英文原文

【英文原文】


Simplifying Life, One Goodbye at a Time

Sometimes I think how simple life would be if only simple living meant filling garbage bags with clutter to donate, give away or sell. It’s such a great feeling to fill bags with outgrown clothes, unused gadgets, and stuff that is no longer useful or beautiful in this home and this life.

I dream of a life in which the only clutter was physical – stuff filling the space that I can see. But, it’s not. So much of what complicates life is internal. Feelings, relationships, the mental lists we make, the thoughts that just don’t stop.

It helps to take out the literal garbage bags. It helps to physically remove things from life that just aren’t working. After removing those things, the other stuff – the stuff you can’t see – becomes more apparent.

It is so hard to say goodbye, whether it’s to an old ticket stub to a first date movie or a stuffed animal grandma gave you when you were 8 or a friend who is just not working. It’s a lot easier to shove a stuffed animal into a black bag and take it to Goodwill than it is to say goodbye to a friend. You don’t have to say goodbye to friends or people that aren’t working, though. You can say goodbye to resentment. You can say goodbye to the negative feelings. You can say goodbye to the mental clutter. Right along with the bags full of too small jeans, little kid shoes, and outdated decor. Life can be simplified, one goodbye at at time.

A life of goodbyes doesn’t look or feel empty. By saying goodbye to the things that don’t work, or fit, or make a fulfilling life, just think of all the space being made for new wonderful, fulfilling, beautiful experiences, people and things. With each goodbye is an opportunity for a new hello. A hello you may never have expected but that may just be the one you need.

中文译文

【中文译文】

生活的简单告别

　　有点时候我想这是多么简单的生活，如果仅仅是意味着这样的一种生活，其中有一个充满了赠与，放弃或销售这样的困惑的垃圾袋般生活，这是一个如此好的感觉，一个垃圾袋里装满了大而不合适衣服，不再使用的小装饰品或其他一些什么东西，而这些东西不再在家中和生活中使用或已经不再那么美丽。

　　我梦想着一种生活仅仅是物质般的困惑即一种可以看见的东西，但是这不是梦，因此许多错综复杂的生活都是精神上的困惑，我们的感觉，彼此的关系，心灵上的挣扎，一刻不停的想法。

　　这就帮助我们取出文字上的垃圾袋，有形的去除生活中那些不再起作用的东西，在移除了这些东西后，你会发现一些其他的东西，而这些无形的东西开始在你心中从新显现出来。

　　这是如此的困难来说再见，这是否好比第一次看电影时遗留的旧的票根或当你8岁时外婆给你一个绒毛玩具，或一个不太熟的朋友，而这些太轻松了让你将你的毛绒玩具放进你的一个黑袋子里，和断定你会带着善意而不是说再见对你的朋友。你不用在不得不对那些朋友或那些不在和你有关系的人说再见，虽然你可以带着怨恨情绪说再见，或其他一些不好的消极的情绪。你可以对你的心灵上的困惑说再见，继续在你的垃圾袋里装一些比如太小的牛仔裤，童鞋和其他一些过时的装饰格调，生活是可以变得如此的简单，要学会在某一时刻对生活说再见！

　　一句生活中的再见，不会让你感觉到或看上去空虚的。对那些不在生活中精彩或让你的生活无法充实的的东西说再见，仅仅考虑哪些无论任何片刻带给你奇妙，美丽，充实感觉的经历，和那些与你接触的人和物。对于每一个再见都是一次机会对于新的开始。一个你从来没有预期的‘你好’却往往可能是你真真需要的。