Journey
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What makes you cranky?
The minutes ticked by. The “on-hold” music played on and on in an endless, repetitive loop. I waited patiently at first. However, the promised 2-minute wait time turned into 10 or 15. As the minutes ticked by, I gritted my teeth with impatience, irritated by the lack of customer service and the waste of my precious time. Finally, a representative answered, only to be told they needed to transfer me to another department. And so, the wait time and hold music began again. This particular call was to resolve an issue with a bank. Over and over again, I had to repeat the same story and explanation, only to be transferred…
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It takes courage – and big deep breaths!
It takes courage … and a big deep breath! The mountain seemed massive and steep. The summit, the peak I wished to reach, was far off in the distance. There were no switchbacks to make the climb easier. It appeared to be an endless uphill climb. I hadn’t prepared or trained for this climb, let alone be able to reach the ultimate peak—the peak I truly wanted to reach. It made me sweaty, gasping for breath with my heart pounding a mile a minute. I almost gave up before I began. Who was I kidding? But then I reminded myself I’ve done this before and made it to the top.…
- Cherished Items, Decluttering, Journey, Letting go, Musings, Simplifying, Storage Space, Tidying, Triggers
Are you frozen in overwhelm?
Are you frozen in overwhelm? Oh no! You’ve got to be kidding. Another box? How is it possible there’s yet another box? I thought I’d handled all of them, yet there it was on the shelf. A shelf that usually doesn’t store this sort of thing. How did it end up there? It must have gotten shoved in whatever open space was available just to get it out of the way – not to mention out of mind. In this case, it had been out of my mind for two years! What box is this for which I refer? A “hidden” box that went unnoticed and forgotten since my Mom…
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Are you ready to tidy up your diet?
Are you ready to tidy up your diet? I certainly was. And yet… Are you ready to give up cheese? She asked. Who me? Give up cheese. You’ve got to be kidding. Doesn’t she realize I’m a born and bred Wisconsin girl, the meat and dairy state? Cheese is like my lifeblood, a way of life; it was in almost everything I ate. Surely she was kidding. Hadn’t I already given up so many other things? I no longer ate gluten, drank milk, or ate ice cream or corn. I even gave up two of my favorite foods – bread and crackers. Two items I thought I’d never give up.…
- Change, Cherished Items, Decluttering, Journey, Letting go, Musings, Self-Care, Simplifying, Tidying, Triggers
Do you display or use your keepsakes?
Do you display or use your keepsakes? I have a beautiful keepsake that I cherish and have kept. It is one of the few meaningful things I intentionally have hung onto. Having curated and let go of so many other keepsake items over the years. This cherished keepsake is a voicemail message from my Mom singing Happy Birthday to You. Less than a month later, in October 2020, she passed away. Her voice was rough and scratchy as she sang, yet it was music to my ears, especially now that she’s gone. I listened to that beautiful message on my birthday in 2021 and will do so again this year.…
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Is it time to give up labels?
Is it time to give up labels? For years I have labeled myself a control freak and perfectionist. It’s not something for which I am proud. However, it is something that I had come to believe about myself, proven repeatedly by my behavior. I don’t believe I was born that way. I came to this world as an innocent infant. But it has been a lifetime of human experiences that have led me to behave as I do. As well as others would perceive me as such. Don’t get me wrong. I take responsibility for my behavior. I’m aware that it was often not pretty and frequently backfired on me, with results far…
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Do you need a release valve?
Do you need a release valve? How often have you let things build up inside you; and say nothing? You tell yourself it’s no big deal, not worth saying or doing anything about it, or it feels unimportant. But is it unimportant? For us women, although I’ll speak from my own experience, the minor, little annoyances, comments, or flippant remarks can set me off. What may appear to someone else as no big deal feels like a big deal for me. At first, I’ll shrug it off and tell myself it’s petty and I need to keep my mouth shut. I’ll hear my Mom’s words loud and clear – “Don’t…
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Have you given up already?
Have you given up already? Could it be time to get honest with yourself? January is the biggest month for goal setting — for all of our annual resolutions. As we turned the page on our calendar to the new year, we told ourselves that we would accomplish them this year. This year would be different, we said confidently, as we set off with determination. This year we would turn over a new leaf, and most definitely, we would fulfill the promises we made to ourselves. Yet, according to Uncluttered Simplicity, “… on average, only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions. Each and every January, we make pie-in-the-sky…
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What is the flat tire in your life?
What is the flat tire in your life? You get a flat tire. And, of course, it usually happens at the most inconvenient, unexpected, and untimely times – Maybe even dangerous at high speeds on the highway. Not precisely the opportunity you were looking for, yet, it certainly got your attention, didn’t it? Not to mention it became the highest priority to handle. Ever wonder why it took a flat tire to get your attention? And, what about other events or experiences in life that took something significant, maybe even extreme, to get your attention? It reminds me of my desktop computer. My hubby and I knew we needed to replace it, yet, we…
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Why did I think I was dumb?
Why did I think I was dumb? We all do it, tell ourselves stories. We live in our stories every day and make decisions from them, whether true or not. We believe what we tell ourselves, especially after living in a story most of our lives. Like childhood ones. “We craft a narrative, a story, as children, then drag it into adulthood,” says Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Story of You. And, we live as if it is still the truth for us and “become a prisoner to our story.” I wondered, “Was it possible the stories I was telling myself are stale and no longer valid? Have they been holding me prisoner?” After all,…