So much can happen during an unplanned 10-week break from blogging.

My last post was on August 17^th, and a week later I got word that I had reached the top of a housing waiting list, so it was time to get packing! And discarding. And donating. And “decision-ing” during every waking hour for weeks on end. By the end of September, I was at the very end of my frayed tether, mentally and physically exhausted, stunned that I had met the moving-out deadline, and yet every bone and muscle in my body was still blaspheming at full volume. Weeks of obligatory rest and healing and good nourishment followed, and much to my surprise I sit here now more content, grounded, and gently focused than I have been in years, maybe decades.

The secret to this new inner peace? Massive forced downsizing.

Half of everything I owned in my already-small apartment had to go. I made detailed notes using lots of graph paper and a tape measure because I knew I couldn’t just guess things would fit. Back and forth I went, measuring the empty new apartment, then measuring the furniture at home. Then, a bizarre pattern emerged.

Over and over, I was alarmed to discover that a cherished possession was ONE INCH too big for its new location. “Just an inch” is a deal-breaker, though.

Place the small bookcase next to the antique sideboard? Nope, the wall is one inch too small.

Put that mixing bowl in that cupboard? Nope, the shelf is one inch too narrow.

Tuck that box of macaroni on the shelf in the kitchen? No again, the space is one inch too short.

I didn’t have time for this! I had too much to do, and these repeated “Nope, doesn’t fit” discoveries were not funny. Until I let them be.

Out of the blue one day, when it happened for the umpteenth time, I burst out laughing. “OF COURSE it’s one inch too small!”

I simply gave up. I gave up assuming this next home would just be a smaller version of the last one. No, the universe (and the physical space) had other plans.

I went through a lot of Kleenex and a lot of Aleve in the last 10 weeks, but I can happily say it is now done, one month after Official Moving-In Day. Every single object in my new home has been vetted, measured, and finally approved. This tiny home now holds only the things I love and use: books, art supplies, sketchbooks (both old and new), journals, laptop. There’s no room for a comfy chair or seating for guests: if I am awake, I am writing or reading or painting or enjoying a film, and my big office chair is just fine for that. If I get the urge to recline, a 20-minute rest on the bed at any time of day refreshes my bones and my spirit.

The kitchen is most surprising of all. It is so tiny that if I plant one foot in the middle of the floor, I can turn all the way around and reach the stove, refrigerator, sink, cutting board, and most of the cupboards. After decades of having no interest in cooking, I now love it! My diet is clean, simple, and delicious, and as a result, I feel wonderful.

In this move, alas, I had to give up the “aloft” view, eye-level-with-church-steeples, that I enjoyed for eleven years (as well as the 43-stair climb to get there). I now look out at a more pedestrian level, second floor, with the luxury of an elevator. Although I am no longer “aloft” physically, my spirit is higher than ever. Life is not only good— it is also simple. The world and all its insanity rages around me, around all of us, but my heart is no longer adding to the tension. I am at peace. The same peace I wish for all of you.

In the past I may have mentioned, or alluded to, the heart of my spiritual understanding which is known as The Three Principles. Once this profoundly simple understanding becomes clear in your heart, not your head, it changes everything. It’s like getting the new pair of glasses you didn’t know you’ve needed your whole life. Far from being “spiritual bypassing,” The Principles show you how to place the metaphorical snow globe of your thinking down on the table and wait for it to settle, so you then can see more clearly what your next right action is. This understanding helps you get out of your own way— what more could you want? If you’d like to learn more about it, go to www.3PGC.org. I recommend you watch the videos like you’re holding a kitten or listening to music– just enjoy, nothing to figure out.

That’s more than enough for now. The next post will come to you soon, entitled, “The Gentleman Farmer from Newark: Part 2.” Until then, be well, remember to exhale, and keep on sketching!