Outside the zone

I have always enjoyed the fact that I am easily adaptable to new situations and that I like the challenge. So when a friend of mine told me that her dad needed help decluttering and organizing his home in Texas, I was excited at the prospect. I flew out there for a week and got back last week. I learned some very surprising things about myself...

Just before I was about to leave, I got really emotional about leaving my kids. I have never been away for them for even a night and now I was going for an entire week. Growing up, I never got homesick, even when I was living in London, so this emotional-ness was unexpected. I realized that I am so much more attached to my children than I thought was possible.

I also learned that leaving my comfort zone is such a good way for me to not only appreciate what I have, but grow as a person. I was flying to Texas to meet someone who wanted me to completely organize his house and I had no real professional experience doing so. I quickly adjusted to the situation though and it was a huge success. I know he is really happy with the results. And I enjoyed being able to offer my help (and the much-needed money was nice too:-)

Finally, I really did enjoy what I did for him. I know how easy it is to fall into a trap of accumulating so much stuff that you don't really need. I like living simply. It helps me to focus on my relationships with people rather than things. And when you have things organized in your home, it opens up both space and time to be doing the things that matter most.

Here's a picture of us getting ready to clean out the shed...That was an adventure!