And what does the Farm Sanctuary have to do with minimizing clutter and manifesting abundance you ask?  Quite a bit actually.  For starters, I took time off over the weekend to decompress.  Haven’t done that in a long while.  I could feel myself breathing again.  Simply stepping away from my computer for 48 hours helped me minimize the noisy clutter inside my head so that I could maximize some space in my soul.  And it worked!  Hanging out with rescued farm animals has a ginormous healing effect on the spirit.  I will be writing more about those lovely beings in my next Souljourn, 21 Days for World Hunger, starting on March 20, 2010.

And then during the final day of this Souljourn, I dedicated a few hours to rounding up all the collected clutter and dispersing of it accordingly.

I started with Freecycle.  Let me state for the record that I love Freecycle.  If you haven’t tried it yet, you are in for a treat.  Anything you need or anything you need to get rid of – the Freecycle network is your source.  Free, by the way, means there is no exchange of money.  Two years ago my best friend was visiting and needed a portable playpen for her baby.  Instead of our purchasing one or instead of her lugging one on an airplane, I checked out Freecycle and a complete stranger lent me one for eight days.  Just like that.  I see all kinds of things on Freecycle like Two Cinder Blocks – taken, or worm bins, or thermal undies.  Seriously, check it out!  My husband and I gave several things through Freecycle including an old vanity and mirror…I mean old.

So, I have an unusually large collection of stickers for an adult woman (still holding onto my 30 year old Mad Magazine stickers…just can’t seem to let those babies go).  I used to put stickers in scrapbooks and always had some on hand for the little ones in my life.  I decided it was time to clear them out.  I posted on Freecycle suggesting how they could best be used by a teacher.  Within one hour I started getting responses.  Turns out there are a lot of teachers who could use supplies, but that’s probably not a surprise to many of you.  I divided up the stickers for two different teachers.  I removed the Offer on Freecycle but not before several more emails came through.  One read something to the effect of:

My grandmother has Alzheimer’s Disease, and I send her cards and letters with tons of stickers.  She really enjoys the animals and flowers and anything a child would admire if you still have any stickers.

Another woman asked if she could take the stickers to her daughter’s kindergarten teacher who buys his own supplies.  She added:

The teachers are expected to do great things for the children but there’s no budget for the supplies. Teachers don’t get paid enough as it is and I think it’s really unfair.

With each email, my heart was hurting.  How is it possible that we live in a society where underpaid teachers have to purchase their own supplies?  I ended up spending more time sifting through my art supplies.  As a former art therapist and a current fine artist, I have loads of supplies.  Even some of the adult leadership development sessions I facilitate in the business world involve using art media for various team building projects.  I landed with three large boxes of supplies and more stickers for the gal who has a grandma with Alzheimer’s.  In addition to the stickers, I gave away a big bag of candles (old and new) and party blowers on Freecycle.  Everything was picked up or dropped off within 24 hours of the first post.  Freecycle…Yes!

I love Craigslist too, but I find Freecycle to be much faster if you’re giving things away.  Craigslist is especially useful if you want to monetize your stuff.  I have sold and purchased many items over the years with my bud Craig.

I also plan to use Ebay for the first time.  I have an engagement ring from a former life.  It’s a special ring – one of a kind – from France.  My ex was French and his uncle owned a jewelry store in Paris in which most of the rings were individually designed.  Anyone interested?

I’ll be donating a few office supply items to Natural Bridges State Beach.  As some may know, California Parks have taken a huge hit with the budget crisis, so they can use all the help one can give.

I have one broken electronic item that I will take to a local place called Grey Bears.  Along with many household items, they accept anything with a cord to recycle or reuse.

While many second hand stores will not take bedding items, your local shelter may.  Be sure to check this out before putting any textiles in your garbage.  In 2007, Americans put 7 million tons of clothing and footwear into landfills.  Let me repeat, 7 million tons.  That’s 14,000,000,000 pounds.  That’s like a billion gazillion. And outside of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo fibers, clothing and shoes take a long time (more than a hundred years for some articles) to breakdown and/or adds toxins to the earth.  But most importantly (opinion alert), there’s no reason to put something in the earth if someone on the earth has a use for it.

I came across a bottle of old prescription medication and some expired cough syrup while clearing out a cabinet.  They will be deposited at a local pharmacy.  Please don’t put your expired meds down the sink.  I really don’t want to be drinking a glass of serotonin re-uptake inhibitor water.  I like my serotonin levels just as they are.

Just before leaving to deposit the bulk of my items at Goodwill, I found myself making one last ditch effort running wildly around the house, grabbing items (ya know, the stuff I was on the fence about) and impulsively throwing them in a bag.  I was making these split-moment decisions and feeling lighter and lighter.  Someone is going to score some great stuff.  At the beginning of this Souljourn, I committed to giving away 21 items that I’ve been holding onto.  Sooooo…there was one bump in the process.  My husband, who is not one to hold onto things, actually had me pull out those two glass candle holders with the suns (see photo).  It didn’t take much to convince me they had to be pulled from the donation pile.  And still, I gave away about 100 items (not including thousands of stickers) overall.

A sample of my de-cluttering

Reuseful Options for Your Old Clothes

• Besides the Goodwill and Salvation Army, there are plenty of options for clothes and shoes de-cluttering.  Ever try a Clothes Swap?  Clothes Swaps are chickalicious!  I’ve participated in a few.  In exchange for letting go of old clothes, you can pick up some new (to you) stuff too.
• Check out some of the other second hand stores in your area.  Ever been to a Buffalo Exchange?  Fun.  Very cool vintage clothing, but they are picky about what they take.  The good news is you get paid on the spot.
• Many towns have consignment stores.  They pay you a percentage (about 30-50% of sales) after they have sold your items.
• Check out Earth911’s Eight Ways to Reuse Your T-shirt
• GreenYour shows a list of links for recycling various types of clothing and shoes including formal dresses for underprivileged girls and maternity/baby clothes.  The organizations they list are mostly charities and are doing good things in the world.

But What About those Really Tattered Clothes?

 I am one of those people who will wear my clothes until they are so stretched, holey or stained that they become an embarrassment – to themselves of course.  I don’t mind at all.  I have found other ways of reusing these items after they have lived a full life.  Sure, we all know about cutting old t-shirts and using old socks for cleaning.  I don’t think I’ll ever be at a loss for rags.  But there are other ways to reuse as well:  stuffing for pillows, bedding for puppies, homemade stuffed animals, putting old t-shirts over car seats, rags for painting, polishing, and making art.  Give your kids some old clothes and watch the magic emerge.  Add some fabric paint to the mix and let their creativity soar.  Kids can make all kinds of amazing creations with your old stuff.  I remember entertaining myself for an entire summer with one refrigerator box.  I was thirty-seven.

If you recall from just a few paragraphs ago that several gazillion pounds of clothing and shoes end up in US landfills annually.  I think it’s important that Americans realize the environmental impact of the clothing industry and the contribution we can make to minimize the damage.  EHP (Environmental Health Perspectives) has an article entitled Waste Couture.

In brief summary, the article Waste Couture makes some of the following points:

• Each step of the clothing production process carries the potential for an environmental impact.  Conventionally grown cotton, one of the most popular clothing fibers, is also one of the most water and pesticide-dependent crops (a view disputed by Cotton Incorporated, a U.S. cotton growers’ group).
• According to the EPA Office of Solid Waste, Americans throw away more than 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year (that changes the original number to 21,000,000,000 pounds).
• Before the 1920’s most clothing was repaired, mended, or tailored to fit other family members, or recycled within the home as rags or quilts. During WWI, The government’s conservation campaign used slogans such as “Make economy fashionable lest it become obligatory” and resulted in an approximate 10% reduction in the production of trash.
• During WWII, the production and consumption of many household goods, including clothing, grew by 10–15% and continues to expand to this day.
• The biggest impacts for increasing sustainability in the clothing industry rests with the consumer.  Using detergents that work well at lower temperatures and that don’t cause harm the environment extends the usable life of garments, purchasing fewer and more durable garments, and recycling these garments into the used clothing market or into other garment and non-garment products all would contribute to increasing sustainability.

Some Goodwill Stores and Salvation Army stores will take your tattered and battered clothing and resell those items to rag sorters such as Global Clothing Industry.  I highly recommend you first call to ensure the stores in your area do this.  The local Goodwill in my area does not.  As a result, any torn or unusable items donated to that store end up in the landfill – not good for the earth and not good for the Goodwill’s budget; it costs them beaucoup bucks to dispose of those things.  I have been working on a personal mission of not contributing to landfills, so it is worth every effort I can make to uphold that effort.

Other options for your torn, stained and unwearable clothing items:

• Contact your local animal shelters.  They may take certain items – especially old towels.
• Check out local quilting associations to see if they can make use of your textile goods.
• U’SAgain divides your used textile items into different categories and handles them accordingly.  Supposedly nothing ends up in landfills.  Those clothes that cannot be sent to second hand stores are turned into cloth for other purposes.  Some clothing items are sent to Guatemala, Chile, Africa or Mexico to be resold.  Check the website to see if there is a drop box near you.
• Planet Aid is another organization that can turn your rags into riches (for others).  Planet Aid is committed to helping poor and disadvantaged citizens of the Earth improve their lives and the lives of future generations. They support people and communities in the poorest regions of the world through projects addressing health, education, food production, and income generation.  See if there is a drop box near you.
• The article How to Recycle Virtually Anything offers loads of solutions for unloading your junk…err goods.  Granted, some of the solutions are specific to the south-bay area of San Francisco, yet many are nationwide.  I will offer some additional recycling ideas in a future Souljourn.
• Check out SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles) located in Bel Air, Maryland.  SMART’s vision is to reduce solid waste by reclaiming, converting, and recycling textiles and secondary materials.  As an international trade association, SMART strengthens the economic opportunities of their diverse membership by promoting the interdependence of their industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education, and trade.  SMART’s homepage offers all sorts of useful information about recycling items that your local waste company may not take.

If you’re looking for a local company that recycles or reuses old clothes or other textiles, go to SMART’s homepage.  About midway down on this page, you will see a box containing a photo of a woman and child.  Click the first link in that box entitled Consumers and Green Advocates.

On the right side, there is a widget to find a recycling center near you, for all kinds of items!

Just for kicks, I tired several different entries including medicine, batteries, tires, oil, household cleaners, paints, needles, and carpet.  Each time I saw a list of stores in my area that take those things for recycling.  The widget did not accept puppy or husband.  I guess there is not yet a big enough demand to recycle those items.

A Souljourn in Review

I met most of my goals for this journey.  I essentially stuck to the plan outside of the following three hiccups in the process:  1) I did not start a will with my husband, yet we will likely do that by the end of March.  2) I did not tackle the garage…spring project for sure and 3) I only recycled enough paper to fill up half a bin instead of a full bin.  I’ve been in the process of making my office paperless for some time, and while I am making progress; it’s slow going.

But wait!  Abundance!  The good stuff keeps rolling in.  While one part of me is not surprised that I have been receiving and continue to manifest abundance (that is, after all, what I set out to do), another part of me remains in awe that this stuff really works!  I think humans are much more connected to the energy of the universe than for what we give ourselves credit.  One of my intentions was to create some internal space by removing external (and yes, internal) clutter, thus allowing myself room to receive.  And receive I did and still am!

Some of the abundance came in the form of financial comfort through work opportunities.  It also showed up as re-connections with old friends.  Some abundance manifested as surprise gifts or words of support.  On each day of this journey I received something – even if it was a simple message from the universe.  And I believe there are signs everyday when I allow myself to see them.  A few times during this journey I was struggling and asking the universe (or whoever…) for signs that I was making the best decision or taking the most effective action; and almost immediately upon asking, I received a sign.  Twice during a conflict of transformation and while asking for a sign, Monarch butterflies flew in my path.  Could there possibly be a better sign of transformation?  I think not.

Sure, there could be many confounding reasons for seeing butterflies, and sure, this could seem all fuzzy wuzzy metaphysical BS to some.  That’s okay by me.  These are my signs, and I’m receiving them because I’ve chosen to do so.  They have meaning because I’ve chosen to give them meaning.  You do whatever you need to do with your signs – ignore, receive, create, or share.  Whatever you need to do.  Needless to say, if you’re looking to manifest some abundance, you may want to first take note of all the beauty that exists in your life.  Because receiving that kind of abundance is the easiest of all.

I now publicly bring this Souljourn to a close, yet it has not ended.  I intend to turn this experience into my transformational standard of life – a way of being. I will remain on the path and continue my work towards minimizing clutter (both the internal and external rubbish) and toward a sustained connection with my intentions.  And you, too, can create a reality that brings joy and fulfillment.  Yes, you too, can take a Souljourn of Abundance Manifestation.  Imagine yourself so empowered that creating an abundant reality is yours for the receiving.  And then imagine the ripple effect this abundance will have on those around you.  Take that ripple effect and imagine a world transformed.

Personal transformation can and does have global effects.  As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one.
- Marianne Williamson

The universe is transformation; our life is what our thoughts make it.
- Marcus Aurelius

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to all the posts in this series.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 14 – 18 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

I’m going to spare you all the minimizing details of these last five days (March 1 – 5).  My original intention was to spend three days cleaning up my computer and two days in the garage.  Here’s the end result:  I needed more time than planned (still do) on my computer, and frankly; when I walked into the garage and saw what exactly there was to tackle, I about-faced and walked out.  Anyway, it was cold in there. 

Yes, initially I questioned whether or not I was having maladaptive thoughts about my capabilities to minimize the clutter in the garage.  I think not!  I’m aware that sometimes it is a fine line between realism and rationalism.  Ism is as ism does.  I do believe I was being realistic.  I will, instead, plan some future weekend time this spring to do an actual garage clearing-out.  And I’ll recruit my husband to help.  He will be THRILLED.

During the course of my computer de-cluttering this week, I attempted to seek some outside help - mostly for my email.  Generally, I keep my Outlook organized.  I have 93 folders and several of those have subfolders.  Mind you, this is ten years of emails.  I have tens of thousands of emails.  Yes, I save almost every one.  Believe it or not, at least once (if not several times) a month I refer back to emails from my past – my ghosts of emails past.  Whether it’s a former client resurfacing or my needing to fact-check, I make use of those old emails.  I will not delete those emails, but it is worth my time to do some re-organization.  I took an online Email Assessment from Egan Email Solutions to learn that while my Outgoing Emailing habits may be serving me well (I scored a 72 thank you very much), my Inbox handling habits are getting in my way (62…uh not-so-good).  The funniest part of that assessment was when I hit the submit button and was abruptly interrupted with a message stating how I skipped question #14:  I avoid letting my e-mail pull me away from more important tasks

Ha!  How’s that for an unconscious process at work.  I absolutely do that!

So, turns out I have a problem (why are you nodding?) not with my Outlook organization but with an addiction to email.  Sheesh.  I suppose I knew that already.  Admitting that I have a problem is the first step…

Email rules my day.  I have such a need for instant gratification and for having an empty Inbox, that I find myself checking it constantly when I’m working at home.  It absolutely disrupts my work flow.  I’m aware of this fact and yet I continue to let it happen. I’ve had an ongoing fantasy that I will have an empty Inbox and this desire simply is unlikely to ever manifest.  It’s the perfect self-fulfilling prophecy:   I will be free of stress when I empty my Inbox, YET I stress myself out trying to empty the Inbox and it (so far) has never been free of emails (at least not for more than an hour or two or from one late night to one early morning time period); therefore I have set myself up for having perpetual stress.  Has anyone else had this experience?  Please tell me I’m not alone here!

I must relinquish the fantasy of having an empty Inbox, and I will be okay with the notion that having emails in my Inbox does not determine whether or not I have a joyful existence.   Contrary to my popular belief, I must create the happy existence based on the inner workings of my self and not based on something as ridiculous as my Inbox.  I’m making changes.  I’m transforming.  I have set a schedule as to when I will check emails.  I use my Outlook calendar to schedule nearly every other activity of my day – even things like lunch and walk the dog.  Literally, I have my entire day scheduled with pockets of time blocked out to catch up on whatever I didn’t accomplish earlier.  And the main reason I may not accomplish a task is because I spend too much time on email.  So why not schedule Check Email?  Starting this coming Monday, I have scheduled Email Checks at 7:00 AM, Noon and 4:00 PM.

I found a video on YouTube about the irresistible urge of email and email addiction.  An interview by Dan Harris of ABC World News with Email Expert Marsha Egan.

Marsha’s website offers loads of useful information on tackling email and organizing.   She suggests tips and presents a series called Clean Out Your Inbox Week. One example is Reduce Your Email Reclaim Your Productivity in which she offers free resources to help take control of email that is running your life and potentially harming productivity.

Marsha also has a blog Inbox Detox –helpful stuff to check out!

Along with that I found Twelve Tips for an organized desk

The following video showing an interview with Ellen Damaschino provides some ideas on how to turn Piles into Files.

Oh and check this out! Author of Organizing from the Inside Out, Julie Morgenstern, discusses how to Downsize Your Life.  Please note: the beginning of this video starts out in a fuzzy way.

Julie’s suggestions for Downsizing Your Life:  1) Giving your next phase in life a Theme. This helps you maintain your focus when it comes to eliminating your things. 2) Take inventory of what is weighing you down (she talks about how we really need a very little amount of material items) by separating the treasures from the unnecessary items.  She claims that we only really use or love about 20% of the items we hold onto. 3) Get rid of stuff.  It’s deep work and necessitates getting clear about the value of objects.  The goal has to be to RELEASE – LET GO.

If anyone has any additional tips, tricks or tools for organizing, I welcome your thoughts!

Cheers to LETTING GO!

Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.

-Oprah Winfrey

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Today I intended to clear out only tangible items – stuff.  I ended up doing so much more after deciding to confront scraps of emotional clutter too.  I was on a roll!  It all started with a pile of clutter mostly in the form of clothing articles that I’ve been holding onto and not wearing for years.  How is it that years can go by and clothes sit idly in my closet?  I held on – for whatever reason.  A unique color that actually looks good on me, a soft-to-the-touch material, one day I will fit into that again, a sentimental thought about a time and a place in my life when I purchased the item…rationalization after rationalization as to why I need to hold on.

Enough already!  It’s time to surrender!

btw:  I’m talking to myself, you can do whatever you need to do.

Serenity now!

I can only recall one instance in which I had a sinking regret after having let go of an article of clothing.  The moment the realization hit that I no longer had the one perfect shirt– the only shirt to match an über hip pair of pants – my memory rewound to the day I gave the shirt away to Goodwill.  I had a mental image of someone else wearing my shirt with the wrong pair of pants.  An unsightly vision at best.  So, I did the only logical thing I could do at the time.  I gave the pants to Goodwill.

A rule I aim to live by:  If I haven’t worn it in a year, then out it goes.

After liberating the pile o’ stuff from my closet, I decided to STOP and take a good look at some emotional junk.  There’s junk in my thunk.  My psyche was in need of a good de-cluttering.  I re-read and listened to the message from Goddess Sige.  I needed some quiet time.  I took time out to reflect on the death of my dad.  I’ve been putting off my grief healing process, because in some ways for me chronic grief (as in infrequent processing which allows grief to last over a long period of time) is easier than acute grief (dealing with grief head-on in a shorter period of time).  In my opinion, most people process grief either chronically or acutely.  There are those select few who manage to find a nice combination of the two, and they likely heal more quickly.

To me, chronic grief creates an atmosphere of nagging melancholy.  While the griever may have had their initial release (or not) on or about the time of their loved one’s death, s/he generally puts it aside (aka avoidance or repression) as a way of coping and dealing with the continuing motion of life.  This could last for several months to years.  The acute grief processors are blindsided by the sadness accompanying the death of a loved one.  This may last several weeks to months and they are left unable to cope with anything else and nearly immobile – functioning to the point of barely getting out of bed if even that (aka depression).

I liken chronic grief to day-after-day of dreary drizzling.  While it may be a bother, a hassle, at times, one can still go about his/her daily business.  Whereas acute grief feels like a series of massive storms that hit within a shorter period of time. 60 mph winds knocking down branches, power outages and a rain so heavy the roof starts leaking.  It’s messy.  There’s major cleanup with those stormy days, and it may require a lot of energy to dig out of the mud.  The drizzling doesn’t require the same intense damage control, yet it may have long-term negative consequences through accumulated and insidious flooding.  I don’t know if one or the other is better.  I do believe the healthiest approach is a combination of the two.  Processing and functioning.  Processing and functioning.  I think each person simply has to do what works best at any given moment when dealing with grief. Deal is the operative word.  I encourage all grievers to seek outside help.  Tap into the resources of your hospice.  Hospice offers support groups, literature, counselors.

I do believe for many folks that grief is a life-long process, as in there are triggers that may surface throughout one’s life. I am not suggesting it seeps into daily life year after year; however, if one does not take some time out to heal – some time out to clear the confusing emotional clutter that clogs up the brain – then grieving can interfere with functioning and can have a lasting impact.

Healing takes time and people grieve in different ways.  It does ease with time.  The hard part about the time aspect of healing through grief is how (and this part is rarely discussed) the healing purpose of time is to separate and begin to forget pain.  But in order for one to forget about pain, s/he must also begin to forget.  To forget the most intense memories.  To forget the strong connection.  To allow the memories to fade into assimilation.  Then, thinking about the person is likened to regarding a mind-scrapbook where you can look at the images, perhaps recall some pale hue of emotion with a smile, yet not experience the feeling to the same intensity.  Thus allowing the griever to experience the feeling of loss to a lesser degree.

I theorize one of the reasons folks hold on to grief is because they are afraid to lose the loved one who died and are afraid to lose everything that person represents and how that loved one was like a self-reflection – an extension of the surviving griever.

To me, one of the best ways to heal through grief is to journal or engage in another form of expressive arts.  This way you have the memories and the emotions documented (for future memory scrap-booking) and you can simultaneously release the pain.  If done regularly throughout the first year (or longer) of grieving, healing through expression morphs into a healthy mix of the chronic and acute grief process.

And this brings me to my own emotional clutter.  I journaled the first few weeks after my Dad died and then quickly ramped back up and into real life allowing the most difficult feelings to hide away in the tiny recesses of my psyche.  Repression is my friend…sometimes.

So, today, I decided to let myself feel.  And I mean really feel not just talk about feelings in some cerebral fashion.  I tucked myself away and felt.  I wrote.  I cried.  I reflected.  I landed with a message to my Dad.  I’m sharing it with some hesitation.  It’s personal and vulnerable.  Still, there’s one little part of me that hopes someone besides me will benefit from this experience.  An experience that I intend to repeat (only next time I’m keeping it to myself).

A message to my Dad

Dear Dad,

I’m sad you’re dead.  I imagine most people would find that sentence to be a little unpolished and blunt, but it’s direct and it’s true.  You would’ve totally gotten it.

I’m thinking about the last words we exchanged and how I wish you had been conscious enough by the time I arrived at the hospital for us to have had a coherent conversation, but I can settle on the fact that those short exchanges on the phone we had while I was en route before, after and in between plane rides were the next best.  I clearly recall sobbing and telling you I was gonna miss you, and I can still hear you say, I’m going to miss you too baby. I’m in my forties and you still called me baby.  I think you envisioned yourself as my protector right up until the minute I arrived safety at your side in the hospital.

Even though you were no longer speaking when I arrived, I know you knew I was there.  I felt your hand tighten in mine.  I saw you nod – slightly – in response to my speaking.  I do believe you were waiting for me.

You didn’t know that I was taping one of the phone conversations, Dad.  It was the first one while I was still in California.  At that point, after that early morning call and while we were scrambling to get tickets and pack, I was uncertain that I would ever see you alive again.  I needed to tape it.  I needed to feel like I had some semblance of control.  I needed to know I would have something to hold onto.  I listened to the tape two times that week after you died and haven’t been able to since that time.  It’s too painful to hear your voice, yet I take great comfort in knowing I have your words and thoughts, your voice, documented for when I do again get the courage to listen.  For when I just need to hear your voice.

There have been several occasions in the last eight months that I’ve needed your expertise.  Questions about trees and animals and nature stuff.  All those things that I would rely on you for the answers.  Now I have to Google, and it’s just not the same.  You were my nature go-to person.  Seventy years of knowledge evaporated when you died.  How does that happen?

Some funny things have happened – even recently.  Of course I call Mom and tell her, but there have been countless times that I’ve wanted you to get on the phone too.  I wanted to share some of those laughs with you.  You liked to laugh and you were expert at finding ways to get others to laugh with you.  I learned how to play pranks from you, and my favorite pranks were the ones I played on you!  Everyone who was with you that day before you died shared the amusing stories and jokes you were telling.  I’m sad I missed that.  I know you tried to get me to laugh on that last phone call when Scott and I were at the rental car place in Baltimore.  It was nearly 12:30 am and you had a short moment of consciousness.  Mom called me, He’s conscious.  I’m going to put him on.  I continued to hear her say, Honey, honey, it’s Kenda. Say hi to Kenda.  Say hi to Kenda. And then what did I hear?

Hi to Kenda.

Thank you for that, Dad.  I know you did that for me.  I know you were trying to ease my pain.  The doctors predicated that you should’ve been dead ten hours prior to that short-lasting exchange, but you cracked one last joke.  Thank you.

Today, Sunday, February 28, 2010, something woke me about 3:00 am.  That little gas fireplace stove thingy in the bedroom involuntarily turned on.  Fire.  Contained fire.  But fire nonetheless.  Naturally I thought it was a message from you.  What better message from a forest fire fighter?

I sat up and thought…

Happy Birthday Dad.  I love you.

I miss you.

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Day #10 – February 25, 2010

Abundance in the form of Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards came to me today.  A dear friend thought I could benefit from some guiding messages.  She was spot on.  I promptly mixed up the cards and selected one with my eyes closed.  SIGE, the Goddess of Quiet Time gave me the message:  Take some quiet time alone to rest, meditate, and contemplate. Note how in the photo, the hammock is empty.  While I longed to follow her message, (maladaptive thought alert) I just had too much work to do; so I packed up my Goddess Cards and went back to my office.

This brings me to an interesting observation.  My Abundance Factor is out of control.  I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining for fear of wishing it away.  I know, sounds superstitious, right?  Since writing the first Abundance Souljourn, nearly every day I have had new and interesting opportunities coming to me.  Granted, some of the abundance is coming in the form of a sweet gifts and thoughts from friends.  That’s easy enough – even fun – to manage.  And yet other forms of abundance are coming in as work projects and fascinating prospects for making changes toward my goal.  As of today, I have three big projects on my desk, and they are of equal intensity and priority.  They have colliding deadlines.  I feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about it.  My Abundance – Pressure Ratio is surely off balance.  I am also fully aware I put myself in this situation by accepting each project.

I reviewed my goal (again, here is the less detailed version I shared in a past post):

To synergize my greatest passions in a way that creates a comfortable living and a peaceful, simple existence.

So far, I am creating and receiving opportunities to synergize my greatest passions and am working toward creating that comfortable living.  BUT the peaceful, simple existence part is no where to be found.  Working seven days a week ten+ hours a day does not contribute to a peaceful, simple existence.  Clearly I need to rethink and re-plan a strategy to receive the abundance in a way that I can manage it – ultimately creating that more peaceful and simple life.  But for now and in the words of Scarlet O’Hara,

I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.

Day #11 – February 26, 2010

Today, after an 18-hour workday I decided that Done is Better than Perfect (thanks to Ali for bestowing this lesson).  I surrendered and declared my work complete.  Complete enough.  I hit the hay with my head still buzzing from the day’s activities.  No clutter minimizing today, unless work tasks count as clutter.

Day #12 – February 27, 2010

True, while I’m not following the plan exactly, I am doing the work to eliminate clutter from my home office and home.  Still, six days a week I’m confronted with junk mail clutter.  In my plan, I completely forgot to mention mail clutter.  I am not a junk mail junkie!  At least I have no intentions of being one.  At my house, we get mail for eight people who don’t even live here.  Eight.  I only know of two other families that lived at this house before we moved in.  Who are all these people and why do they claim to live with me?  I have begun to take action and today I’m going to share some information on ways that you, too, can rid your life of junk mail.

Junk mail be gone!  It’s a total waste of time.

And then there’s the whole deforestation issue.  Junk mail is not only stealing your time, but your healthy planet too.  The more trees we cut down for useless means (that go well beyond junk mail) the more our CO2 filtration system is destroyed for the sake of man’s futilities.  Trees absorb the CO2, but with less trees, more CO2 and less O2…well you probably know where this is heading.  Not to mention the fundamental problems with biodiversity, erosion and resources needed to turn trees into your postmarked hassle.  How is it that humans are the only animal species that knowingly destroy their own habitat?  Okay, that’s a question for another post.  Back to the topic at hand:  Junk mail.

In the past, I would call or write to every catalog or junk mail sender requesting they take me off their mailing list and surely do not sell my name to anyone else. But this is incredibly time consuming, which is the reason I haven’t done it in a couple years.

Fear not!  Because help is on the way!

If you don’t feel like doing it yourself, for $41.00 you can hire 41 Pounds to reclaim your mailbox.  Check out their site and video.

Or if you prefer to make all those calls and do the online work yourself, you have options.  Check out the comment section on November 14th of the Donotmail blog post entitled Return to Offender. Caroline Altmann offers heaps of information for contacting various marketers to stop junk mail.

For those of you who don’t feel like clicking third-party links, I copied and pasted the best parts:

• Valpak is the blue envelope with local merchants’ coupons inside addressed to “Resident” and then your address. Go online and spend about 3 seconds to remove yourself from receiving Valpak.

• Valassis/RedPlum are the folks who bring a the medley of grocery offerings to your mailbox - LOADS of wasted paper especially if you don’t use the products!

• DMA (Direct Marketing Association)
  Will remove and give options on eliminating
  Catalogs
  Magazine Offers
  Other Mail Offers

Opt-Out of New Credit Card, Catalog and Magazine Offers

Go to the DMA choice site to learn about opting out of all new credit card, catalog and magazine offers.  To create an account, you can go directly to the registration page.

Remember, these are new offers.  It is important to register with DMA, because your name is likely on several lists that get sold over and over and over again.  If you register with DMA, you can greatly prevent the bombardment of solicitations. To take care of your current catalogs and magazines, you can contact them each directly or go through 41 Pounds (and no, I have no affiliation with these folks).

What you need to register with DMA:

• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Password for the DMA account registration
• DMA will send the registration to your email address—you need to activate DMA’s link

Opt-Out of Phone Books

DID YOU KNOW? It takes

19 million trees,

1.6 billion pounds of paper,

3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity,

and 7.2 million barrels of oil

to produce the 500 million directories that are delivered across the nation each year.  And with the whole world wide internet thing, most people no longer use their phone books!

Here is the important information for stopping delivery of phone books:

• Verizon (Superpages/Idearc):   800.888.8448 (Option 2)
• Dex (Yellow Pages):  877.243.8339
• Yellow Book:  800.373.3280
• AT&T/Yellow Pages formerly SBC/Bell South:  800.792.2665 for AR, KS, OK, MO and TX only (All other states – 866.329.7118)

You can also go to Yellow Pages Goes Green to opt out of unwanted Yellow and White Pages Books.

Opt-Out of Credit Card Solicitations

Credit card issuers jam the mailboxes of US consumers with over 5 billion solicitations annually, according to Market Research Portal, October 2007. Consumers can get off these mailing lists by registering online at Opt Out Prescreen or by calling the toll-free number: 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688). I do believe that you will be asked for your social security number.  I don’t have any suggestions or advice about that.  I’m typically very cautious to give out my social security number.  Chances are the credit card issuers already have your social security number.  Still, my disclaimer is: always be certain and cautious when giving out your social security number.

You can also go to DoNotMail and sign Forest Ethic’s petition to create a donotmail registry just like the Do Not Call registry:

In order to eliminate your junk mail, it will require some effort.  Overall, it has been a fairly painless process for me.  Yes, it takes a couple few hours.  Still…that’s a darn good deal considering all the time wasted on sifting through junk mail.

Save a tree.  Save some time.  Clear some clutter.  Create abundance.

Liberate your mailbox!

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Where is this Souljourn taking me?  These last four days I’ve journeyed through taxes, more clutter, a plan to work some new abundance (that came in the form of a few big projects with colliding deadlines) and even religion.  Wherever it’s taking me, I have the sense there’s something big waiting for me when I get there.

Day #6 – February 21, 2010

And today I worked on taxes with my husband.  While yes, taxes are, one hand a chore, I secretly enjoy the process even if I outwardly complain about doing them.  It’s like completing a puzzle that comes in a plain brown wrapper box.  Done and feelin’ good.  I think that could ideally count as three or four days worth of clearing, but that’s just me rationalizing.

Day #7 – February 22, 2010

During the course of a 16-hour work day, I took mini ‘breaks’ and cleared out a few things in my office – little stuff.  Nothing to write home about.

Day #8 – February 23, 2010

I do believe my plan was to start on clearing out drawers today.  This, I did not do.  Interestingly enough I’ve been visually clearing them out.  Does that count?  I can see in my mind some articles of clothing and household items I will be removing and donating.  Today I had the opportunity to work another 16 hours.  I’ve received some new abundance since this process started, and now I am trying to assimilate it.  Note to self:  Next time you ask for abundance, set the intention of receiving it in a timely (as in spread out over time not all at once) fashion.  I have the sense I’m being tested.  I’m trying to focus on gratitude instead of the creeping sensation of overwhelming pressure.  Focus on gratitude.  Focus on gratitude.

I thought this video on meditation for abundance might be of interest.  The music calmed me.

Day #9 – February 24, 2010

I used my abundance time well today.  No, I didn’t remove any clutter – at least not the tangible kind.  This whole abundance process has had my wheels rotating. As I suspected would be the case, this experience is turning into a spiritual journey of reflection for me.  Today was I reminded of an incident that happened in the recent past.

One afternoon, about two weeks ago, I was sitting in my office tapping away on the keyboard, deep in some potentially inconsequential thought.  I was shaken from this world by a simultaneous ring at the door and bark by the puppy.  In a flash, I assessed one of three things:  1) we were getting a delivery 2) school kids were selling their goods to earn enough money to buy pencils and books (I do, after all live in California, and this isn’t a totally unrealistic scenario) or 3) there would be two bible-wielding, gleaming young men in dark suits gloriously loitering on the other side.  Given that school was still in session and we weren’t expecting any packages, I geared myself up to have a conversation with a Jehovah’s Witness…or two.  My professional life entails teaching communication skills, so I would like to believe it’s a no-brainer for me to have a Courageous Conversation when the situation calls for it.

Once I tackled the first obstacle of a puppy who was scrambling to get out there to meet and greet, I found myself bent over, holding onto her and trying to open the door wide enough for me to talk yet narrow enough to prevent the little door dasher from bounding out.  I opened the door a crack and peered onto the saintly vision of two young boys with blemish-free peach-colored skin smiling down upon me.  I could feel my pupils contract in the light of their goodness.

I politely greeted them with, ‘Hello. I’m not interested in what you have to offer.’ Clearly not rattled by my kind tone yet firm message, the first Elder somethin’ somethin’ (I actually used to think their names were ‘Elder’ and wondered why an entire population of people would give the same name to so many) replied with,

Would you be interested in hearing our message today?

No, replied I.

I’m not interested.  I’m an athhhheeeeist.

I could feel that word escaping my mouth as if someone were pulling it out of me. Like the way taffy is pulled.  Slowly.  Methodically.  Only somehow this wasn’t shaping up to have a sweet conclusion.  I stood up in disbelief, letting the puppy get totally out of control and holding the shock that I just told two strangers I was an atheist.  I lied!  I think.  Did I?  Gawd.  Now I just don’t know!  I’m not a liar.  I just don’t do it.  I don’t see the point.  Did I just lie to the Elder brothers?  GAWD. What is happening to me!  Whatever it was, it did not feel good.

My world was crumbling down all around me as I realized that I was a Women without a Religion.  Without a God.  As I was trying to grasp the reality of my situation, I could feel yet another onset of a midlife existential crisis nuzzling in. Or really maybe it wasn’t early at all.  Maybe it was quite timely.  I am forty-three. I could very feasibly die at the age of eighty-six.  Alone.  With no God to guide me to the afterlife or well, anywhere.  Why do I keep confronting mid-life crises? What is going on here?  WHO am I?

This battle in my brain ensued, and I could hear the oldest Elder say,

Would you like us to do any yard work for you?

Huh?  What?  Yard work?  Either he was really desperate to get his virtuous hands into my soulless genes or the yard was looking a lot worse than I thought.

No.  Dazed and confused.  I said my good-bye, closed the door and stumbled numbly back to my office.

I snapped out of it and immediately got online to look up the exact definition of atheist.  I mean, maybe it really is defined as someone who doesn’t want others to push their religious beliefs on her, right?  Much to my dismay, atheist is clearly defined as:  A person who believes there is no God. I hope my mother doesn’t read this.

I put my head down in confusion and disbelief.  1) I’m not a liar and 2) I’m not atheist.  But obviously due to the circumstances, I am indeed a liar or am therefore an atheist.  There definitely is some misalignment here – a conflict of thoughts.  So what does this make me?  Just what are my beliefs?  I’ve entertained the notion of Paganism several times especially while in the process of converting out of Catholicism.  It sounded cool.  I am also fascinated by Native American spirituality, but that’s not a religion…is it?  So, today, I used my abundance time to begin defining my non-religious spiritual beliefs.

My beliefs may be amorphous to some because they are not attached to any specific doctrine, but to me they are quite clear…uh, outside of the whole being truthful belief.  Obviously I have some confusion around that one.  I believe in respecting people; and to the best of my capabilities, offering a hand to those in need.  I believe in honoring the dignity of humans and all of earth’s creatures.  I believe in kindness.  I believe in gratitude.  For the most part, give or take, I buy into the Ten Commandments, even if they are a bit dated and I really see little wrong with coveting something as long as it doesn’t interfere with day-to-day living.

I believe in loyalty, in peace, in love, in joy and in truth (usually this comes easily for me); and that one receives peace, love, joy and truth as an extension of openly gifting them to others.  I believe that violence is the worst way to solve a problem of any kind.  I believe that hating is immoral and a waste of precious time.  I believe in equality and humility.  I believe in karma even if I may not call it karma.  I believe that I don’t know how to spell karma…kharma?  I do believe there is some divine power – in the universe or somewhere – and while I may surrender to it periodically and certainly trust in its wisdom, I know that my decisions and actions have direct consequences.  There are times I feel divinely guided and protected, and I do believe I have connected with the energy of deceased loved ones.

I do believe that the universe – or whoever – has abundance to give and that those who receive it do so because they are connected at a deeper, richer level.  I believe that I must take full responsibility for my life.  I believe it’s also my responsibility to take exceptional care of the earth.  I believe I share this responsibility with all humanity even if all of humanity doesn’t necessarily agree with me.  I believe in creating my own reality by putting my intentions out to the universe (or wherever) and taking action, then seeing, believing and receiving.  If I had to choose a religion, it would be the earth and universe combined.  The earth is my temple and the universe is my guide.  I think I’ll call it Univearth.

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.  Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.  Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.  Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.  Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.  But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. – Buddha

Spiritual maturity is a lifelong process of replacing lies with truth. -Kurt D. Bruner

This is my simple religion.  There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy.  Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.  -The Dalai Lama

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Before Clutter-Minimizing

Day #2 – February 17, 2010

I look at my desk and am shocked that it belongs to me.  Believe it or not, while being a recovering hoarder, I consider myself to be hyper-organized.  Although I’m not a materialistic person in the consuming sense, since a young age, I held on to nearly every material thing. No exaggeration.  Any notes that were sent to me, cards, photos, gifts given to me – anything that had the slightest sentimental value.  I was a collector.  I use that term loosely because it is a fine line between collecting and hoarder for someone who is even slightly OCD. 

If it came across my path, I attempted to collect it.  Stamps, bottle caps, funky pencils, coins, stuffed animals, erasers, bazooka joe wrappers, buttons, found objects for art projects, baseball cards, Happy Days cards, Mad Magazines, leaves.  The list goes on.  Once in elementary school I started collecting straw papers just to see how many I could get.  I collected thousands of straw papers.  Every lunch period friends would give me their straw papers for my collection.  I held onto those until I was in high school.  By the time high school rolled around, I was much more evolved and onto more sophisticated collections no longer needing those dorky ole’ straw papers. Still, I reluctantly let go of my straw papers.

And then by the time adulthood rolled around, I landed with about 60 huge photo albums that I lugged from one home to the next including my move from the east to the west coast.  Boxes of cards, pieces of paper, tokens, postcards, newsletters (even if it only housed one important piece of information I kept it) came with me to every new place I ventured.  I used to pride myself on being eternally organized with my stuff.  Each item was placed in its appropriate box.  Each photo went into an album.  I kept files for anything that seemed important.  Outside of the normal stuff – automobile, rental documents, warranties, health and car insurance, I maintained files for directions, entertainment info, interesting people I met – documentation of all sorts. I filled four drawers of a huge filing cabinet.

Certainly, in some ways, given my obsession with orderliness and control, I collected so that I had something to organize.  There was comfort in that.   Any psychologist could have a hay day with my behaviors.  Collecting to ease a compulsion and an obsession with organizing to ease the stress of collecting.   You can find me on or about page 417 in the DSMIV.

I fooled myself into thinking that the $50,000 I spent on a Masters degree in Psychology was to help other people.  In retrospect, it was the most expensive therapy I ever received.  I have no regrets.  It was shortly upon earning my degree that I began to feel the freedom of letting go and of trusting that I would be okay in the process.  While I don’t necessarily consider myself cured, at least now I can claim to be a normal neurotic instead of a, well, neurotic neurotic.  Hence the recovering hoarder.

Over the years, I have been electronically scanning items that I would like to keep even if only in a virtual sense.  I’ve actually reduced my photo album collections by 50% and just last year eliminated three recycle bins of paper from my filing cabinet.  Ahhhh…that feels goooood.

I still have some battles with the notion of holding on.  It ebbs and flows.  Only recently I snagged something from the recycle bin that my husband was trying to throw away without my knowledge. Fortunately he’s not an enabler in this relationship, but it’s hard to slip something by me.  He was pitching something he held onto for nearly three decades:  the December 9, 1980 LA Times Newspaper.  Front page article:  Ex-Beatle John Lennon Is Shot to Death in N.Y.  I just couldn’t let that one pass me by.

I am still hyper-organized and have to quell the stress that surfaces when there are stacks on the desk, too many emails in the inbox, too many dirty clothes piled in the wash basket, etc. etc. etc.  Sometimes I still find myself unconsciously straightening envelopes at the card store and tidying up shelves at the grocery store.  If I’m out shopping and see something in an aisle, I pick it up and find the proper place for it.  The big difference now is that I can have a hearty laugh at the behaviors knowing all along that there is some nutty nutbar thought driving it.

And that brings me to Day #2 of Minimizing Clutter in an effort to Manifest or maximize abundance.

I looked at my desk and had a short-lived mini freak-out.  I took a photo to have a point of reference – a benchmark of sorts – for showing change.  That’s about all I did for this goal on Day #2.  It felt like too big a task to tackle.  I battled some maladaptive thoughts specifically the Negative Kick Start and Extreme Thinking.

With a Negative Kick Start, one is likely to use the words no or can’t without thinking through other possibilities.  It generally leads to frustration and a self-fulfilling prophecy.  With Extreme Thinking one categorizes situations as black or white, good or bad.  Taking the negative details and magnifying them while filtering out all the positive aspects of that situation.  Extreme Thinking also leads one to come to a general, negative conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence.  If something bad happens once, you expect it to happen over and over.  You predict the future negatively without considering other, more likely outcomes. You have to be perfect, or you’re a failure.  There is no middle ground.  This style usually leads to feelings of anxiety and sometimes panic and oftentimes to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Example Phrases of Extreme Thinking include:

• I must be thoroughly competent, achieving, and likable at all times, or else I am an unworthy person.
• It was the most horrendous day of my life!  Nothing went well today!
• That’s the nastiest person I’ve ever encountered!
• You will never change!

For me, I looked at my desk and thought; I can’t do anything with that mess.  I’ll never get through all that stuff.  So, I went and cleaned the kitchen instead and then came back to work.  The self-fulfilling prophecy is that I believed the unhealthy thoughts, acted on them and then had an excuse to validate that those thoughts were indeed true.  For instance, I’ll never get through all that stuff.  I avoided the stuff, did something else, came back to the stuff and saw nothing had changed.  Voila!  The thought was validated.  I chalk Day #2 up to a learning experience instead of a failure.  Well, I first considered it was a failure and eventually re-framed it to a hiccup along the way.  Another opportunity to learn.

And along came Day #3 – February 18, 2010

I looked at my desk and took a deep breathe.  Then spent about two hours on emails and focused on one of three projects.  About ten hours passed and my desk looked the same – maybe even a little worse.  I started to think this whole Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance thing was a bad idea.

Synchronistically I stumbled across an ABC news video on Six Energy Zappers with clutter being one of them.

Finally Day #4, February 19, 2010, I took some action.

I spent the day working as I usually do but this time instead of flowing between stress and avoidance with the messiness that was surrounding me at my desk, I decided to take a good look at those thoughts and work on reframing them.

I can’t do anything with that mess.  I’ll never get through all that stuff.

With thought re-framing, there are four useful steps to take:

Step 1 – Stop and Catch the Thought

By this, I mean, catch the verbatim thought or thoughts that seem to be causing the negative emotions and preventing action – these are called Automatic Thoughts.  People have automatic thoughts throughout the day – some are useful, some are neutral and some are downright unhelpful.  Many people repeat the same patterns and automatic thoughts for various situations.  These thoughts are at the tip of your brain.  If you stop and listen, you will catch them.

Again my automatic thoughts were:

I can’t do anything with that mess.  I’ll never get through all that stuff.

Step #2 – Look at the Thought

Take a good look at those thoughts.  The goal is to assess their validity and usefulness. Is the thought true or false? If you have no evidence to prove the thought is true, then it is false until proven otherwise.  In most cases, anytime one uses an absolute like with Extreme Thinking, it automatically gets thrown in the False category.  Other examples of absolutes include:  All, None, No One, Everyone, Never and Always.

Ask, how is this thought serving me? Draw an objective conclusion about the thought. What are the gains of this thought? Sometimes there are secondary gains to maladaptive thoughts. The secondary gain could simply be the habit of feeling miserably comfortable around a thought that brings you grief and anxiety.

Dispute the maladaptive automatic thought: Ask yourself, What is the best argument against this thought? Here’s where you get to debate the thought.  Imagine you are an investigator assessing the situation from the outside.

Clearly my thoughts were False.  For me, the best argument against my thought was that surely there was something – at least one thing – I CAN do with my desk.  And this whole judging it as a mess thing was annoying.  While it may have had some aspects of messiness. It was not a mess.  It is what it is – little stacks of papers.  And never get through all of that?  I’m not that much of a mind-reader.

Step #3 – Shift the Automatic Maladaptive Thought to Something Healthier

Work toward changing the maladaptive thought by shifting perceptions from those that are unrealistic and harmful to those that are more rational and useful. Find or create evidence to support the best argument against the maladaptive thought. This is where you give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes it’s just a matter of letting go of the maladaptive thought by acknowledging that it no longer serves you. Ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that can happen?  When you have the answer to that question, continue to ask yourself, and this is a problem because…

For instance, I know that those thoughts of mine were not serving me, so I was able to shift from that place forward.  But what if I needed to so some more reflecting?  It would go something like this:

Q:  What’s the worst thing that can happen?
A:  The worst thing would be that I spend the rest of my life at a desk covered with piles of papers and stuff.

Q:  And this is a problem because….
A:  Because it stresses me out to see all that stuff.

Q:  And this is a problem because…
A:  Because I think that I don’t function optimally when I’m stressed.

Q:  And this is a problem because…
A:  Because when I don’t function optimally, I won’t get through all my work.

Q:  And this is a problem because…
A:  If I don’t get through all my work, my clients will think I’m a loser slacker flaker and they won’t contract with me anymore.

Okay. Stop right there.  Am I a loser slacker flaker?  The answer is (usually) a flat-out NO.  Therefore, I am causing myself undue stress.  My desk does not define me, my personality, my attitude, my work or my abilities.

The irony in many cases is that often maladaptive thoughts are about protecting our vulnerabilities, which are exactly what the maladaptive thoughts harm in the first place.  Let me explain:  If I’m worried about upsetting you because your reaction is going to give me anxiety, but yet I have anxiety worrying about your reaction, what’s the point?  The maladaptive thought is doing me more harm than you ever could!

Consider the reality: it is much more likely that the story you are making up in your head is not nearly as challenging or difficult as the reality you would experience if your thoughts didn’t run the show.  Shift those thoughts to something more realistic and healthy.

Step #4 – Create and Practice

After you have shifted the maladaptive thoughts, create a new thought and practice using it over and over again. By changing thoughts, emotions change, and by changing emotions, behaviors change.  THIS is how you release yourself from the inaction or reaction of maladaptive thinking.

My new thoughts:

Well, I can certainly do something with this desk.  It may not get completely cleared off, yet I can take it in chunks and try to combat one small section or one stack.  While I may not get through all of it today, I can at least feel the freedom of taking some action and making some progress.

And that is what I did Friday evening and Saturday (Day #5) morning.  I found myself in the process and it flowed with ease.  I spent about four hours sifting through the little stacks.  While the process is not completed, I am quite satisfied with the current outcome.

Lookin' Good!

• I sifted through unnecessary papers and either filed them, electronically scanned and/or recycled them.
• I took several pages of notes from a folder, typed them up and recycled.  I’m working toward becoming 75% paperless in my office, so it’s a practice for me to shift from pen and paper note taking to Word document note taking.  It’s been a slow process and yet over the past couple of months I’ve been typing notes directly on my computer more so than writing notes with pen and paper.
• I dusted off everything – twice around – because it’s been a while.
• I went through my overflowing business card file and liberated about 30% of the cards in the recycle bin – after typing the information from many of them into my Contacts folder on Outlook.
• I finally did something I’ve been meaning to do for over two years.  One December back in 2007, my husband took me to San Francisco for an overnight birthday celebration.  While out and about we ran into the San Francisco Twins.   These two gals, Vivian and Marian, are a San Francisco icon and simply delightful – not to mention a load of laughs.  I asked if I could take their photo and they responded with an enthusiastic YES and then requested I send the photo to them.  I promised to do so.  I’ve had their information at the front of my business card file since that time.  TODAY I printed the photo, wrote a letter, put it in an addressed envelope and now it’s ready to go!  Woo hoo.  I am a person of my word…unfortunately my actions sometimes take their time whereas my words not-so-much.
• On my desktop shelf, I had a stack of six National Wildlife magazines that belonged to my Dad.  He used to read them, underline things that he thought would interest me and then mail them out.  When I was home last summer helping my mom sift through his piles of paperwork (the walnut did not fall far from the tree), I came across those magazines.  I brought them home and they have been sitting there for eight months untouched.  I still haven’t been able to get myself to read them.  I took about 10 minutes out Friday evening to have a good cry.  Within those magazine pages exists underlined sentences, written by a pen that was held by my Dad when he was alive; and he did this because he was thinking of me.  Because he knew what was important to me.  I took the magazines and made a special file for them.  One day I’ll look at those magazines.  I’ll probably electronically scan any page that has underlined content and will either donate the magazines to an office or recycle them.  One day. Just not today.

There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.
– Author Unknown

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

And so goes my first Souljourn- creating abundance.  I had the original intention of starting this particular journey on January 16^th, but I allowed some unproductive thoughts to prevent me from moving in that direction.

I actually first began practicing the art of manifesting abundance a couple decades ago, so this is not a new concept for me. However, it’s been two, three or more years since I consciously set the intention and took action to create a new reality for myself; and this time I am approaching it from a new angle and fresh perspective.  So, today, February 16, 2010, I begin a new process of creating abundance.  I welcome others to join me.  I will be offering some suggestions for you to create your own abundance as well.

Abundance – What is it?

Abundance is a curious topic.  It is defined differently for different folks. According to The Free Dictionary two of several definitions of abundance include:

1. A great or plentiful amount.

2. Fullness to overflowing

I see it as creating a certain and specific (to the individual) reality that brings about a fuller life.  Some would refer to the notion of abundance as new agey.  And while it may seem that way, the concept of manifesting abundance has been around for a long time – thousands of years.  There is some recent history explained on The Law of Abundance from an Examiner article.  You can also check out an interesting site Manifesting Abundance.

I believe that people manifest their realities everyday – whether it is abundance, deprivation or something neutral.  Abundance comes from positive intentions and actions whereas deprivation comes from maladaptive intentions – resisting thoughts and their coinciding actions.  Abundance exists all around us if we take a moment to notice it – in nature, in our homes, in our hearts.

To me, having abundance is the result of 1) Manifesting positive intentions and 2) Engaging in proactivities (I just made up that word) that create the space – an expansion both internally and externally – for those intentions to come to fruition.  It is an active and conscious process that is likely to surface when clear intentions are announced (to whom or whatever – the universe, a higher power, a trusted mentor or loved one).  Having a clear intention(s) is an important part of receiving abundance.  Without that clear vision, one is less likely to manifest a desired outcome.

First thing (I’ll call this Step 1) is to get clarity about your positive intentions.  It is therefore important to know what you want to manifest.  Get real clear about your intention and the type of abundance you want to create in your life.  Your intention is a goal of sorts.  How do you envision your ideal life?  What specific kind of success do you want?  Do you have ample time to pursue personal passions?  Do you envision having more money?  More comfort?  More connection?  More exercise?  More spirituality?  A different career?  More quality time with your family?  More health?  More joy?  More peace?  Are you searching for the ideal lifelong partner?

Take a moment and think about what you want.  What you really want.  Dream a bit.

For myself, I have written a goal.  My intention.  It includes a vision.  For now, I am sharing that goal with a select few folks.  I think it’s important to write your intention and share it.  Allow your intention to be witnessed by trusted others. Otherwise, it’s just a wish with no boundaries.

I’d like to add that I periodically write myself reminder Abundance notes to keep the intention moving in a positive direction.  For instance, I’m looking at a note on my desk right this moment.  It reads, Own it.  Abundance.  Mostly, this note is written to help combat the maladaptive thoughts that sneak into my brain. Thoughts of doubt, of feeling silly or defeated.  Useless judgments.

Okay, so do you have a goal?  A clearly written intention?  Have you shared it with at least one other person?  One of the benefits of sharing your goal, your intention, is to get a reality check.  Is the goal realistic?  Usually the goals are too small instead of being too large.  I totally support a big intention with a reality check. For any of you more courageous folks, you can share your intention in the comment section of this post.  I’m willing to freely and publicly own a part of my intention:

To synergize my greatest passions in a way that creates a comfortable living and a peaceful, simple existence.

My goal is actually much more detailed than that, but hopefully you get the gist.

The act of creating abundance is both an internal and external process.  Internally, old thought patterns can cause a great disservice if we become stuck in unhealthy ways.  On the same token, rewiring the thoughts to something more adaptive can help push us out of a comfort zone to pioneer new ways of being in the world.

Externally, abundance is more likely to flow when there are minimal obstacles in the way.  Physical obstacles, take junk for instance, can create as much as an internal barrier to moving forward as do maladaptive thoughts.  Junk clutters space, stops the flow of energy, is a constant distraction and is a reminder of procrastination.  I believe that junk perpetuates procrastination and procrastination is an abundance obstacle.  This brings us to the Step Two.  The second step to creating abundance after making a goal/an intention is to clear out the clutter – both internally from a thoughts perspective and externally from a ‘stuff’ perspective.  Minimizing or eliminating the clutter is a very important part of this process.  Free up your mind and your space in order to expand and create room for your new abundance.  I will be, for the next 20 days working a plan to minimize and remove clutter from my mind and home.

Here’s my plan:

Feb 16:  Write the plan
Feb 17 – 22:  Clear clutter from my office and deal with little piles of paperwork that I’ve been putting off (including taxes and working on a will)
Feb 23 – 28:  Clear clutter from closets and drawers
March 1 – March 3:  Clean up my computer
March 4 – March 5:  Clear clutter from the garage
March 6 – March 7:  Practice new thoughts and behaviors and begin a plan to bring the goal to fruition
March 8:  Final clutter elimination – donate to various organizations

Everyday I commit to spending one hour on minimizing stuff aka junk and to clearing clutter.  I commit to eliminating 21 random items that I’ve been holding onto – for whatever reason.  I intend to eliminate enough paper to fill a large 35 gallon recycle bin.  All along the way, I will also be working to clear clutter from my mind as it surfaces.  I intend to employ thought re-framing tools, and I’ll share those with you.

Throughout the next 20 days I will be writing about my experience.  It’s an experiment, so I have very little idea how it will all play out.  While I only intend to post every three or so days, my posts will include thoughts and experiences from each day.  I’ll also add some photos of the items I’m clearing out along with the various organizations to which I’ll be donating those items.

“Whatever we are waiting for – peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”
- Sarah Ban Breathnach

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to each post in the series.

If you’d like to follow this journey from the beginning, the links below will direct you to the series of posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: 21 Day Missions

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 14 – 18  Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 19 – 21 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

I am about to embark upon a journey, and I invite you to join me.  While I have attempted similar journeys on a smaller scale at different points in the last several years, I seriously began thinking about this particular journey exactly eight months ago today.  June 15, 2009.  This is the day my Dad died.   Kenneth Dale Swartz.  As I witnessed my father taking his last breath, I was acutely aware of the finality of life.  Sitting with him in those last moments, while it was an honor, it was also dramatic and traumatic for me.  I watched the color of life slip out of his eyes, out of his face and out of the hand I was holding.  It was as if a shade were being drawn over his physical presence.  A death shade pulling the spirit out of my father and leaving an empty gray vessel in his place.

This experience for me, beginning with the early morning call and scrambling across the country, to planning his funeral, to sharing stories about him at the service, to sifting through a lifetime of paperwork threw me into an existential thought process.  What’s my purpose here on earth?  Am I reaching my full potential?  Am I making a positive impact?  Does it matter?  Am I happy?  At peace?  Living with intention?  Living my values?

This is not the first time I’ve asked myself those questions, yet it was the first time that I was blown into an altered reality and asking those questions.  It was the first time I asked myself those questions in the midst of the most devastating, acute, personal upheaval of my life to date.  I had the sense that when my Dad died a part of me died too.  I didn’t know what to do with this lifeless part.  I didn’t know if I should acknowledge it or bury it.  I didn’t know if that part could ever heal.  Carl Jung would’ve labeled my experience as part of individuation while Erik Erikson would have called it a mid-life crisis.

I suppose that since I was, at the time, having a personal crisis and according to our society in midlife, then Erikson would have been spot on.

And so my journey began…and continues on today.  I spent a great deal of time reflecting on my father’s life in relationship to my own.  He was a District Forester and a conservationist in nearly every sense of the word.  My Dad took great care of the land – the earth – and he instilled those values in me.  At a very young age, I knew how to count the years of a tree and why that was even important.  I understood that litter was not just aesthetically unpleasing but could actually cause harm and in some cases death to wildlife.  I was taught there was no place for plastic in our natural environment and that eating off the land and buying local were just a normal way of life.  I learned how to protect the earth and respect resources.  I vividly remember at age ten my Dad telling me, “Kenda.  In 50 years there’s going to be a water crisis.  For many people, it will be hard for them to have access to clean drinking water.  It’s important to conserve it now.”

Even then it struck me – even if only selfishly – I knew that I would want clean drinking water for the rest of my life. The thought of struggling for clean water gravely impressed me and still does today.  But that’s not what my journey is about.  It’s bigger than that.

This journey is about soul searching in a way that can help me connect to myself, to others and to the earth.  This journey is about healing and growing.  On a grand scale, it is an exploration; and on a lesser scale, an experiment.  I intend to separate this souljourn into several 21 day missions.  These missions will carry on throughout 2010.  You are welcome to step in or step out at any point along the way.

Each 21 day mission will have a specific focus.  Ultimately, I hope these missions will teach me something about myself and will help me be on a path of continuous growth.  In some cases, I hope certain aspects of these missions will simply help me be.  I have a goal to live with intention – mindfulness, to learn new behaviors, to obtain a little wisdom from others, to see how I can impact my environment and to be solutions-focused while supporting others to do the same.  I have another goal of turning the pain of loss into a proactive process of helping to affect healing on the earth –even if only at a microcosm level.  I anticipate these missions will facilitate bringing those goals to fruition.

There is no scientific purpose for my choosing 21 days. It simply seemed like a workable number with 14 not being challenging enough and 28 being too challenging – especially in light of the fact I have a full time day job!  I do plan to write every day that there is something to share, yet I will only post about every three days.

Here are the 21 day missions – keeping in mind that this is an evolving process and may look slightly different as I approach the start time of each one.  I welcome your thoughts!

• 21 days of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance (February 16 – March 8, 2010)
• 21 days for World Hunger (starting around March 20 in honor of World Meatout  Day)
• 21 days of Litter (starting around April 20 in honor of Earth Day)
• 21 days of No Garbage (starting around mid-May)
• 21 days of Speaking with Random Strangers (adults) and Experts about the Earth (June)
• 21 days of Zero Consumerism (July)
• 21 days of Speaking with Children about the Earth (August)
• 21 days of Discovering the Greener Side of Italy (Fall tbd)
• 21 days of Gratitude (November)

Tomorrow is the official kickoff of Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth:

21 Days of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

If you’d like to follow this journey, the links below will direct you to all the posts to date.

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 1 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 2 – 5 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 6 – 9 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for the Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 10 –12 of Minimizing Clutter and Manifesting Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 13 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Day 14 – 18  Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Souljourn for Mind, Spirit and Earth: Days 19 – 21 Minimize Clutter Manifest Abundance

Yes, some of the GMO info can lend itself to feelings of despair.  Yes, it may seem like an insurmountable uphill battle in lead shoes toting a backpack full of bricks on an empty stomach.  BUT all hope is not lost!  There’s quite a bit, actually, you can do. You’ll see several options in this post, and I’m sure there are many I haven’t included.  Please share your ideas in the comments section. In an effort for you to not be overwhelmed, I suggest you focus on only one soulution at a time – assuming of course that you care to make a change. 

Boycott products and byproducts of Monsanto and affiliates

For starters, discontinue buying Roundup along with any products, byproducts or affiliates of Monsanto.  Frankly, I highly encourage all of us to join forces and discontinue the purchase of any toxins that we are knowingly putting into the earth.  There are healthy alternatives to caring for your garden and lawn – alternatives that will help you, your family and essential wildlife thrive.  The decline of the Monarch butterfly along with some other important insects that is considered to be environmental trackers are greatly attributed to toxic sprays.  Give a toxic free life a chance!  You can check out the Ecology Center for some nontoxic way of handling weeds.

A potentially interesting sidebar

I called Home Depot (headquarters) to gather some more information about which, if any, Monsanto products they sell.  The Customer Service Rep was really trying to help me, but he could not find any products of Monsanto – even when we focused specifically on herbicides, pesticides and seeds.  I then suggested he look up Roundup.  He corrected me and shared that Roundup is listed under ‘Scotts’ as the manufacturer.  I only knew Roundup to be Monsanto-related.  I did some snooping around and it looks like Scotts bought the marketing rights to Roundup in the late 90’s.  On Scotts’ website I see Roundup and at the very bottom a Monsanto copyright.  I would love more information on the Scotts and Monsanto relationship.  Leave a comment if you have info.

• Check out the Garden of Eatin’ for a list of seeds to avoid and safe seeds.
• I’ve read that Monsanto has been the corporate sponsor of various attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom).  Because I wanted to get my facts straight, I called both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.  I spoke with several representatives before getting my answers.  Interestingly, the first 3 – 4 reps asked me repeatedly to spell ‘Monsanto’.  I found this curious, and it leads me to believe a theory that there are still many many people who know little to nothing about this company.

I was told at Disneyland, Monsanto sponsors The House of Tomorrow (they sponsored the former House of the Future) and at the Magic Kingdom, they are no longer a corporate sponsor.  If anyone has any additional information, please share.

One option you have if traveling to Disneyland, share comments with customer service reps that you are boycotting any attraction supported by Monsanto.

Power Your Voice and Voice Your Power

Petition

• Petition President Obama to Support Mandatory Labeling of GM Foods
• Tell the USDA that you care about GE (genetically engineered) contamination of Organic Food!

Based on a 2006 lawsuit from CFS (Center for Food Safety) to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for an illegal approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered Roundup-ready alfalfa, the federal courts banned Genetically Engineered alfalfa until the USDA conducted a full analysis of how farmers, the environment and the public are impacted by this particular plant.

The USDA claims that consumers do not care about contamination of their food.  How preposterously presumptuous.  If you do care about your food, your health or the earth, let the USDA know. Take Action. Please note:  you do not have to include your address on this petition. The deadline to comment is February 16, 2010!

• Support Care2.com and Petition to Take GM Corn OFF the Shelves (remember your street address is optional).
• Tell Home Depot to Dump Monsanto!

Start your own petition! With the Care2 Petition Site,you can start your own petition for free!    Your NO GMO petition can be for local government (town, city, county), your kids’ school district, your favorite grocery store or restaurant.  You can post the petition on Facebook, Linkedin or send it out to your distribution lists.  My wheels are currently turning to start a petition, but in the meantime, I’ll gladly sign yours if appropriate!

Here are two examples:

Citizens for a GMO free World

GMO free Monterey County

Take Stock

If you currently own stocks or mutual funds in Monsanto and want to get out, talk with your financial advisor about switching to a more socially responsible stock.  I very recently discovered that my Growth Fund of America has .5% stake in Monsanto.  And while this may seem like an insignificant amount given Growth Fund likely has 150+ stocks, I will keep a close watch on it; because I now need to decide if I’m going to contribute to Monsanto’s growth while receiving compensation as a result of it.  I’m sure if I dig even deeper that I’ll find more socially irresponsible institutions that are connected to that fund.  I have to admit, this is a tough call. Growth Fund of America has weathered the economic storm reasonably well.  And still, when I think about my contributions to the world, I want to have a clearer conscience.  I have begun research for more socially responsible funds.

Write to Food Folks

Check out the sample letter to send to food suppliers, manufacturers and distributors by Seeds of Deception.

Watch

• Food Inc
• The World According to Monsanto
• The Future of Food

**Documentary alert:  Chances are, much like this post, any documentary on the subject will be fairly one-sided.  Take the parts that resonate and throw the rest away.

Be Informed

An informed consumer is a wise consumer.  Tell others.  Shout out to your local nurseries, home improvement stores, grocery stores, school district (cafeteria food is likely to contain GMO products including rBGH in milk products) –anyone who will listen – to discontinue the sales or use of products and byproducts of Monsanto and their affiliates.

Insist on knowing the ingredients in your food.  Support labeling of products.  Here’s a noteworthy paragraph from Suite 101.com:

Consumers who are concerned, and wish to limit or eliminate their consumption of GMOs, should maximize their consumption of organic produce, locally produced foods, foods labeled and marketed as nonGMO, free-range meats, and foods which they prepare themselves (as opposed to processed foods). Even these steps do not guarantee that a consumer’s diet will not contain GMOs, and will not unless labeling becomes a requirement.

And yep, it does take some time to gather the information.   Once you have grasped the essential elements, the rest will hopefully flow.  The initial time commitment of sifting through the information is likely to consume the greatest amount of time, followed by label reading (unless you’re a speed reader then this part will go quickly) and then eating is the best part!

These sites may be helpful

• The Center for Food Safety
• Collaborative Campaigning for Food Sovereignty and Environmental Justice
• Institute for Responsible Technology
• Wellsphere
• Seeds of Deception
• Worldwatch Institute – Sustainable Agriculture Program
• Organic Consumer’s Millions against Monsanto
• Council for Responsible Genetics
• Check out Johnnie Chamberlin’s post on Rethinking Grain
• If you’re on facebook, check out GMO Truth Alliance

Eat for Wellness

The following links offer support for finding the best local food stores, farmer’s markets and restaurants in your area.

• Nongmo food guide.
• Food Consumer offers a list of food manufacturers and their products that are GM-free.
• Check out Food Routes to know the origin of your food.

Buy Local Food – find sustainable farms, markets and restaurants.  The safest bet for food consumption is your knowing the origin of your food –buy local organic as often as possible.  One of the fortunate aspects of living in Northern California is my ability to get locally grown foods throughout the year.  But what about those of you who live in regions where this is not possible?  My suggestion is frozen organic or nonGMO veggies.

• The Eat Well Guide can help you locate these sources.
• Check out Amy Considine’s post Shop Locally: Get More Flavor for Your Dollar
• Ecological Farming Association

The Ecological Farming Association nurtures healthy and just farms, food systems, communities and environment by bringing people together for education, alliance building and advocacy.

Go No GMO!

Buy foods labeled nonGMO as often as possible.  If you have a favorite item that has ingredients not labeled, contact the manufacturer and ask them about it.  The more people who contact these companies and request nonGMO products, the more likely they will respond to the market.

The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit that was spearheaded by those in the organic industry including Lundberg Family Farms (think yummy rice).  According to an article by AllBusiness, the standard chosen by the group is 0.9 percent or less GMOs in foods.  This is the same standard used in the EU.  As of January 2010, 50 brands manufactured in the US and Canada have signed up to be part of the Non-GMO project.  This accounts for about 3,000 products.  Consumers can expect to see more Non-GMO labels in the next few months as companies begin to roll out their new labels.  Please check out their site and support those companies for making an honorable choice.

Whole Paycheck, ah em, I mean Whole Foods is planning to test its store brand products to assure they are GMO free.  Well done Whole Foods!

Avoid processed foods to the best of your ability (and I realize that your best may change from one week to the next as does my own) –especially those containing corn or soy derivatives unless they are labeled nonGMO.

Every dollar you spend stakes a claim to what is or is not acceptable.  Each purchase has a little voice that speaks volumes to the producers of your food.

Kenda’s nonGMO Processed Food Pick

I admit it.  There are some processed foods that I simply love.  Over the past several years and as I continue on a path toward a GMO-free existence, I have been acutely aware of the ingredients in my processed foods.  If I’m going to eat processed foods, which in themselves could have some inherent nutritional deficits, I will not add to that problem by consuming GM ingredients in those foods.  So I have listed some of my favorite soy and processed foods below.

Earth Balance Whipped Soy Butter

I think this is my favorite butter of all time – I especially love the texture of the whipped butter!  Earth Balance is part of the Non-GMO Project’s Product Verification Program.

Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese (Monterey Jack is my fave)

A representative, Sheena, from Earth Island, a company that produces some of my favorite soy foods including Follow Your Heart Cheese shared the following about their registration with the Non-GMO Project:

We recently registered with the Non-GMO Project, which is the country’s first consensus-based standard, third-party Product Verification Program, and uniform seal for labeling products made following best practices of GMO avoidance. The “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal means that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including testing of risk ingredients.  We hope to soon display their seal on all of our products.

MaryGone Crackers Seasalt Twigs

Crunchy goodness loaded with great nutrition and 100% organic!  Mary Gone Crackers has a few varieties and they are actually good for you and tasty.  Mary Gone Crackers is part of the Non-GMO Project’s Product Verification Program.

Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

At nearly five bucks a bag, one doesn’t come by Uncle Eddie’s cheaply, so it’s a real indulgence for my wallet and for my taste buds…and worth every bite!  I start with the goal of making the cookies last as long as possible, which to date has been no longer than a week and usually rounds out at about three days.  I contacted Uncle Eddie’s to verify they are 100% GMO-free, and indeed they are!

Tofutti Sour Cream

There are a few Tofutti products I like, yet mostly I use the Sour Cream for baked potatoes and burritos.  I notice no difference between that and cow’s milk sour cream.  While all of their products use non-GMO soy protein, if available, they use other non-GMO ingredients, such as tofu powder and maltodextrin.  However, they do not claim nor guarantee that every other ingredient they use is non-GMO.  I’m hoping Tofutti joins the Non-GMO Project.

Go Raw Sunflower Flax Crackers

Yum.  These little beauties are great with peanut butter.  I don’t think they really qualify as processed food, because they’re made with raw ingredients. While the Go Raw crackers don’t come cheap, they are a lot more cost effective than prescription medicine if one considers the food you eat can actually help make you healthy.

Sweeteners:  Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar, to avoid GM beet sugar or sugar cane.  One of my favorite sweeteners is Agave Nectar by a Madhava.  This is a natural, organic, liquid sweetener.

Choice is your voice of power

We the people are not free of the consequences caused by inaction; therefore we are not victims but byproducts and collaborators of a series of choices.  We choose urgent short-term necessities or the insightfulness of long-term solutions.  We choose the consequences of convenience or the resilience of sustainability.  We choose to put our faith in advertising, faith in a higher power, faith in intuition, faith in all three or faith in nothing at all.  We choose the politicians who make decisions for us or are stuck with the choices of others.  We choose which foods we will and will not purchase.  We chose to speak up or wait for someone else to do so.  We have chosen inaction or have not chosen reaction because this issue simply isn’t a battle we want to fight given the overwhelming complexities of living in a modern day, over-stimulated society that is burdened with too many issues to tackle; or we choose deliberate, planned action when we have the information needed to make proactive change regardless of extenuating circumstances.

If you choose to take a stand, do so with the conviction and wisdom of someone who can see into a bright, sustainable future.  Make your choices based on current needs as well as those you can anticipate in the future.  If the environment is your passion, consider the influx of problems caused by foods laden with pesticides – from contaminated soil to tainted drinking water. And realize you can make a difference.  Consider that sustainable agriculture is not about toxins.  It’s about healthy soil, healthy plants and biodiversity.  If humanity is your passion, consider that small farms are being put out of business by industrialized farming practices. Consider other, cost effective, health-enhancing, food promoting ways that will help farmers in developing places feed their fellow citizens. Support those people on their endeavors.  If health is your passion, consider not just the known facts but the unanswered questions regarding the food you offer your body – or that which you give to your children.  Consider that each bite you take can be medicinal, neutral or poisonous.  Consider that your body – your health – may be part of an incomprehensible science experiment if you rely on food supplied by chemical corporations.  If ethics is your passion, consider whether or not you want to support a government, an organization, or a farmer that is manipulating the natural progress of life in the name of economics and without fully understanding the impact on future generations.

If you care simply because something feels inherently wrong or inappropriate about an ancient food system that has naturally evolved but is now being forced into an unnatural process through the manipulation of corporations, then take your power and take a stand.

Every time you pay money at the grocery store, the farmer’s market, a retail chain store, a restaurant or your local mom and pop place, you are making a choice.  Every time you say NO to GMOs you are claiming your individual power.  Choice is your voice of power.

My BFF, Marie Montemurno shares some noteworthy thoughts:

In the end, it’s hard to know how to feel about things given all the gray areas.  All I can do is choose what’s best for me and my family in the moment and hope for the best for our collective future.

I believe the wisdom of a society is manifested in how its power and fortitude are used for the greater good; how it operates with the highest of intentions; how openly shared knowledge allows its citizens to make responsible and informed choices; how decisions made today are based on consideration for the impact on tomorrow, and how the reticent voice is encouraged to rise up to be heard by all.

If you missed the first six parts of this, you can click the links below.

Part I: The spoof’s in the genetically modified pudding
Part II – Those who grow a GMO
Part III – What you don’t know about your GMO won’t hurt you
Part IV: Farmers who save seeds are soon sued
Part V: Some kernels that may be of interest
Part VI - Banning together
Part VII – Soulutions for a GMO-free life

So how is it the general American population is allowing multinational chemical corporations to determine the quality (or lack thereof) level of our food whereas some countries are clearly taking a stand against Genetically Modified foods?  How is it that the general American population is allowing Agrochemical companies to wreak indescribable havoc on our earth, our bodies, our children’s bodies?  Some countries say they will first watch and see what happens to America’s children before they make a decision about whether they will or will not grow or import genetically modified crops/food.  They can clearly see that our children are part of a massive outcome study.  

Ban Lifters and Crashers

This is not an all-inclusive list.  I welcome any thoughts or additions in the comment section.

According to The Australian in late 2007 the states of New South Wales and Victoria lifted their bans while South Australia continues its ban (Well done South Australia). Tasmania has a ban in place until 2014 (Well done Tasmania!). The state of Queensland has had commercial GM crops since 1996 and has never had a GM ban.

From 2010 onward genetically modified canola can be grown in Western Australia according to the decision of Food Minister Terry Redman and against the wishes of many in WA.  Boooooooooooooooo. Mates.

Anti-GMO folks believe that this decision will be detrimental to the State and ignores the wishes of the majority of people and the 24 GM free shires, five of which are in the minister’s electorate, who would like to see WA remain GM free.

In 2005, Canada, specifically the government of Prince Edward Island (PEI)reviewed a proposal to ban the GMOs in the province. The ban was not passed.  As of January 2008, the use of genetically modified crops on PEI was expanding.  As of 2008, Canada ranked 5th in the world for the amount of acreage used for GM crops (about 18 million).  What were you thinking, eh?

Italy’s highest appeals court has just lifted a ban on the planting of GM corn – against the wishes of many including farmers.  Ciò è terribile l’Italia!

Litigation and Other Such Actions

Lawsuits continue to crop up.  Last year Monsanto filed suit against Germany for a ban the government placed against planting genetically modified corn.

There are numerous lawsuits and actions against Monsanto as well including 50 cancer lawsuits.

According to the African Centre for Biosafety

Three varieties of Monsanto’s genetically modified maize failed to produce crops during the 2008-09 growing season, leaving up to 200,000 hectares (nearly 500,000 acres) of fields barren of cobs and crop losses across several provinces in South Africa.

According the GRAIN SA, the varieties are: MON 810, NK 603 and MON 810 x NK 603. These seeds were sold to commercial maize farmers and provided to resource poor farmers in South Africa.

While Monsanto compensated those farmers, the company also barred them from speaking about it.

Here in the U.S. – Missouri to be exact – a federal judge issued that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife shouldn’t have permitted GM crops on a national wildlife refuge.

For a more comprehensive list of litigations, check out Law360.

Banning Together

Sources say that it’s difficult to know if a US city or county is GMO-free even if they’ve banned GMOs, because US patent laws protect anyone who is willing to plant GMO plants – since it is technically a patented technology they do not have to disclose.  Still, having a ban is certainly more likely to prevent offenders from taking unethical actions.  And if the ban is set into law, then those growing GMOs will have to deal with the legal consequences of their actions.  Eventually bans and required labeling (keeping in mind the U.S. does not yet have required labeling) will squeeze out the offenders.

Some positive change is on the horizon.  If you have any additional information about countries, counties, or cities that are placing bans on GMOs, please add those in the comment section.  A recent report from Treehugger shows some countries who are wising up.

From Ireland to Egypt, countries are banning GMO crops and foods. Ireland is an official GMO-free zone.  Egypt banned both the import and export of GMOs.  Chávez  in 2004 announced a total ban on genetically modified seeds in Venezuela.  But he’s a radical so that doesn’t count, right?

In the EU, there is just one permitted genetically modified crop – MON810 – corn.  Current EU law allows for individual countries to ban if they choose.  This ban is gaining momentum.  Luxembourg, Hungary, France, Austria, Germany and Greece have joined the ranks of governments speaking out against deranged (that’s my word not theirs) food.  See the full article at Eat. Drink. Better.

You may recall from Part II of this post that Germany and Egypt were listed among the 25 countries producing GM crops.  They have moved to the other side!  Congrats Germany and Egypt!

Sidebar:  Something Ridiculous to Share

A March 2008 article from Beef Magazine claims that the EU is paying for their decision to ban new GM crops.  The EU has had a de-facto ban on GMOs since the 1980’s. The EU refuses to import GMO cereals, and this is the cause of strife between the US and the EU.  In exchange for nonGMO feed, Europe has had to pay a premium for its feed to assure that what they get is ‘clean’.  The article continues on with:

But now countries like China are importing more cereals, and they don’t care if it’s got GMOs or not. This simple fact is making cereal producers less willing to follow the strict guidelines the EU requires and instead are going for simpler markets. That’s leaving EU livestock producers with fewer options and higher costs because Europe only produces about 25% of its feed protein needs.

Let me try to get this straight.  GMOs were invented to help solve the world’s hunger issues. More GMOs end up in feed that is supplied to animals (and that ultimately ends up on the dinner plates of wealthier – relatively speaking – people) instead of going directly to hungry people. The people eating the animals that ate the feed get sicker and sicker from 1) the realized outcome of general meat consumption (heart disease, diabetes, cancer and such) and 2) consuming animals that consumed toxins.  The people therefore need medicine. Meanwhile back at the ranch, animal consumption is gobbling up resources (water, fossil fuels, land, topsoil, health of the earth in addition to that of humans) while humans continue to consume the animals. Remembering of course that GMOs were invented to feed more humans. Who wins? Chemical companies. Pharmaceutical companies. Meat and Dairy industry. Not hungry people.

Oh, and there’s the minor issue that factory cattle, pig, (etc etc etc) farming is an industry that lends itself to illnesses by improper animal handling and breeding. By feeding animals food that they are not meant to ingest (cows are designed to eat grass, for example, not corn or soy or other animal parts), they then incur the need for antibiotics.  Otherwise the public has to deal with the fallout of E. Coli as a result of feed that is not meant for cows.

Oh, and there’s the other minor issue that industrialized animal farming is one of the main culprits in deforestation, reduction of land for plant crops, and is creating a situation that actually decreases the world’s chance of feeding the global population because there simply isn’t any way to produce enough animals to feed the world.

Hmmm…who will pay exactly? Everyone ingesting GMOs will pay…with their health, the decline of the environment…pay now or pay later.

End Sidebar – Back to Banning Together

Most recently ten state governments in India are declaring war on GM crops for a number of reasons including the realization that ultimately they are surrendering their freedom by becoming dependent on foreign seeds for their food. This is a really big deal considering that India has been a big supporter of GM crop research.

While Japan doesn’t have an official ban, they hold strict regulations that have made it difficult for corporations to invest in GM farming.  Japan does import some GM food from other countries.

In Bulgaria, there’s been a 5-year ban on GM crops; but because the original ban was only (supposedly) instated to appease the public and because there are some folks in the government who are bending, this ban could end in three months.  Does this mean Bulgaria no longer cares about appeasing their people?

I found a fabulous site GMO-free Regions.There is a lot of valuable information including a country-by-country overview and a map showing which countries have banned GMOs.

A recent report by Nielson Supermarket News said that GMO-free claims are the fastest growing among store brands.  Clearly this is because the consumer is speaking up.

Organic Food CAN Feed the World…At the Very Least it Can Feed You Quite Well

In a March 2008 article by The Ecologist,the writers outline ten reasons why organic foods can feed the World.  These include:

• Reduction in energy use: Organic crops use 25% less energy than their chemical counterparts.  Some crops, like broccoli and leeks achieve even better results – upwards of 58% less energy.
• Dramatic reductions in methane emissions from cows by feeding them what they are biologically hardwired to eat – grass.
• Less water consumption through improved soil structure – even in times of drought.
• Reduction of direct environmental, social and economic costs of food transport through local farming.
• Zero need for toxic chemicals, because a healthy plant in healthy soil is more resistant to pests, weeds and disease. Organic plants have been proven to be higher in antioxidants through better quality soil (higher trace minerals) and no pesticides means the plants have stronger immune systems.  Yes.  Plants have immune systems.

Based on studies of GM crops in India, The Institute of Science in Society states that a decade of planting GM cotton, or any GM crop with Bt genes in it, could lead to total destruction of soil organisms, leaving dead soil unable to produce food.

• Biodiversity is actually a good thing!
  Organic production systems are designed to respect the balance observed in our natural ecosystems. It is widely accepted that controlling or suppressing one element of wildlife, even if it is a pest, will have unpredictable impacts on the rest of the food chain. Instead, organic producers regard a healthy ecosystem as essential to a healthy farm, rather than a barrier to production.
• Seeds adapt to the climate, so saving natural (nonGMO) seeds is important for plants to adapt as well. Seed-saving and the development of local varieties gives crops the potential to evolve in response to what could be rapidly changing climatic conditions. This will help agriculture keep pace with climate change in the field, rather than in the laboratory.
• Job Creation. Unlike industrialized farming, organic farming is labor intensive and requires lots of talented humans to do the work.  According to a 2006 report by the University of Essex, organic farming in the UK provides 32 per cent more jobs per farm than comparable non-organic farms. Interestingly, the report also concluded that the higher employment observed could not be replicated in non-organic farming through initiatives such as local marketing. Instead, the majority (81%) of total employment on organic farms was created by the organic production system itself. The report estimates that 93,000 new jobs would be created if all farming in the UK were to convert to organic.

Caleeeforneeea steps up to the plate – Yessssss!

In 2008 a bill to protect California farmers against Monsanto lawsuits was enacted.

The Bill, AB 541, enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable – the drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land and the subsequent contamination of their non-GE crops. Currently, farmers with crops that become contaminated by patented seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, particularly Monsanto. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to prevent biotech companies that are investigating alleged violations from sampling crops without the explicit permission of farmers.

Santa Cruz County is a GMO-free Zone

I’m very pleased to announce that my county is a GMO-free zone.  Santa Cruz county outlawed genetically engineered plants in 2006.

GMO-free Monterey County

The other day I saw a bumper sticker GMO-free Monterey County.  I promptly returned home to find the website and was pleased to see that Monterey County is working toward becoming GMO-free.  I had an email conversation with the Campaign Director, Daniella Russo, and she mentioned their proposed ban is modeled after Santa Cruz County’s ban.  You can check out their petition.  They already have 1000 signatures and growing!  I support the advocates in making this goal a reality!

Mendocino County is a GMO-free Zone

I had the fortunate experience of connecting with Els Cooperrider, a Botanist, organic activist and owner of the first certified organic brewpub in the United States, Ukiah Brewing Co. & Restaurant.  In 2004, Els spearheaded the GMO Free Mendocino County citizen’s initiative to ban the growing of GMOs in Mendocino County, California, thus making it the first GMO free zone in the Americas.  She also was a leader in the successful fight to stop the California Department of Transportation from spraying our roadsides with toxic herbicides.

I asked Els two questions and here are her answers:

Q:  What was the biggest challenge in creating the first GMO free zone?

A: The biggest challenge was educating the people of the county about GE. Most people didn’t have a clue. It was a matter of educating, NOT convincing them that GMOs were bad. People would have to conclude for themselves when they had the facts.

Q: What message of inspiration do you have for the regular consumer (who may have financial difficulties and may not as easily afford organic foods) in creating a healthy nonGMO food lifestyle?

A: I wrote an article on how to eat organic for $3 per day. All it requires is some cooking. Prepackaged and precooked food actually costs more than even the simple raw organic ingredients. People feel entitled, they don’t want to cook and then complain about how much it costs. I say, spend less time on the phone or in front of the TV and more time in the kitchen.

People like Els are making a real difference for self and others, and you can too. The final post will focus on some actions that we, the consumers, can take.  If you missed the first five parts, you can click the links below.

Part I: The spoof’s in the genetically modified pudding
Part II – Those who grow a GMO
Part III – What you don’t know about your GMO won’t hurt you
Part IV: Farmers who save seeds are soon sued
Part V – Some kernels that may be of interest
Part VI – Banning together
Part VII – Soulutions for a GMO-free life