Month: July 2011

ReCharging

A while ago, my dear friend Erica, shared a website with me – greatwomenseries.com.  The site, created by someone she knows, is billed as  “Uncommon words of wisdom from bestselling authors, artists, athletes, scientists, survivors, healers, and shining spirits.” Heck, who couldn’t use a little wisdom now and then?

The first interview I read was with Beth Hoffman. Not only did I enjoy the interview, but absolutely loved reading the comments other women posted in response. I resonated with much of what they wrote and found the promised wisdom.

For me, the wisdom came from one woman who compared herself to a character in Beth’s book, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. She talked about being a “Loner” vs an “Aloner”. An “Aloner” is a person who gives so deeply that requires much time to regroup and recharge. Finally, a way to understand my own need to spend time by myself without feeling like something is wrong with me! It was like seeing a part of myself that had been out of focus.

I love to be in the world, but over the last 6 months I have had alot of world and not alot of down time. And that is not a good combo for my Spirit. So,  last week, when I put my daughter on the plane for a long weekend in Florida, I headed straight for the 2pm matinee. One of my favorite “down times” is taking myself  to an afternoon movie.  I saw Larry Crown. I didn’t like it and found it an indulgent vehicle for Tom Hanks to set himself up to make out with Julia Roberts. But, I loved sitting in the dark for 2 hours, transported from a world of “must-do”, to a world of “can-do when I want.”

I share the site with you in the hopes that you, too, will find a little wisdom for the day. Maybe there is an interview or a book or a comment that will help you find a piece of yourself. Maybe a piece of  someone you love. Either way, may you simply find a piece of peace. Afterall, isn’t that worth re-charging for?

How do you MindFULLY recharge? Let us know!  

One Box At A Time

I once sat next to a man on a plane, who told me his management style was based on the saying, “How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.”  I never really understood that saying. But when the moving truck(s) pulled up last Thursday,  I got it.

What you can’t tell from the picture is that there are two trucks – and the truck nose is leading a semi. The little truck was from the condo and the semi was the truck of all things from storage. Really? I could have sworn we gave more stuff away.

(On the subject of getting rid of stuff, a quick digression: A few weeks ago we were having dinner at a pizza parlor in another part of town and the waiter looked so familiar. After a few trips to our table, we all commented on how we might know each other and it turned out he was one of the “College Hunks Who Haul Junk” who came to the old house 3x to haul away stuff! That’s how much stuff I could have sworn we got rid of.)

But alas, it took 13 hours to move everything into our new house. And as I watched the guys carry in box after box, I wondered how I would ever make this house a home. I started to get that pain in my chest and the voice in my head screamed, “Why did you move?” But then, another voice, a voice that had moved numerous times in my life, chimed in and whispered, “One box at a time…”. And so, I set about focusing on one box a time and a funny thing happened; by Saturday night – there were no more boxes in the main rooms of the house – kitchen, family room, living room and bedrooms.

The smartest thing I did was hire Danny, the handyman, to come by every morning for a few days and take away the empty boxes as I unpacked them. Something about removing the clutter gave me the space to relax.

And now, on July 4th, while there are still pics to be hung, rugs to buy and window treatments to coordinate, there is still much to celebrate. Friends are starting to drop by and with their laughter, are helping turn our house into a home.

I am going to apply the “one box at a time” theory to other parts of my life. There are plenty of places where it feels like it all has to be done at once. But as the list grows or the voice chirps in, I am picturing Danny carrying out the boxes. Everything in its’ time, my friends. Everything in its’ time.

 

How can you apply MindFULLY apply the “One Box At A Time” theory in your life? Let us know!