In my quest for a simpler life, and as a result of my choices, a more joyful life; I’ve gotten rid of a lot of “things.”  I blogged about my process here over the last year or so on a handful of occasions.   It’s been an interesting process in many ways.  I’ve reflected a lot on what’s truly important in my life.  I’ve gotten rid of a lot and I keep going because I have more that can go AND because it’s a never-ending process.  The accumulation of things happens on a daily basis…just by default.  We have to mindfully make choices about what we let in and what we let go of.

There are some things in life we never want to let go of.  Things that I find so much more prevalent in my life since I started purging all the physical stuff as well as relationships that no longer serve me.  I love the space this purging has created for things that really matter.  I came across this article on one of my favorite websites and I really couldn’t say it better so I wanted to share it with you here today.

I love that I now have more room for the relationships I feel are really important.  I am blessed with many very special people in my life and I can now enjoy them all.  I feel a great connection to my community because I have let go of so many things that got in the way.  I’ve chosen to focus on the communities that are really important now and I feel much more engaged.  I feel a greater sense of understanding for where people are at along their journey and I’m able to forgive others and myself for those things that have hurt me in my past.

I’ve consciously practiced gratitude for over 10 years now but it hasn’t been until the last few years that I felt like I really understood this on a cellular level.  It’s difficult to explain.  I feel grateful all the time and can easily see all the areas I am so blessed in and sometimes, it’s like I don’t quite feel it in my soul…there is an underlying current that takes hold.  I still experience this once in a while but, over all, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the wonder that my life has become.  I am immensely blessed.

I’ve always understood the value of education and the pursuit of dreams but now I have the space in my life to consciously learn something new every single day and to take the time to pursue what’s important to me.  I encourage others to do the same.

Finally,  I feel so much more joy in my life than ever before.  There was a time in my life where I really didn’t know what joy was…I’m not sure I’d ever experienced it before.  Now it’s a part of my life every single day in varying degrees.  I hunger for that feeling and seek to feed that hunger in my life.

Have you taken time to reflect on your journey lately?  Where are you in your process?  What do you need to get you where you’d like to be?