Just a fraction of the books collection that keeps growing and growing. What am I supposed to do with them all!?!

Look at those books. Pretty cool, huh? I often receive them as gifts, and somehow have acquired stacks of them (har!). But that’s exactly the problem. I’m gradually moving on, you see, and someday moving out of my lovely but oversized house. What’s more, I really don’t sit around reading, or even fondling, most of this heavy lit. I’m not alone.

• We are less than our stuff

Washpost recently took on this topic, and (naturally) there are plenty of consultants, coaches, and books (YAY!) about this common mess. In brief, most of us harbor a tendency to acquire stuff that represents our aspirations, whether or not we use those THINGS or achieve those goals. Think: Cook wear, exercise equipment, hobby gear, BOOKS.

Since you don’t want to take this subject on as an additional aspiration, here are a few quick pointers from the experts in this stuff…

• Making the purge can feel like losing a part of yourself, but…is that the real YOU?
• Why waste the time and $ if you lack a real commitment?
• If you can’t toss, relegate each category to one container/pile. Set a deadline to use it…or lose it.
• Expect some emotional pushback—and embrace any sadness or failure feelings.
• Rejoice in the new space, cleanliness, and emotional closure.

For years, BreakAway has preached the gospel of being ever-ready for the opportunity to get unplugged from life’s burdens to get out, get away, and get a bigger adventure from your limited time here. I’m learning, of course, that it’s easier to preach than practice. In truth, I certainly am not the travel rock star I used to be. But there’s still hope, right?

It’s starts tonight with eliminating some books. Good news: My local library happily collects them for fundraiser book-sales. That means someone else can take over my aspirations, and my clutter.

Who knows? Maybe they’ll actually even read my books!

Marilyn Maye may be 97, but still mesmerizes crowds nationwide (and me, holding her hand) with her delightful songs, stories, and stage presence. (Photo date: 12-5-25)

BreakAway traditionally preaches about the benefits of long-term travel and other escapes from the routine shuffle., AKA career breaks. But of equal importance: Finding the routine hobbies and habits that make the daily grind more meaningful and enjoyable.

For me, nothing beats music for that salve. Listening to the background tunes also helps fight back against my stubborn and annoying tinnitus—highly recommended!

And of course, nothing beats live music—like Ms. Maye’s performance in the photo. We go WAAAY back, having worked together in nightclubs in the 1980s. And I still see her here, in Okoboji, and beyond at least 3 times each year. She’s still got IT, has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning twice, and was on the Johnny Carson show a record 76 times…

This begs the question: What will YOU be doing when you’re 97!?!

Let there be songs to fill the air

— Grateful Dead

The media recently broke a story about a study that suggests that listening to music consistently decreases your risk of Alzheimer’s by 39%, while also improving cognitive memory skills.

Playing an instrument regularly also helps, with a 33% decrease in dementia risk and 22% in cognitive impairment.

What’s more, the study found that playing music for people already dealing with dementia (and throughout life, for that matter) does lots to help with processing emotions, boosting imagination and mood, and easing stress. Nursing home residents who often listen to music they like from their past have less incidents of agitation and aggression.

So…Listen up! You’ll feel better now, and again in the golden years when you may have memory problems. And while you’re at it, why not uncase that old guitar and pick away?