A different point of view...

Chameleon we found at the Skukuza rest camp~Kruger Park



Can be the best thing when you get stuck. I recently enjoyed a great conversation with my brother. When he gets into declutter mode he uses this formula Need It, Nice to Have It, Dont Need It. I guess the coin of phrase can be 2 Needs and a Nice.

For example we need soap, but do we really need 5 different kinds of body wash in the shower at the same time? We need towels, but do we need 42 of them cluttering up the linen closet. That formula can be applied to EVERYTHING in our lives. This is especially helpful for those digging out their living spaces consumed with stuff and for those shooting for the debt free way of living.

Almost 2 years ago I was invited to an astrology reading for the year. This lady is one of those that does birth charts, and can tell you everything about planets and constellations, alignment, retrograde and so forth. The information that stuck with me was coming that fall Virgo was doing the "hokey pokey" with whatever, but the underlying message was "Downsizing". We would be seeing more folks selling their big houses for smaller ones, getting rid of "stuff" they didn't need. We would see Corporations and business doing the same thing. Simplifying. I see a new career popping up all over the place...professional organizer. There is a drive to get it together, and do it effeciently. Why? In our current economy it only makes sense. Do we work to live or live to work?

While I was in S. Africa a lady asked me this question "Why is it that Americans do not travel just to travel, I see they travel for work, weddings,reunions, funerals, graduations and stuff like that (this would be us) but why not just go for the sake of experiencing a new place?" This was starting to sound like back in the day but do you remember "The Family Vacation". I had to think about that for a bit, okay it forced me to think about it alot. It must become a priority, it must become something we diligantly save and plan for not one of those line items that gets shoved to the bottom of the list when there "might" be money left over. Think of the vacations one could have when they are not paying off credit cards! I know alot of Americans are in a pinch right now and vacations are not top priority, survival is. Some are facing layoffs, foreclosure, repo's and the list goes on. Why and how did we, meaning Amerca in general, get ourselves into this mess? It makes perfect sense to downsize, live well below your means, pay off debt, free ourselves completely from debt, take stock of your true needs, live a good simple life, save money for where it really counts, take your kids to at least 3 National Parks before they leave the nest, relish in faith, family and friends. Is it really that simple, or did someone switch my regular prescription lenses for rose colored ones?

Keep It Simple
Val