Junk Closet

Have you ever felt that you life is starting to feel like a junk closet that desperately needs cleaning, but is neglected for lack of time and energy? Not so long ago, that was me working at a utility company doing technical writing and business analysis. I kept putting off my writing goals by telling myself I was opting for the safe, secure career. The longer I continued with this, the more I unhappy I became with just earning a paycheck and working for companies who did not respect my values. I knew my emotional junk closet was reaching its limit and any moment the door would bust open spewing my unresolved ambitions everywhere.

When I resigned my 14-year career as an Information Technology (IT) Analyst to stay home and write, it was to prove I could make a living as a full-time writer. The first few months of my sabbatical were spent sifting through the junk where I discovered that I needed my talents to be used to sustain and inspire my family and me. The circle of life began to take on new meaning in realizing we are all products of those who reared us and those who reared them and so on.

All people wanted to be loved and appreciated but we cannot receive those gifts if we do not give of ourselves to help others. The act itself is what makes it worthwhile when you see how your sacrifices make life better for those around you. Then you will find others doing the same in return. Traditions like this have become lost in our fast-forwarded, multitasking lifestyles. We want our kids to learn faster, achieve their goals, and increase their earning potential in the hopes they will live happier and more stable lives. However, no one can do this without a strong support system (like family and friends) for stability, strength, and self-confidence to succeed.

Without support, we too easily become weak and confused eventually running out of steam and giving up. Confident people know failure provides valuable lessons for understanding how to change. Taking ownership of our weak points lets us modify our life plans when needed. Having a loving, supportive family offers a comfortable environment in which to work through problems and learn from failure.

It was then I realized that by neglecting my own dreams, I was too wiped out to support my family in their own dreams. My hectic life made it difficult to sort through the chaos and I had no time to make sense of my own thoughts. So, like many others, my junk closet kept getting fuller and Fuller and FULLER.

Sometimes we make necessary life changes automatically and other times we must be more deliberate about them. Usually, our instincts clue us in to what’s right for that moment so we know how to proceed. Yet our jam-packed lives make it all but impossible to wade through the chaos much less have time to make sense of our own thoughts.

Exercise and hobbies are usually the first things in life we abandon when we are stressed to the limit. Yet, these activities anchor us and provide relaxation and clarity allowing us to reconnect with our true selves. I get my best ideas while writing or sewing or even pulling weeds in the garden as it these activities let me see things more optimistically like looking through a fog with a crystal ball.

As with any cleaning job, this self maintenance requires daily effort, but is well worthwhile as it prevents you from stuffing too many things in that junk closet to resolve later. When you're mentally and physically disciplined, you make yourself available for the next important thing in your life. Then you can sit back and wait for what the crystal ball reveals next.