While American yogis are getting ready to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends, this Canadian has been wondering what to do with this second chance to celebrate gratitude and give back.
Since we are getting geared up for the Ultimate Productivity Challenge next month, Steve and I decided to use some of our holiday downtime to de-clutter our living space. Starting with our closet, we spent a few hours axing outdated and unused items from our respective wardrobes. In the end we came away with two overflowing garbage bags of clothes that we didn't want or need any longer.
We dropped off the load to a local organization that works directly with the homeless and outfits them with interview worthy attire. I admit afterwards, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and embarrassment. On one hand, it felt so good to get rid of things I didn't need knowing they were going to be put to use. On the other hand, I felt very silly that I hadn't done it sooner.
When I was growing up, my own wardrobe was made up in large part of hand-me-downs from other families with kids. While we were lucky to not be deep in poverty like so many, clothes were a big expense, especially when you are a constantly outgrowing them.
My family continues this tradition today, so it was an embarrassing moment to realize that Steve and I were sitting on two bags full of things that could have been helping others in the most basic way so much sooner. I have no doubt that December's Productivity Challenge will offer many of these similar moments of being grateful for what we have and also knowing we could give more consciously to the world. The Expansion Experiment crew will no doubt find that some resources we are wasting and taking for granted could be valuable if used in different ways. This, of course, extends beyond physical goods.
How many times have you felt overwhelmed by your "to-do" list only to realize you spent hours of the day on Facebook or watching a terrible TV show?
How many times have you felt drained at work only to realize you actually haven't accomplished much?
How often do feel unable to give your time and attention to those who need it?
If any of these questions resonate with you or you just need a bit of help becoming more organized and productive, join us for Decembers Expansion Experiment. Clean out your closet, ditch the mental and physical clutter and build better, more productive habits so you can be a more present giving person in the world.
Photo Credit: "Aftermath" by Andrew Blight
