In my experience I’ve found, those who have any bit, of any hate, for any kind of rainbow, (sex, skin color, religion, etc.) are actually afraid of themselves.
This world is big. Every heart beats the same. Let’s not be afraid of that.
Hats off to Airbnb and every other voice, continuing to share the message that love will always win.
After reading this article last week about micro-apartments coming to Charlotte, I jumped out of bed like an excited kid ready to race downstairs to see what was under the Christmas tree. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve mentioned in conversation since moving to the Queen City, that I wished well designed micro-spaces were here.
Ask and you shall receive!
My favorite apartment to date was the 430 square foot one I had in Virginia back in 2009:
Small is simple. Simple is smart. Smart is mighty.
I have no idea why I took or saved these shots. Perhaps they were meant just for this, eight years later. The above is what my place looked like every day in all of It’s simple, small, unfussy, glory. No extra CRAP anywhere to take care of/manage or pay for! Ahhh…I love you, freedom! (Not pictured are my full sized bathroom and kitchen.) The units were brand new and my rent was $595/month. At the time I rented there, the developer tried selling me the unit. It would’ve only been $80k to own. What a deal. I should have scooped that spot up in a heartbeat. I’ve occasionally kicked myself for not doing it.
A Charlotte Agenda writer put out this piece today about the new micro-apartments coming soon. I completely disagree with her. The claim of small spaces and everything having to have a place all the time being stressful, is the exact opposite of anything I’ve ever experienced. (Still love you anyway, Agenda!) Everyday I work with clients who hire mebecause they have too much space, too much stuff, too many expenses…and they’ve reach a point they’re so over it all. I’ve found time and time again that thestressed and buried feelings much of us swirl in, are directly related to the excessof everything in our lives, not because the carefully selected items we’ve chosen, we love, and we actually use are best kept in their specific places at days end.
I’d never try to convince anyone who wasn’t interested, to live in a small space. You do you! I don’t necessarily think big is bad. I do think however, that far too many of us are incredibly wasteful, living smack dab in the middle of a serious drone zone believing we need a whole lot more than we actually do, to be happy.
I’ll see you for the Grand Opening at The RailYard!
I guess I’m a writer. My grammar is terrible, I’m still not sure where quotes go, where commas should live, what should be italicized, capitalized, or what sounds good. I just write because I love to and I need to, to keep my sanity. Saying all that, pretend the below is formatted correctly in some kind of poetic form that makes sense:
…while watching the Golden Globes. It came on right after Meryl Streep’s speech which was unexpected, and made me stand up and cheer. LOVE the two words Jeep commercial, LOVE Meryl’s speech.
Money has flown out of your wallet during the past several weeks as fast as Usain Bolt crosses the finish line at the Olympics, and now your house is stacked 6 feet high with piles of stuff. (Ahem, crap.)
Think about no more feeling overwhelmed, buried, broke, sad, grumpy, or tired. No more excuses about not having enough time, space or money to do what you really want. Think about your stairway to freedom!
(The above photo is actually just the amazing staircase built in god knows what year that’s right outside the door of my current apartment in Madrid, but let’s just pretend for a minute It’s a stairway to freedom heaven.)
Back to work…
Do you ever just get totally sick of spinning in the same crap? Bills, debt, bills, closets and drawers busting at the seams, nutty crazy schedule, never enough sleep, haven’t quite dealt with those awful things that happened when you were little, or made peace with yourself about that jerk you divorced 10 years ago?
Listen, Linda, Listen!
…It’s time to get rid of our crap and stand up for what we want. Sassy little Mateo knows what’s up.
In this YEAR OF LESS CRAP, I’ll be posting tips, tricks, and saucy opinions here on how to get unstuck. (Subscribe below and get my blog in your email inbox…awww…snap! What a treat!) Hopefully I’ll be making some new friends, but I’m sure I’ll tick some people off too. I’ll be airing more of my dirty, dirty, laundry, and encouraging you to do the same. We’ve all got plenty, so let’s be real!
Here’s myCRAP:
I’ve wanted to finish my book for about 67 years at this point and I haven’t done it. Scared I can’t? No way. Disorganization? Hells to the no. Not doing enough for myself to fully commit to what I love and not asking for the help I need? Yep.
WTF.
I know better. So do you, about whatever your CRAP is.
I hope this year you get so sick of yourself, so totally ripped about whatever you’re doing to keep yourself buried/miserable/frustrated/stuck, that you finally snap and make the changes you need. I hope your blood boils, you reach your limit, and riiiiiight before you lose it, you drop your fear and do something TOTALLY FUCKING AWESOME.
No more CRAP, people. No more, CRAP. This is the year to purge and fly. I will help you do it.
*Tonight I told my Mother it sometimes makes me super happy to use “bad” words when I write. She said she thought there might be a better way to get my points across. I told her I agreed, but also just want to be myself; The unfiltered, truth-teller who often needs and wants to just let the eff-bombs out. It feels so good to be free…
None of us can beat Father Time, not even those of us with good looks, charm, buckets of money, or who are strong as an ox. While this mighty beast of a timekeeper has full control, holding his finger on the button that decides whether we are here or gone, the one thing he cannot control is what we do with the minutes we’re gifted.
Don’t wait. There’s never the perfect or right time for anything in this crazy life. The time is now. Make a toast to honor yourself in this new year, and continue to toast to every day.
Today is Sunday December 18th and TED and I have been snuggling on this delightful lazy morning with coffee, happy as all get out, daydreaming and planning for a big adventure and the kick off to 2017 with some big stuff for Blue Lollipop Road. Lately this run of talks I’ve been watching are aligned perfectly with a new project I will announce soon.
Ahhh, freedom! That superpower gifted in America that we have everyday, to CHOOSE exactly what we do with our time and our lives:
A little hint about my new project, TBA:
The choices we make.
Today is the day to spend your time how YOU want. This ain’t his/her/their/those guys rodeo. Get on your horse and ride, baby!
