I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and time off however long that may have been! Last week, I focused on impermanence and man was the timing for that perfect. Every moment I spent with my family, friends and even complete strangers at the height of Christmas chaos was not only amazingly peaceful and calm; but rich with meaning and purpose. Really cool stuff!
As I was thinking about my focus for this coming week I realized I have a LOT of free time and energy when my child is away and I’m not working or shopping (two vices I struggle with when lonely). I’m talking enough energy to clean my whole house, crochet a scarf, put all the Christmas decor away, rearrange my living room, hit the library, take a walk and do some craft projects…in one day. I have a ton of energy that I’m funneling into my work day and managing the routines of a child as well as fitting in my own personal wants and needs. Me being the lover of efficiency that I am I really got to thinking…is what I want out of life overlapping with what I’m doing with my life? Where is there no overlap and where can I expand?
This week I’m going to focus on Living As If I Get Paid to Be Happy. I’ve made my livelihood on identifying what is value added and non-valued added for companies. I love it; it’s like my little way of making the world a better place and being the change. But I’ve realized that for me, the value of my life comes from so much more than money and things. The value of my life comes from knowing that I’m sharing gifts and talents with others because the gifts have been given to me on consignment; they are not to be hoarded. It comes from learning from others and loving them for their unique gifts and journeys. It comes from love. This week, I’m focusing on a creating a plan for how to weave more of love into the fabric of my life. How to integrate the gifts, talents and experiences God has given me with how I spend my precious time when my daughter is away and channel it into something bigger and better.
This week many of us are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions and cleaning out the clutter that is not adding value to us anymore. I encourage you to join me and take time to reflect on what adds value to your mind, body and spirit. What is creating happiness in your life and what is holding you back? With any good organizing effort there will be piles. Sort your beliefs into 3 piles; ‘Leverage and Share, Keep and Work On,Trash. If you decide to ‘Keep and Work On’ something, please use a clear plastic tote so you can see inside and others can too. Stuff that gets put in plastic bags, boxes or boxes you can’t see…it just ends up becoming trash eventually. Share with others what you’re working on; write a plan. Get the junk out of your metaphorical house so you create space for something new. Jump in now and trust me, you’ll be happy you did.
((hugs)) and Happy New Year!
Gah, it’s already been one year that I’ve been blogging ‘Live As If’ and I have had one of, if not THE, richest years of my life. I am blessed beyond words to have people read what I write and get something from it. Blogging…that’s definitely a keeper!
