As you examine yourself, Take Inventory and Take Action, moving closer to the best you, living your best life, what about your environment? I am not speaking of Global Warming here; my reference is to your own personal habitat. Your cubicle at work, your home office, your hobby room, your kitchen, your desk, prayer closet, study, or man cave; that’s your environment – the area that immediately surrounds you many of your waking hours. Have you taken a look at it lately, I mean really taken a look?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the routine of doing what we perceive must be done that we miss stepping back and taking a look at the big picture. That is how we sometimes think we will get to a stack of papers and organize them for tax time and behold yet another (or several more) tax seasons are upon us only to find that we are not yet organized. Maybe you affirm that you will get your shopping list together before you enter the market merely to find yourself in the midst of the after work frenzy with hundreds of others rushing in a hunger, induced race to load your basket and get home, before stopping to purchase your meal at a fast food enterprise, out of convenience.

If I am not knocking on your door yet, hold on. Have you ever decided to buy another pair of black pumps to match the new outfit and when you take the time to look in your shoe collection realize you have about four pair of black pumps; all of which would have went well with that new outfit? Have you wondered why you can’t seem to get motivated to even think about focusing on yourself and your needs because it seems like all of your time is spent facilitating the needs of others? Hum…

Answering yes or maybe, to any of those queries may mean that you “Can’t see the forest for the trees”. You may be so focused on details that you can’t see what’s important, or you are so closely involved with the day-to-day that you are unable to see the “big picture”. Handling those details get you from one day to the next, sometimes just barely. You may have little energy and less motivation left to be carried along to the next day, the next task. Yet this kind of living causes one to miss the main path, because of the numerous distractions along the way.

I have spent far too many years thinking one day I will change those curtains, rearrange the furniture and purge those files. Sigh! Well my internal alarm sounded yesterday. I researched online to locate new window treatments for two rooms in the house. I was able to find what I wanted to make some changes, and then some, for a reasonable price. January is a good time to make purchases for items like window treatments. I was even motivated to spend time moving some furniture and accomplish much needed shredding of papers from; well let’s just say the armload of papers were not from 2012!

I have targeted more areas of the house that will be revitalized by the end of the month. I will focus on eliminating (dare I say it) clutter. As I continue to examine myself I also will closely examine my physical environment. I have found that I have an increased state of well being when my surroundings are free from unnecessary weight. As I focus on my temple (my body, me) I will also focus on the edifice in which I live (including my forest at home).

As I think about time passing and distractions I am thinking of a song titled, “Turn Around”. It was written in the 60s and here is an excerpt of the words penned by collaborators, Reynolds, Bellafonte and Greene:

Where are you goin’ my little one, little one?

Where are you goin’ my baby my own?
Turn around and you’re two
Turn around and you’re four
Turn around and you’re a young girl
Going out of the door

Where are you goin’ my little one, little one?
Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you’re tiny
Turn around and you’re grown
Turn around and you’re a young wife
With babes of your own

I think of the three daughters and one son that my husband and I raised. I think of times when I was thoroughly engaged in the trees and missed the forest. In retrospect there was always a clear path as a backdrop amongst the dense details of each tree. The complexities of my past, mixed in with others who helped to shape my future. The empowerment I possessed over my own legacy and the impressions made on those dear ones entrusted to me. God’s hand, light and love an ever-present occupant like the life sustaining moisture within the rainforest canopy.  I acknowledge the responsibility and privilege to impact the physical and human environment surrounding me. Undeniably, it remains today.

As you work on yourself, understand that you impact others and you too have a tremendous responsibility to focus on them. So do: purchase a new plant, clean out a closet, discard those items you will never actually use and whatever you are lead to do to create a more vibrant atmosphere where you are more likely to thrive. As an important part of your purpose here you are also to focus on loving your neighbor – your fellowman. That focus rightfully begins with those in your immediate household and in relationships with you, yes? Indeed we sometimes find it easier to be pleasant with those with home we are not in close contact. One can, on most days endure the shortcomings of others outside our inner circle with a different kind of discipline. Those encounters matter. Yet those individuals that matter to us the most, those important to us often get the worst of us. I intend no condemnation here; I simply want you to judge yourself and your deeds. Can you see the forest for the trees? You decide, Take Inventory and Take Action.

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”