The Right to Be Miserable

So, this is supposed to be an INSPIRING blog!
Cheerful & upbeat, like myzerowaste.com or The Rubbish Diet or Jen and Grant's Clean Bin! Those were my initial inspirations!

But, why am I writing about being miserable?

Cause I was. A lot of times. And thought, 'How can other people be so cheerful and upbeat all the time?"

Christmas and New Year can be a time of trash and it broke my heart each time I passed near the full overflowing bins (so at times I didn't want to go for a walk - which really made me miserable, lol!)

Of course nutrition plays its role too! (And cookies, sigh!)

Talking to some of my heroes and reading what Barbara Sher wrote made me realize: you don't have to be happy about it, or even 'believe' you can do it, you just have to do it! lol!
And it's true, one minute you can be happy, the next miserable - for every test or exam I passed with flying colors or anything worthwhile I ever did, I was usually pretty damn miserable at first, lol!

Can you imagine, I was scared to use PayPal or shop at Amazon once? (I'm still scared of eBay, lol!)

I was miserable & terrified before actually speaking to any of the important people re:waste here RL, and I'm still miserable at the thought of other things to do - but guess what, I bet I'll feel pretty AWESOME afterwards!! :)

Sure I can get overexcited or overinspired (possibly in the middle of the night, & have trouble writing down ideas!) but when day comes and things need to be done - yikes!

I admit it, I'm shy. And don't want to 'nag' people. Or cause anyone discomfort. (Except my Sister, but that is another question.)
And perfectionism can get the better of me. Or just plain 'It's impossible' thinking!

But you know what? I bet a lot of people think this too!
(Especially about trash!:)

The awesome Mrs Green of Myzerowaste never thought they could actually make just one bin in a year, or even one bag a week?!! And look how far they've come!!

A Minister of Environment just got kicked over a trash can here in Slovenia (symbolically=he had to resign, among other things 'not sorting out recycling and waste management' was given as a reason!), so the situation seems hopeless! (Or does it?)

An MP's wife is interested in an eco fair & eco bags & such, so got invited to visit. Am totally frightened, of course!! :)
A bunch of people still need to be networked with, articles need to be written..
What if I make a bloody mess of it all?

Well, unless I actually give it all my best (or at least a fair try!) I'll never know!!
Remember, this is still an Experiment, no? Eco Experiment!

Honestly, sometimes I feel like a character in a book myself!

What about you? How have you managed to actually accomplish things? Do you always feel happy & inspired, or do you sometimes need to get extra inspiration (nagging/threats from best friend or Mum or such!) when you actually WANT to do something?!

PS Check out Karen's fabulous FREE e-course for trash reduction in 8 weeks over at The Rubbish Diet, new assignment every Monday! - Even if you're an Eco Hero and your bin is slim, you may get an extra few tips! Even if you think you can't do it! lol! :)
It actually got us talking & we're tweaking the system!

Happy Eco New Year 2010!

Okay, Sooz of the awesome Last Biscuit blog (together with Danda of Dandaworld!) is directly responsible for this! And this:



Air purifier #1! And pretty purple air purifier #2 of unindentified name!



(Air in the atticks can get mighty bad! I think these two are helping! Plus they are pretty!)

The orange cupboard is a retro vintage authentic piece my Mum's had since the 70's (I think) and it makes me happy too! The small wicker basket above is a cute random tiny basket that I repurposed as GTD inbox to keep stuff organized!

I've had the blackboard for years (Dad made Sis and me each one when we were kids, later I used it for teaching kiddies, and then it lay in the atticks forgotten - until recently!) Dad's made the art painting gizmo years ago too, and then I mostly didn't use it! (air system in the atticks not enough for a studio! - I still have a board that could be used for art too, the one bought for painting was too heavy & I mostly never used it!)

I repurposed this for jotting down things to do on computer, because it is too big to ignore! (Hopefully - my new goal is to change or tweak time management systems weekly to keep up inspiration & novelty factor!)

The home office (and the rest of the atticks) is still in the process of organizing!

They are all things that make me happy, and they are making my home office more beautiful! :) So that's 5, right?

Sooz nominated me for a Happy 101 award!



The rules: List 10 things that make you happy.
Try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.
For those 10 bloggers who get the award, link back to my blog..... of course if you want to!

So, what's the rest?

6) ORGANIZING - call me crazy, but I adore it! I LOVE bringing order into chaos: be it in closets, or elsewhere! :)

7) books - adore them too!!
I recently read a lot of cool books and hope to report more about them later on!
One of them is Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher - a book for scanners, people with too many interests! :) (That's me!)

8) my friends - online & offline!!*

9) #ideaparty every Thursday over at Twitter - bring a wish and an obstacle!
Barbara Sher herself and many other AWESOME peope with COOL ideas make it super exciting!!

10) Japanese Drama - laugh all you wish, it's tremendously inspiring - crazy plots, strong women & cute boys! What else do you need? :D
Plus, in Hana Yori Dango (or Boys Over Flowers, crazy Japanese word game noone fully understands!) a whole episode or more are devoted to a reusable bento box and a cloth handkerchief!! (PS Am in love with one of the co-stars there, sigh!!)

*And that includes all of you awesome bloggers out there!! :)

Actually Sooz has listed many of you already!!
Dandaworld
My Zero Waste *and* The LittleGreen Blog (Did you know The Little Green Blog was first?:)
The Rubbish Diet
Blah to Tada
Easy Eco to Go
All of you inspire me to be more eco! :)

So I'll add new awesome people - check 'em out!

Rachel at ProNagger.com - The idea of nagging people for money kinda appeals to me immensely, he he!!
Oh, and she's legally blind! She says, "first blind chic to get an MFA from UofM in "visual" arts...I have a LOT to say about creativity, it's power and pull" WOW!
Check out her blog, it's full of COOL ideas and inspiration!! She helps artists finish things etc!

ScannerTribe blog led by the awesome Skannie! If you want to know more about scanners (or suspect you are one, lots of info and links there!)

Nukapai.typepad.com - Don't you just LOVE a blog with the title Tomorrow Could Be Boring? lol! (Of course, she's a scanner too!) I bet it's not boring where she lives! Wants to learn pottery & jewelry making, & she lives next to London, WOW!!
Love some of her thoughts on time management too!

Breanne of Sententia.net: another scanner with thoughts & ideas for time management & personal productivity!

The Lonely Craftivist that became Craftivist Collective (Craft + Activism = Craftivism!:) Also check out their fabulous website & youtube account (with a video on how to make a mini protest banner!

kAy of Gurly Things who's totally gorgeous & loves to go more eco too!! (Yes, I know I'm still due to post about the orange eco things, haven't forgotten! Actually one of them is posted here already!:)

Sassy Scribbles because she has been to Japan, lives in the exotic Phillipines (where incinerators are banned!) and hangs out with politicians' wives! :) and seems like an overall inspiring person! Love her motto: "I'm in love with life... there's just so much to see, feel, listen to...with so many books waiting to be read, places to be traveled... I hardly scratched a surface!!!"
And check out these awesome cloth bags!! :)

The KissJournals a simple living blog (that needs more readers! :) and equally awesome HotBellyMama now Mimi's Mom! The blog of city slickers who moved to the country! Very inspiring!

Accidental Environmentalist 'Home of the Need-a-Bag? Project!'(They collect reusable bags and make sure they come into new loving hands!) because of her motto: "Do you ride a bicycle to work because your car's in the shop? Do you bathe only every other day because you're just too dang lazy? Welcome to Accidental Environmentalism!" LOL She makes it okay to be eco just because you're lazy, he he!! Needs & deserves more readers!! :)
(And here's to all who say living eco is 'more' difficult - duh!)
It's easy! (often easier than not being green!)

That's not 10 yet, but I'm way too sleepy! :) Oops, or is it 10 already? LOL!

And Sooz, your blog makes me happy too!! :)