digging for diamonds

A Man Looks Down the Valley with His Feet Hanging Over the Cliff Edge, Zion National Park, Utah

Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas, they are in your backyard, if you but dig for them. Russell H Conwell

Since starting this blog I have been working on decluttering and creating an authentic life, a simple plain life. A few months ago we reached a cross roads where we made some decisions as to a different future with some of the following criteria:

• a smaller house
• no commuting
• a smaller garden
• using less resources
• investing in the community
• working together to reduce our footprint
  
• no more holidays abroad
• ethical living
  

They may seem like sacrifices to others, but we have got used to a more localised life; a reduced life does not mean a less rich one in many ways. At every step we check why we do what we do, and we are faced with questions at every turn that not always provide a comfortable answer. This is a journey of discovery and having achieved our garden plans we have realised that it is possible to produce a large amount of one's own food in a small space. We are about to do it again in an even smaller space.

Today we negotiated on the sale of our house and thus, the broccoli that I am planting will be harvested by the next person enjoying the beauty and special place we have lived in. Houses and places can be special, this one has been in my life as it has been a playground for a larger vision. So I invite you to step with me in the unknown for a second time, to walk with me and see what can be achieved with less. Step one has been to agree the sale. That feels like standing at the edge of a cliff and taking flight. Fly with me and see what is over the horizon. If you are starting out on the downshifting path, we are about to start all over again in about 3 months time.