The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

“When we honestly confront the things we own, they evoke many emotions within us. Those feelings are real. It is these emotions that give us the energy for living. Believe what your heart tells you when you ask, ‘Does this spark joy?’ If you act on that intuition, you will be amazed at how things will begin to connect in your life and at the dramatic changes that follow. It is as if your life has been touched by magic. ”

— Marie Kondo

Tuesday night, cleaning my apartment. Three hours have passed, the sun has long since disappeared behind Dougherty Hills. I'm knee-deep in a pile of blouses, long-sleeved button-downs, old race t-shirts, tank tops and black Express pants. I'm touching each piece of clothing that has been hanging in my closet. I am holding and caressing each book on my bookshelf one at a time. I am opening drawers and pulling out old souvenirs from road trips and bike rides. I am feeling every item in my hand and asking a single question-

"Does this spark joy?"

In the process, I look up from my six garbage bags filled to the brim with items and clothes, and stand back, wiping my bangs out of my eyes with the back of my hand, and sigh. I feel this overwhelming sensation of freedom wash over me. Freedom from clutter- of things that no longer serve, that no longer spark joy.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. Rather than asking, "When's the last time I've worn this?", changing the question to a more intuitive one- "Does this spark joy?" makes the cleaning/clearing out process much more objective. Yes. Or no.

My living space is now in order. And it's funny, somehow I feel as though my life and my past are more in order, too. I only want to be surrounded by things I love, and things that spark joy. The same goes with the people in my life too.

Try it out for yourself. Gather your garbage bags, take a deep breath, and ask that one important question. Experience how this process of letting go changes the physical and emotional landscape of your life.

“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future. The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”

— Marie Kondo

After dropping off my bags at Goodwill, I felt this truth resonate in my heart-

Letting go is even more important than adding.

Simplicity = Joy.

Coconut-Lime Black Rice with Red Beans and Mango

“Life is so ridiculously gorgeous, strange, heartbreaking, horrific, etc., that we are compelled to describe it to ourselves, but we can’t. We cannot do it! And so we make art.”

— Miranda July

#eattherainbow #foodasart

Today I slept in. The original plan was to go for a bike ride, but after glancing outside and seeing the dark rain clouds, I welcomed the graceful inconvenience of having to stay inside and snuggle up and listen to the light drizzle of rain outside. I sipped on some ginger tea and felt the thirsty earth's gratitude for this little tease of nourishment from the sky. 

The rain has a way of making me feel more introspective. It's on the rainy days when I love wrapping myself in a warm blanket and burying myself in a good book, when I compose effortlessly on my keyboard, and when my writing feels more fluid and ideas come more easily. Rain = good art. Staying inside when it's raining always seems to spark my creativity and inspiration. Today, it resulted in a new recipe incorporating one of my favorite grains, forbidden black rice.

Ingredients:

-2 c. forbidden black rice

-1 c. organic coconut milk (full fat)

-2 1/2 c. vegetable broth

-1 can organic adzuki beans

-1 mango, diced

-juice from 2 limes

-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

-1 onion, diced

-1 Tbsp. organic ghee (clarified butter)

-1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

-chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat the ghee over medium heat in a large pan. Add the diced onion and ginger and saute them until soft. Add the rice and keep stirring until the rice starts to slightly toast, about 2 minutes. 

2. Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, cayenne pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover it and reduce the heat to low. Allow it to simmer until the rice is tender, around 40 minutes.

3. While the rice is cooking, chop up the mango into bite-size pieces.

4. When the rice is tender, fold in the beans, lime juice, and mango. Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

5. Enjoy!

Food is art. And if art is the manner in which we attach meaning and describe our lives, this recipe definitely captures the essence of it- colorful, savory, tangy, a little nutty, with just the right amount of sweetness mixed in. 

Stepping Forward With Faith.

“E.L Doctorow said once that ‘Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”

— Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Night riding near Cull Canyon...

The other day, I was sitting outside of a charming little cafe with a friend. In between sips of my almond milk latte, we spoke about how the course of our lives have changed so dramatically in just a few years. Mostly good changes, of course. Brilliant new business opportunities, new relationships, and more responsibilities on top of 'life' stuff- but all in all, we were following our passion. We laughed at how all of this could have never been predicted. Ever.

Everything started out by just having faith. Taking that first step and trusting that the stone would appear. It's all about being able to only see two or three feet in front of you, but still moving forward with trust and not caring too much about the scenery around you. Just focusing hard on that light which is only illuminating the next step. And the step after that.

And pretty soon, you're further down an incredible path that you never could have imagined. Whether it's in business, writing, or adopting a new eating plan, rather than getting overwhelmed with the final destination, it's all about blindly taking that step into the light just a few feet ahead. So say 'yes' to that opportunity that scares you. Write those three pages a day. Incorporate a green drink into your day. Even if you can't visualize the end result, move forward in faith. When the sun finally comes up, I guarantee that you'll be amazed at the roads you've traversed, and how you've arrived at a destination you could have never imagined, even in your wildest dreams.