Tip of the Month

 This month is the time for cleaning and clearing out the winter’s garbage. It is time to start preparing the outside for the summer gardens.

We, living things, love beauty. We look for beauty in our surroundings, in the way of clothes, cars, furnishings, and advertising. We even burden our children and pets with our visions of beauty by making them wear or live the way we perceive beauty to be.  Remember, beauty resides in the eyes of the beholder, which is different to everyone.

I challenge you to go beyond looking superficially at something, but look deeper and  at  its spirit. See the spirit in all living things. This is what spiritual means. The spirit of all living things.

Your home and garden has a spirit. The spirit of the one whom creates it. What is it you want your spirit to say to the world. As you close your eyes, image and see your spirit. If you had to describe your spirit, what would you say? Take a minute and write it down. Next, does your home or garden, bring your spirit to life. Does the spirit of your home or garden make you want to dance, sing, and laugh? If it does not, ask yourself why.

 Inside the home: Is the furniture dilapidated?  If it is, throw it out or get slipcovers and new pillows. Are the carpets dirty? If so, clean them. Do you need a new paint job?  If so, paint. A gallon of paint is only about $23 a gallon for a middle to top the line paint.  Do the accessories or pictures of the home hold good memories or are they filled with dead, tired, energy?  Give them away or have a garage sale if they don’t bring a smile to your face or a warm feeling to your heart.

These types of influences in your home can affect your mood and in turn affect your spirit or energy.

Outside the home: Are the lawn and flowerbeds or landscaping well kept? If not, clean it up. Plant some flowers. Use colors, which make your heart smile. Use flowers and bushes or trees from good childhood memories. My own grandmother loved lilacs and canning tomatoes. To this day,  I love the smell of lilacs because they smell of my grandmother and I love to can tomatoes. Even though, since it is just myself and just myself and we don’t eat many, I give them away. Call me for a canned tomato!!

Secondly, does your yard look like a junkyard? If it does, clean it up. Take it to the dump or call a haul away service to come get it. All of this tired, broken down energy affects the eyes and confuses the mind and cause the well-being of the entire body. This type of run down energy, lowers the spirit of the land in which it resides.

Things to do to achieve your Spring Agenda:

• Do an inventory on your home this Spring.  Make a list of all things you would like to accomplish or change to your home to bring your spirit  and new energy back into your life.

• Break this list down into a smaller list of activities to complete each week. Next step is  complete them.

• Break this weekly list, even farther down into a daily list. It may be as simple as cleaning a magazine basket.  Only do what is manageable on any given day. Do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed with tasks. If you feel you are overwhelmed, break the list down again. Life is a journey to be lived, not forced.

Stick to your goals and by the fall, you will find yourself a new person. Your energy will increase, your productivity will increase, and you will probably find your ability to SING, DANCE, and LAUGH  has become  of second nature. This is because, as you feed your spirit  and it is reflected in your home, your mind, body, and spirit, and responds accordingly and thanks you through laughter.

 Have a great Spring!!! Love M.