Unplugging

I would liked to have given you more in regards to my current journey of living intentionally. However, I am being called to unplug for a time ~ in order to do just that! (live intentionally, that is)




This blog is on hiatus until further notice.



"You are seeking joy and peace in far-off places.
But the spring of joy is in your heart.
The haven of peace is in yourself."

~Sri Sathya Sai Baba



Om Asato Ma Sat Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Am Amritam Gamaya

May we be lead from the unreal to the Real
From darkness to the Light
From mortality to Eternity

Om Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Shantir Bhavatu
Sharvesham Purnam Bhavatu
Sarvesham Mangalam Bhavatu

May auspiciousness be unto all
May peace be unto all
May fullness be unto all
May prosperity be unto all

Nonviolent Spending

There is enough for all.
The earth is a generous mother;
she will provide in plentiful abundance
food for all her children
if they will but cultivate her soil
in justice and in peace.

~Bourke Cockran

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Caring Consumer Wallet Card

1. Is this a want or need?

2. Will having this add meaning to my life?

3. Is this purchase the best way to care for myself and the planet?

4. What is the true cost of the item to: My own health? Other species? The environment? Other cultures?

5. Is there something more worthwhile I could do with my money?


From Plant Peace Daily

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Every Day is Election Day

Shepard Fairey

Each of our choices in the past built the world we live in today. And each of our choices from this moment forward will build the world of tomorrow.

If you're not living your values, whose life are you living...and what kind of world are you building?


Every dollar you spend or choose not to spend is a vote. You voted yesterday. You'll vote today ~ maybe hundreds of times.

Will you vote for a world that respects human rights, protects the environment, and has compassion for animals?

Or will you make choices that build a world you really don't believe in?

Excerpt from Nonviolence United

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Not Buying It does not mean to simply give up spending money ~ or live a hermetic life of asceticism. It *does* mean being conscious, awake, mindful of our choices. And considering:

What do we value?

What/who do we want to support with our money?

What kind of world do we want to see?

What indoctrination and propaganda are we no longer Buying? And how will that change our spending habits?

* * * * * * * * *

This journey goes far beyond our wallets. It cuts at the core of who we are and what we believe. Our beliefs come from our thoughts about the world, our heads, our thinking mind.
Our values come from our hearts, our center of love, compassion, mercy.

Not Buying It must address both in order to bear lasting fruit for change ~ to create the kind of world we want to see with each voting dollar we spend.

We can no longer afford to stay asleep.

A New Part of This Journey

Shepard Fairey

If you're new here...welcome!

If you've been here before...welcome back!

My, how the time goes.

Who can believe it has been two years since I started on this journey of not buying it?

I'd like to think I could effectively recap the months of not spending that have come and gone since my last post. However, that would take far too much time and memory power than I currently have to devote to such a task!

Suffice it to say that, although I have never left the path completely (although having made quite loopy detours), I am now ready to get back on the Not Buying It train for the next part of my intentional living journey. And this time I have a traveling companion!


My dear, sweet hubby (with whom I just celebrated our 20th Christmas together) and I have recently endured a serious financial discussion (we have typically avoided such talks!), and are jointly committed to overhauling the way we manage our fiscal resources. This will be no easy feat, as the old system has been in place for, well, the entire time we've been together :-0

However, we both acknowledge that we are more than ready for this change ~ and that, like many sacred cow systems still in place in our world today, we're in need of a completely new plan of action going forward.

So far, we're eight days into this new chapter in our relationship. Already we've had quite a few laughs as we bare our selfish and independent mindsets to one another ~ and attempt to justify our long-standing addictions to consumerist spending.

Truth be told ~ and all trepidation aside ~ I am quite excited by this new challenge. It is a relief to finally have this 'elephant in the room' exposed and to be partnered with someone who admits his financial faults and is willing to step up with me to embrace a new way of living.

For the time being, I am arming myself with the book Your Money Or Your Life. It has much wisdom to impart. We've written out a budget and are tracking our daily expenses.

Looking back over the initial posts on this blog, I am struck by how much of what I said then still rings true today. Sometimes it's good to go back and read what we've written to remind ourselves how far we've come ~ and gain confidence from our previously stated intentions.

Updated specific intentions will come in the next few days.
(Winter weekends indoors provide for excellent opportunities in which to contemplate such things!)

In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you on this subject, dear readers.

Have you set any financial goals for the New Year?

What, if any, changes have you made in the past that have worked well (or not so well) for you?

Are there other resources you would recommend?