So I thought I’d share a snippet from my newsletter. This will also help to explain why I’ve been away from the blog for a while…
March has been one of those months that simply flew by. It’s a time of year when many people’s thoughts turn to organizing. My one-on-one client load was extremely busy and I was putting the finishing touches on my newest workshop “Organize Your Paper Clutter.”
Busy is good. Right?
Well, maybe.
I sit here today vividly aware that time is the currency of life. How I choose to spend my time is the essence of my life. I am keenly aware of this due to a tragedy that affected my family and community last week. My daughter’s friend and classmate died in an accident last Friday evening. She was only seven years old.
This tragedy has caused sleepless nights and hours upon hours thinking—trying to sort it all out and make sense of it all. The emotion is still too raw to encapsulate it all. But one thing I know for sure is that because of this tragedy I have taken a step back and reaffirmed my own priorities. I have stepped back and realized all that I have to be grateful for. And I have stepped back and given thought to how I spend my time—how I spend my life. Am I spending my time intentionally? Am I giving the people around me the best me I have to give?
You may wonder what this has to do with clutter and getting organized—which is the real reason for sending this newsletter each month. The answer is that time has everything to do with clutter and getting organized. You see, clutter wastes our time. Clutter makes us feel bad. Clutter prevents us from living the best life we can possibly live. I urge you to take whatever steps you need to take to get out from under your own clutter. Make the commitment today to live your best life and share your best self with those you love.
I started writing this month’s article about the connection between stuff and time earlier this month. So, the tone is a bit more lighthearted than this welcome message. (Thank goodness, right?) I hope you enjoy the article and that it helps you to see your stuff in a new light, giving you yet one more reason or one more perspective on lightening your load of clutter and living your best life.
If you’d like to read the article but don’t yet subscribe to my newsletter, you can sign up here. This month’s article about the relationship between stuff and time will be a part of the bonus tips you get when signing up for the newsletter. I’ll be back to more regular blogging soon…
I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter’s friend…death of a dear one SHOULD cause us to assess our lives and how we are living them, otherwise, it was naught. We can’t undo the tragedy…all we can do is do our best to make sure our lives are, in fact, OUR lives. Blessings…
Oh Abby, I’m so sad to hear this. I just cannot imagine. You are so right, this does cause us to pause and reflect and treasure the people NOT the things. I just saw a sad interview with some relatives of those 3 families who were killed in the Montana small plane crash. The message they wanted to deliver was simply to hug your loved ones. Life is too short sometimes.
Aby- So sorry that tragedy strikes everyone. Thinking of you and your family.
best-
wendy
Aby,
Grace just came in to say goodnight (spring break = late night bedtime) and she of course started reading over my shoulder.
She had a friend die last year – not from an accident but from an illness and she asked if she could send K. something since “she knows how sad she is”.
I think I have your address somewhere – but wanted to check and see what you thought first.
Christall
Dear Aby,
Horrible news like this always puts things back in perspective… Just last friday I heard my 26 year old colleague could not battle cancer anymore. She was really calm about it, said life as it was was not worth fighting for anymore. She would never have any kids and never get married. I got together with a friend from work and cried, then we counted our blessings and reading your post today I can only say: you are so right. I am really, deeply sorry for your daughter and everyone around this little precious girl and wish you all strength.
Oh Aby! I just read this, and I just wanted to tell you how deeply sorry I am that you and your family and community, and especially your little girl, are going through this. Things like this never make sense and are never easy… I have a 7 year old daughter too, and I can’t imagine…
I’ve just finished the Org and Inspired class over at BPS — having you involved was wonderful! Thank you for sharing yourself, your insights and your expertise with all of us….
May you and your family find peace…
Aby – how absoultely terrible and terrifying. It sometimes takes an event like that to remind you to count your blessings and live your life with purpose – because just being here everyday (even if it’s amid all the clutter) is a gift.
hugs –
Hillary
Oh no! I’m so, so sorry. What a terrible thing to happen. Makes me want to reach for Wille, hold on and never let go.