Comments on: How You’re Hindering Your Potential (with your stuff)

By: Anita

Anita — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:28:56 +0000

In 2007 a tornado destroyed 95% of our town, including our home. While my husband and I rejoiced in the fact that our family was safe and didn’t worry about the “stuff” we’d lost, I was amazed at the number of people who’s very identity seemed tied to the “things” they’d lost.
I felt free after losing most of that stuff… and have refused to replace it… which has become a “bickering” point between my husband and I because he is refilling our house with stuff as fast as i can get rid of it while he’s not looking, lol… it may take another tornado for him to learn this lesson…

By: Simple Living News Update

Simple Living News Update — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:15:29 +0000

[...] How You’re Hindering Your Potential with Stuff [...]

By: Noelle

Noelle — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:45:48 +0000

“Secretly you wish someone would burn your two-car garage down, so you won’t have to make the decision to get rid of that clutter.”

Everett, this is exactly how I feel about the back half of my basement, my kids’ rooms and every closet in my house. (Luckily, we have the “if I have a garage, I’m damned well parking a car in it” rule, so that part is okay :~)

I can’t change other people (SO and kids) so I am resigned to this condition for a while, but it does seem like a refreshing idea to just have it all gone and start over with almost nothing.

By: Everett Bogue

Everett Bogue — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:14:14 +0000

Sorry for the delay in replying! I took a minimalist weekend to rejuvinate myself. Working on this e-book on being minimalist has been slightly draining, but it will be worth it.

Alejandro, exactly! Or maybe just put them away on a harddrive in a closet somewhere. I do that with all of my old photographs, just in case. I only allow myself to source from work from the last couple of months, so I don’t spend endless hours reliving old memories.

Charlay, that’s awesome. There’s nothing like burning a poetry book in order to start over. I bet burning poetry books can inspire more poetry. Thanks for reading and for comment!

By: Charley Forness

Charley Forness — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:09:20 +0000

Very interesting post. I did this a few weeks ago in one area of my life. I too had a hard-drive full of riffs and snippets of partially finished songs and a notebook full of lyrics. It was all destroyed as part of my clean slate exercise.

I’m not on the level of your DJ friend, and I haven’t really spent any time writing music since, but I expect that it will have the same effect of making peace and saying goodbye to the past.

I’ve done this with poetry books too. If it wasn’t good enough to publish and I haven’t revisited in a year to edit it, then I’m done with it.

- Charley

By: Alejandro Reyes

Alejandro Reyes — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:09:15 +0000

Very interesting post. I wonder what kind of results could I get if I just get rid of all my code snippets. I may be able to produce new techniques.

I will give it a try during this weekend. After all there is work that is just waiting for me. I really love how you sum it up: “A clean slate can be a powerful drive to create.” Wonderful words if you ask me.