Let’s Share What We Learned in June

It’s the end of June and that means it’s time to share what we’ve learned. If you’re new around here, this is a regular practice we engage in together, as we are learning the value of looking back before moving forward. I’ll leave the linky up open for several days so you have time to join. For tips, check out how I keep track of what I’m learning.

We’re all at different spots on the journey, and these end of the month posts are a way to reflect, share, and celebrate on purpose – the fascinating, ridiculous, sacred and small.

These posts for me are usually light-hearted and fun. I spend a lot of time writing and reflecting about the more serious parts of life so I enjoy these end-of-the-month posts for recording life hacks, new finds, and ah-ha moments. At the bottom of this post you can link up your own version of what you learned in June.

Here are 6 things I learned in June in no particular order:

1. I have too many shoes.

I’m reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing which I know most people read a long time ago but I finally picked it up and woah. Her method for tidying has for me, so far, truly worked. I attach value to inanimate objects and it’s kind of embarrassing to admit the twinge of fear I have in this process of going through and letting go.

Take the shoes for example.

Here are all of my shoes. I collected them from various corners of the house and placed them all on the floor of my bedroom.

Many of these I’ve had since college. I graduated in 1999 so there’s that. But using the question “Does this item spark joy?” really helps clear things up.

So now, here are my shoes:

I know, it’s still a lot of shoes. But I love them all which I think should count. I just have to hold my ears when my sister tells me she only has four pair of shoes.

2. When my soul is wrestling through a life transition, I start to organize.

Have you picked up on this yet? Let’s be real, I’m sure my decision to start to read the tidying up book 10 days before my girls finish elementary school was not just a coincidence.

Sometimes our hands need to sift through familiar things and bring order to something controllable in order to counterbalance the disorder of  life change.

I am okay with this.

3. My instagram friends really like a (small) man in a suit.

Here was the caption: Reporting live from the cul-de-sac, it’s awards day so he insisted on wearing his “tuxedo” – a suit jacket, black jeans, and a bow tie from Party City. I’m going to miss second grade.

This photo is my most liked photo on Instagram to date. I am not wondering why.

4. I am afraid to be specific, especially when it comes to prayer.

This realization too me by surprise this month, but I’m learning, I’m listening, and I’m paying attention.

5. Writing helps me think better and photos help me see better.

I know you’ve heard me say this before and it isn’t something I learned for the first time this month, but it is something I am reminded of this June. I’m spending more time over on Instagram and is it any wonder? No other platform combines both writing and photos as seamlessly and beautifully.

I’m having fun extending the focus of my writing here on the blog and trying to come up with creative ways to make space for the soul to breathe even while we’re on the go.

If you haven’t found me there yet, I’m emilypfreeman.

6. Chatbooks are so fun!

You guys! I have found my new favorite way to print my photos from my phone – Chatbooks. They are basically small books that print 60 photos and only cost $6 each. Use my affiliate code to get your first book free: CEXUCE29

You can either make a custom book or, if you have an Instagram account, you can subscribe to your feed and have the books auto-fill and ship when they reach 60. It prints your captions too, but you can also edit the captions if you like.