Turtling Through Your Taxes – Feb 18, 2010
Posted by Sue on Feb 20, 2010
We must care for each other more and tax each other less. ~ Bill Archer
So here we are, nearing the end of February; April 15th is still a misty apparition on the horizon. And when you’re busy managing the
rest of your life, it’s easy to forget that taxes are due in only 8 weeks.
What would it be like not to make a mad dash to the 4/15 finish line? Can you imagine yourself mailing that envelope on April 1st – and NOT as an April Fool’s joke.
At Breathing Space we care most about making space for what really matters to you. At the same time there are some mundane basics that have to be in place. For most people that includes TAXES.
While You Can..With Love
Posted by Sue on Feb 20, 2010
This was a pre- Valentine’s Tip from Sue- but having just re-learned how to get our tips into the blog-here it is:
I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves.
~ Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt
I have always loved Valentine’s Day, but not for its Hallmark glitz or heart-shaped candy boxes. Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to stop and express our love and gratitude.
In anticipation of the 14th and in gratitude for my mother, who taught me to love, I offer you these words. Read the rest of this entry »
The 10 Minute Challenge!
Posted by Sue on Jul 10, 2009
If you are anything like me, you may already have felt that the summer is going to disappear before you know it. Today however I tried something that really surprised me and thus I am sending it onward to you ~
Take the TEN minute challenge. YES- 10 minutes! It’s pretty huge.
After your next task is done – take T E N WHOLE MINUTES to do NOTHING. Only after that, start on your next action. This may seem completely impossible as you look at it now. That was my reaction. If so—try it for the next 4 hours only. I believe you will discover time that you didn’t imagine could exist.
One task done. STOP for TEN WHOLE MINUTES. Then on to the next task. It’s pretty radical! I discovered a very different world and still got a bunch done – maybe more and definitely more sanely. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
_
YOUR STUFF and THEIRS!
Posted by Sue on Feb 15, 2009
This seems like the right time to respond to a question about OTHER
people’s stuff. Very often those other people are those closest to
you- the ones you love the most! But what about when their stuff
drives you nuts!
This will feel familiar to many readers- I’m sure!
“OK, Joanna, here’s my big challenge – how to keep the house
organized and tidy when I live with three very untidy people. I
know the philosophy ‘as I declutter and tidy, they will follow
suit.’ Well it hasn’t worked! Any other suggestions??Disorganized space works for them, but it doesn’t for me. Hmm, so you’re probably going to suggest we all talk about it….my needs,theirs…tricky when I’m in the minority! You’ll sense I’m feeling rather defeated with this one! Over to you…”
First- thank you for your honesty! By now you may well have
resolved the issue. If you have- DO let me know how!
Also- sorry it’s taken me a long time to respond. It’s partly
because I’ve been questioning my own thinking on this one.
Who Needs Help?!
Posted by Sue on Dec 26, 2008
Ever since August, after my husband and I had painted and cleaned an apartment we are managing for my daughter, our own basement has(had) been a mess. Paint cans and rollers and paint trays and a box that arrived with that sort of balloon like “bubble wrap” which Bob had left on the floor after opening up the box. Mind you- I only see the basement when I go down to do the laundry.
In Feng Shui however, they say that the basement is like your unconscious… bothers you even when you aren’t aware of it. And I definitely had a sense of being plagued – at least each time I went down with the wash.
But life is real and there’s TONS else that’s more important to do. No question about that! Whenever I thought about dealing with the basement it was a no-go. No matter how many times I put it on my TO DO list -it just sat there. YUCK!
Finally last week, despite the holidays just around the corner – I’d HAD IT with the basement. I phoned my friend Suzette, who used to be my assistant, to ask if she could possibly come over and help ME.
STUFF & Kindness …
Posted by Sue on Dec 12, 2008
You are trying to do holiday shopping – frustrated because you KNOW that the people you’re trying to find gifts for already have gobs of stuff!
Remember the ads “For the man who has everything!…” and then there’s some expensive gadget you’re supposed to buy to show that you love him and have been thinking of him.
WAIT! STOP! HALT! Consider the purpose of a gift! It seems to me that the main purpose is exactly what the ads suggest- to let the receiver know that you love them and have them in your radar. I think that most of all we want that sense of caring both from giving and receiving…a sense of kindness in the air. But can that happen without STUFF? I think so.
Here are some possibilities:
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Posted by Sue on Dec 12, 2008
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Getting Clear
Posted by Sue on Oct 16, 2008
If you have a second- stop reading and make a cup of tea or hot cider NOW ! I will. I’ll be right back.
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Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Now take a long deep breath – and have a sip.
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It’s early morning here. The moon is going down in the west over the rosy red/gold trees that seem to color the air even before the sun comes up.
It seems to me that this is very much a time in our lives,in our country and in our world for GETTING CLEAR. What I mean, from a Breathing Space perspective and also a spiritual one (whatever your personal faith)is that this is a time to be quiet and get clear – for me too. I am very much including myself in this.
It seems to me a truly right time to get clear
About what really matters to you
About what you truly need
About how to live according to your highest principles.
Perhaps this is the key to what I experience on Sister Parish trips El Salvador. In the small community I go to there is almost nothing of the daily stuff that we might consider NECESSARY yet I get a tangible sense of the people having a huge amount of love and joy.
So maybe now is our time to practice a bit of what they seem to know — for getting clear about priorities.
In the world of STUFF — it’s a good time to again look at all the stuff you already have … and yes, to use the “KEEP TEST”. A really good time to consider what you have around you and why. Does it feed your heart and soul?
If there is something in your space that you neither use nor love, if it doesn’t make your heart sing…pass it on to someone else who WILL love or use it!
As a result, you will have more time and energy to focus on the people you love and the things you love to do.
A small example — Three weeks ago I brought home some very nice corduroy slacks from a church rummage sale thinking I would add to my Fall/Winter choices. They were by donation and looked nice when I tried them on. BUT – for some reason the pant legs REALLY aren’t long enough.
I could keep them around and keep on trying to make them work- but do I really need them? Will they make my life easier in any way?
NO!
I figure I will take them to our local Hospice store today and someone else will be able to get a warm pair of nice looking pants at almost no cost…and I won’t keep wishing they were slightly different. Why spend even one second more wrapping my brain around my pant legs!!!
Although I have had bunches of other tips that I’ve been planning on sending to you– this is decluttering at it’s most basic.
Wishing you a growing sense of peace and clarity with warmest regards, Joanna
Getting Unstuck!
Posted by Sue on Jul 24, 2008
Last week I FINALLY tackled something that has been even more of a
SHOULD than writing to you. As I finished up I thought – THIS is
what I will write about for my long overdue tip — the sense of
oppression that can come from a not faced, not done task. And the
immense relief that’s possible. Perhaps you have experienced what I
am talking about … maybe at this very moment you have some of
that very frustrating glue keeping you stuck.
You know, people often think that because I help people get
organized, I am EXTREMELY organized myself. Well…. Though I do
like the space around me to be as clutter free as possible, at times
I get mired myself, especially when I’m avoiding something that
needs to be done.
What was my glue this time? Well, way back on June 2nd, after a
pretty difficult day, I was typing at my computer when suddenly our
downstairs neighbor was hollering to me! When I rushed to see what
was happening I discovered a major waterfall streaming onto the floor
from my kitchen sink. I hadn’t heard a thing! Turning off the water
I raced downstairs and found water pouring out of her ceiling light.
Oh my gosh! Turn off the electricity. Get flashlights and towels!!!
We live in an old house- with plaster, lath and so forth and the
downstairs apartment has a painted tin ceiling! I dealt with the
immediate water and mess but over the next few days the ceiling
started breaking out in rust spots. Since the problem was 100% my
creation, it was also mine to fix.
The reasons why I didn’t get to that ceiling? I can’t remember half of
them. Every time I saw the ceiling I would mentally cringe. Meanwhile
other things that felt hard to do were adding up. I’m talking about
WEEKS of avoidance… and luckily a very patient neighbor.
But this afternoon as I write to you whole project is done. Once I
started it only took me a COUPLE OF HOURS and nine dollars at the
hardware store to do the job. PLUS, I got several other things done
while the primer dried! Oeeeeeee.
So.. .dear reader, may you use this tip as a magic wand. It comes with
my hope that in the next couple of days you will jump in and tackle
ONE task you have been avoiding like the plague… don’t THINK about
it any more, just take the first step! Go get the ladder and start.
Wishing you a fine two weeks … do let me know if you there’s any
specific organizing challenge you’d like to have discussed!
Radical Changes In Your Space
Posted by Sue on Jul 17, 2008
When did you last make a major change in your home or office?
Having lived in our current home for 4 years this month, we finally solved a space problem by taking a somewhat radical step. It’s worked out GREAT!
Why didn’t we do it before? I think because the idea was too “out of the box”, at least our box.
In it’s briefest telling – what we did was shrink our living room and music room/dining room into one room, making the living room which had been seldom used into our bedroom and making our bedroom into my office. Voila! A) No more renting office space, B) We are relaxing more on the sofa in the living room because it is now central, and C) We love our new bedroom!
From our bed we can look out into the trees instead of at the house next door and the French doors to the porch make the bedroom feel quite luxurious whereas we hardly saw them when they were “living room” doors.
Why am I telling you all this?… Because, I want to encourage you to consider your current use of space. Is there a way to rearrange things to create a space you’ve been wanting? Whose rules are you following? And whose home is it anyway?
Do send news about any radical space changes you make! OKAY?
p.s. Questions? Ask away!
