Day 99/366 days Towards Self-Mastery. Mood: mellow
When our wants and our bank balance don't match, it calls for a creative solution.
As we take this journey towards self-mastery and draw on discovering our own true, authentic style we're reminded of what we don't have and what we can't afford. Sarah focusses on fashion.
As I look to the world and see the consequences of a separatists, reductionist worldview, I long for connection and closeness, gentleness of being, considerate deliberation of the effects on our ecosystem, our habitat, of choices and decisions we are making.
The inner journey brings a confidence that enables you to access your creativity.
Look for ways to fill the gap between your wants and your bank balance.
When it comes to my wardrobe, I make do with a few pieces that I like, that fit the occasions that I take myself out into world, and settle mostly for the comfort of clothing that frees my mind to think differently.
In my world, I'm looking for creative solutions to care for my small piece of land in a way that enables me to make progress on a minimal budget. My vision is to create a landscaped food garden to grow healthy food in a thriving ecosystem that will feed my body and my soul and those I share with at my table.
With a bank balance that prohibits the restructuring of my steep site at present I'm forced to focus on those areas that can be developed without construction.
In those small spaces I have managed to create a thriving ground-level and subterranean ecosystem that supports some 12 fruiting trees and a small veggie garden. As this ecosystem continues to develop I hope to see more insect life filling the air, with birdlife maintaining the balance.
Learning how to propagate plants from cuttings, saving seed from organic produce, keeping a worm farm for readily available nutrients that can be extended with my at-home fermentation system, in-ground composting as well as managing a perpetual compost pile are creative solutions that keep the costs down and have enormously beneficial impacts in the developing ecology.
Whatever your interest is, whether fashion or something else, look for creative ways to bring your dreams to fruition. It may just be these creative solutions that lead you to something that becomes a skill that you can share.
Sewing your own fashion pieces, seed saving, propagation of plants from cuttings, expanding your succulent garden by growing new plants from fallen leaves (also me), mixing your own colours with a limited paint palate.
As you continue your journey towards self-mastery, your longing and wants will reduce and you will find that you begin to live more into your authentic, creative self expression.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
Comments