I have to admit that hope has been harder + harder to find in myself during the past few years. Like many, I have had to come to terms with the recognition that things are not just getting better + better by themselves...that humanity is not on an inevitable, upward trajectory toward equity, love and "good". Climate change, racism, refugees, sexism, alternative facts, capitalistic greed, pandemics, identity discrimination, mass shootings and gun violence all point toward movement away from equity, love and "good". It all feels so extraordinarily heavy. Hope can just feel lost...trampled...decimated...in the weight of it all.

I was naive enough to be surprised by the "All Lives Matter" reaction to "Black Lives Matter". I believed that people would notice that racism is passé as they live further + further outside of it...that we will all come to recognize that love feels better than hate. Embarrassingly naive + privileged, I know.

When a local DJ made the comparison of BLM/ALM to when people say, "save the whales". He said that no one reacts by saying: but what about the sharks. Shark lives matter. I think this comparison breaks down quickly when we realize that sharks can't make signs. It is when people feel that they themselves will feel the effects of "acceptance" of the "other" or "progress"...that the call to love becomes colored by fear...and love becomes negotiable. Fear not only throws a wrench in the upward trajectory, but the weight of it throws the whole thing into reverse.

And yet, when I go searching with all my might for hope, I still believe it can be found in the realization that we are  not  naturally  moving toward better...that we cannot just depend on love always winning in the end...that our better angels won't just naturally prevail.

It is precisely because of this that we can recognize that individuals have to choose love...that they often do choose love...and that a sort of general consensus can follow. The civil rights movement did happen. An elected black man is now an elected party leader in the House of Representatives in this country built by enslaved people. 

And maybe this is an even greater hope. A hope that makes effort not only necessary, but fruitful. A hope that has the power to break the chains of fear + bring waves of freedom to love. 

Hope may be an inconstant companion...but a visitor worth the effort of inviting again + again.

Love,
Jane

It's strange all the things that I've run from
are the things that completeness could come from.

Let your life grow strong + sweet to the taste.
​

I love this song. I remember finding it for the first time...listening to it over + over...tears streaming down my face. I don't play it often, because it has that effect on me. Today, I listened to it again and something different stood out to me. It didn't seem quite so sad this time. It sounded more like...even so, it's worth it. Choose the juicy, sweet life...knowing the risk + all.

I've been stuck in spirals of doubt + uncertainty so often these days...aware of the fact that I'm stuck...sometimes choosing to stay in the quicksand just a little bit longer. I've had a harder + harder time choosing to live into the risk...even as I know that the risky choice is the only one in front of me that offers any possibility of completeness. Not taking the risk sometimes is it's own sort of risk. You know?

I'm not sure this will make sense to anyone else or if anyone else needs this today...but I'm gonna put it here, just in case. 

​Be gentle with yourself, friend.

Much love, 
Jane

I imagine there are a few of us who have tackled simplifying our stuff in one category, but just haven't gotten around to seeing it as an issue in another category. This is a story about one such person.

J had a pretty minimal everyday wardrobe, but had a lot of clothing related to an athletic hobby. J spent a lot of time doing said hobby. J not only spent long hours doing the hobby, but spent much time on related social media, watching others do it competitively, reading about it + talking about it too.

Related to the stuff, J would say things like:

• "Someone gave me this, so I didn't have to spend money on it."
• "If I keep all of these things, I won't have to purchase anything new for a long time."
• "I don't have that many things."

When asked, "How many of this one item do you think you own?" "Oh, maybe 5," J answered. 

One day J agreed to grab all of their hobby related clothing from all of the various locations it was stashed around their home + to place it all in one spot. It made an enormous pile. Next J agreed to sort that pile into like items. This seemed to be when the volume of the items started to dawn on J. That one item they were asked about above? The actual count was 23. Twenty-three of one item that was only worn one season of the year...for a "hobby".

At this point, we can step back + tenderly ask a different sort of question. "Hey J, what are your priorities?" Now we are not talking strictly about stuff...but about what J values most in life. Is there a reason J has curated their everyday wardrobe, but has not been able to bear letting go of any of the things related to their hobby?

These can be a tough but telling questions to answer. On one hand, J wants to say that their partner + children are the top priority...that making sure these precious souls feel loved + cared for is the priority. Maybe they want to say that friends + community + generosity + service + doing good work are priorities...or maybe they have not thought about this question in a really long time + don't really know how to answer it.

Is it possible that stuff is betraying true priorities? Does where J spends most of his non-working hours point to the same thing? In this case, stuff + time priorities agree. Maybe looking like a successful athlete or having a sparkly social media tracking profile is J's actual priority. 

J can now decide if their intended + evident priorities agree...or if one is squeezing out the other...or if some realignment is in order. Intention can now inform action! Exciting!

Is there a clear picture of our priorities in our own stuff? It's strange how we can sort of become blind to our own stuff. I washed out a pot the other day + set it on the rug to dry. It's still sitting there a week later. I've just stopped seeing it as I step over it each day.

What can we start to see anew?

Love,
Jane

​
P.S. J was able to identify a number of each hobby item in appropriate alignment with their newly formed priorities. They were then able to select that number of each item + let the rest go (by offering it to others with the same hobby). J started to recognize that most of the others doing the same hobby only had one or two of each item + found it to be enough. J was able to adjust how much time was spent on the hobby too...and is currently living into a new set of priorities...consciously.  :)

Color has my attention again. It has to do with how one color plays off of another. It's in the solids...simple shapes...vintage. Nothing looks too precious. It's casual...not taking oneself too seriously. It's for the wearer...like medicine for the soul.

All lovely images via links.

Love,
Jane

Pay more attention to every moment, however mundane. 
Find novelty not by doing radically different things
but by plunging more deeply
​into the life you already have.
Experience life with twice the usual intensity,
and 'your experience of life
would be twice as full as it currently is'.
~Oliver Burkeman / 'Shinzen Young'

When I start a new journal, I enjoy taking some time to review the past journal + to think through what I want to bring forward from it. The first few pages of each of my journals contain headings like ritual, zero-waste, home, clothing, food, movement + budget. I enjoy thinking through these topics and migrating lists + intentions onto new pages.

A journal usually lasts a full year for me, but this past year I filled three journals. Those front pages did not make it into every journal. To be honest, these values + systems have felt a bit overwhelming this year. My life shifted a bit + new ways of living were required.

I finally decided to write those pages onto cards that I can move from journal to journal easily. The food card received some revisions + now lives with the reusable bags in my car so I can reference it at the grocery store. I can pull out the clothing card, when the weather is about to change + I need to decide what I need/want moving forward. I can reference our budget goals easily, when I need a jolt of reality or when big decisions need to be made. 

Notecards seem like appropriate vessels for these systems. They provide only enough space for the basics. I like to keep my thoughts on these concepts uncluttered + manageable. These cards are simple + succinct reminders of my systems.

Love,
Jane

Many of us believe that meal planning + grocery list making are helpful parts of eating intentionally. We know that time spent in these endeavors pays off in reducing both our food waste + our grocery bills. Even so, many of us find ourselves at the grocery store unprepared at times. I've found myself in the unprepared category more + more lately, as my previous routine has been interrupted by a new schedule.

When a new challenge comes along, I look for ways to simplify. I've simplified my grocery list, by simplifying the way I think about meal planning. Variety was once high on my list of meal planning priorities, but lately I've let that go a bit. I'm focusing on bowl meals (vegetables + greens + grain + protein), because they are my favorite. A bowl meal could be a salad, soup, roasted vegetables, pasta (Julia's favorite), etc. A bowl meal could skew Japanese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Mexican (variety!), etc. And yet, the concept is simple.

On one side of a notecard, I've listed what we eat for each meal. We are happy to eat basically the same things every day for breakfast + lunch. Supper is a bowl meal. Now it is quite simple to turn the card over + make a basic list of items to stock (in-season fruits, vegetables, greens, grains, lemons, beans, etc.).

Sometimes I feel like these actions are so simple that they're not worth mentioning. It almost sounds like I'm twisting regular moments into climate action. I have to remind myself that that was actually part of the thought behind sharing these actions. Highlighting that many of these things are things we are already doing reminds us that climate action can be simple + become automatic.

Recognizing that we already do many things that can be considered climate action reminds us that we can make a difference. We are not powerless. This can motivate us to take a further step...to do something that might be a little bit out of our comfort zone...something that we might not (yet) do automatically. 

• 49 :: growing in compassion. we cannot hold the fullness of all the pain that we hear about. and yet, we must let some of the pain penetrate our souls in order to maintain a stance rooted in love. babysitting our thoughts + checking in with our hearts is real work that must be done. 
• 50 :: recognizing climate change in...and also taking advantage of...every, weird, breakthrough climate day by getting outside + seeing the beauty in it. 
• 51 :: reusing packaging as packaging + keeping it out of the landfill as long as possible.
• 52 :: celebrating + supporting small, local business. billionaires don't need any more of our money. we get to choose whose values + contributions we want to support.
• 53 :: making two days worth of meals at once. we'll use less power + reduce the temptation to grab fast food in all its wasteful packaging.
• 54 :: drying my hair as little as possible...which reduces damage to my hair + saves electricity.
• 55 :: taking advantage of wacky fun close to home. no plane tickets + less gas emissions.
• 56 :: using a forest stewardship council + fair-trade certified, biodegradable, wood comb. 

It's positive to recognize how simple climate action can be and also to gain motivation toward further climate action. With subtle shifts we can make many of these actions automatic choices. 

Love,
​Jane

So many choices that qualify as beneficial for our planet have so many other benefits too! Often they are healthier for our bodies, save us money, stretch our creativity +/or move us toward collaboration + community. I love noticing all the benefits!​

• 41 :: listening to my body + resting when I felt achy + tired...rather than popping a pill+ going + going. no plastic packaging. giving my body what it really needs. 
• 42 :: perfecting our at home drinks. no disposable cups or gas milage. cheaper, less sugar + truly custom.  :)
• 43 :: carrying our purchases out of the store (when we forget our reusable bags) even when it means stuff is stacked up to our chins. extra laughs + no plastic bags.
• 44 :: wrapping gifts in our reusable bags. cute + zero-waste.
• 45 :: making valentines out of things already in our house: left-over tissue paper, a cereal box, a used envelope + glue. creativity engaged. beautiful result. fun.
• 46 :: cleaning with vinegar + baking soda + cloth rags. non-toxic, cheap + zero-waste. 
• 47 + 48 :: zero-waste lotion two ways: a lotion bar + bulk lotion pumped into a glass jar from home. orange + cardamom smell divine. inexpensive. few ingredients.

Ritual was our focus in January. "Ritual" might be a softer word than "habit" + adds a dimension of intention too. This month, rituals as simple as homecoming hugs came into focus as treasured moments of turning + connection. 

"The turning" has been a particular spot of enlightenment this month. It started as a name for a moment we take each morning to turn our minds away from all that distracts + toward our intention. I can get so wound up in what I need to do, what others think, how they misunderstood me, etc., etc. Soon my mind has led me so far off track from where I want to be + how I want to think. I need to interrupt it all + change directions.

Some call it meditation. We're calling it "the turning". We sit comfortably, set a timer, close our eyes + sit in silence. Recently, I have been focusing on the statement, "I am breaking old patterns + moving toward love." It's been a particularly beautiful + useful addition to our mornings.

I need some form of this turning multiple times throughout my day. I have a recurring alarm set on my phone reminding me to do it after work, as a transition to my after-work state of being as well. My partner carries an item in his pocket that he can grab hold of in order to redirect his mind as needed throughout his day. It's helpful to be doing this together + to be able to remind each other of how we want to be without fear of sounding preachy. We are at once each other's sounding board, teammate + cheer leader.

We are recognizing some of our other rituals as "turnings" as well these days. Our homecoming hugs (that we intentionally move our bodies + take the time to do) turn us away from our work days toward a time of reconnection. Our extended weekend hike or walk turns us away from so much that occupies our minds + toward nature + appreciating our home place. Drinking tea with nothing in front of us except each other turns us away from devices, news or entertainment + toward "we". Reading a book together turns us away from our individual pursuits + toward shared focus + growth. 

The turning...a ritual that captures our attention + opens our hearts in the right direction.

Love,
Jane