Something’s going on out there. I have been noticing books in the stores and articles in newspapers, magazines and on the internet about people clearing out, cutting back and living simpler lives.

Having spent many years in real estate one of the things I am used to is walking in on people’s very cluttered lives.
I have often wondered how they can function with papers and hobbies absolutely piled high on every table, side table, the floor , in fact
every square inch of space.

We insist on making people de-clutter before listing a home for sale and the result for them is usually one of great relief plus the home looks great.

It seems to me that the stuff we own ends up owning us. That a larger house or better car & more stuff can’t guarantee us more happiness. In North America we appear to be having an orgy of consumption with everything disposable and quickly replaceable filling our homes and our landfills to overflowing.

Our homes are storage units rather than living spaces. We are threatened with all sorts of imaginary disasters such as SARS, Y2K, mad cow disease, avian flue and the list just goes on.

The movement I see afoot tells me that people are feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with it all. Many not knowing where to start with simplifying there lives.

To do this you must make a clear and simple choice. To work now to simplify and get balance back into your life. When stuff starts taking away from the quality of our lives, our home and our relationships it’s time for change.

It all starts in your home which is your foundation for your life. If you can hardly move around in it for “stuff” you can’t enter the world on a daily basis with a clear head. You need to be able to see the floor beneath you. The table needs to be clear. You need to be able to think, breathe and rest easily so that you can love and create well.

What you buy, what you value, your possessions are all a reflection of who you are. They affect your life, your relationships, career and future aspirations.

So start today to think about clearing out anything that does not enhance your life today or add to your future goals. Get some boxes or order a garbage bin for your driveway. Two years ago I did this exact thing, ordered what they call a half bin for the drive which a big garbage truck planted in my driveway. I spent a month filling it to the brim and then had them hall it all away.

The thing to ask of each item you want rid of is “ Does this contribute to the life I am hoping to achieve, or is it getting in the way of my vision.” This question does presume you have sat down and worked out your vision, your goals for your life and how you want things to look in the end. If your items aren’t helping you to meet those goals consider saying goodbye to them.

On a final note the English architect William Morris wrote that you shouldn’t have anything in your home that is not functional or beautiful… I would add to that “ or that you love”.

Clutter can steal your life as it insidiously enters your home. Make it a rule of thumb that if you have not used something for a year to let it go. It won’t be a one step process you will have to purge and purge again but being able to think clearly, sleep well and love well will make it all worthwhile.
For a step by step guide on how to de-clutter and get control of your life again
Click Here! And good luck with your journey

Aeriol Nicols

Popularity: 63% [?]

Don’t Forget To Write!

I stumbled across them in a closet the other day. There they were in envelopes discolored from age with addresses slightly faded from the passage of time. They were letters, shoeboxes full of them, all in neat little bundles tied up with faded ribbons.

As I looked through the box, there were many different kinds of letters. They spanned many years and even generations. There were letters written by my great-grandmother and other relatives who had died before I was born. It is a strange feeling to read the words written so long ago. It was much like taking a trip through time and visiting someone from the past.

A lot of the letters just carried information about daily activities, recent visitors, weather information, and who had gotten married or had a new baby. It is interesting to read them and see what took place in the days that were before my time. As I read them, I could visualize the activities and the people mentioned. I could sometimes follow months of letters written back and forth between people, making me almost feel like I was there.

For years, the main mode of communication was through letter writing. It was expected that anyone in the family that traveled, visited, or lived away from home would write letters to their immediate family and close friends. If family members neglected to write letters home to family and friends, they would often be reprimanded for their neglect. It was something that was expected. If someone wrote to you, then you were supposed to write back. It was a breach of etiquette not to do so.

“Don’t forget to write!” used to be the last admonishment most people heard when they waved good-bye as they left home.

Letters used to be written daily to sweethearts and to those who were separated due to college, employment, or perhaps because of war. As new methods of communication became available, such as the telegraph and telephone, most of them were still too new and expensive for the majority of people to use on a daily basis so they were used for important business or emergencies.

Our predecessors had many rules and guidelines for writing letters. Some of the rules depended on the type of letter that was being written while others had to do with etiquette and courtesy. The main types of letters written were either business letters or friendly letters. Children were taught how to write letters in grade school and parents also assisted them in learning to write respectful letters using good manners.

Many of the rules seem strange or even funny to us these days but the rules were carefully followed by nearly everyone.

A few of the rules found in school books from the past were:
- Do not attempt a letter unless you have something to say.
- Do not use lined paper for a formal letter.
- Don’t write on a half-sheet of paper for the sake of economy
- Never use fancy colored inks. A black ink that flows smoothly should be used. Rusty brown ink is offensive to the eye.
- Do not conduct private correspondence on a postal card. It is almost considered an insult by some people to receive a postal card. They are very useful for business purposes, or for sending orders by mail, but for social correspondence are improper. It is not good manners to send personal notes that are open to inspection.
- Never write an anonymous letter. It is cowardly. The recipient of such a letter should quietly burn it. The man or woman who dares not sign his or her name is unworthy of notice.
- Address your superiors and elders with respect. Do not write flippantly to any one.
- Do not write a letter while in anger. You will surely say too much, which you will regret. Written words stand as living witnesses against you and cannot be recalled.
- Do not commit a secret to paper. You can never tell what use may be made of it, or into whose hands it may fall.
- Don’t erase misspelled words in letters of importance; recopy the entire letter
- Don’t use a postscript except in very friendly letters
- Don’t underline words
- Give every subject a separate paragraph
- Don’t refold the letter. Be sure to fold it correctly the first time.
- Don’t fill up margins with forgotten ideas and messages but instead add an extra sheet to the letter
- Read the letter over carefully before sending, correcting any error or doubtful statement.
Many people I have written to would quickly tell you that I have broken the very first rule! In addition, my girlfriends and I used to write to each other, trying to see who could write on the strangest materials. We sent letters back and forth on everything from the backsides of junk mail to paper napkins and toilet tissue.

These days, letter writing has become a very rare thing. Most people would rather pick up the telephone and talk or send a text message while others prefer to e-mail, fax, or instant message over the computer.

Instant communication is great, especially for emergencies and even to quickly hear the news of an engagement, a new baby, or some other exciting information. When my granddaughter was born, a picture was taken and sent by cell phone to her uncle in another state before she was even an hour old.

The problem with the instant communication that we have today is that most people don’t print out letters and keep them or even save them in files or on CDs. There are a lot of notes and letters that will be lost because they have simply been deleted.

Even though we can strive to keep our letters on computer files or CDs, there really is something special to be said for that personal letter that is written in one’s own handwriting. Most people probably don’t think of it as a treasure to keep at the time the letter is written or received but years later those letters from your mother, sister, or friend become more valuable to you, especially when those people are no longer living. Not only do you have a copy of their words and thoughts but also an image of their own handwriting.

There are few people who probably sit down and write long letters to anyone these days. What we call letters today are little more than notes jotted down in comparison to the time, thought, and effort that used to be put into a hand written letter.

It is amazing to us today to think that everything from a personal letter to lengthy books and volumes were one time started by dipping a pen in ink and putting thoughts on paper and it took a considerable amount of time.

Maybe it’s time that I dig out that box of stationery and write letters to my children. Who knows, maybe they will keep them in a shoebox in their closets. Generations from now, someone might open the box and say something like: “Wow, I found letters from a really strange ancestor, a real black sheep in the family, who wrote letters back in 2007. She must have been either computer illiterate or too poor to buy one.”

On second thought, maybe I better save some of them on CDs too. I think they will fit in a shoebox and maybe I can tie them up in bundles with some ribbon.
I believe I have some nice pink ribbon that should fade very nicely.

Well, good-bye for now and…

“Don’t forget to write!”

By
Pamela Perry Blaine
© April 25, 2007

“Security is not the absence of danger,
but the presence of God”

My Website:
www.blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us

Popularity: 57% [?]

Getting Back To Ourselves

Published on Saturday, March 18th, 2004

“Turn away from the world this year and begin to listen. Listen to the whispers of your heart. Look within. Your silent companion has lit lanterns of love to illuminate the path to Wholeness. At long last, the journey you were destined to take has begun. ” Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Getting Back To Ourselves

Are you great on delivering on your word when it’s someone else counting on you but when no one else is looking or listening you renege on yourself with heartbreaking ruthlessness? You do it for your kids, but excuse yourself at the last minute from that energizing workout you promised yourself because something else or someone else ( usually family member) is more important.

Promises predict our future better than anything else could Our promises decide for us how we will spend invest, or squander our life’s currency, which is our time, creative energy and our emotions.

Ban Breathnach (above) in her book the Simple Abundance Companion suggests there are two types of promises, Outer and Inner Promises.

Outer promises being those we make to the world, family, friends, church, business. Outer promises are often unconscious, we make them on auto pilot not even really hearing or thinking about what we have promised to. Remember the absent minded nod. When your defenses are down don’t promise anything more than “maybe”. Outer promises she says are often peacemakers, keeping the kids quiet, or our partner quiet. These types of promises are deceptive and disruptive. If we follow thru on promises we dread, everyone pays the price of it..

Inner promises are those we make to our minds, bodies and spirits. Writing is a promise I made to myself for years and only recently picked it up? Yours may be exercising, taking a trip alone, going to a yoga class, or buying that new sports car. Promises to ourselves are usually pleasurable and bring us joy, yet we rarely follow through with ourselves. Why! Breathnach says that we don’t think promises to ourselves really count. We don’t want to be perceived as self-centred and we think that if we break a promise to ourselves there are no repercussions, since no one else is keeping track.. no accountability.

She suggests that inner promises are wrapped up in authentic needs and are genuine “wants” while outer promises are often wrapped up in “should”. Breathnach suggests we become conscious of our promise making patterns. Can you remember that last 5 or 6 promises that you made? Well, there you go! So we need to become conscious first in order to make changes.

So could you resurrect a list of long overdue promises to yourself and see which ones you can make good on this year.

Breathnach suggests that a promise is a sacred prayer. Are we not worthy of our word?

Popularity: 53% [?]

10 Ways To Start Taking Control or Who’s The Boss

At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another.

But many people with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because they become frustrated by their challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder to manage those challenges and move forward.

Practicing positive thinking allows us to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck.

The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself. It’s much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful ForStresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.

3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making AssumptionsA fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member’s bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don’t waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.

4. Refrain from Using Absolutes. Have you ever told a partner You’re ALWAYS late! or complained to a friend “You NEVER call me!” Thinking and speaking in absolutes like ,always and never makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

5. Detach From Negative ThoughtsYour thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don’t follow it.

6. Squash the “ANTS”.In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life”, Dr. Daniel Amen talks about “ANTS” - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me”, or “The boss wants to see me, It must be bad!” When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!

7. Practice Lovin, Touchin & Squeezin (Your Friends and Family)You don’t have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn’t touch!

8. Increase Your Social ActivityBy increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another PersonEveryone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat RuminationIf you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It?s never productive, because it?s not rational or solution-oriented, it’s just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity.

There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they’re uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skins won’t solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we?re turning to be workaholics than tell ourselves that we’re not doing our best.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Sixteen Rules To Live By

I was reading Bob Parsons blog and I found the 16 rules he tries to live by interesting, so I thought I?d pass them on to you. Hope you benefit from them:

Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we?re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, ?But I?m concerned about security.? My response to that is simple: ?Security is for cadavers.?

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it?s attempted. Just because what you?re doing does not seem to be working, doesn?t mean it won?t work. It just means that it might not work the way you?re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn?t have an opportunity.

3. When you?re ready to quit, you?re closer than you think. There?s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: ?The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.?

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of ?undefined consequences.? My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, ?Well, Robert, if it doesn?t work, they can?t eat you.?

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, ?As you think, so shall you be.?

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don?t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: ?A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.?

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don?t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven?t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you?re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you?re doing as anyone else, provided that what you?re doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn?t fair. You make your own breaks. You?ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You?ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you?ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: ?You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.? There?s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: ?A wise man keeps his own counsel.?

15. Don?t take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There?s always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you?re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: ?We?re not here for a long time; we?re here for a good time.? A special word of thanks. I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book ? that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while ; ? Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, ?They Can?t Eat You.?

I like Brian?s suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It?s true. No matter how difficult things get, you?re going to be OK. It?s very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian. [The above rules for survival is included with the permission of Bob Parsons www.bobparsons.com and is Copyright ? 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.]

Popularity: 26% [?]