Last weekend was moving day for me. Thank God for friends and my three teens who helped me. I have made an effort to not be a packrack over the years. I really don't have that much "stuff", but it is amazing how it seems to multiply when you start packing.
There was a time in my life when I lived in clutter. I have learned that clutter is a huge weight on me. I don't function well in clutter. It is like a weight tied to me. Having said that I am a romantic at heart and have a sentimental side to me. It is easy to attach value to things. Once something has sentimental value to it, it becomes very hard to part with it. So how do I balance that?
To me it is all about PERSPECTIVE.
I try to ask myself some simple questions.
Is this truly irreplaceable?
10 years for now will I really care whether I own this or not?
Will my children want this passed down to them later on?
Is it adding to my quality of life or is it just "stuff"?
Can I live happily without it?
I truly believe there is very little that I can't live without. Life is complicated enough, I prefer to simplify. There is a better way.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
the joys of moving.....ugh!
Well today is my last day in my wonderful loft apartment in downtown Elkhart. I will miss it. It is an 120 year old building full of character and windows. It has issues, but I still love it. I have enjoyed living downtown. It has always been a dream of mine and I guess I can now mark it off of my list of things I want to do before I die. Maybe a "Bucket List"...hmmmm....I need to see that movie.
As you know, when you move you discover just how much "stuff" you have. It also makes me wish I were MUCH more organized! I'm so good at organizing other people's lives and businesses, but somehow my own stuff still ends up being quite unorganized. Moving only magnifies it. Having said that, I am much more orgaized than I was years ago, but I want more. This brings me to the question that my dear life coach Gloria Swardenski asked me once long ago:
"When you are organized, what will it look like?" and "How will you know?"
Those questions have helped me bring better definition to my quest for organization. Sometimes we have this desire for a vague sense of something we want. It is often defined by what we see in other's. We look at our house and office and think.... "I have GOT to be more organized." So we shuffle a few things around and then move on. Then the whole scenario repeats itself over and over again. Then the guilt and shame begins. So why not take a moment and think about those two questions. Define your organization. Celebrate each move in that direction. Most importantly, remember that there are no rights or wrongs in what organization is. Do what works for you. Forget what your neighbor or coworker does. It only matters what is working for you!
Now, pardon me, I must go get organized.
As you know, when you move you discover just how much "stuff" you have. It also makes me wish I were MUCH more organized! I'm so good at organizing other people's lives and businesses, but somehow my own stuff still ends up being quite unorganized. Moving only magnifies it. Having said that, I am much more orgaized than I was years ago, but I want more. This brings me to the question that my dear life coach Gloria Swardenski asked me once long ago:
"When you are organized, what will it look like?" and "How will you know?"
Those questions have helped me bring better definition to my quest for organization. Sometimes we have this desire for a vague sense of something we want. It is often defined by what we see in other's. We look at our house and office and think.... "I have GOT to be more organized." So we shuffle a few things around and then move on. Then the whole scenario repeats itself over and over again. Then the guilt and shame begins. So why not take a moment and think about those two questions. Define your organization. Celebrate each move in that direction. Most importantly, remember that there are no rights or wrongs in what organization is. Do what works for you. Forget what your neighbor or coworker does. It only matters what is working for you!
Now, pardon me, I must go get organized.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Change is not a dirty word
"I learned that change is guaranteed. Whatever you see today will be gone tomorrow, and those who succeed are the ones that embrace change and don't reject it."
--Bruce Gordon
Chew on that one today!
--Bruce Gordon
Chew on that one today!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Long Term Vision
During the day I work for 88.1 WVPE Public Radio here in Elkhart. http://www.wvpe.org/ I receive a weekly "pointer" e-mail from American Public Media http://www.apmstations.org/. This week I received the following pointer. I thought of you and wanted to share it.
"To achieve the results you truly desire, you have to know what success looks like. Sometimes embracing that vision is hard to do in the heat of the day. Try doing a visualization exercise where you actually pay a visit to yourself in 20 years. Ask yourself to notice where you live, what you are wearing, who is with you. Any surprises? Afterword, think about what actions you might be taking right now that put you on the path to that future. "
What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments!
"To achieve the results you truly desire, you have to know what success looks like. Sometimes embracing that vision is hard to do in the heat of the day. Try doing a visualization exercise where you actually pay a visit to yourself in 20 years. Ask yourself to notice where you live, what you are wearing, who is with you. Any surprises? Afterword, think about what actions you might be taking right now that put you on the path to that future. "
What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments!
Turn it up!
Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there."
--Bernice Fitz-Gibbon, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
Why don't you crank up the volume today?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
2008
Happy new year! Another exciting year ahead of us. Just remember its all about the journey, not the destination.
Make it a GREAT 2008!
Make it a GREAT 2008!
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