House Cleaning...........

In the past few months I have written about quieting the static in my mind, recharging my emotional bank in order to live in a peaceful place or more accurately be equipped to handle what is thrown my way. For me the gentle balance works...most of the time, but by all means not all of the time. So periodically I refresh, evaluate and organize a bit.

A few weeks ago a patron at work asked "So what's new, Maria"?  I replied "I'm organizing areas of my home in an effort to quiet my mind."  She chuckled and said "let me know how it works out."

So here's the thing, it works out well....as I began tackling the nuisances that subconsciously gnawed at me daily, in an ever so tiny way, I began to get results. 

Here's just a few I mastered, when I began to feel a difference......

1. Sorted, untangled and passed along items in my jewelry box. I tell you no lie.....when I open it now each morning and night and see things neatly placed.....the angels do sing.

2. Sat down and "unsubscribed" to many many junk emails that invade my inbox and create an influx of visual clutter that makes me twitch. Three weeks in and there are definitely less arriving. Such joy (and I am no longer giving out my email to stores etc. Just say NO!)

3. Eliminated a handful of games off my Ipad that I originally downloaded for fun...because honestly I no longer need to check my accuracy of tossing crumpled up paper in the trashcan or slice fruit at rapid speeds. Too stressful for this blogging mama.

4. Plastic be gone. I'm a saver when it comes to (well many things actually) reusable containers. I anticipate a future need, realistic or not and want to be ready. However, each time I open that darn bottom kitchen cupboard and they all come tumbling out, I remind myself that I never really go back to them. Realizing now I had started the saving habit of containers some 20 years ago (though have tossed frequently through the years) when the boys were little. I wanted them to be able to toddle over and  "play" with something in the kitchen while I prepared a meal. As you can imagine they haven't toddled in the kitchen in some time now.  So they're gone!...the containers that is, not the boys...although they are pretty scarce these days.

5. Deleted all kinds of contacts in my email and phone lists that are no longer valid. It was nonsense how many had accumulated. Although, I must say I had 3 contacts that were friends who have passed away...and I held on to them, because I want the gentle reminder of their smiling faces, along with how valuable and fragile Life is.

It is a wonderful reminder each time you return to something that you have taken care of for yourself  and discover the previous static and self talk of  "really? are you going to leave it that way" is eliminated and replaced with kinder more gentle words. The static is less and the calm is more.

The point is this Dear Readers....take a look around and notice what gnaws at you repeatedly on a day to day basis and see what you can clean up, organize or down right get rid of. Make it happen for you! Make it feel new! We're talking things here folks....not people...that's a whole other post for a whole other day.

Snowy Day In New England..................

On a recent snowy day here in New England I needed to clear my head, I also needed to return books to the library. So I combined the two and walked over. Not a far walk at all. As I headed out on my jaunt, I was welcomed by the falling snow, the quietness it brings and the soft whisper of dried oak leaves on a tree I passed. I tossed around the problems that were bothering me, then tried to let them fade and gather all the calmness this serene walk had to offer, glad I had made the choice to venture out.

My stop at the library was ever so brief, and I was back on my way to resume my peaceful walk home.......Well here's where it all changed. The wind was making it difficult to walk now, while snow hit my face in rapid fire speed, my eyes watered and my breath was short. What had happened???

As I focused on walking, I compared this situation to Life. We can be going along and all seems wonderful and effortless. We notice the gifts around us as we are ticking along and just as we become confident, things can quickly change...... suddenly the wind is no longer at our backs. We are faced with stressful and difficult situations and a our gifts and blessing are tougher to see. 

Similarly, as I continued my way home, walking into the wind and eyes all watery I had to focus a bit more. I stopped and snapped a picture of the beautiful oak tree that still held the same whispering sounds I heard on my way by the first time, when all was peaceful and calm. I wanted to capture and hold onto the moment and the meaning it served. 

I reminded myself that blessings are still there even when the wind is no longer at our backs helping us along....we just have to stop and notice them and hold on tight until the winds shift again. Find your blessings...the more you look....the more you see ~