I spent last Saturday at TEDx Sydney. It was a fabulous day with many great talks. I wouldn’t dare to pick a favourite because they were all good in their own way. But one stood out to me that I could relate to decluttering, or more so as an example of the falsehood of need. It was a lesson in substitution and imagination which is a talent sometimes handy when it comes with living with less.

The talk I am referring to wasn’t so much of a talk as it was an example of ingenuity. Of knowing the mechanics of something and reinventing it with what is on hand. The person in question was Linsey Pollak and his special subject was making musical instruments from unusual objects. I was particularly impressed when he made a clarinet from a sax mouth pieces, a funnel and a carrot.

And where was the connection between this and decluttering. Well my thought was, that we have so many things we think we need but in reality we really we could really manage without them. I though if Linsey can fashion a clarinet from a carrot then not only can I do find a reasonable substitute, should I discover I had a “need” for something I had previously decluttered, but I could have fun with the challenge. In fact I already have done this more than once and been proud of my own ingenuity.

Have you ever found yourself in this situation and figured out a way around it?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any crockery that you have too many pieces of.

Eco Tip for the Day

Carpool with friends when attending social events. Consider the possibility that you could compromise on when you need to arrive and/or depart. Sometimes we are a little too spoiled when it come to having things completely our way.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow