Tag: organization

Thoughts for Thursday

+ I’ve been complaining a lot in real life, and also even here on the blog, about how “stuck” certain situations seem to be in my life. I’ve often heard organization gurus talk about how clearing out your living space helps to bring movement to “stuck” energy, and I know this, in my heart, to be true. Yesterday, I got proof. I’ve spent most of this week, cleaning out some closets and organizing my things, and that in itself has felt amazing. (Why do we put this chore off when we know just how good that it feels when completed??) Anyway, two small situations in my life that had felt a little angsty and “hopeless” to me, miraculously turned around yesterday. If you feel “stuck”, put that irritation and angst away for a little while, and instead go all in with cleaning out a couple of your drawers, or a shelf, or a closet. As within, so without.

+ Dr. Nicole LePera recently wrote this Tweet on Twitter:

LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT GO UNNOTICED: 1. Being happy in your marriage 2. Taking a pay cut to do a job you love 3. Making a major life shift at 50 or 60 4. Enjoying your own company 5. Being able to say “no” comfortably 6. Using your gifts to help others 7. Divorce from a dysfunctional situation.

Isn’t this the truth? I know many people who are financially/professionally successful. But I know a lot less people who have accomplished any or all of the things listed above. These things are rare accomplishments because they require a lot of self-awareness, prioritizing, sacrifice, authenticity and bravery. And interestingly, these accomplishments listed above, are what often brings the most intrinsic satisfaction to one’s life. Bravo, to my courageous, dedicated friends and readers, who can count yourself as accomplishing at least one of those items on Dr. LePera’s list! Your accomplishments do not go unnoticed. They are admired, respected and appreciated.

+ I read an interesting article recently that talked about when we are going through a big change in our lives (such as empty nest, relationship changes, job changes, etc), we have a tendency to want to torch everything to the ground, and to start fresh, but this is a major mistake for most. Our everyday routines give us structure and predictability, in a world that often appears chaotic. Our daily routines help us to stay disciplined, feel purposeful, and they stop us from ruminating and overthinking. When going through major changes in our lives, it is best to stick with the routine, but also to “watch” ourselves in it. What needs tweaking? What could be added? What could be let go? You’ll learn more about yourself, by observing yourself right where you are, than chucking it all, to go meditating on a mountain in a different, exotic country. And when you do decide to go on your mountaintop meditation journey, you’ll already know exactly who you are, and you’ll have brought your healthiest, wisest self with you, in order to just enjoy the major change and the sensations that you’re experiencing.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Vacation Clean-Up

****Happy Birthday, G! My second eldest son is 21 today. It doesn’t seem possible. He is such an amazing guy. I’m so proud to call him my son.

Why do I feel such a desperate need to get back to “normal” after vacation? It seems like, in my mind, that things were perfectly orderly before we left, even though they weren’t. I am in a frenzy right now trying to get everything checked off of my list. Laundry. Grocery shopping. Returns. Appointments made. Bills. Paperwork. Cleaning. Pedicure.

I told myself that I would bring some of that fresh mountain peace back with me, but that was short-lived. I purchased a Native American CD when I was away and I played it on my way to taking my daughter to tennis and while I ran other errands. Even with the peaceful drumming and quiet flutes, I found myself tensing in traffic and grumbling at being stuck in lines.

I have zero phone access right now. I fell off of my fly fishing boat (long, funny story for another blog) and my ultra-amazing water proof cell phone, wasn’t so water proof. My home phone service stopped working about three days after the cable guy spent a day at our home. Not having phone service probably should make me feel peaceful, uninterrupted and un-distracted, but instead I feel antsy and irritable. And I feel frustrated that I feel this way. Phone-less could be such a freeing, natural way to live. The Universe is probably trying to teach me something, but I stubbornly seem to want to fight the lesson.

I am writing this on my blog today, in hopes that I am not alone. If anything, I hope that my honesty will give relief to others who might feel the same way. I wish that I could write that being out in untouched, beautiful nature for a week, awoke my inner zen and I am now unflappably calm and peaceful. That didn’t happen. But at least now I have the self-awareness to notice this fact. I suppose that is a step in the right direction.

Ironies

After our recent renovation, my husband and I got extremely organized in our bedroom/bathroom. And, as per my annual summer request, my daughter got her bedroom/bathroom organized, as well. My son is still working on my request for bedroom neatness and organization. We can only hope.

The real kicker is, now my daughter and I, can’t find anything. I almost had a nervous breakdown looking for a designer watch my husband had purchased for me. I decided to whittle down all excess packaging, despite the fanciness of it all, so that I could get to the watch easily and it would take up less space. I mean the watch is very nice, but it’s not the Hope Diamond. I don’t want to have to spend 15 minutes opening all sorts of leather boxes and suede bags, jumping through laser mazes, and cracking codes, only to finally get to my watch and figure out that I am running 20 minutes late. I imagine if the watch had come in simpler packaging, we could have saved at least $100, but that is for a different blog. Anyway, I whittled down so much of the packaging, that I had forgotten where I put the watch. I started to worry that in my frenzied whittling, I had just pitched everything, including the watch. (Don’t worry, honey, I finally found the watch. It was in my “good” jewelry box. The watch was where it makes sense for it to be, but of course, I looked everywhere else for it, first.)

My daughter looked horrified the other morning, despite trying to keep an air of calm. She told me later that she couldn’t find important paperwork for her new volunteer position. She admitted that it took her two hours to find what she needed. “Where did you finally find it?!” I asked.

“In a folder, in the top drawer of my desk,” was her reply. “As I was looking for it, I thought to myself, I never should have cleaned up my room. I always knew where everything was, before the clean up.” Then she looked at me pointedly, clearly annoyed.

My son, her brother, hasn’t lost anything, so far, this summer. His keys are always under the gum wrappers, on the floor, in his room. Irony.