Dear Friends,

We have an acronym for STUFF. It is Something That Undermines Family Fun. We have allowed stuff to suck the life right out of us. Let me break this down for you.

In our inability to love ourselves we have medicated with stuff. You know the saying when the going gets tough; the tough go shopping. We would do anything to keep our minds from dealing with what needs to be done. We shop, shop, shop and then bring it home. Eventually our homes began to close in on us. We start looking for a new home that will hold all of our stuff. The more storage the better; we may even rent a storage unit for the stuff that won’t fit. We never get rid of anything for fear that we might need it one day. Let me just say that is the “poor” way of thinking. I was taught by Rita Davenport that what you think about you bring about. Our way of thinking has created this downturn in our attitudes.

This way of thinking has been shaped mostly by what we hear; although we see a lot in print too: Every magazine, newspaper, television news program, and political candidate is filling our heads with gloom and doom. I say let’s quit listening to them. We have the ability to have a positive outlook on our lives by doing a few simple things.

Declutter what you listen to on the TV, Radio, and Internet. If you have to listen to something choose programs that uplift your spirit and not drag you down into the gutter. Listen to beautiful music and books on tape. Eliminating the negativity and commercials from the clutter in your heads will be a great beginning to Trickle Up Effect.

Most everyone seems to think that more spending is going to get us out of this rut. What does more spending do for you with your household budget. We spend it on clutter. That clutter needs a home and it is going to take yours from your family. More spending jacks up our credit card debt and eventually makes us feel bad. When we feel bad about ourselves and our homes we start that downward spiral. Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck because we have homes and driveways that are filled with stuff because something said we needed it.

I feel that we can make a difference in the hopeless feeling this is portrayed in the news media. When you are FLYing your outlook is happier. Those surveyors who call your home are wanting to hear how bad things are. Don’t give them the fuel to pollute our minds. As the song says, It is well with my soul! Stay strong and find a silver lining! There is joy in everything if we will look for it.

Here is my list for feeling more hopeful.

1. Shine your sink!(Don’t shake your head “NO” till you have tried it)
2. Plan your meals and cook what you planned.
3. Pick up after yourself.
4. Get rid of clutter in your home and your head.
5. Live within your means; your income and the walls of your home.
6. Count your blessings and not your troubles.
7. Go to bed at a decent hour and turn off the TV.
8. Do it now! Do something today that will make tomorrow better.
9. Don’t sweat the small stuff, what doesn’t matter, just doesn’t matter.
10. Laugh every day even if it is at yourself.
11. And last, Love like there is no tomorrow. Because all we really have is today! Make the best of it, instead of feeling sorry for yourself.

Let’s make our homes a peaceful place to live so that we don’t have to get sucked into the “Oh Whoa is Me” syndrome of the news media.

Are you ready to FLY? Go shine your sink! It’s a start to the Trickle Up Effect.

FlyLady

Have you been procrastinating about shining your sink? It can be a positive step in your life!