Feast or famine

It seems that things never happen at a steady pace. There is either dead silence, boredom, and nothing to do or too much to keep up with. I’ve been hit with the latter over the last 2 weeks;

• I changed day jobs
• I testified in court for the first time
• I got a request to make jewelry for an entire wedding

and those are just the big items. I would far rather complain about being too busy than not busy at all – and I’m working not to complain about it period. What I’m really not happy with is is how far behind I am with blogging and keep that side of things on track. So I’m taking steps to get more organized.

I bought a (red) 18-month organizer – I’m blocking out time through Christmas 2012!  and I’m making decluttering a focus for this summer. But not at the expense of the other projects…

 

The power of resistance

The most magnificent waves only happen when the ocean meets the resistance of land
It might seem like the water has all the power but in fact land and water push back on each other to create something amazing
Fear works the same way – meet it with strength and steadfastness then watch what happens
What fear can you meet head on right now?

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The silver lining

The headlines this week were all about the stagnant economy.  Not particularly good news when you want to sell people the ‘extras’ in life – things they can clearly survive without. But I take that to mean I’ve got a few more weeks to redo my mailing list, to contact buyers, to do the five hundred other things on my list. It in no way changes what I need to do, but it might just let me enjoy the process knowing that it will be awhile before things pick up.  It’s absolutely not an excuse to not move forward.

So that’s what I’ve been doing, slowly in bits and pieces trying to get my framework to a manageable place.  That too is a ways out but the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to gleam.  And in the meantime, I have a garden to tend and a dog to attempt to train.

So a slow economy means an hour on the deck with a glass of wine is neither impossible nor guilt-ridden. Something to look back on fondly when things heat up!

 

Finding your balance

It’s a sad fact that very few things in life come with training wheels.
That doesn’t mean perfection is expected or even possible instantaneously.
It means that bruises are part of the process and metaphoric helmets are more common than you might think.
Where are you holding back because you’re afraid of taking a spill?

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Finding the real fear

Someone “afraid of heights” is generally ok with visiting Denver (the mile-high city) – meaning they are really afraid of falling not altitude.

While that may seem like semantics you can’t face what you can’t identify.

A fear of failure may really be a fear of success; of standing out, setting yourself apart and above your family and friends.

Imagine yourself pursuing your goals -climbing mountains, starting a business, losing weight. What are you afraid will happen?

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The last white room

Perhaps it’s been all the talk about the world ending, but for some reason I’ve felt the need to make more progress on my house projects this week. Well, actually the real reason is the teen-age puppy that is requiring that I find better storage options if I want my tools and supplies to remain intact. Regardless I’ve been thinking through what needs to happen to finish them off.

When I bought my house, the entire interior was in ‘ready to sell’ off-white… If you came to the door color alone would indicate which spaces I’ve worked on and which I haven’t. Red, marigold, chocolate and… off-white.

That last room was the formal dining room in 1930 and is now the jewelry shop/sewing/supply room. I had thought I would put it back to a dining room when I was ready to tackle it with paint, drapes, and furniture.

Now I’m wondering if the impetus for that isn’t a ‘should’ that would be better ignored. I don’t give dinner parties.

In fact, I loathe dinner parties.

And I have two other eating spaces in the house, do I really need three? While it may seem like a trivial design decision it comes down to am I willing to put the effort into my career or into proper appearances? Which is it going to be? Do I buy a dining table or a workbench?

I’ll let you know which wins out later!

 

 

 

Seeing the self-imposed barriers

So often we are our own worst enemy when it comes to our deepest wants.
We protect ourselves from the sorrow of not getting it by delaying everything around it indefinitely.
Think of the girl, now a woman, who always wanted to be an author but rarely writes – and what she does write she never finishes.

What is stopping you from doing the very next thing necessary to achieve your dreams?

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It still comes down to baby steps

I haven’t been good about posting at all – it seems like too many things going on and no real progress to report. But sometimes life is like that. I’m working on getting back into a solid routine. I’m changing some things up and researching others. And I’m certainly doing my fair share of stimulating the economy!

So what does that really mean? Well, while I said earlier I would be doing art shows this summer, it seems it will be the summer of figuring out art shows so that I can do them next year. I’m researching the shows, figuring out how the heck I can fit display panels in my car – the math just isn’t adding up yet, and trying to make sure I actually have stuff to sell. It’s hard to wait but hurrying will only make me feel like I’m doing something.

I’m working out the overall strategy of my blogs and websites and while that means some haven’t seen a new post in months when I return it will be with a vengeance!  And I’m working out how to publish.

On the personal side I’ve been reading a lot of dog training books. It’s been absolutely amazing to me how so many people can have so many different theories about dogs and training with such conviction.  My conclusion is that American dog trainers are surprisingly rigid people and I prefer the Scandinavian methods. Who knew?  A year ago I didn’t even know there was more than one way out there.

I finally got my house lot surveyed in preparation for fencing and finally dealing with the person who keeps stealing the tulips from the front walk right when their at their peak.  And I got the moss off the roof, a uniquely Northwest problem – it was starting to bloom.

So now the challenge is finding the time to do all the things I know need doing -it’s a lot better than wondering what to do!

 

Behind the Curtain

By now, you should have a good sense of what you want and why you want it. If you don’t, spend some more time in the earlier section before moving on.

Generally there is an invisible structure in each of us that seeks to preserve the status quo.

Understanding that backbone is the key to removing what is blocking us from moving forward and achieving our dreams.

Are you ready to look at what’s been holding you back?

 

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What motivates your wants?

Generally speaking the human species is more successfully motivated by rewards than punishments.

Simply put we do better when having fun working towards goals.

Wanting something simply to escape something else almost always brings the demons along for the ride.

Are you trying to reach for a dream or run away from a nightmare?

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