The Ripple Effect

It has been a while since I updated on the Lighten Up initiatives. The last few days have me thinking more and more about the unexpected side effects of some of my Lighten Up baby steps. This pile of suitcases (yes, they're full of stuff) and bags that are heading out to Goodwill is an example of that. I've always been aware that "stuff" has a kind of attractive energy - almost like a subtle form of gravity. As stuff accumulates, though, it seems to have more energy to pull more stuff into my life. I'm not even always aware that I'm adding to the pile until, one day, I look around and find myself surrounded! I realize that the corners of my bedroom are scattered with the detritus of consumerism and somewhat sheepishly realize that I've gone a little crazy again.

But there is something about the whole Lighten Up initiative that is helping me to reverse that. Do you SEE the number of hangers here? Granted, some of that is from long sleeved shirts that will get filled with short sleeved shirts this week. But some of that is just from STUFF that I thought I needed to get - or that I wore to work but didn't really like - or that looks FAR WORSE on me than I ever realized - or that.... You get the picture.

Although I can't necessarily explain it, I know that my record setting number of trips to Goodwill this year are an example of the Lighten Up Ripple Effect. So, over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be trying to track a few of the LUREs (I made my own acronym! What is WRONG with me?!?) that I've been seeing in my life. That will give me a good way to do a mid year update on what I have done and what that doing has done to my life!