A couple weeks ago my mother-in-law passed away. Helen was a lovely woman who made a real mark on her community and her family and friends. Her boxes of pajamas for the kids every Christmas as well as her bright smile and love of dessert before (a tradition we already carry on some weekends) will be sorely missed.
In the midst of our mourning, the kids and I walked into an Indigo store and browsed. It was here I came across The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin http://www.gretchenrubin.com/ . In need of some happiness, I bought it. I have to say I'm only three chapters in, but find it an interesting read.
Chapter One talks about clearing clutter from our lives. Okay, I've tried this before. It reproduces. As fast as I clear a table or a counter, the next generation of debris settles in. Ugh! But I've managed to clear a desk top and the coffee table (already reproduced!) and a dresser (now covered in cards and mail.) No problem. Not giving up.
The clutter is only a symptom of the busyness of our lives. Work, school, activities...we're always on the go and find a convenient place to drop things with the half-hearted intent of putting them away later. It's when later stretches into a week or two that it becomes an issue. One of the worst places for clutter in the entire house is my closet. The catch all space. Forget a little drawer, I go big! The kids already know that's where the Christmas gifts lurk, but never snoop for fear something will fall on them!
The plans for clutter are simple. Go in, clear it all out, and live in spacious peace. Uh...but, I can't get rid of the jacket my mother-in-law gave me that I've never worn. Or the blouse from my mom because I wore it...never. Or the shoes I used to wear to my old job at the bank. Or the mounds of binders I keep my manuscripts in since I don't have a real office space, I work out of my closet. Literally. Or...(insert other odds and ends here). The point is, we all have things we keep for sentimental value. Some things fill space in our hearts, some just fills space.
So, onward with my own Happiness Project.
Month One, November, will be about clearing the clutter and finding some much needed energy.
Let you know how that goes!
In the midst of our mourning, the kids and I walked into an Indigo store and browsed. It was here I came across The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin http://www.gretchenrubin.com/ . In need of some happiness, I bought it. I have to say I'm only three chapters in, but find it an interesting read.
Chapter One talks about clearing clutter from our lives. Okay, I've tried this before. It reproduces. As fast as I clear a table or a counter, the next generation of debris settles in. Ugh! But I've managed to clear a desk top and the coffee table (already reproduced!) and a dresser (now covered in cards and mail.) No problem. Not giving up.
The clutter is only a symptom of the busyness of our lives. Work, school, activities...we're always on the go and find a convenient place to drop things with the half-hearted intent of putting them away later. It's when later stretches into a week or two that it becomes an issue. One of the worst places for clutter in the entire house is my closet. The catch all space. Forget a little drawer, I go big! The kids already know that's where the Christmas gifts lurk, but never snoop for fear something will fall on them!
The plans for clutter are simple. Go in, clear it all out, and live in spacious peace. Uh...but, I can't get rid of the jacket my mother-in-law gave me that I've never worn. Or the blouse from my mom because I wore it...never. Or the shoes I used to wear to my old job at the bank. Or the mounds of binders I keep my manuscripts in since I don't have a real office space, I work out of my closet. Literally. Or...(insert other odds and ends here). The point is, we all have things we keep for sentimental value. Some things fill space in our hearts, some just fills space.
So, onward with my own Happiness Project.
Month One, November, will be about clearing the clutter and finding some much needed energy.
Let you know how that goes!
