After lunch I like to eat some sweet. I prefer chocolate with nuts which my son brings from Dubai. Earlier my daughter used to buy for me when she was in Dubai. My children are not crazy of chocolates but I am. I am more like a youngster in this age like to dress the best, like variety in food don't know when I will become old
Up until few years ago, I was a hoarder afraid to discard anything of miniscule value. It will come handy some day! With shoes, sandals, trainers, loafers, crocs, and every form of sole and leather clumped in my outdoor rack, I would feel "filled" and "self-important" in life for owing the droopy junk as I entered my home. I hardly walked in them! Then, I noticed few, the reformed minimalists, simplifying their lifestyle. I was intrigued. Around that time heard of Marie Kondo calling herself the new-fangled 'organizing consultant'. Assumed minimalism was fashionable and another fad that even the steadfast austere will quickly relapse with the gratifying consumerist offers. Doesn't matter how many pillows I need but I will buy everything up for grabs. I picked up Marie's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2011) with curiosity more than pressing necessity NOT the least suspecting anything amiss in my cluttered life. Though it was an overhead to dust and sort, still, these luring offerings from unused slippers to unopened dinnerware spiked me up with untold happiness. On reading the book, puzzled and provoked, I hmm-ed into decluttering my life. Can I really still be happy with less stuff, with less pillows and less shoes and less glassware in the house? Over the years I have donated, hauled to garbage, aggressively donated blankets, watches, dresses, pots and tupperware, towels, space-occupying books, and then binge discarded almost two-third of the house. I halted at the souvenirs in that frenzy. Hmm, thinking. I hesitated that my home would not be complimented or fancied with "ah such lovely collection", "wow, nice craftwork, where did you get them from?" though I no longer gloated for owning those knick-knacks. By then with the vibes and appearance of a janitor of a pet cemetery in my spartan housing and modest clothing, I committed myself into a further ragamuffin by giving away all the souvenirs amassed over the years on my international travels resembling a wretched immigrant limping impoverished who barely escaped the fire at the border. Perhaps, the hurried onlookers could have mistaken me for an indentured immigrant in my plain living. Been a while since I have sworn off from hoarding fanciful and peer-pressured but unnecessary belongings. Discovered about myself: I cannot say that my life has been extraordinarily transformed since the 'minimalist' awakening to shrink my lifestyle. I can only say that I never felt nostalgic about the times I owned emphatic reminders around me, and that 'complimented house' feeling is too vague and distant from my nothing spectacular pad of these days. I have adapted to sustain a manageable and economical living space to an otherwise bulging cupboard. I feared if I would feel miserable over the loss of my shoes, sandals, trainers, loafers, crocs, scarves, skirts but I hardly pay attention to what's on my feet or wrapped around my neck these days as long as it's lounge comfortable while strolling in the library. Further discovery: how much my holding interests and orientation changed in life because I am deviantly obsessed with other impressions and activities now.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your understanding. I am making notes of three points you have made ( ) for my own introspection to be in good stead. This thread is giving me a great insight about how to transform myself into a better person already. Your contributions to this thread is helping me understand what I need to watch in myself.
@Anusha2917, I don't necessarily associate anger with patience. Anger comes from insecurity, expectations, attachments, desires and disappointments. You and I are in exactly opposite spectrum in terms of patience minus anger. I spent my entire life with patience and sometimes, in a deserving situation, I didn't confront due to this excessive patience. I have been told that I need to have some guts to respond to people who are mean but I have not lost my language or temper even in worst situations. That is just me. Sometimes, we have some unique qualities that others notice but we never notice ourselves. I had a big mustache when I was young and had the habit of touching it often and many felt threatened by this attitude. After migrating to the US, I removed it and the habit disappeared.
Dear Sri Thyagarajan: Thank you for sharing some tips about control of anger. I have even heard of lying down on the ground flat to reduce anger as anger results in rush of blood to the head. Flat on the ground reduces blood pressure resulting in reduction of anger. My favorite anger reactions are not eating and not talking. While not talking has helped me control my anger and not utter words that I would regret later, not eating has resulted in enhancing my anger. Viswa
I didn't realize chocolate is a mood enhancer. I heard dark chocolates are as healthy as red wine. I have not tried either one of them.
Dear Vijiakka, Even I have the habit of looking for sugar right after a meal. I don't understand why. Please remain young in spirit and it is always good. Viswa
Another interesting contribution. When I read about Rosmah Mansor, Malaysian PM's wife's possessions and Jayalalitha's shoes, I always used to wonder what were they thinking when they kept collecting them. I could let go of anything that I use except my books. I have some unreasonable attachment to my books even if I have read them many times. In a spiritual center, a person asked, "how simple you lead your life?" and many responded, "I am very simple". Then, he asked, "how big is your shoe rack or how big is your wardrobe?" I inherited simplicity from my dad but I had to modify his simplicity to the new world.
Earlier in my younger days I used to get angry fast.whatever wishes of mine can be fulfilled we're fulfilled by family. Actually being the second daughter I was chella pen. I used to maskafy my grandmother and get my wish fulfilled. She used to call me angara kanni because of my anger. My sister was just my opposite and she had no.wishes. She is a real bakth and during bajans she used to get swamy especially bajans on Muruga perumal. I was married to a big family and my husband was very short tempered Now his anger has become less. So I controlled my anger after marriage, my wishes became less, learnt to lead a simple life, have lot of patience and learnt to adjust.
