Storms...

So, unless you are a REALLY deep sleeper, you might have noticed that we had a little rain last night...

in fact, what we had was more along the lines of a crazy downpour, complete with big BOOMS of thunder and brilliant flashes of lightning!

It was INTENSE!

As I sit in front of my trusty Mac this morning, I started thinking about how clean everything looks after a big storm. It occurred to me that there was an analogy in there...sometimes, we have to endure the process of working through a mess in order to emerge renewed. You could apply this line of thinking to any number of situations, from a cluttered physical space, such as a closet or home office, to a messy relationship that is hard to break free from.

I spent yesterday afternoon with a new friend, and over coffee and dessert, we started sharing incidents from our pasts. So many of us have shared similar life experiences...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thankfully, my friend and I have both learned that we can choose to stay stuck in the past, pointing fingers and blaming others, or we can move on. For me, making the choice to move on often means that I have learned a lesson from the experience and will, hopefully, not make the same mistake in the future. It also means that I have come out on the other side of an often painful, usually messy situation as a different person. I have learned something about myself, and in that process, there has been a shift and I have changed.

I know in my life, things usually make sense in hindsight...I review my past and I can see how, seemingly unrelated events are actually connected and have led me to where I am today. I came to Chicago many years ago on a whim (one day I will share the story...it's a hoot!), but today I know that I needed to be here to meet the people I have met and have the experiences I have had (and some were NOT good) to have the life I have today. And for that, I am grateful.

So next time you find yourself in the middle of a storm, remember this...it will get messy but, if you keep moving forward, you will eventually come out the other side...and you may even see a rainbow!

Do-over

SO....my first week in blog-land has been pretty weak. I am not making a very good first impression....my apologies. I am still getting the hang of this stuff!

First, what is the purpose of this blog? Initially, I planned to use this as a forum to share organization tips and promote my home and office organization business, Edited Space. Upon reflection, I decided that I wanted this to be more than just...that.

Edited Space began as a way for me to help others restore order to their lives by eliminating the excess "stuff" that one accumulates over the course of a lifetime. As it has developed, the business has evolved into a way to create some room to "breathe"...both literally and figuratively. As such, I have decided that I would like this blog to address this concept of creating "breathing room" in our lives.

Obviously, each of us has a different idea of what room to breathe looks like: a bubble bath, a walk on the beach, dancing in the grass at an outdoor concert...the options are endless and as individual and perfect as each one of us.

So, my intention for this blog is to be a mix of things that bring a smile to my face and make me say..."ah!"

That's "breathing room"...and I look forward to sharing this with you!