Out with the old...

Time to de-clutter. Again.

I've recently coined the phrase "The Bank-of-American Dream" to reflect my feelings about the US economy, consumerism, indebtedness and the continued growth in wealth of the richest 1% of my fellow citizens while the rest of us are a paycheck from couch-surfing (or are already there -- if we are lucky to have a friend with a couch.) The old "American Dream" of a house and a new car and the newest appliances, and ... and ... and ... does not serve us well. It enslaves us.

Last New Year's, I chose to de-clutter my mind with a three-day meditation retreat at Breitenbush. I had just decided that I was on my chosen path -- working for UO and Alaska, nice house, large plot of land, critters. No man in my life, but that was planful, too. Who needs those complications? Not I!

So of course, it was at the three-day (silent) meditation that I met Jerry. Funny how life works.

Since then, I have wiped my 5-year / rest-of-my-life plan clean and rethought what it means to be successful.

And I have decided that success cannot – should not – be defined by the things you own. Because ultimately, that is really a calculation of how indebted you are.

So, for 2011, I'll start the plan to de-clutter.

De-clutter what? Everything.

I believe that, at the end of 2015 (when I am 55), I will be completely debt free. I will have sold the house, the furniture, the stuff. Probably still have a dog or two (maybe even all four...). I will find a way to live for free.

I also plan to give up my UO job by 2015. And if we are successful in our bid for the next Alaska contract, that will be winding down in 2016.

I've got a few projects that I think will fund my minimalist existence...

• Michelle and I will write at least one book and it will be a success
• The Continuum of Autism Spectrum Traits (C.O.A.S.T.) will bring income to both Sidney and me
• I'll pick up a few other interesting projects, write a few grants, between now and then.

Of course, not paying a mortgage is a significant savings.

De-clutter. In the event of a fire, what is worth saving? Really, only the people and critters. That tells me a lot about how important the rest of the stuff is.


Shalom,

Kim