The Path of Change

What a ninny I am.

My advice to Brenda - who is into harvesting and canning season as well as preparing next year's school lessons for her six children. "Sometimes the only way to do it is one day at a time. Essentials. Like feeding and clothing the kids. Priorities."

Good advice.

Like she needs to hear it from me. Do as I say Brenda, not as I do.

Advice from Lynn - talking me down off the ledge this afternoon after a morning of trying to pack and clear out the house - and not getting it done fast enough to suit me. "Take it one step at at time. Make a list and check it off."

Problem is I am light years ahead in getting rid of stuff. I started last winter. I know where the Red Cross is. I sell on Ebay. And there IS always the dump.

Noone leaves my house without a goody bag of books and puzzles and kitchen appliances nowadays. I'm even hosting a Tuesday morning playgroup where I intend to seduce my friends into taking home all of my extra kitchen gadgets and cooking supplies.

So that the problem isn't the organization, but the expectations.

Problem is I'd like to get it all done and over with. NOW. TODAY. THIS MORNING even.

I am really no good at process-oriented thinking. I'm a real goal-oriented person. So that knowing WHEN the stuff will be taken care of isn't enough. I want it done and over with already.

Either that or, as I explained to Tracy, I want it all in nice, neat little bundles, organized and sorted and labelled. Clean, tidy. CONTROLLED.

Okay, so it's a control thing too. And it really sucks not having any.

Either I embrace the PATH of change, and not just the results..... or I am in for an ugly six weeks with 4 kids, a hubby and lots and lots of stuff to GET OUTTA HERE! (Honestly WAY easier in the USA where you can dump it all at the Red Cross any time of day or night, any day of the week. Or have a yard sale.)

The path. Living in the moment. Embracing the change as it is happening. Living in the midst of it. I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to try to enjoy the PROCESS of moving, instead of looking forward to the final result. Seeing the next six weeks as an adventure, instead of steps toward a goal.

Otherwise I lose six weeks.

For the record, today while I was whining to Lynn about getting nothing accomplished, I had already learned how to sell everything on Ebay, loaded on six items, sold a few more on a local site, done two loads of laundry, one load of dishes, including handwashing pots and pans, walked the dog, fed four children breakfast, gotten Andrew out to soccer camp, Ryan ready for riding and then both bathed and fed again afterwards. Damon had been carpooling and grocery shopping with the little ones. And we'd put together moving boxes, filled four of them, dismantled a desk in Andrew's room and.....

managed to breathe and do a little yoga.

Obviously not enough yoga.

So that I am certainly not qualified to be giving advice on priorities and making it through the day one step at a time.

Me, I've got to remember to breathe through all of this. Really breathe. And enjoy the kids - and being with the kids - instead of shunting them to the side while I focus on organizing their stuff.

Stuff sucks. Less is better. There's another lesson learned. (Enough so that we don't buy the same amount of $*%& on the other end? Let's wait and see!)

Embracing change, enjoying the path.

It'd be easier if the path weren't blocked by all those moving boxes!