Venturing Out (2)

Not sure if I'm going to document every small, insignificant trip I make during the 2020 pandemic... I might, simply because they have become such rare events now.

This is the second time since mid March that I ventured out beyond grocery shopping.  Made a little kayak trip today, and I am so proud to have driven 84 miles for the day!!  Many of my friends asked me how I'd adjusted the significant change in my lifestyle -- staying home for months without any personal or business travel.  Strangely, I really didn't feel that the change required any efforts. I love it, and I am totally at peace to stay home all day, every day!  Maybe this is how the world should be -- human beings probably don't really need to fly around and "appear" to be so busy. 

Again, I really, truly appreciate the opportunity over the past 5 months to slow down and settle down.  To have the time and interest to ask myself a few simple questions and allow myself to reflect every day on what's really important in life... When you think about it, do we really need to rush through life -- like how we've done over the past many years????

Live the life you love, love the life you live!

Lake Barrington, IL

August 23, 2020

The Precious 10%

It's been 5 months during which many people's lives have been turned upside down. I feel so sorry for those who lost their family and friends, or even those who were infected.  I tried to take my responsibility by staying home as much as possible and wearing masks when going out...

Other than that, having a big chunk of time to stay home is a blessing. It forces us to slow down, to listen to ourselves and to be truly productive.  For me, the most significant accomplishment was to finish digitizing and processing our family photos.  From more than 9,000 photos (1988 to 2004), I selected about 850 pictures, less than 10% of the total, to process and keep. The rest? Letting Go!!  I've already thrown away 11 huge albums (from the attached piles).  More actions to come.

I have a hard time to understand why we took so many family pictures, especially for Michelle.  Thanks to the technology, all photos after 2004 were digital.  When you think about it, is it true that we only need 10% of the STUFF that we've accumulated over the years? Is it true that less is more?? Is it true that we often cherish the precious 10%??? Going forward, simplicity and minimalism will be the guiding principles for life.