Ideas to Implement Simplicity into Your Life

So, how busy are you? Are you juggling a job, a family, bills, and what feels like unlimited stress? Well, you're certainly not alone. Perhaps you're a stay-at-home mom like me whose mundane life of housework and diaper changes needs constant reminders of the important aspects of life. So, let me ask you a few questions.

~ How often do you spend time in a garden? If you live in the city, how often do you spend time re-potting your house plants and enjoying their beauty? How often do you sink your hands into soil and revel in the cool beauty of earth?

~ How often do you cook meals at home? If you're busy, do you eat out often? If you're always at home, do you find cooking to be a boring chore?

~ How often do you walk in nature or a park? Do you ever go on a walk to just look at the height and beauty of the trees? Or the soft, green carpet of grass? Or smell the wildflowers along the way, enjoying their color and beauty?

~ How often do you look at the moon, the stars at night? How often do you revel in the color of the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds? How often do you enjoy a rainy day? Or a thunderstorm?

~ How often do you walk barefoot on the earth? Dip your toes in a puddle, creek, or stream? Walk along the beach at night?

~ How often do you marvel at your pets? At their exceptional ability to love you unconditionally? At their loyalty? How often do you notice the birds and their songs? How often do you seek out a view of a wild animal such as a deer, rabbit, raccoon, or even a squirrel?

In other words, how often do you actually take the time to enjoy the world around you and appreciate the part it plays in your everyday life? If you don't do just a couple of the things listed above *every single day*, then you're really cheating yourself!

Keep reading below...

The most important thing you must do before I can give you any further advice is to just stop. Think. What are you missing out on? Is time an issue? Money? Prior obligations?

Let's take a look at your mindset. We'll start with housework. Not fun, is it? A huge chore, especially if you have children and a husband (or wife) who works long hours and gives little help. The laundry, the dishes, the floors, the bathroom, the incessant picking up of toys, the beds that have to be made, the windows that must be washed, the cooking.. and ALL of that amidst a hundred other things that NEED to be done, taken care of, or looked after.

How do you approach this dilemma? Just plug away at it, miserable all the while? Or do you find ways to help yourself along in the task? Here are some pointers:

~ Remember, housework keeps your home sanitary.

~ Housework keeps your home clean for your family and pets.

~ Housework shows pride in your domicile.

~ Even the most boring or laborious of chores can be seen as *magickal*. Sweeping your floors carries away negativity that invades your home. Mopping cleans the areas in which the negativity has been swept from. Washing your dishes prepares your kitchen for the ritual of cooking and feeding your family. Making your bed tidies up the place where your dreams are made. There are a million ways to look at it.

It's all about changing your perspective and learning to *THINK* about what you're doing and changing it for the better!

A few other implementation ideas are:

~ Take a walk at least twice a week for 15-30 minutes - more if you can. During that walk, notice everything you possibly can about what's going on in the world around you. Are the birds singing? Is the wind blowing? Is the sun or moon shining? Are there flowers? Can you smell them? Are there squirrels playing in the trees? How do the trees look? Are they green and beautiful, or all the colors of flame, or bare and sleeping? Are there dogs barking? What sounds do your footfalls make? Can you hear your heart, beating to the rhythm of all of Nature? What's the grass like? The soil? The leaves? Notice *everything* and take it in. When you get home, write down what you can remember if you have the time in a journal. Otherwise, try to remember every detail. In a few weeks, you'll realize that you notice more and more each time you walk... and the Earth's heartbeat is becoming YOURS.

~ Cooking. Make an effort to cook your food with *intent*. Infuse love into every bite you serve. While you're cooking, remember to focus on love, good taste, and nourishment. Thank the Goddess and God for the bounty you are able to offer your family (even if you're so broke all you have are Ramen noodles!) It's still more than many have!

~ Garden. It's relaxing and fulfilling. Planting a seed and watching it grow is amazing. You gave LIFE to something... and yes, plants are very much alive! They need nourishment and care to prosper. Caring for and tending a garden is one of the most rewarding hobbies one can have. Beit flowers, veggies, or herbs (or all 3) - everyone can garden! If you have a bit of a brown thumb, just take a few minutes extra and run by a nursery. Tell them you need a hardy plant that can handle a forgetful water-er and explain how much sunlight you have to offer. They'll set you up! Gardening keeps you very in tune with Earth. It helps keep you grounded and aware of the beauty of plant life in our world.

~ Spend time with those close to you. If you're tired after a long days work, suck it up a little. Take the kids to the park or for a walk after dinner (a dinner you've SAT down to sans tv and radio), watch a movie with them, throw a baseball, involve them in your gardening by giving them a little corner to grow and take care of plants, let them help you cook or clean. Time with kids is so important no matter how you have to adapt to spend it with them. More time with those you work so hard to feed will mean more to them than that new pair of Nike's they've had their eyes on. Make them less dependent on video games and more dependent on a cuddle/tickle session with their parents! Spend time with your parents if they still grace the world. Spend time with brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Spend a Saturday with your best friend shopping or playing golf fellas. We are social animals and need to keep ourselves in the social fray as much as possible! Choose activities that are low key and allow lots of communication!

~ Keep track of your skies. Know when stargazing is good. Lay a blanket on the ground and catch a few shooting stars to wish on. Draw down the moon. Look through a telescope. During the day, notice the sky and clouds. If it's rainy, enjoy the cool weather and sounds the rain makes as it nourishes the earth. Don't think it an inconvenience - think of it as the earth taking a MUCH deserved drink. Use it as an excuse to just stay home with a book and chill out! Enjoy the sounds of a thunderstorm. Or the whistle of the wind in the winter. Weather is part of the natural cycles of the earth, and it is a necessary force to keep our world beautiful and so very resilient.

So, there are a very few ideas to implement a slower change of pace into your hectic lives. It'll take practice, initiative, and will power. The benefits of taking a little more time to appreciate the world around us, though, are immeasurable!

Remember, the possibilities are limitless when you learn to just stop and take notice. Make a little extra time every week for those you love. Give up that hour and a half of overtime unless it's just absolutely necessary. Pay your bills but remember that money means nothing if your world revolves completely around it because everyone therein suffers.

Keeping life simple is the key, I believe, to long life and true happiness. Keep yourself connected to the Earth and enjoy your life.

From my hearth and heart to yours..

Brightest Blessings!

~KitchyWytch~