Thought for today:
We find freedom when we “live within our means”, as the Third DA Promise recommends, “yet our means will not define us.” DA experience proves that this is not only possible, but likely!
But what does “living within our means” really mean? And how can it benefit us?
“Living within our means” can mean many things, but letting go of pre-conceived notions of what we need is almost always at that core. De-cluttering the way we spend our time and money, and de-cluttering things that stand in the way of our loving, lead to a sense of fulfillment. Simplicity breeds happiness.
How?
- To de-clutter our time, we can understand that there is nothing more important than living in this moment. We work the Steps, taking a moral inventory and letting go of unusable behaviors and ideas, so we no longer have to obsess over the past and what could have been, or fret about the future and what might happen. We can only affect change in this moment, here and now, so we try to focus on that.
- To de-clutter our money, we can end frivolous or mindless spending. We spend money where it is most needed. We track our spending by category, and we have a Pressure Meeting where we develop a Spending Plan and an Action plan. We don’t need “stuff” to fill the void in our lives, we have a Higher Power to do that.
- To de-clutter our loving, we can detach from difficult personalities, and share more from our abundance. We are generous where it counts, and it benefits us more than the other person. The human family has everything we need to make this world a better place, if we share from our abundance.
Members share:
“In our home now, extra periodicals we don’t read are quickly cancelled, as are services we don’t use, like TV or land-line phone. Who needs to spend for extra cable or newspapers when we get our news and entertainment on the internet. We save money each month and not wasting makes us feel more efficient.”
“When I give to a non-profit thrift store items of value that I no longer need, I get a tax write-off, and I benefit someone else. When I throw away things or give them away, I don’t have to pay to store them any more. I stop worrying about the cluttered space, and allow clear space instead.”
“When I let go of irrational fears, I am free.”
12 Benefits of de-cluttering our time, money and love:
Consider the myriad benefits we receive when we de-clutter, or end wasteful habits.
1) We find freedom. Everything that remains is of greater value for us having noticed it.
2) Donating items of value to charity, gifting a great book to a friend, selling our home at a reasonable price to someone who needs it, these things are “win-win” opportunities, bringing joy to ourselves as well as to another person.
3) In the process of letting go of excess, we discover what we truly need to survive and thrive, which is often less than what we thought.
4) We have money saved from eliminating a mortgage or car payment.
5) We have clarity from fewer distracting stacks of “things”.
6) By giving up a little time to do our morning meditation and affirmation, we find our life’s purpose. We receive.
7) When we “keep it simple,” we receive happiness. Nobody is looking for more complexity in their life. Looking for ways to simplify our lives never leaves us disappointed. The less clutter for us the better.
8) As clutter leaves our lives, our minds, our filing systems, our living space, our possessions, and our relationships, space opens up, and we have room for amazing life-moments.
9) As we simplify our needs, we become happier. We intuitively begin to focus on what is truly important: our relationships, and each present moment of our lives.
10) We want to enjoy life while we are here, don’t we? Joy comes in knowing we have focused on what truly matters. Not on a stack of newspapers nobody reads.
11) When we live within our means, everything we do becomes super-relevant.
12) It is easier to love when our hands are not clenched around things or people.
Ask:
Can I add to this list?
Meditation for today:
All of life is a process of letting go to become something new for ourselves. We let go of the womb to breathe new life. We let go of unnecessary things to make room for new and finer things. We surrender our character defects in order to experience recovery in DA. We let go of our children so they can blossom into adulthood. Letting go in this sense is caring, loving and selfless.
Affirmation for today:
“As I let go of the obsessive thoughts and behaviors in my life, I become the person I really want to be.”
Recommended reading to help to de-clutter our time, money and love:
#1 New York Times best seller: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven
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