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"Voluntary Simplicity:
An Integrated Path for Living"
Voluntary Simplicity, Duane Elgin

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Mike, Dave, Ivy, Erin, Ceilia, Gerry, Ross, Jill, Julie, Kath, Jim, Lenny, Laura, Terry, Kathy, Nancy and Dave, welcomed Basil, Joan, Larry, Bill, Judy, Doris and Don to their first meeting.

Following a brief round of introductions, Mike reminded everyone the Crossroads Center will be closed on weekends this coming June, July and August, and thus be unavailable to host our Saturday meetings. Alternative locations where suggested by Julie, Joan, Erin, Basil, and Doris, with offers to follow-up and forward their availability to Mike. We'll keep let you as soon as we secure an alternative location.

With just a few days before April 15th, Ceilia wanted to remind everyone free tax services are provided for low income and elderly folks throughout the city and suburbs.

Want to reduce those wonderful telemarketing calls? Kath contacted the Direct Marketing Association and the results have been splendid. Write to: DMA, PO Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014

With all that's been going in our world, Mike asked the group to refocus on our monthly meeting theme, "Living simply, living a more conscious life." The group posted seven discussion topics. Following are brief overviews of each...

When is it right for change? (Don)...
Sometimes we think we're in control of change. But some larger issues have such tremendous impact on our lives, we realize we don't have as much control as we may have thought. Change is constant, therefore stability is a misconception. It might be easier on us all if we embrace what is constant.

Clutter/Declutter: support system, filing/disposing/archiving (Basil)
Folks finding Simplicity by aligning their spending with their values (Mike)...
Tips included looking for your attachment/s to things, and evaluating the importance of hanging onto items. When bringing a new book (or clothing, filing a document...) into your home, remove one (send it to your local thrift store). While gifts are wonderful to receive, sometimes they can be overwhelming. One suggestion for folks who insist on bringing gifts is to have them take away two of your items for everyone they bring. Unused gifts can also find their way into other homes. Www.newdream.org (Center For A New American Dream) has a wonderful tool for decluttering. Check out their "Turn The Tide" program -- there you can easily stem the tide of junk mail.

Another way to keep down clutter is to simply spend less -- don't bring things home. Linda and Mike have done 8 workshops since January, where they help folks (about 60 in total) align their spending with their values by asking them to tack the spending from their wallets for 20 days. Within a week, those tracking find dozens of items they longer need, and no longer need to spend their hard earn money (time) on. After two months, they gain a sense it is possible to get out of debt and it is possible to enjoy life with less stuff -- in short, they begin basing their purchases on THEIR values, not on the values/expectations of others.

Simplify your war media exposure (Jim)...
Balance seems to be the key. Find a balance between need/desire for information. Balance inputs from progressive, corporate, liberal, conservative, foreign and domestic sources. Jim did an informal media activity survey of those attending the discussion and found exposure ranged from none, to a lot. Addiction effects of exposure included health, tension, stress, fatigue and melancholy moods.

Conflict and Simplicity (Lenny)...
This discussion centered on interpersonal conflicts and simplicity. How do we resolve them? How do we achieve being peaceful verses being right?

In conflicts, Laura observed it isn't just one person who is right. Everyone has some element of truth. Allowing the possibility for "the other person" to be right too literally avails other possibilities and alternatives. Dave has had great success managing in this manner. Mike changed his past philosophy of, "Meet people where they are, before taking them to where you want them to go", to, "Meet people where they are, and see where things want to go."

How far are we willing to push conflict to differentiate ourselves/our position, especially if it is in the name of, or for the good of, someone else? When do you stand? When do you let go?

Sometimes simply letting something go doesn't feel right. Meeting with decenters one on one, over coffee/other informal settings, may be a way of resolving differences between yours and your "opposition's" point of view -- clarity and understanding can be gained this way. Quakers use "Should" as a warning they me be "ahead of their leading" => if you find yourself saying, "I should help this person/group understand this", you may be ahead of leading. Maybe now is not the time for you to be leading => maybe the person/group needs time to think on your suggestions, or... maybe you need time to rethink your suggestions, or... maybe time will offer a completely different solution.

Simple no-cook evening snacks (Terry)...
Terry received dozens of suggestions for simple light evening meals: Beans & Rice with Salsa; Vendella onions with garlic & peppers; dehydrate foods; granola; protein drinks; pop corn (watch your teeth!); Humus (there is even a pretty good mix available at stores => just add the oil, which is a catch - the mixes generally use more oil than scratch humus); sweet apples with fresh lemon and lime.

Sacrifice... are you doing anything for Lent? (Ross)...
Not much got reported on this item. In closing Mike mentioned a reverend suggested giving up negative thoughts for Lent.

We adjourned and closed the meeting space at 12:20pm to rinse our hair in fresh squeezed lemon juice.
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(Recorded by Mike Lenich)