A new beginning is at hand for me.
There has been a personal issue that has been ongoing since March. It has effected me deeply. Though may pain has been evident, much of it is still held in. I tend to be “the strong one” in situations. Now, as I sit in the eye of the storm, I know it is time to rest and allow myself to be restored. I must be strong and I must be healed to withstand what will come up in the future. No…….I can’t predict the future, but even if you don’t believe in God like I do, I’m sure you have had an experience in your life when you felt you had been prepared in advance for what happened. It has happened enough in my life, that I recognize being prepared ahead of time instead of only in hindsight. I know that it is God preparing me that things will be harder for me before it gets better. The impact will be buffered because I am allowing myself to be prepared.
It happened to work out that I am home alone for a few days. I can’t recall the last time that happened! Church camp is this week and my son and his girlfriend (who live with me) will be gone for a few days on a backpack trip. I even have today and tomorrow off from work!
I’m going to make the most of my time to start a new beginning for myself. Here are steps that can be used in your personal life, your home, or your internet life.
- Remove Clutter
- Sort and Sift
- Take Action
- Maintain Momentum
- Enjoy Where You Are
- Repeat the Process
- Share
REMOVE CLUTTER-start at the heart to remove the stuff that gets in the way, takes up room, blocks your view, or is distracting.
- For me I had to start in my office because that is the heart of where most of my time is spent when I’m at home. It not only is my place for internet work, but where I create artwork, write, and work on my photography. It is where my daughter does her home education schoolwork. I began cleaning about a week ago. I feel different and more productive just walking into the room!
- Now that I have time to myself free of the distractions of others I live with, I must remove clutter in my heart. My personal retreat will include a time of prayer and reflection. I have avoided looking at the true depth of the injury and I have avoided feeling the full extent of the pain of my current situation. Today I will forgive all that are involved. I will pray for each one. I will not ignore the injuries to my heart, I will tend to the wounds, clean them out, and allow healing pain relieving salve to cover the wounds.
SORT AND SIFT-once the clutter is removed, sort through it, and sift through it. What you need and use should be handy and easy to find. What you might need in the future should be stored and easy to access. The rest should be given away or thrown away.
- I have thrown away bags and bags of papers I don’t need from my office. The vacuum cleaner became clogged from all the pet hair (especially from my mixed Alaskan breed dog) and dust. I had bags of things to give away. It was like Christmas as I discovered items I forgot I had! I’m nearly done sorting and organizing my office. Everything worth keeping is accessible and easy to find. The rest is gone and out of my way.
- For me personally, my next step is to get rid of the pain, anger, and sadness that has weighed me down the past few months. It is time to sort through it all. I will keep the valuable lessons learned and the strengths I’ve developed. The people I haven’t quite forgiven, will be forgiven this day, and the unhealthy ties that are created when complete forgiveness is held back, will be broken. Those ties will fall away to make room for healthy ties. Today I will be freed!
TAKE ACTION-don’t move along in the same manner you moved before. Look around, see the changes you need to make, plan your next move, and then DO IT.
- Now that my office is more orderly I can accomplish things easier than I could before. Before I couldn’t find reference material to use for writing or items I wanted to use to create artwork. I can’t keep sitting at the computer as if my office is the same when it is different. Now it’s time to make a work area to start creating wall hangings. It’s time to grab a stack of reference material and write.
- Once forgiveness has been committed to (it’s not about “feeling” forgiveness towards someone and it’s not about condoning what they did…..it’s about breaking the connection and ties to them that developed by not completely forgiving) it will be time to move forward. It will be time to focus on the good that came from the situation so far. One of the good things that have come from my situation is that I have developed new friendships, I want to take action to cultivate those.
MAINTAIN MOMENTUM-maintain where you are at so that you or your environment doesn’t return to its previous state.
- When I get up from my computer desk, I clear clutter from it. I have places for everything and I put things where they belong. My miscellaneous pile is gone through every couple of days. If I started a sorting project at night, it is finished first thing in the morning. If I start it in the morning it is finished before I go to bed.
- Reviewing the lessons I have learned and sharing them will keep the wounds I have from breaking back open and it will keep the ties of unforgiveness from reconnecting. Allowing healthy ties to develop will take up the space the unhealthy ties once had.
ENJOY WHERE YOU ARE-it’s not only about all the work to get to where you are. Sit back and enjoy!
- I go into my office and look out the window at the birds in the tree and listen to music. I have a shelf of candles in my office now, that I will light when I work at night for the look it gives the room and I light during the day for the scents.
- As I have been focused and distracted with my situation, not only emotionally, but the tasks that must be done, some friends have been neglected. Today is my day to spend some time with them. This afternoon I will meet with one friend and I have a “girls night” at my house this evening.
REPEAT THE PROCESS-I have learned what works and I can use that in other areas.
- The process that I used to clean my office can be used in other areas of my home and in my carport and storage room.
- Forgiveness and healing skills I am developing can be used in other situations in my life from my past and in future situations.
SHARE-motivate others and teach them what you have learned.
- Sharing can be done one to one, to a group, through writing, through conversation, and by using all opportunities to do so.
Well, I’m going to get something to eat and then use my time wisely today. I will post be posting on my progress.