Be mindful, not wasteful...

Image by kevindooley via Flickr

…occurred to me as I was rushing around this morning wishing I had a nice new laptop bag for my laptop and “stuff”. Lo and behold I opened the hall “abyss”, I mean closet, and found a suitable, functional and stylish bag that most certainly fit the bill. Ah…a nice, calm sense of relief overtook me. That seemingly insignificant find helped me to see that a lot of what I already need is most often right under my nose, albeit hiding in the abyss that I MUST now explore for other treasures! This prompted me to look at other areas of “wants” that I may have that don’t have to cost “money” necessarily. I made a list…

1. I love to eat out, but it shouldn’t be a habit. I’m very fortunate in that I live very close to where I work…ok so I work from home, but the commute from my bedroom to my office/workshop can be brutal, meandering through the obstacle of either dog or the cat maze, but I digress. I’m a good cook, so what’s wrong with leftovers anyway?

2. Needing a pick-me-up, or perhaps an afternoon distraction to keep the juices flowing. More often lately I am just saying “no!” to Starbuck’s Café Mochas and brewing my own fresh ground coffee and using a coffee press. Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has been linked to heart disease, reproductive disorders, and other health conditions, is found in many hard plastic water bottles and drip coffee makers! Uh,…yuck!

3. Drink more water. Plastic water bottles are soooo yesterday! Not to mention all that BPA, ick! Besides, all the cool people take their own water with them. Of course you are using your Brita water filtered water right? Brita water filters can now be returned to any participating Preserve Gimme 5 location or select Whole Foods for recycling. And Kleen Kanteen can cure all your portable water ails. Check them out.

4. Being a workaholic. Perhaps I should step away from the computer more. No, I can’t. Yes, you can. It will still be there when you get back…why would I lie? Taking time to just breathe, taking a walk in a nearby park, gazing up at the clouds and filling my heart and mind with gratitude certainly doesn’t cost a thing.

I hope you can find some inspiration in my “list”. I now have to go see if my husband hasn’t fallen and bumped his head after reading all the things he tells me I should do on a daily basis. “Coming dear…”