14 Day BrightPeak Challenge

I came across this great 14 Day Challenge while on vacation in Florida...each year when we visit Florida I try to take on a new challenge, so I am always on the lookout for a good one.  This one from BrightPeak Financial caught my eye because it offered a key prize I am searching for - Simple Living!!!!

I am getting tired of tripping over toys, losing items under piles of clothes, keeping things that are no longer functional and spending more time keeping up with stuff and less time living and making memories. So when I seen this, I said SIGN ME UP!

Off on my adventure of Simple Living and I am taking you with me on this great adventure and maybe you and I both will learn how to do more living and less time worrying!
January 7th (Saturday)

Day 1: Setting up a Donation Box (or bag like I did because I could not find a box lol)

- I set up 1 bag to give to our local shelter with good condition clothes and 1 bag for Goodwill of towels, toys etc.
- Do this effectively you have to give yourself the entire 14 days to go through all your spaces and purge, purge, purge
- I find it a good idea from my many years of watching HGTV to set up the following piles:
   - 1 donation pile
   - 1 toss pile
   - 1 re-purpose pile
   - 1 keep pile - DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make this your biggest pile

January 8th (Sunday)
Day 2:  Practice a Heart of Gratitude
 - Make a list defining abundance
I was not sure what to write here?  a list defining abundance? Do I type what I have most of?  Do I talk about what it means to be abundant out in the world?  Then I said "Woman just define what you think abundance means?"

Abundance is to have something (whether they be tangible items or the more intangible things like feelings) but to have those things in abundance, in excess. To have many or much in the idea of those things  Abundance is to have something is large quantity as to not be in immediate need of it.
An example for me would be I have an abundance of scarves and shoes and other crap that I probably don't need....on a more spiritual level I also have an abundance of love for my children, my cats and on rare occasion for my husband lol *kidding, not kidding* :)

January 9th (Monday)
Day 3: Prioritize what is important:

(On my second bag of goodwill donations from the kitchen now - feels awesome)

Prioritize whats important

1. Spending more time with family (finding that time or rather Making that time is going to be my first priority)
2. Finding a peace within myself - trying to learn some meditation and mindfulness (again need to Make a commitment to myself in order to become a better human being - as this is my ultimate goal)
3. Getting my house in order and purging - really am motivated to get rid of stuff we don't need so we an spend more time together and less time taking care of stuff.
4. Allowing my feelings to ebb and flow like the ocean lol - really want to learn how to allow my feelings in and feel them and then ultimately let them go.  I am going to learn how to allow others to make their own mistakes and as long as they are not affecting me or Killing them - then I have to let them handle their own business.
5. I would like to get a raise - so I am hoping that falls somewhere on this list.
6. I would one day like to work from home too

I skipped a couple of days because, well life happens!
January 13th (Friday)
Day 4: Track your spending

- For the next 10 days write down everything you spend money on.  (WOW) use a notebook, a spreadsheet or an app but find something!  This is going to be hard - I spent so much just today - well paying bills anyway!
- When the 10 days are over do a Fiscal Fast for 10 days- do not spend anything on non-essentials (anything that is not food, medicine etc).
- At the end of that time take the money you save and put it towards a credit card payment, a student loan or a savings account!

January 14th (Saturday)
Day 5: Sort & file paperwork

- This is a ongoing project - I have a desk that needs to be cleared out once a year and its time is coming up!  I have cleared out the paper work in my room and just need to put a system in place.  I have put up a file bin in the Kitchen to use as in "In/out bin" so our family can begin better "communication".  I still need to clean out my desk but I don't wanna - I am scared. ha!

January 15th (Sunday)
Day 6: Do Something you love
- WHAT OMG yes I need more of that everyday!
- Focus on "Time for you" - I did do that today - I did some shopping and organizing and budgeting - all things I am truly loving!
- Find peace & de-stress  with an activity you love the most - for the next 14 days - do one thing you love for 30 minutes!

(tomorrow I am going to read uninterrupted for 30 minutes)

January 16th (Monday)
Day 7: Clutter busting routine.

A heavy gift....

I never understand why we play this game?  Why we pretend in the world as much as we do?  I am not talking about simple things like pretending to like people at your work...lets face it, you would never get through the day if you acted how you really felt about the people you work with.  I am talking about with people we love and care for?

Why do we pretend with each other?  If your in a marriage and you don't love them - why are you still there pretending?  You know whether or not you love someone?  You know whether or not you care? so why play the game?  why cause further pain to anyone involved?

If your in a friendship and it isn't reciprocal why are you still there?  You know whether or not you care about this person right?  you know whether or not you are significant to them or if they are significant to you?  You know if they are fake or if they are real?  so why are you there?

If your family treats you ill and causes you pain - why do you allow it?  You know they are your family but where is the rule that because of that it is okay that they make you feel heartbroken all the time?  Why do you stay? Why do you show the love they cannot show you?

We seem to get caught up in titles and names and roles in our lives and let them overcome us.  We allow these things to make nonsensical sense and overpower our right mind?  We think because of these things that we "deserve" or must "put up" with self-inflicted pain - I say self-inflicted because in essence we are allowing it by "staying" in any of those particular scenarios.

We get lost in those titles as "mom", "wife", "daughter", "sister", "friend" "insert your title here" and lose who we are in the "great big world" - we forget our significance, our importance, our light gets dim and we just stand and watch it flicker into non-existence....and why?  Because we believe we "owe" someone something or the world "is watching" and we "have to be a certain way"....Why?

God gave you this wonderful life - the light inside you - the people around you - the world - the knowledge and yet we are lost?  We have been given a gift and we hold it in our hands and stare at it as if it is a foreign object and ponder the possibilities instead of living them?  our pain and our grief from those self-inflicted wounds tear us up inside until we are nothing more than a shell of the gift he has bestowed upon us.  And who is more wrong?  us for allowing someone else to take our gift or them for willingly taking something so precious?

How do we wake up from this haze we have walked into?  How do we turn around and say "I am worth more, I am enough"  --- what do we do?

God you gave me my gift and I may not have known just how precious it is, I may have even had the idea that I would give this gift back in a unforgiving way....You gave me this gift and right now I don't know what to do with it?  I am lost in the shadow of it....My light is dimming and the biggest fear I have is that I myself may be the one who extinguishes the flame...I am lost...I am scared...I am broken....and right now I could use a miracle....not even realizing my miracle may be that which I hold in my hand...my original gift, the gift that scares me the most...the gift that feels so heavy right this very minute.....