I had a great time at the United Nations on Saturday. Hearing from the likes of Dr. Majid Ali and Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely (pictured above with ’Funlayo) was wonderfully enriching and I was blessed to have an informative vision during the shamanic drumming portion of the program. All in all, a lovely, lovely morning!

Later in the day, I relaxed by the pool with a copy of Spirituality & Health Magazine (which I picked up at the conference) and I read something that really resonated with me. In an article called “The Gift of Tiny Spaces,” author Geri Larkin, founder of the Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple, remarks on how she’s lived in large, multi-level houses most of her life and how she now lives in a teeny, tiny apartment – and she loves it. She speaks about how having such a small space is cozy, comforting and has helped her realize that the whole earth is her backyard so she doesn’t necessarily need to own a huge one of her own.

This article echoes a feeling has really begun to sink into my soul as I prepare for my own transition from my house to a dorm room. While moving my life from three stories into one room will present challenges, I’m looking forward to paring down, throwing out, cleaning and renewing my space and myself. Often the more space we have, the more obligated we feel to fill that space with…“stuff.” I’m ready to fully concentrate on filling my mind and soul and give the physical “stuff” a rest for a while.

As the summer progresses, I pray we are able to let go some of the physical “stuff” that may be cluttering our space and to fill up our hearts, minds and souls with the “stuff” of the spirit. Ase!

~’Funlayo