KEEP IT SIMPLE

A MESSAGE FROM CO-CHAIR, TAMI BONNELL

I bet I’ve heard the word, “overwhelmed” hundreds of times these past months. People are telling me they’re overwhelmed, they don’t know where to start or what to do, and they’re stirring a frenzy in their mind to the point of paralysis.

We have a lot of clutter in our lives. Clutter can be old, unexamined scripts we repeat to ourselves, it can be physical possessions in our home and workspace, or energy suckers. As we evolve as people and get rid of the clutter in our lives, the more we become who we were meant to be. Simplifying clears the way (mentally and physically) to bring the best version of ourselves to every day.

We’re all a work in progress, and we’re constantly creating ourselves. I have a therapeutic ritual where I go through every space in my home and determine what to keep, donate, or give away. I ask myself, ‘Does this serve who I am now or who I’m becoming? If not, who could benefit from it?’ I also consider the people in my life. People are certainly not clutter, but as we grow and evolve, it’s important to be deliberate about the people we surround ourselves with and to consciously and thoughtfully bring value to their lives.

Whenever you’re not feeling great and you help someone else, you’ll probably feel better because you’ve done something that’s taken the universe further in a good direction. It doesn’t matter what your contribution is. And we can all make a contribution. Sometimes you have more money than time. Sometimes you have more time than money, or you can share your skill set or experience. Acts of service and helping others help us to become more of who it is we were put here to be.

The point is to be intentional; intentional about our possessions, thoughts, goals, as well as the people we surround ourselves with and the value we bring to their lives. We get out of whack when clutter, or the noise of other people’s expectations prevent us from being real with ourselves and living a truly authentic life.