Clearing the clutter.

I was finally able to receive my Remicade (IV infusion for UC) today using my brand new "toy" (as a friend put it) the port. It was still swollen with an ugly, gluey, crusty scab and yucky bruising but Carla, my nurse, hooked right into and off we went! I am so happy to be on this side of it! 

Since this is a 2+ hour process, I have lots of time to read and think. It's so nice. Many people dread these types of long appointments but I actually look forward to them. I don't have to feel guilty while sitting in a recliner, reading and pondering. Who has time for such luxuries? 

Today's reading material is a book I picked up called Organize Now by Jennifer Ford Berry. It's an organizing how-to for dummies. It takes you week-by-week thru various steps to help you de-clutter your home and your life. I've read weeks 1 & 2 and am very motivated to get started. This is huge as I am a major procrastinator! 

Funny how a book like this has brought me to my knees. It's not written to help you further your spiritual walk or help you dive in to some deep, dark suppressed issues; but it has and I'm just beginning. This may be a bit of a bumpy road...

I've already written about how I deal with depression so there's issue #1. With in the first few pages, page 14 to be exact, is the topic The Cost of Clutter. What is the first  bullet point, you might ask? Well, I'll tell ya--"Clutter causes you to feel overwhelmed or depressed." Yep, there it is in black & white.  The next one--"Clutter robs you of your energy." If your actions are influenced by your thoughts and your thoughts coincide with your feelings, then it is important to pay attention to your feelings. You know the saying, "If we change our thoughts we can change the world." This has me thinking, not sure how much of the world I can impact but I can certainly make a difference in my own little circle of the world. It's not the length of your To Do List that causes stress, it's how you FEEL about the list that causes it to be overwhelming. Hummmm, guess I have some work to do. 

Now, I'm not a hoarder by any means but I do tend to collect a lot of stuff. OK-some of it's just crap. Let's get real, I have a big house and it has afforded me plenty of closets, cabinets and drawers to stuff things in. I haven't always been so cluttered. We used to move about every year or so. In 10 years of marriage, we moved 13 times. Moving really forced me to clean out on a regular basis. Not so anymore. We've been in this house going on 10 years, so aside from the occasional garage sale, I've just been hiding things in closets because I'm LAZY! Time for change. 

I was chewing on what this means for me over the next few months. Where should I start? How do I start? I turned to my Bible Verse of the Day, an iphone app. Proverbs 3:5  is what came up. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Well. There ya go, He always comes through for me. I was allowing myself to feel pressure about this task. I guess I'm gonna have to let go and let God be in control. I know, novel idea.

As I keep reading through this book, I'm realizing that my house is cluttered because my mind is cluttered. Uhg. This is the part that really has me on my knees. I am not a structured type personality, never have been. I've been called a free spirit, easy going, and laid back. Quirky has even come up a few times, but that's a whole blog post in it's self. So, this book recommends you implement some sort of regular schedule into your life. Going to bed at a decent hour, getting up at the same time, doing certain chores and errands on certain days and times, etc... This will be a huge, HUGE change for me. I understand the reasons why, just not sure on the 'how I can stick to it' part. We'll see. Gonna be lots of praying going on. 

The good thing is that this book gives you step by step instructions and ideas on how to make changes and where to start. The first two weeks are on organizing your mind and then your monthly schedule. Baby steps. I can do this...

I'll keep you posted as I go. I keep telling myself: "This is the purpose of this journey, Monnie. Abundant life is about becoming healthier both mentally and physically. Getting my butt in gear and making things happen. Changing unhealthy habits into healthy ones. Negative to positive."

May the force be with me...