Today’s Reverb 10 prompt comes from Sam Davidson , who wrote the book 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need.
What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
I bopped around to see what others plan to rid of in 2011 and to see which things resonated most with me. Ones that I am adding to my own list are in bold type. What I found is that, as usual, Reverb 10 folks interpret the daily prompt in all sorts of ways.
Tharavayali, for instance, looks at the idea of letting go from an Ayurvedic perspective. M.A. Brotherton, on the other hand, flat out states that:
I’ve lived a minimalist existence with few physical or psychological possessions. Its a simple, spiritual life. AND ITS BORING AS SHIT! I’m a technophile. I love my phone, (an HTC Hero) and my computer. I love my brand new car, with its 312 miles and its 28 miles per gallon city. I love playing Fallout on my Xbox, while listening to Nerdcore Hiphop on Pandora. I LOVE STUFF. I’m not ashamed of that.
He goes on to list specific stuff that he’s currently lusting after.
Hannah mentions something I can relate to: Having too high of standards for myself, while Jerry plans to let go of regrets.
Sam Davidson mentions a couple of things I decided to add to my list:
Automatic yeses. No more of just saying yes because someone asked. I’ve got to find the thing that makes the most sense to pursue and then jump in.
Criticism from the wrong people. Words can hurt, but they shouldn’t if the person saying them isn’t qualified to critique what you’re doing. Here’s to brushing off the words of some next year, and taking to heart the constructive criticism of those who matter.
One thing Matt plans to get rid of in 2011 is:
A million friends – It may feel good to have 524 random people you barely know wish you a “Happy Birthday” on Facebook – but have you ever tried to maintain 524 friendships? Yeah, it’s not possible. Focus on the people in your life that matter most and strengthen those bonds instead of clinging to hundreds of weak ones.
Kathryn is getting rid of clutter and self doubt – and I am with her on those! Brad mentions scurvy, platitudes and Swarovski in his decidedly tongue in cheek post, while Moments of perfect clarity is letting go of anything that stands in the way of creativity, as well as toddlers & tiaras.
OK, now for a couple more that come purely from my own brain pan: unpacked boxes and letting life overwhelm me.
And yes, you guessed it, those boxes that you see in today’s photo are the unpacked boxes I am talking about. I have only unpacked 4 or 5 of them at this point. Perhaps I’m a little shell-shocked from having moved 16 times in the past 10 years, but that’s a topic for another blog post.
Looking back on this post, I count 11 things that I’m ready to let go of. What do you plan to get rid of in 2011?
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.