Staging My Own Mutiny: An Update

It's sort of ironic that it's taken me almost 2 months to give an update on my 7 Experiment when the most recent fast was media, specifically social media. :)

I just really enjoyed not feeling attached to my phone. And I realized how much time I wasted during the day just scrolling thousands of tweets or double-tapping Instagrams. (I'll be honest though- I really still love Instagram).

I thought I would write and blog more during that time but I really didn't.
I thought I would accomplish a ton of projects. But I didn't.
There was a whole week of just adjusting to idle time. It's strange when you are not used to it.
Also what I figured out: all those things you thought you wanted to do but didn't have time for?
You actually just don't want to do them.

So there are a few things I have let go of. Or learned to deal with being in flux. It was definitely a lesson in learning how I spent my free time.

I was able to spend more quality time with family and friends. Even if it was just a walk or coffee date or phone call.
Also, I didn't miss TV AT ALL. I got rid of cable a year ago and just use my AppleTV for Netflix and Hulu. But now, I hardly watch that either. I'd much rather put on some music and read or just be in the silence.

I liked not knowing what everyone was doing every second. Although, when I was bored or waiting in a line or something, it was tempting to look at my social media apps to keep me entertained.
And why is it we have to be constantly entertained? I'm really not sure and that newer need is bothersome.

I looked back at our group discussion and it's interesting to me how many of us noted how bored we were. I was at first, but then I learned to adjust and use that time a little more mindfully. A lot more reading. A lot more walking. Overall- very good for my mental and physical health.

I cheated one time when I posted a tweet in support of the Boston bombings. It was really hard not to look at twitter when that was happening, but I didn't. I read some news on the internet for about 30 minutes then shut it down.

The main after effect of this one is I have spent considerably less time on twitter and Facebook. I still Instagram and post those to Facebook and twitter for family and friends, but I'm trying to be more mindful of what I put online.

During the media fast, we went to dinner with some friends and someone commented about how I wouldn't be taking pictures of the food like I normally would. I was a little embarrassed. Is it that annoying of me? I didn't realize people even noticed that much.

That made me think about what people might think about my media presence.
I haven't found the perfect balance yet, but this was a good start.

After the media fast, I went on 2 trips and sort of fell out of the loop of the 7 experiment and my church group wrapped up.
I still have 3 sections to go and I'm not giving up. :)

So, next section is WASTE.

Jen makes some great points in the video:
- We can't say we worship the creator and destroy creation. We are called to be stewards of God's creation.
- Creation care is a real thing. The world was created to sustain humanity. We don't have to choose between people and the earth.

And some of the statistics are staggering:
- Americans make up 5% of the population, but we consumer 1/3 of all the world's paper products.
- Together with China, America accounts for 40% of the earth's depletion (p 115).
- Human demands on the world's natural capital measure 30% more than the earth can sustain (p 115).

What the what?? Those statistics are really disturbing to me.

I just finished reading 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno. It was recommended to me by numerous people (thanks readers!) and it lines up with what Jen is saying here.
As Americans, we consume too much stuff.
Whether that be clothes, food, 'disposable' items, etc. We have too many things and we use and abuse too many things.

(I'm also reading The Omnivore's Dilemma right now which talks about our overuse of land and food as well).

Between moving to a much smaller place and doing the 7 experiment, I feel like I have drastically changed my lifestyle. My need to buy and consume is diminishing. I try not to waste a single scrap of anything.

Here are Jen's suggestions for the fast from waste:

-Eliminate convenience products: paper towels, water bottles, baggies, fast food, coffee (bring your own mug!), plastic grocery bags, etc
- Eliminate heavily packaged items
- Buy in bulk
- Buy concentrated cleaning and soap products and reuse old bottles for refills
- Replace paper with cloth
- Eliminate products that are completely unnecessary
- Reuse containers
- Recycle everything
- Buy local food
- Conserve water
- Shop second-hand and thrift
- Drive less
- Use urban transit
- Join a CSA
- Grow a garden

I've put in bold all the things I already do.

I am a member of 2 CSA's where I get 90% of my food needs met. I get the rest from a local grocery store and when it's the right season- the local farmer's market.

I always use cloth or paper bags. I rarely, if ever, buy paper towels. I use rags to clean and a cloth napkin or dishtowel when eating at home. I use mason jars and glass Pyrex to store food and transport it for my lunches at work. I try to remember my own coffee cup when I pop into my favorite shop. I recycle everything I can. Since I didn't have a license for a period of time and I live within walking distance of almost everything I need- I only drive to work.
And I absolutely HATE plastic water bottles. I'll buy one if I'm traveling or there are no other options, but I use a Nalgene bottle daily. I try to buy local as much as possible (even when I'm out of town).

One thing I don't really agree with is buying in bulk. I find that Costco and places like that encourage us to consume more.

The one area I could try to work on more is thrifting. I've garage-saled and thrifted for household goods, but not really for clothes. However, since my Fashion Fast 2013 is still in full swing- that's not really an issue.

The other day I listened to this NPR podcast with Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed. She discusses the high cost of cheap fashion- both social and environmental costs. It occurred to me just how much a global economy can be detrimental to our sustainability. I think another area to add to 'waste', could be buying fair trade and organic clothing- preferably made local.

I know all of this sounds like a lot of work, but once you make small tweaks over time, it really becomes second nature and you see how much you are saving. Even before we went out of town for my birthday I tried to eat up all the fresh produce in my fridge and freeze what I couldn't. I even froze my remaining mixed greens in baggies and used them for smoothies the week I got back. It felt good not to waste or throw things away.

Coming up next...spending.
Yikes.
More to come on that one!

How do you refrain from wasting? Do you recycle or reuse? Do you use public transportation? How do you feel about buying in bulk? See any other ways I could reduce waste in my life?

Staging My Own Mutiny: Possessions Recap & Media Fast

Possessions was easy.
I had no problem getting rid of stuff.
I know I have too many things and I'm also moving later this year.
Also....I sort of love purging.
It's the most liberating thing ever.

I did this in an afternoon. 

The weightlessness of not feeling burdened by all the things to be organized, labeled, stored, cleaned, managed....it's freeing.

I wanted to fill 7 boxes and I did. Not all of them are even pictured here.
I am still working on where to donate them and to what meaningful cause but I have found homes for some of my things and I'm pretty excited about that.

And- I'm not done.
There are a couple areas I'd still like to cut back in- jewelry and clothes.
Since January, I've gotten rid of a 6 full rubbermaids of clothes and shoes. Seem ridiculous? I still have a lot to go.
The fashion fast is teaching me that I'd rather have a few things that I really love versus 500 things that are just 'okay.'
Also- quality over quantity. Always.

I read a lot about living simpler via these blogs and articles. All were very insightful and motivated me to make some changes:

Becoming Minimalist- This blog has so much insight and he links to some amazing articles like these:

Choosing a Life without Stuff

Do It Now. Seriously- handle your stuff.

And this.

My friend Jason has also been a big inspiration to me. Him and his wife simplified their life and moved to California with 2 kids and all their stuff in ONE TINY UHAUL trailer. And no debt. It's impressive. I ask his advice a lot and he recommends books to me. I suggest finding a successful friend - it makes a difference!


But now that possessions week is winding down....we are on to MEDIA.

I'll admit it.

I'm a certified Iphone junkie.

Not so much games and apps, but Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
I wake up and read email. Scroll through Instagram. Read Twitter.
I can lay in bed looking at my phone for a half hour before I do anything.
I feel embarrassed to share that.


Watching Jen's video for Media, I latched onto a couple things:
- When you are too sucked into your gadgets- people tell you they miss you.
- Often we get so connected online, we ignore real life relationships. Media is not a substitution for real life.
- Technology can be really amazing and useful and powerful- but it can also be a burden. Balance is key.
- The key to building missional community is relationship.

And biggest of all:

If we say we 'don't have time' to call, visit, grab coffee with a friend or family member...

we are lying.

If we have time for shows, apps, emails and pictures- we have time.

I think we (I know I am) are all guilty of this.

'Oh, I'm just SO busy.' Yet, our friends and family we shrugged off can see we posted 15 Instagrams and 100 tweets while we were supposedly 'busy.'
I think society has allowed that to become okay and maybe that needs to change.

I read something the other day too about how media is making us dumber. As people, we are losing the ability to focus and if we are not constantly being stimulated we can often be 'bored.' I have experienced this. And I think there will be a real and profound 'withdrawal' period at first. 

Here is what I'm giving up. Friday, April 12th to Friday, April 26th:

NO TV

NO Facebook

NO Instagram

NO Twitter

Check emails once in the AM and once in the PM

Phone stays in the car or bag at work- no checking during the work day. 

I'm going to allow myself to blog and 'share' the blog posts. It doesn't open up the entire app but just the little post and then it closes itself. 

Also- my google reader is 1000+ posts so obviously I don't have a problem with skipping over that media option.

Besides just giving things up, I'm going to try to do a couple things:

• Set up a family breakfast
• Visit my grandparents for coffee
• Call my family in Nashville
• Read more
• Write more

I'll admit- giving up Instagram is going to be hard. 

And T's birthday is mixed in there. So I'm going to look like the bad fiance that doesn't publicly acknowledge his birth. HA. I think he will understand. 

People, I'm really really looking forward to this.

Often I can feel overwhelmed and scatterbrained by technology so I think this hiatus will be a good reset for me.

Last Night's Instagram

Please check back periodically to make sure I'm still alive....

:)

Lent Reflections

As this Lenten season came to a close, I was struck by the thought of how my simple sacrifice of coffee is supposed to symbolize the incredibly generous gift that God gave to me- His Son's life.

Here I was, complaining and moaning about how much I miss coffee and it's so hard and blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile Jesus willingly allowed himself to be beaten to be a bloody pulp and nailed to cross just so I could even HAVE the luxury of drinking an espresso latte everyday.

I'm sorta disgusted by me.

I'll admit, the first couple weeks, it was all about me. I changed up my morning routine, found a substitute in hot tea and soy chai lattes but still missed that super hot, strong, intense flavor. More than that, I missed the many social events I seem to create around a cup of coffee- girl dates, writing time, downtown walks, etc.
I spent time reading the Bible and tried to focus on the fact I was doing this for a reason, but most of the time I didn't think about Jesus at all.

I didn't think about how my need for coffee was so small, so teeny tiny and so NOTHING compared to the gift I was receiving.
I just thought about how my life would be harder. Or different. Or less convenient.

I could blame my humanness.
I'm a sinner.
Naturally inclined to make everything about ME.

During our Easter Sermon, Pastor Paul said something about how we, as people, find ways to even twist the Gospel around to make it about us. Praising Jesus for the sake of ourselves.

I sort of feel like that sums up my Lent experience.

I didn't feel like I gained a greater connection to God over the course of 40 days.
I actually just found it was a lot easier than I expected to give up coffee.
I didn't need it as much as I thought.

But on Easter Sunday, I got up, put on my tennis shoes and walked my dog to the coffee shop for a big, black coffee.
And guess what? It wasn't as satisfying as I thought it'd be.
I expected to feel this sigh of relief, 'Finally! Coffee!' but it didn't taste any better or worse and I realized, somewhat embarrassingly, it's just coffee.

I think, at the beginning of Lent, I envisioned feeling this big empty space, normally filled with coffee, that would magically be occupied with the Holy Spirit. I mean, obviously! That was the point right? Give something up and free that space for Jesus?

In my first post on the 7 experiment, I talk about that space. About using it for something more spirit-focused and intentional.

I did some of that- changing up my morning routine with daily devotions and praying out loud. I had already been completing morning devotions, however, I began to use that time more deliberately- not rushing and making it a priority.

But what I really learned is this:

A spiritual fast is less about the actual thing you are giving up and more about freeing yourself from anything that distracts you from relationship with Jesus.

No matter what the 'thing' is that you are fasting from, what you are really doing is saying 'I'm going to eliminate a diversion that I have given too much power to.'

And that- I didn't do. I didn't rest in that empty space and just be in relationship with Jesus. I didn't use those cravings to refocus my mind on prayer and meditation. I just found other stuff to occupy the time and fill all the spaces and then praised myself for not drinking coffee for 40 days.

I think there is power in emptiness.
I think there is power in the elimination of stuff in my life.
I think there is power in resting in a specific quiet moment of clarity.

I'm not sure any of this makes sense to you, dear readers, but in my mind I've learned a valuable lesson about what it means to really do without.

It DOESN'T mean exchanging one for thing for another. Or finding a different thing to pass the time of the old thing.

It DOES mean clearing space and leaving that space empty. Wide open. Willing and ready for something bigger than a hot drink.

How was your Lent experience? Do you feel like you really connected in relationship with Jesus or, like me, do you feel like you need a little more practice?