To quote one of my favorite songs from She Daisy:
"Life is crazy, Life's a mess . . .
Sometimes a curse - sometimes a bless-ing.
No matter what it brings
Don't worry 'bout a thing!"
Let's see . . . I packed my bags and went on a week-long trip to the land of depression, but decided I didn't like the ultimate destination. The weather was always gloomy. There wasn't much to do except stare at the wall or sleep. And my brain kept driving me crazy with a high-pitched whine like an overworked jet motor.
During the height of my exploration of the land of depression and the nearby hamlet of Blahsville, my friend E.N. gave me the book "The Secret." Now, I'm not claiming the book changed my Life instantly, or healed my blindness, or woke up early on a Saturday and made me waffles for breakfast . . . but it DID shift my pattern of thinking, which I sorely needed at the time. It helped me pack my bags and jump a train to getting my Life back on the tracks.
So I began proactively doing things about all the little annoyances that have been using me as a life-raft. I invested $30 in purchasing some personal financial software to help me with keeping track of the bills and balancing my checkbook. I frantically cleaned and organized my desk at work (okay - I really just shoved eight boxes worth of material under my desk, and I now have no leg room . . . but the point people! The point is what counts). I made the wise decision to accept those things that I cannot change. There are enough bricks walls out there. I don't need to test all of them with my forehead.
And you know what? The high-pitched whine has stopped.
I went to Office Max and purchased a dayplanner designed by Franklin Covey, the author of "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." And for the first time in my Life, I'm actually planning activities day-to-day. I always thought this would be more trouble than it was worth, but since I am apparently in the magical land of opposites, I have found the more I schedule, the more free time I have! I am making a point of scheduling in activities that I want - or that I NEED - to do to create more energy . . . and I feel, well . . . energized.
Here is what I have accomplished (and projects that I am working on).
1. I have co-founded a Japanese study group that meets once every two weeks.
2. I am studying survival skills, including making fire, walking properly, and how to identify plants and animals (currently: the Black Widow, and the Cottonwood). This week I will learn how to make rope.
3. I am cracking down on organization, everything from bills, to scheduling, to clutter, to reducing energy-sucking activities that I don't really benefit from (too bad you can't cut out Work entirely . . .).
4. I am renewing old acquaintances and making sure that I have a great network of friends and family to rely on.
5. I am rediscovering the joy of learning, and finding new opportunities to learn.
6. Perhaps most importantly, I am making all of this work while still devoting time to my son and encouraging his participation in many of these projects.
I am Me. Hear Me roar.
