Doing some cleaning-out (Yes, I am trying to do the Marie Kondo method – not super successfully, but trying!), I just found a list of “quotes” in a notebook from about 10 years ago. They are a bit of guidance to myself on how to live life fully – using your mind and making conscious choices.
And they are as true today as they were 10 years ago…
- Spend time on things you value
- Tell friends you appreciate them and why
- Get the “should out”, and the “can’t” too
- Our thoughts are either handcuffs or springboards; take off the handcuffs
- Choose your reaction to any situation
- Do something (small) everyday that you love to do
- Choose to be happy
Apparently I knew all this stuff 10 years ago.
So why am I still struggling with doing so many of them? I am working on them more intentionally now in retirement. I have spent time determining what I value. I do reach out to friends more intentionally with appreciation. I am intentionally making choices – to find joy in each day, to do things I want to do (not should do), to break through my barriers (release the handcuffs).
So no, the knowing hasn’t made the doing any easier. But I now have time to intentionally focus on the doing. Maybe in another 10 years they won’t be a list of guidance, but a list of how I live life.
Picture Credit: Pixabay
retirementtransition 
Hubby put it to me once there are three legs to life . . . having an idea, the know-how to pull it off or skill, and the actualizing of that it and that few people have all three. He’s made me think a lot on that and my actions have been more purposeful because of this awareness. Knowing does not make the doing easier however I know when I haven’t done and it pushes me to do. I have no idea if that makes any sense.
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It does make sense and I like the 3 elements. Too many people actually stop with just the idea (and I worked in R&D most of my career!). I love the skill/know-how and the taking action as 2 key elements. Taking action against something is often the hardest!
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Good luck on the Konmari clean-out — I did well until that chapter on folding. I just can’t maintain my clothes drawers like that! 🙂 And on the topic of this post, we can’t ever prove a negative, and maybe things would be tougher if you didn’t know those snippets of wisdom. There’s certainly no harm in reminding ourselves! 🙂
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Very philosophical point about proving a negative! I didn’t recall actively writing them down years ago, but I am being intentional in reminding myself about them now. So hoping for better manifestation going forward. [Oh, and no to the folding as well. :-)]
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Great minds think alike–again! I am in the midst of a modified Kondo clean-out–although Marie may not recognize it as such! I neatly labeled and packed away things, that I thought I would not need, into my crawlspace — just in case! My rationale for doing that was that local charities do not want fall or winter stuff right now – so that is my excuse and I am sticking to it! I also do not have a dresser – but I do have a very large closet — so there went Marie’s preference for folding clothes in drawers,
Great quotes and great reminders! Good luck with the rest of your spring cleaning!
Donna
http://www.retirementreflections.com
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I am really trying her method – it is tough! But every season switch, I get a little better with the “you really are never going to wear this again – face reality”. Too bad my husband still believes he with the most toys wins….he now has more clothes and shoes than I do!
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These are great quotes… and, you are right, just because they are collected, posted on Facebook, added to your Pinterest board, etc. doesn’t make them so. It’s almost like they need to be seared into our brains… which, I guess, is what living with intention is – a constant vigilance. I especially like “choose your reaction to any situation” because it is true in so many areas of our lives.
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I am using a few as daily affirmations now. We’ll see is that makes them “stick”. Of course, not the reaction one…you are right about that being so true in our lives, but it’s one of the harder ones, IMHO.
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Dang, we’re so alike! I have a book of quotes that I have been collecting for years. And no, I don’t think we’ll ever succeed in the doing part. We read them, we are inspired, and we move on…But, I’ll betcha that in 10 years, we have even BETTER things to be working on. Who’d have thought back then that we would spend time NOW reflecting on intentionality? (I wish i had an italics button in these comments boxes – don’t want to appear to be shouting! LOL)
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YES. (And that was a shout.) Living with intentionality this past year has been amazing. And I do believe that the next 10 years will be my best, because of that. For the first time in many years I feel like I am living my life “by design, not by default”. Another one of my fav quotes!
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My best girlfriend and I have an expression (I think one of us picked it up on Pinterest) that we wished there was a tunnel between our two homes – so that we could just come through the tunnel and have coffee and talk. You, Pat, are making me wish that WE had a tunnel! Oh…and BTW I am SOOOOO stealing “by design, not by default!” Love it!
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