Thursday Thought

“Some battles are better won by example than by persuasion.” -Chris Guillebeau

This quote came from the author of a book I read recently: "The Art of Non-Conformity".  Doesn't really sound like me does it... I really enjoyed this book though! It's not the idea that I want to travel the world or try to live like Chris Guillebeau lives, but it's more the idea of just living life how I want to and not worrying so much about how life is "supposed" to be.  I was keeping stuff out of guilt..."what will the person who gave me _____ think if they come over and it's not displayed in my home." "Everyone has a _______ so we probably need one too."  My clothes, hair, house, car, etc. etc. etc. "should" be or look a certain way (like other peoples look, of course!)  Anyway, what I learned from the book is to STOP that kind of thinking. 

The quote is from his web-site today, it really made me think about people who just never seem to LISTEN.  Most all the time it is better just to go on living your life and being an example of good, happy things, rather than trying to persuade them to see why you choose to live with a good and happy attitude:)  So that is the thought for the day:

“Some battles are better won by example than by persuasion.”

Project:Simplify Paper Clutter

Week two of Simple Mom's Project Simplify . This week's hot spot is paper clutter... Can I say that when I read the announcement on Monday morning my brain had a meltdown.  Paper clutter is my downfall.  I tend to just stack and think I'll deal with it "later"... later usually comes, well, later when the coupons are all expired and we've missed the event that goes with the invitation that was in the stack, etc. etc.  I've also had a cold all this week, another excuse to skip the project and wait until next week's hotspot.  Nope, I'm STRONG, I told myself, I CAN DO IT!  So I started.  Here are my before pictures:

I had a large pile of recycling that I sent to work with Thayne to be shredded.

And After!  The big file cabinet upstairs also acts as a bedside table.

This smaller file box is in the kitchen and is supposed to hold school papers, store ads, coupons, bills to pay, and other short term items. The idea was to keep it all off the counter.  It's a good system, but I need to use it now! I think I still have some work to do in this area:)  Thanks Simple Mom for the motivation!

Thursday Thought

     "Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same."     ~Francesca Reigler

     Well, if the amount of work is the same, then I CHOOSE Happy and Strong!  Love, Happiness and Strength to you all too!

Project: Simplify

I'm participating in Simple Mom's Project: Simplify! The project this week? My wardrobe and closet.  I had a bit of a jump start on this project because we had gone through our clothes in January and sent quite a pile to the Deseret Industries Trift store.  I turned all the hangers backwards so we could see what we were really wearing and what items we had kept 'just because we may wear them'.  The Project:Simplify gave me the push to go through all my clothes again, a lot of the clothes whose hangers were still hanging backwards were put in the give away pile.  A few are still backwards because it's just too cold to wear them yet! I got rid of a big pile of stuff, I can see and vacuum the floor in my closet now without moving anything! Yay! Here are my pictures BEFORE:

and AFTER:

Now I'm ready for next week!

Thursday Thought

"And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them."  Doctrine and Covenants 109:22

This is my thought for today.  I'm planning to print it out and place it near the door to our home so that when we come and go we can be mindful of the love and power of our Heavenly Father, and so that we can know that we are being watched over.

Baby!

I get to be the next Grandma Atkinson! We're getting a baby BOY...So I have been purchasing little pieces of flannel to make a quilt or a receiving blanket.  Maybe both, but now that we know it's a boy I need to get started. (I was buying both boy and girl fabric up to this point, so the girl stuff will go in the stash for now)

Thursday Thought

"There are two types of pain you will go through in life, the pain of discipline and the pain of regret."
— Jim Rohn

This is a thought that a missionary friend of ours used in his talk this past week.  Hannah said it is also hanging on the wall in her gym class at school.  It really made me think when I heard it, I guess because it applies to everything in life.  The first thing I thought of was the pain I have been having with my lower back.  If I had been disciplined I would have stayed physically fit throughout my life and would not have to work so hard at it now, I am suffering the pain of regret for that.  There is also the disclipline to do what is right no matter the consequences.  Sometimes even when you choose to do the right thing, people get upset with you and you may suffer. NO REGRETS though, because choosing to ignore a situation or to look the other way will always cause the pain of regret.  You could have done something about the situation and instead you choose to ignore it. The pain of regret is always heavier than the pain of discipline.