de-clutter

went back to work today. i helped a mom organize her home office that she shares with her husband. they have a beautiful home in sonoma. in the house resides mom, dad, one son, two daughters and one dog. the mom is tired of all the clutter in her home and decided to start the attack with the office. like so many of us the bottom line is we just have way too much stuff. i don't know the reason for it but is truly the commonality amongst most of us. we have more things than we will ever need or use. it's kind of crazy. thankfully my client has hit the wall and wants to make change. we emptied out the space of 15 giant trash bags and now it is ready for some productive use.  less is more people...way more.

still down for the count

i would like to say that i am feeling better and well, that would be a lie. i know this because i cancelled all of my work appointments for the day and i am not cleaning up around the house. there's trash in the cans, dishes in the sink, dust on the shelves but i just can't deal. it makes me ponder my clients homes when they turn into a place of physical clutter and chaos. there is a sickness in the house. after i reorganize, de-clutter it is like a prescription to healing. sometimes the sickness gets ahead of us and we can't get ahead of it so we need help. i am so lucky that i can help with that healing. i found from meeting a family yesterday the healing can start by just me listening to my client. they don't feel heard and my listening ear is the start of mending the wound. this is powerful stuff.
ok now back to my own healing...aka time to take a nap.

p.s. i apologize if this post makes no sense. i just don't have the energy to re-read and edit.

sickness continues

still ill...so yoga funny instead.

sick day

not feeling well so i am reading inspirational stories. here is one...

Peace of mind

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers. This was in the initial days. While they were travelling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!” So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.”

After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said, “See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be ... and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water... Your mind is also like that. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”

What did Buddha emphasize here? He said, “It is effortless.” Having 'peace of mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process. When there is peace inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and in the environment, such that people around start feeling that peace and grace.

house cat

i got a cat on my lap and she is just purring away. she keeps looking at me with her cute little face and her tail is waving. it is the classic story. she's adopted to add that animal love to the family. well then two kids are born and the cat has been moved to the bottom of the priority list. thankfully gets don't hold grudges or seem to care. but right now this cat is feeling the love.

i have a cold

i have a good old fashioned east coast cold. i don't know, living in california it rarely happens but when i lived in the east it was a common occurrence. so i am taking on some suggestions that i have read from friends on Facebook on best ways to treat the cold. of course fluids, decongestants, but the trick i have heard forever about and never done ...slather vicks vapor rub on feet and then put on cozy fleeze socks. my feet do feel tingly. i so hope this works. i don't feel like being sick. i am not in my own home and i still have two more days of fun visiting with people.
time for bed to knock this cold out.
good night.

yuck

i am now all tucked in bed at my friends liz and anthony's home. i am sleeping in their daughter poet's bed. that means i am looking at a fairy princess tent, a baby doll in a crib and a panda pillow staring at me. yes, poet is a little girl. i am super tired and want to go to sleep but you know me and my goals...gotta get my daily blog in for the day. so what to write about? i don't know. how about random thoughts?
elizabeth gilbert's new book just came out. she is the author of the book eat, pray, love. 13 years later she has written a novel. it's getting great reviews. i'd like to read it but i already have so many other books on my kindle that i have to read first.
i am sniffling. think i caught a cold from my mom. not too pleased about that. hoping my exercise routine tomorrow knocks it out.
and of course now other thoughts are coming to me but i am just too tired. time to crash. sorry. hopefully tomorrow i will be a little more clear headed to write. over and out.