SONG FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 31 2014

Three Bells
(The Jimmy Brown Song)
The Brown's
Jim Ed, Maxine, Bonnie
(Now and Then)

There's a village hidden deep in the valley
Among the pine trees half forlorn
And there on a sunny morning
Little Jimmy Brown was born

All the chapel bells were ringing in the little valley town
And the song that they were singing was for baby Jimmy Brown
Then the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation
Bless this hour of meditation
Guide him with eternal love

There's a village hidden deep in the valley
Beneath the mountains high above
And there twenty years thereafter
Jimmy was to meet his love

All the chapel bells were ringing in the little valley town
And the song that they were was for baby Jimmy Brown
Then the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation
Bless Oh Lord this celebration
May their lives be filled with love

From the village hidden deep in the valley
One rainy morning dark and grey
A soul winged its way to heaven
Jimmy Brown had passed away

All the chapel bells were ringing in the little valley town
And the song that they were singing was for baby Jimmy Brown
Then the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation
May his soul find the salvation
Of Thy great eternal love

ESSENTIALISM

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less 

by Greg McKeown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I preface this review with an apology to Mr. McKeown
and to the reader of this review. 
"I am sorry that I didn't read this book word for word." 
My husband read me parts of it. At least enough to entice me to go through it and pick out the parts that spoke to me. I find in reading the Self-Help genre I can find some part of each section that explains everything in a nutshell. This book was no different. Chapter 1 just about explains it all. What it didn't have was the magical words/phrases that find their way into my head and pop up every once in a while to remind me to lighten my load. My load is material, activities, and mental baggage. My goal is to identify what is essential and let go of what is non-essential.

Here are my notes:
Part I: Essence
A non-essentialist thinks almost everything is essential.
"I have to, It's all important, I can do both"
An essentialist thinks almost everything is non-essential.
"I choose, I can do anything, but not everything"

The essentialist knows that when he surrenders his right to choose he gives others not just the power, but also the explicit permission to choose for him. We can become a function of other people's choices or even our own past choices.

Part II: Explore
To discern what is truly essential we need space to think, time to look, and listen, permission to play, wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make.
Exercise: 90% Rule-an option to think about the single most important criterion for a decision.
Give your choice a score for 0-100 on its importance.
Any score under 90: the answer is "NO".

Part III: Eliminate
#1 Eliminate the non-essentials "so you can make a higher level of contribution toward the things that are actually vital."
#2 "Remember anytime you fail to say "NO" to a non-essential you are really saying "YES" by default.
Note from me: No decision is a decision!

Part IV: Execute
#1 Break down each task into small steps. 
     Small steps = Small Wins = A Bigger Winner
#2 Design a routine that focuses on what is essential.
      I call my routine, My Rhythm. Routine sounds too much like 'a rut':)
#3 Do what is most important now.
Note: Do the easiest first only if it is the most important. I spend a lot of time doing the unimportant things first because most of the time they are the easiest.

Exercise for you in your closet:

Part II: Explore
Instead of asking: "Is there a chance I will wear this someday in the future?"
Ask: "Do I love this?" "Do I look great in it?" "Do I wear it often?"
If the answer 'no', then eliminate it.

Part III: Eliminate
Now you have a pile of clothes to eliminate. "If you're not quite there, ask the killer question: " 'If I didn't already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?' That usually does the trick."

Part IV: Execute
"If you want your closet to stay tidy, you need a regular routine for organizing it."
Personal Note:
I have a rule: for every one item that comes in another item(s) must go out. I have a 'Donation" box in my garage where I put my discarded items. Habitat for Humanity is on my path. When I am heading that way, I take the box to them and start a new box.

I also have another rule: It's called the '3x's Rule" If I see something I want, I must look at it at least three different times. The first time "I want that". The second time and its still there "I really do want that". The third time and its still there and "I love it and have got to have it"---It's mine!

What is in my head and won't go away?
"Do what is most important now."

"I don't love it. I don't think I look good in it. I try it on and take it off and wear something else every time. It will be out of style in a year." It's gone. There is probably someone that will love it and look good in it. It's theirs!

View all my reviews

Here's another good book
 for lightening your load:
Read my Blog: Throw Out Fifty Things

SONG FOR SUNDAY

I'd like to build the world a home

And furnish it with love

Grow apple trees and honey bees

And snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to hold it in my arms

And keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once

All standing hand in hand

And hear them echo through the hills

For peace throughout the land

That's the song I hear

Let the world sing today

A song of peace 

That echoes on

And never goes away

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to build the world a home

And furnish it with love

Grow apple trees and honey bees

And snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to hold it in my arms

And keep it company

Going Way Back on Thursday

I learned 'jitterbug' to Glen Miller's 'In the Mood'!

SONG FOR SUNDAY-FROM A DISTANCE

From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.

From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.

From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance.