Listening To My Life

June's 30-Day Project

Man-oh-man... I just realized that I didn't even mention June's Project here. We're doing 30 Days of Deepening Friendships, and there's a Salon to go along with it--free calls with terrific people who have lots to share about how and why deepening friendships matters.

All the details are here:  30DaysOfDeepeningFriendships.com

Hope you'll join us for some or all of what we still have planned! Register for the Salon to get all the audios--even if you can't attend the calls live!

Saying hello to me

This has been a fairly surreal couple of days.

Yesterday, I got my hair cut--it's still mainly the same, only shorter for summer, and, I think, it's a bit more flirty (some have said "sassy").

I decided to take a pic of myself to share the new do with far-flung friends (it's up there in the right-hand corner of the blog). In doing so, I posted it to Facebook. When I did, I could then see it, very near to the old picture I've been using. As crazy as it may sound, it was really the first time I'd SEEN how much different I look today, than I did when that pic was taken.

I think the thing is that, for me, this journey has been lived second by second. And while the numbers in my dress size have reduced, in looking at myself in the mirror, I hadn't really noticed the changes. And, not one to love having my picture taken, it's not as if I've had gobs of evidence along the way to tell me the truth of things.

But there it was, in a way I couldn't deny. And what happened next? I had something akin to an anxiety attack. I couldn't breathe well. I paced like a caged animal. I called E and cried piteously. I felt like I wanted to climb out of my skin.

It didn't last terribly long (thank goodness!), although I'm still processing the changes I'm now seeing, and trying to get a grasp on what made me so anxious (the best I can do at the moment is say that in posting the new pic, I feel like I did a sort of "unveiling" of myself that I'd not done before, and that, for some reason, that felt huge and scary right then).

Since then, being committed to what is, as I am, I've changed my photo everywhere I know it to be (except my site--but that's coming), so that I can't either forget, deny where I am today, or pooh-pooh the immenseness of the journey I've been on and what I've accomplished to date.

And to make it even more "real" to me, I decided to compare, side by side, a photo taken of me this month last year, and the pic I snapped yesterday. Not that it's my nature, anyway, but truly, there's just no way to hide from the truth of things.

I think it's time to step more fully into who I've become, and in every respect where it makes sense, let go of who I was. I'm not longer hiding...and although still oddly a bit uncomfortable, I know it's good to say hello to THIS me.

I wonder

I am so grateful to the amazing Trish Bruxvoort Colligan for reading this aloud on our Self Care Salon call last night, and then for reading it again just so I could take it all in.

I wonder

I wonder what would happen if
I treated everyone like I was in love
with them, whether I like them or not
and whether they respond or not and no matter
what they say or do to me and even if I see
things in them which are ugly twisted petty
cruel vain deceitful indifferent, just accept
all that and turn my attention to some small
weak tender hidden part and keep my eyes on
that until it shines like a beam of light
like a bonfire I can warm my hands by and trust
it to burn away all the waste which is not
never was my business to meddle with.

- Derek Tasker

Quotation I love

"Maybe the more we try and will ourselves to states of bliss, the more
confused we get. To the point where we don't recognize ourselves.
Instead, we just keep smiling, trying like hell to be the happy people
we wish we were. Until eventually it hits us...it's been there all along.
Not in our dreams or hopes, but in the known, the comfortable, the familiar."
-- Grey's Anatomy

A new month, a new 30 Day Project, and I'm a little burned out

As I mentioned in my last post, all that Salon organizing on top of everything else I do was more than I expected--time wise, and energy wise. I had fun DOING the calls, and even enjoyed all the set up/prep, but it was just more than I thought it would be.

The lesson, I think, is don't do so many interviews in a Salon (I did seven). I was going to do a Salon for the new month (31 Days of Fun -- hope you'll play with us!), but quickly realized that there are very few fun experts, or play experts, and I really didn't have the energy to go hunting. So I may still do ONE interview this month, with said fun expert, but that will be it. And I'm going to focus on getting all my ducks in a row for next month's Project--rediscovering friendship. There, I know exactly who I want to interview, BUT will cap it at four interviews for the month, rather than making myself insane.

I admit to being a bit burned out. And this, after a friend the other day said to me, "How do you do everything that you do? It's crazy how much you get done!" I think "crazy" was the operative word there! ;)

Fun...I'm not going to blog it. I'm going to Tweet it. And Facebook it. It's good to try something new ;)

But just to get you caught up--here's what I did on the first two days: two movies in one day, in different theatres--one on the spur of the moment, time with a new friend, scrapple, lots of laughs, sleeping laaaaaaaaaaaate, not getting outta my PJs, languorous loving conversations with E, cuddling cats, ordering new monitors (yay!), watching The Ugly Truth. 

Hope you've had a super-fun weekend!

30 Days of Organizing: Days 6-25 (not organizing)

When I started The 30 Days Project back in Nov, I never saw the day when I would think it would be fun and of great service to also offer Salons.

Now, in the process of leading the second Self Care Salon, and the second Salon in conjunction with The 30 Days Project (The Organizing Salon), I'm learning how much time it all takes, and how very little additional time I have to blog about my individual journey with the focus of the current month.

That's why there hasn't been a single post about what I've organized since day 5. In truth, other than organizing and running the Salons, I've not done a lick of organizing this month. Not that what I've done isn't substantial -- it's included finding experts, booking experts, setting up interviews, arranging the telebridge, setting up the site with the info about the Salon, organizing the marketing, organizing the confirmations of registrations and reminders, doing the interviews, organizing the audio recording, publishing and distributing the audios, organizing and creating sites and blogs, and doing posts for that.... the list just goes on.

But here at home? Not so much.

I will say that, as I mentioned during Clearning, I have a lot of things inherently organized already. What I really need are some systems to trigger me to use what I have. That's one reason I'm SO looking forward to Wednesday's interview with Kristi Pavlik -- "The Systems Chick." Can't wait to learn what she has to teach! There's still time to join us for the interviews this week, btw, and/or to make sure you get the audios for all the interviews to listen to as you please!

And this week puts me knee deep in the organizing of the next 30 Days Project, which will be 31 Days of Fun. So I doubt there will be any personal organizing coming up for me this week, either.

But you know what? That I've done all this without keeling over, or having my office looking like a bomb exploded in it tells me that I really am NOT the organizing nightmare I think I thought I was. And that's a great lesson to learn--even if I got to it by not organizing every day.

What's happened for you this month as you've organized?

The Self Care Salon: New Salon about to start!

The Self Care Salon that started in January was a smashing success! We all learned so much, connected deeply, and really wished that our time together wouldn't stop.

But when we finished the book we were reading (Take Time for Your Life), and the Salon came to an end, my friend Kathryn magically appeared as if on cue, to tell me about a book her biz partner, Cindy, had written, and that was being released at the very beginning of April.

I read it, fell in love, and a new Salon begins next week! The book we're reading is by Cindy Ratzlaff and Kathy Kinney, and is called Queen of Your Own Life. It's a lovely book about reclaiming yourself at midlife (although I think it's fabulous for women at any ages!).

I'd like to invite you to join us, if this kind of book is your cup of tea, and if you'd like to surround yourself with a small group of women committed to living really fabulous lives.

All the details are on my site, here!

Here's to claiming our beautiful and fabulously deserved crowns!!

30 Days of Organizing: The Organizing Salon!

I admit that I'm absolutely more excited about the Salon than the month of organizing... but just by a smidge.

It's been great fun putting together awesome interviews with organizing and productivity experts, and although the month has begun, more of them are planning on joining us. I'm so grateful that they feel passionately about helping people, and want to play with me in the Salon!

On tap so far:

Kathryn Rose on planning the social media journey, Amy Thill on time management, Laurie Mandato on organizing your closets and wardrobe, Jessica Reagan Salzman on organizing your finances, and Angie Mattson on organizing your spaces.

Awesome, awesome women.

I really hope you can join us. Registration is free, and by registering, you'll get the audio afterward to listen back to to give you even more support!

30 Days of Organizing: Days 1-5 (getting clear on what needs organizing!)

It's systems.

It's not that I need more or different baskets, boxes and trays to put stuff in or anything like that. It's systems that make sense to me that are desperately needed.

For instance, a system I can use to remember when to refill meds. Or a system that tells me what's in the pantry or under the bathroom sinks so that I don't over buy. Systems that will make it easier and more efficient to live the life I love.

So that's what I'm working on. And I think it will be that particular theme for the whole of this month for me. Whew. I'm glad I'm clear on that direction!

Hope you're organizing journey has started out on a high note!

31 Days of Clearning: Day 28 (random thoughts on clearnings)

The bathrooms taught me more about myself, and I thought I'd write about that.

Harkening back to the rules Amy set for me (no more Container Store, any organizing tool I buy that doesn't work gets immediately returned or donated to charity), I realized there needs to be another:

Get an organizing system to remind myself of what I do have, so that I don't feel compelled to buy more of it because I'm concerned I don't have any.

That's a chore for next month's 30 Days of Organizing, and I look forward to figuring out the best way to keep all that info. For now, I have it in a memo in my Blackberry--I created the memo as I was clearning the bathrooms. But maybe there's a smarter place for the info, so that D can access it, too. If you guys have such a system, I hope you'll share it in comments--maybe you'll shorten my learning curve!

In case you're wondering what made me realize I needed such a system, mostly, it's the number of travel-sized fill-able bottles I discovered. There's little I hate more when I travel than schlepping too much stuff. And if I'm only going for a few days, or even just an overnight, it really rankles to take my full-sized girlie products. That's why there's a need for those travel bottles to begin with.

And then I also need a waterproof, but ultimately removable way to label the bottles as to what's in them (another thing for next month, and I hope you'll share about this, too, if you have a way to do it). Certainly, my brain is capable of filling something and knowing what it is for the duration of that trip. But three months from now? White conditioner tends to also look/smell like lotion after awhile, and I really don't want to put something where it doesn't belong. So I end up buying more empty bottles because I think I have none at home. Yeah, well, clearning today really set me straight on that ;)

So there it is. Over-buying because of a lack of appropriate systems to tell me what I have. That's what I learned about myself during this weekend's clearning.

Oh, and something else. The medical industry really has us all over a barrel. Stuff expires. It does. And it should--especially if it has "active ingredients." But seriously, if you have a need for something--like Bactine, or Neosporin, or Bandaids, or rubbing alcohol, or... well, just fill in the blank with the kinds of stuff you'd find if you went poking through your medicine cabinet, and you don't have kids who are hurting themselves often, then you'll find that you've paid a LOT for what you actually used of the products you bought, before they expired.

I'm sure there's no solution for this, and yet it really bugged me today. It also makes me wonder if the expiration dates really are the dates after which meds become less potent, or if that's something the FDA cooked up to cover asses, and that the medical companies are just delighted to go along with because, ultimately, it means they'll sell me and we'll buy more?

No answers, obviously, just wonderings. Thanks, as always, for reading. ♥