We all organize our lives in our own ways. Calendars, clocks, drawers, closets, note pads.
Some of us stay on top of things, while others of us are likely to not deal with things until we are losing balance. I am ever-striving to strike a balance - to be wildly creative but leaving myself enough time to clean up the mess, to be committed to a cause without finding myself overwhelmed.
I have been learning to be less and less of a people-pleaser - to just say no. Some who know me well wouldn't necessarily peg me as such, but it's a natural inclination of mine to not only want to bring a smile to someone's face, but to want to avoid conflict if at all possible. So, passive-aggressive as I am, I choose to say what I really feel... but only in writing.
Face to face, most of us are more likely to reveal our true depths to those with whom we are most intimate. The ones who love us the most know that we don't always 'have it all together'. In order to be myself at all times possible, I arrange my life so that those with whom I spend the most time are well aware of my limitations.
As I've mentioned before, I love rearranging furniture. I consider it another way of reclaiming my personal space and redirecting my energy. We students of Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) are always interested in what our surroundings say about us - not just to other people but to the universe. How I choose to function in my own space does affect my whole life.
Not enough people think about the big picture, nor do they stop to smell the roses.
I love gardening - I'm always planting, transplanting and rearranging my beds. My idea of landscaping incorporates the wild abundance of nature with the foraging needs of humans. I am not so feral as to want to muddy-up every pair of rubber boots (or, more likely, my bare feet), so I lay wooden planks throughout my garden. I arrange my planting in a way that works with nature and with my keen fashion sense.
In spite of the fact that our berry patch increases exponentially each year, we stand in it regularly, eating as many berries as possible. I can't say that we have brought many bowls of berries into the house. I think my family might be part bear.
I have been ranting lately about how weeds just need to be turned back into the soil in order to be re-used. What I really don't understand, though, is why so many people pay money for toxic product and futile devices to kill the weeds, and then they turn around and buy a gym membership so they can get exercise! How about cultivating a nicer, more productive gluteus maximus by doing some yard work instead? I love pulling weeds by hand and the only other way I deal with them is with a hoe - which is good for the arms and back..
I don't use a weed-wacker, I use scissors. I have an aversion to unnecessary machines, but I'm also cheap. I've arranged my life in this way and I'm happy with it.
Embracing control and arranging our lives around having to afford things we do not need sets us up for regret. Allowing life to unfold, embracing mystery, sets us up for a lifetime of treasured memories. We all know this deep down.
You simply can't control everything. Sometimes, life's got bigger plans and they're not always linear.
I always say blast the schedules, smash the clocks and pay no mind to the critics. Those who speak negativity over your life are speaking from their own pain and the only power it has is what you give it. Focus on what you want and arrange your life accordingly.
I hope more people, me included, begin living in such a way that they can't help but be grateful. If you've still got something to complain about, then you are not done working on improving your life. Sometimes the only change we need to make is in our attitude.
Remember, each lifetime goes by so quickly and there are no do-overs. Say now what you need to say and feng shui now what you need to feng shui.
