I advise clients, who are trying to take new steps with color in their homes, but have no sense yet of what they want, to go to the library; look through a bunch of home beautiful books, put paper strip markers by the spaces that appeal to them …and dream. It costs nothing!

My heart of business tele-class partner from Alberta, Pam Klappstein, has a wonderful business called Your Inner Artist . Her free newsletter this week was, in it’s simplest, about how it is necessary to deliberately schedule time in your life for your dreams… ahhh- yes Pam.
So last night I went to have a look at the Spanish immersion school in El Sal - a site I had bookmarked months ago- take a look if you like. I’ve emailed a question to the school. That doesn’t cost anything. True, an email doesn’t make the trip happen. But it’s a start.

It’s time to turn off the computer. I have a lovely client at ten this morning - we are working on sorting through all the STUFF in her kitchen before she has it redone- so that she will know what really fits in her life now and then build in accordance with that.

Yes- I DO love my Breathing Space work and am very glad it’s what I do. The Spanish is about allowing myself to imagine another dream becoming reality. And, because of doing that, having more energy for everything.

I’m wishing you the same!

Joanna

* * * * *

p.s. To Dylan Emrys of whatyourbabyknows.com , classmate and friend, who just taught me by phone how to LINK successfully- many thanks.

In February I sent out a tip about “Doing a Joanna” - which can also be called the scoop method. It’s what works best for me.
Anyway — I received back an email and poem which I have been planning to post here for weeks. But I haven’t been able to figure out how as it came to me in PDF format.

Finally - at 6:15p.m. March 29 my husband Bob gets “Super Geek” status - in my eyes for sure! He showed me (oh so simple- to him) how to copy and paste a PDF! Yahooo! If you like beautiful furniture take a look at what Bob really loves to do by going to www.rueterwoodworking.com .
Here with her go ahead are Connie’s email and poem:
“After I read your message, I decided to send you a poem I wrote after decluttering an important space. I had already decluttered it when I got your message, but it was just what your message described and it was recent. This is a small space, about two forearms long and one forearm wide.

Writing Table

For years I’ve loved the hodgepodge
of rooftops, chimneys and windows
I see from here
a jumble of planes and angles.
No one could have planned it.
For years I haven’t sat here
to write. Two babies at once
is a lot, but the truth is,
I let myself diminish:
I had nothing to say.
Once upon a time my table
looked out on raspberry brakes;
there was a neighboring mule.
I dwindled to zero there.
If, God forbid, I live to a hundred,
will I learn? We get the same lessons
over and over until we see
yet not the self-same.
(We’re going in, Scotty.)
I’m heading for the language
behind the language:
table brake self-same
The winter’s first big snow, unstinting
(although our green blob map online
does show an end in sight),
is late this year,
filtering colors out of the view
from my writing table,
which is still divine.
© Connie Vial Green
February 2007

Adam Kayce just sent out a fine article called : Why Boldness Counts
Below are the first lines -go read the article and come back and talk with me…. ok?
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
– Henry David Thoreau

We’ve all been there. Times when we’ve found ourselves squeaking along, trying to just get by and not ruffle any feathers, or have our own feathers ruffled….

(and the article continues- it is SO on the target with the blog I wrote this morning !

Hey folks– let’s get out of the box / and clear out the boxes that don’t fit our lives anymore - eh???

I’ve come to an odd place.

A year ago, I began studying with Mark Silver about marketing with heart! What a fantastic experience! I learned SO MUCH from Mark and my classmates; over the months my new website and this blog were created …

In 1982, having worked as a Day Care teacher and Director for 6 years, I went back to college to get my degree in Early Childhood Education. I got my degree and worked a few more years in education but the classes I found MOST compelling were in Women’s Studies.

It used to be that a thesis was written by scholars at the END of their careers! After they had learned tons they then wrote down what they had learned for others. Hmmmmmm interesting.

In my work with Breathing Space clients I so often hear myself saying that declutttering is about REALITY… about REALLY looking at what is going on in one’s life …what is is that you REALLY want to be doing…where do you really want to put your energy? At that point you can begin to make space for your life as it really is. The STUFF in your life CAN reflect and support you.
So why talk about this now?

Well, I am beginning to see that I have come to another crossroads. Having learned from Mark what is needed to do an excellent job of making Breathing Space available to folks, I realize that although I want to be able to continue to help people who contact me … I also want to discover what comes NEXT. I am ready to collect all my Spanish books and put them on the the shelf nearest my desk; I’m ready to see what happens if I allow myself to do everything in my power to learn Spanish.

What will happen? I don’t know.

I continue to love the actual hands-on work and doing virtual consultations. If you read this and want to have a space that feeds your soul … call me. AND … once again I am going to go out on a limb. That’s what I did in 1996 when I began Breathing Space. I had always wanted to help people with their spaces. Going from a REAL paid job as a therapist to starting a new business - what foolishness. But how wonderful it has been…

And starting today- I am going to discover what comes next. Does it make your heart sing??? Does it GIVE you energy? What if you knew you only had a year to live? All those questions demand a level of daring - faith- courage - chutzpah too…

What IF you and I take that leap? Hope you’ll let me know!
p.s. I suggest ,if you have any tendrils of ” WHAT IF”, that you take a look at www.thedisquiet.com by Dave Schoof. Although I haven’t read much of his website yet I know that he is working with folks (men in particular) on WHAT IF issues …