Habitual Effort, More

My need to disrupt the constant unfolding of my kitchen cupboard onto the floor (See 10/8/16) led me to rethinking my medicine cabinet in my bathroom.  For a reason that I am clear made perfect sense at the time, I chose to put my cosmetics in my medicine cabinet. These are round containers, some with domed lids, that when stacked, well, you know the drill…take one out, get the one underneath, put it back, etc.  Everyday.

So, I asked myself ” how about putting these in the drawer?”  The long, skinny drawer that is a mess with three containers of floss, old Q Tips that have fallen into the drawer and the disarray that evolves when a drawer has no purpose.  The makeup went into the drawer.  Now, I can see everything, it all has a place and it is accessible.  The drawer on the other side got cleaned out and only holds my hand mirror and an extra pair of glasses.  I moved one shelf in the medicine cabinet up 2″ and now I have room for all of my hair products and my electric toothbrush.

Both processes freed up the counter and there is room for my makeup when I am using it.

So, is this about stuff in a space, reassigned?  Or is this about the clarity that comes when we move our energy around and have it held in the well designed container where it belongs? Either way, we win.

 

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P.S. This is how I did it

I moved the stored jars into the garage for future use. (I save jars, love storing things in glass and give them to my tribe for leftovers when we all have dinner together.  Not giving that one up.)

I moved the bulky goods (Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Corn Chips, a must, and others such as bulk rice, etc.) into the space where the jars were.

I moved the aprons into the laundry center. Easily reachable and close to the kitchen.

I moved the Salad Spinner onto the turnaround that holds the pots and pans. Plenty of room there.

This took less than 5 minutes. Done. Over and Out.

See there, it doesn’t have to be a big deal, just a committed, conscious deal.

Habitual Effort

This morning I was getting ready to bake bread.  I reached for a bowl and all of the bowls fell out of my “too small” cupboard that was trying, in vain, to hold my bowls, aprons, drying towels and salad spinner.  This happens every time I have to get that large bowl on the bottom.  Otherwise, this looks like a perfectly orderly cupboard. The salad spinner sits inside the top bowl, the aprons are folded and to the side and the dish dryers folded neatly to the side.

Until, I need to get the bottom bowl out.

So, here is what is real.  Looking good does not necessarily represent order.  The truth is, I will have to remove the bowls to get the large bowl out; that’s ok. Easy-peasy.  To have all of the peripheral stuff fall out and on the floor now brings this situation to a new level: Chaos.

Right then and there, I found a different storage solution for the aprons, etc. and slipped the bowls back in.

Something that is not working, that you frequently visit everyday, can drain you and cost you energy.  A habit, a person, a conversation, that always has disarray attached to it, will never change until you do.

Zero tolerance for those things that can be prevented by putting in the correction is the key to ease.

Being Understood

The people who understand your struggle reach deep into your heart and pull out your courage. They listen and empathize and shower grace.  They are there.  No questions, just affirmative comments.  They remind you of who you are.

And oh, when they do that, your spirit rises and you know right there that you are understood and loved.

And the struggle becomes less and the way through becomes clear.

Gratefulness for those who are big enough to understand and humble enough to listen.

Being in The Gap

There is beauty in The Gap; the place of In-Between.

To be in The Gap requires stepping out of the known and predictable.  It is the descent into the Uncertain. The Uncertain always brings change.

Below the Uncertain is your Depth.  And the answer is always in your Depth.  The Answer lies buried beneath your unexpressed knowing.  It has to be excavated in order to surface.  Once you get the answer, you begin the ascent into your Certain.  Your Certain, coupled with action, becomes the first step into your next phase. It provides the Exit from the Gap.

Being in The Gap is essential to Innovation.  It bears the fruit of Expansion.  And unleashes Freedom.