I live in Australia, the so called "Lucky Country". Yes, we are lucky in so many ways compared to many countries in the world, yet so many of us struggle with our day to day lives, just etching out a living along the path of life, forgetting to take a step back and appreciate the little things in life.
I'm guilty of this too. Some days I feel like I forget to breathe, forget that there is a whole world out there full of beauty and simple pleasures.
My Hubby is going through a rough patch with work right now. Trying to deal with a boss who likes to play God and is a constant lyer. My hubby has been lied to so many times from this Bossman it is just ridiculous. Unless you get something in writing from the guy you honestly don't have a leg to stand on as he will change his mind in the space of 10 minutes or even less and then say that he never said whatever it is that he did in fact say. He is cunning and manipulative, the sort of person that I cannot stand. The sort of person who just uses everyone to better himself and then lays the blame on everyone else when things don't go right, even though it was he himself who stuffed up!!
I have done a lot of thinking over the last couple of days. Taking a long hard look at our lives, our home and our future. I know I have talked about my clutter before but it is now that I am feeling it. As I sit here and look around the room I am in (my kitchen/dine/computer nook) I see way too much clutter. Sure alot of it can be easily cleaned up but lately it feel like I clean and when I turn around again the clutter has just grown up out of the cupboards to poke its tongue out at me again as if to tease me that I can't get rid of it.
On the weekend we went through the bedrooms of the youngest four kids. This is something we do every year at this time in the lead up to Christmas. We tossed alot of broken bits and damaged toys and general rubbish. Then we also went through their clothes and handed down and boxed up the stuff that is suitable for selling online. The problem with this is that I already have boxes and boxes of stuff waiting to be sold online. Now after the weekend cull, I have another 4 boxes and 2 large bags of stuff to list and hopefully sell. Part of me says that I should just get rid of it to the Op Shop and that way it is just gone. But then I think that we paid good money for this stuff and I should at least try to recoup some of it especially since it is stuff that has only been lightly used.
That therein lies the problem of this Century. The problem of so many of us who live in the "Lucky Country". WE ARE DROWNING IN STUFF!!! Stuff that doesn't get appreciated or used to its full capacity before being tossed aside. Why do we keep buying our kids those much longed for toys that they then play with for five minutes and then shove under their beds and don't look at again until you do the big clean out and they say "I don't want that any more".
This year for Christmas I have enforced the "I'm not buying anything for the kids that won't definitely get used". They will all receive Xbox and/or Wii games as they are items that definitely get used and they also get shared around amongst all the kids. These things are worth the outlay because they get used by the whole family. But I will not be buying Bakugan balls, Hannah Montana toys, remote control ants or any of those type of things. The kids will get their much needed lamps for their rooms, a couple will get a new quilt cover as they have now outgrown their present ones. They will get clothing and generally things that will be used continually. They won't miss out, in any way, but they will receive things that they will appreciate the gifts they do get as they will be using them daily.
I will be listing continually until I get to the bottom of our mountain of boxes. Once our house is really decluttered we will be able to breathe again, and never again will things come into our lives and our home that will not be appreciated by the whole family.
I'm pretty sure if everyone in Australia took a long hard look at their homes, the majority of us would all be in the same boat. We are a country of consumers, of materialistic people who need to change for our own good and the good of the planet. Lets all declutter our lives, give the frugal life a go and spend time with our children out in the fresh air planting veggies and fruit and teach them life skills that will enable them to leave home when the time is right, knowing how to be more self sufficient.
Lets all take that first step towards self sustainability. It doesn't matter where you start as long as you start!!
So where ever you are in the world, lets all purge our lives of clutter and chaos and maybe then we can all begin to breathe easier and smile a little more......IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WORLD OUT THERE YOU KNOW AND WE ALL DESERVE TO ENJOY IT!!!!
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