ve gathered over time. Life is a long journey. Learning never ends. My ears are always open for tidbits of wisdom, however they come. This morning I caught a bit of Shauna Niequest’s interview with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday. It was on her new book, Present Over Perfect. I have not read it so I can’t give an opinion. One thing she said caught my ear though. “Listen to your own life.” I took her advice because the more she talked, the more she lost me. She rambled on and on about how much she had and how busy she was. She smacked of privilege. I agreed with many of the readers on Goodsreads who gave her a one star.
The one thing she said was worth the listen. Do listen to your own life. I’ve already heard the message when I looking at my spruce trees in the winter light of the morning. I saw how magestic they were, the top reaching higher than the windows, the snow resting on top of the branches. The Buddhas sitting peacefully at their base out of the wind. How beautiful it all is, the winter, the cold and the snow. I can see the slowness and restfulness of it all. It’s the season of rest, recovery and restoration for the body and spirit. There is no need to hustle and bustle. There is no need to escape, to haul ass and snowbird to the south – for me.
onethousandandtwo 
I have found a couple of things in your post that put things into perspective for me.
1. I’m also a user (mostly), and not a hoarder (maybe just a little). It may take time, but I do eventually find a use for the fabulous gold fabric I bought years ago, or that black skirt with the amazingly colourful border that someone gave me because they know I love the colours.
2. I hibernate in winter – not that our winters here in the northern part of New South Wales Australia, are like your icy cold winters – but I hibernate. And now I know why. Perhaps my 33% Swedish DNA has retained the memory of the cold winters that my Grandfather endured in Sweden that dictates that winter is a resting time, especially for my spirit.
I am so glad you wrote about the need to rest in winter because it now justifies my hibernation. And I will also claim the title of ‘user’ not ‘hoarder’. Thank you Lily…
Oh, thank you for letting know about all this, Maureen. It’s always helpful to hear of another’s feelings and experiences. I am surprised to hear that you hibernate in winter. You seem to be a wanderlust. 😊. I’ve read some of your travel adventures and am a little envious. I am a homebody by nature though I do enjoy my travels after the fact. I’ve tried to comment on your posts but haven’t figured out how. Do you used WordPress.org instead of .com?
Lily
Great read as always…thanks for posting. I am going to listen to my own life.
A very good and wise thing to do. Thanks for reading, Karen.
Lily