Feng Shui for Celebrating Transitions: Reflections

Riverfront      Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

"How can you know what you are capable of if you don't embrace the unknown?"  --Esmeralda Santiago

So wrote Puerto Rican author, Esmeralda Santiago. Once a renowned actress, Santiago her life is a beautiful example of embracing the unknown, the seeming impossible. Her family moved to New York City when Esmeralda was 13. She went to the city college  part time for eight years before transferring to Harvard University. She studied drama and dance before becoming an actress. Before her career as an author, she evolved from actress to film director and producer. She and her husband founded CANTOMEDIA, an award-winning film and production company. She has written a number of novels including a memoir, When I Was Puerto Rican, Almost a Woman, La Mamis: Favorite Latin American Authors Remember Their Mothers.  When we read her quote out of context of her life, it's profound by itself. When we read and understand it within her life itself, it's inspiring. 

Life is full of opportunities where transition into or out of one phase of life, line of work, relationship, or challenge/obstacle offers us the chance to start over. New Year's celebrations are annual events where we mark the time of an ending of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. Feng Shui, the art and appreciation of how we use our energy, gives us a way to honor this powerful cycle of change. Feng Shui is about the flow of energy, and our recognizing it and engaging with that energy in a way to either hinder or release the flow. As our solar new year comes to an end, we prepare to turn a new page in our life's cycle (collectively and individually). The first part of this series focused on preparing for a new year. Today we look at ways to energize our New Year's celebrations. 

Attracting good fortune:

Power of numbers. Numbers are important in Feng Shui. The number 3 is an especially powerful number, and if you square the number, you get the number 27. Moving 27 items in and around your house, helps increase the flow of Chi/energy to promote increase. 

Fill your wallet. Get a bright new wallet (red or gold is good) and fill it with brand new bills. Even if you're low on cash, you can break down a larger bill and fill your wallet with ones. Also, sprinkle a bit of ginger in the wallet to stimulate increase. 

Start a Savings. Start the year determined to promote growth and increase by having a plan to save. Saving as opposed to hoarding, is based on increase, not limiting. When we hold on tight to our resources (hoard them), we limit the flow (time, energy, money, health, love). When we set aside a part of what we take in and use it to help promote growth, we get ourselves into the flow and out of the poverty mentality that limits us. 

There are all kinds of ways to save easily. Consider one of these as the new year begins.

• When you get change, transfer all the coins into a money jar. At intervals you decide, donate a good portion of the change, and build on the remaining.
• When you get change for currency, save all the $5 bills. Fold them in a special way, and put them aside. Use them as an emergency fund or special events savings.
• Beginning on the first day of the year or a certain day each week (every Saturday for example), start a savings jar with $1. Each week increase it by one. Week two, $2, week three, $3 and so on. Within a year you can save over $1300 if you don't spend any of it. 
• Set aside a portion of your income 10% for savings, 10% for donating or having to spend on some service or project for others. Tithing is an ancient practice based on the idea that in order to receive, we need to be in the flow. It is in giving that we receive. This flow is part of the Chi/energy that we exchange when we buy, sell, and exchange goods and services.
• Make a practice at the checkstand to donate change. Turn in bottles for refunds and donate to local causes. 

Nourishing and Sweetening Our Lives. Feng Shui is also about how we nourish and sweeten our lives and the lives of others. New Year's 2018 is a great time to use foods, sweets, and other ways of nourishing ourselves and others in order to increase the flow of Chi/energy. 

• Add Sweetness to your life. Symbolically, sugar or honey represent the sweetness of life. Sweet foods are meant for special occasions. Fill the sugar bowls and/or other sweet spots in your home. Have a candy bowl, a fresh bowl of fresh fruit, a full jar of honey, or a special sweet cake on hand. Celebrations are about pleasure, not restrictions. In Feng Shui, the idea of restricting our diets to the exclusion of anything delightful, is antithesis of growth and flow.  We don't need an entire box of chocolates to enjoy the taste of sweetness. A cup of hot chocolate or a bite of a fresh-baked cookie will do. A bowl of small, individually wrapped chocolate can be more nurturing than a bunch of sweet goodies. Moderation and balance can help form a healthy attitude and appetite about sweet things. 
• Special Foods for Good Fortune:  Different cultures have different kinds of foods for new year celebrations. Some traditions include: Japanese Soba (noodles) eaten as the new year begins. In Germany, the tradition is to eat Sauerkraut on New Year's Eve. In Spain, it is a tradition to eat 12 grapes in rapid succession for good luck. Italians make Contechino con Lenticchie (lentils with sausage) to celebrate the new year. In Greece people bake a cake, Vasilopita, with a coin in the middle. Some say, the one who finds the coin is married by the end of the year. Others say, they have extra good luck all year. The cake is eaten at midnight. In Poland the celebratory food is pickled herring, while in Cuba, roasting a suckling pig guarantees good luck for the coming year. Sweden and Finland serve rice pudding with an almond hidden in it. The one who gets the almond is in for extra good luck during the new year. In my own family, we serve a traditional Southern dish, Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas, ham, and spinach soup) and corn bread (comforting, sweet, and golden). This is the first meal we serve in the new year. This year I've invited friends to stop by to enjoy the tradition with me. 
• Traditions.  Foods are a big part of family and cultural traditions. There are others too, that help get the new year off to a good start. First Walks/Runs (ie., Portland, Oregon and other cities), Polar Bear Swims (jumping in the cold lake or ocean, Yoga at midnight (Gypsy Yoga in Astoria, Oregon), Mud football in the park on New Year's Day. And of course many families gather to watch the bowl games (football, US style) where college games are played on New Year's Day. Also parades and parties are traditional ways for people to gather and celebrate. Think about what traditions you like and save them. Eliminate the ones you don't like (ie, drinking yourself silly, or overeating) and incorporate the new and old traditions to fit your changing lifestyle and tastes. 
• Noise.  In many cultures, making noise symbolizes chasing away the bad spirits. Symbolically, the noise represents our need to clear our lives, minds, and hearts of whatever makes us afraid, fearful, or depressed. Fireworks with their loud bangs and pops, are meant to symbolize both celebration and chasing away the bad Chi.  We used to bang pots and pans with wooden spoons at midnight. In Astoria, Oregon, we love hearing the ships anchored in the river all blow their whistles at midnight. This goes on for about 15 minutes, and is a welcome sound to celebrate the new year.
• First Words.  The first words you utter in the New Year, set the tone for the whole year. Think about what you want to bring into your life and the world with the words you use, not only at New Year's but also during the whole year. Happy New Year, Feliz Ano Nuevo, Buon anno,  Bonne Annee, Xin Yuan Kwai Le, Aiyam jadeed saeed. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phillipians 4:8)

Have a wonderful entry into the new year, and think about what you want to leave behind and what you want to take forward with you. Embrace the mystery of the unknown, and allow yourself to dream, imagine, and take the first steps toward something that delights and attracts you. Be good to yourself and others, and use the blessing, talents, and gifts you've been given to make the future new year brighter and more creative. Happy New Year. 

Feng Shui for the Transition Times: Happy New Year 2018

My Guitar                                       Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

Transition times are great times for clearing out the old and making room for the new. The Solar New Year, 2018 begins in January, and provides an excellent time to prepare for and to greet the energy of the new year. This 3-part series looks at how you can use Feng Shui to prepare for, celebrate, and enter into living an energy-filled good new year. 

Preparing for the New Year
As the old year winds down, it is natural to reflect on what has happened in the past and what we hope will happen in the future. We mark the passing of time, and this is a good practice to remind us of how our energy has been used. Try to do some intentional preparing before the new year begins.

• Assessing. Take a look around. Observe how your home and surroundings are. Notice where there are areas that need to be cleared, cleaned, or rearranged. Make note of what needs tending to, and then prioritize your list (not everything is of equal importance). Look at yourself-your health, your physical appearance and hygiene, your dress and hair style---all those things that reflect how you feel about yourself. Notice the colors you're being drawn to.  What, if anything, needs addressing?
• Decluttering.  Spend some time decluttering your home, your car, your desk, your office, your purse, and the areas around your doors. As you do this, separate items you want to give away, repurpose, or trash into baskets/bags, and pack them in your car so that you can take them to their intended destination before the new year.

Clearing. Going through files, drawers, cupboards, closets, and rooms to rid yourself of unnecessary items, is a form of decluttering, but focuses more on releasing energy that is more hidden. Files on computers or in filing cabinets/paper files, canned goods, products, outdated medicine, makeup, photo files (hard and efiles), and any other place where items sit unused or unneeded in some form. Everything we have holds a certain amount of our energy, and when we can release ourselves from that energy, we free the energy up to use in more creative and productive ways.  For example, in the interest of conserving resources, I save glass jars. My plan is to repurpose them, but often I create an overabundance of them. Recycling or giving to someone who will use them is a better idea of having them taking up space and energy. It's also a very good Feng Shui principle to give things away to those who need them or will use them. A good friend is very good at giving items she once loved to someone new to love that item. 

Giving away something of value to someone we care deeply for is also a great way to release ourselves from being too attached to a possession while realizing its value lies in being able to pass it to someone new to enjoy. Jewelry is one item that we often pass along, and it's a very good idea to share our beautiful things with those who could use a little more beauty in their lives. My most precious gifts are those items of jewelry that someone has given me, a bracelet of my Mothers', earrings of a friend, a necklace or ring that someone has worn and now passes along to me. It's easier to give away something that doesn't mean anything to us; it's harder to give away something of value, but there is a special magic and power in that kind of gifting.

Make the new year (or any transition time) an occasion to notice how you feel about your attachments to your surroundings, and even to your own habits.

Cleaning. Good Feng Shui is created when we allow the Chi/Energy to flow more freely. This pertains to both the arrangement and the condition of our homes, work spaces, and ourselves. Clean out the drains (vinegar and baking soda is a simple, non-toxic way to do this). Clean out the refrigerator.

Taking a hint from Jewish practices of the Sabbath, try to have all your cooking and cleaning done the day before New Years, so you arrive into the new year with everything clean and in place and you relieve yourself of having to work too much as the year begins. One of the blessings of Feng Shui is creating a flow of energy that allows you to balance all areas of your life--body, mind, and spirit. Allow yourself time and energy to enjoy life, get enough rest, and find ways to balance work with the joy of living.

Change your linens, get the laundry done, clean up any messes that create negative Chi/energy in your home. Clean up the areas around your doors, and adorn them with something red or gold (good luck colors). Change your clothes, and dress up a bit. Clean out your wallet and purse (get a new red wallet for yourself).


Creating an Inviting Home. Along with decorating your doors for guests coming and going, make your home inviting. Yesterday I stopped to admire the beautiful winter bouquets in my little neighborhood market, and the shop owner gave me a bouquet. It is full of white and red flowers, adorned with red tissue, and brightens up my home. Rearrange your home to take advantage of the light and open all the windows (even briefly if it's stormy) to let in fresh air.
A year ago I moved, and realized that years of wear and tear and pets had made my rugs past their shelf life. A friend gave me a gift of two new rugs, and now I realize how important it is to keep the house not only looking good but also making it easier to keep clean and presentable. Area rugs are often on sale at this time of year, and provide an easy, colorful update to your environment. Donate the rugs and let someone else get the use out of the ones you let go of. Garage sales, yards sales, and clearance sales are great spots to find new lighting. Lamps are fairly easy to repair, and provide much needed light and style to your decor.

Change up the color in your decor.  This year I've added a lot of red, purple, and blue to my decorating. While on vacation I found some beautiful, inexpensive curtain panels at Target. Now I'm going to replace my vertical blinds with a big dash of color and more privacy. Add a dash of color to your wardrobe, your hair, or your accessories. Pick colors that enliven you, and notice what colors in your wardrobe or house are faded, worn out, or outdated for who you are now. Take the occasion to spruce things up, and in the process, get rid of what you no longer need. As you add to your life, be sure to release something in kind. For every new piece of clothing, one or two pieces go to be recycled. Same thing with items and pieces of art.

Be sure to use the five Feng Shui elements throughout your home. Wood, Fire, Water, Air, and Metal can help to balance the energy and vibrancy creating a better flow when placed in the home. For example, wood and water elements placed in the South and Southeast corner of your home/room/space will attract greater prosperity. Wood furniture and lush plants in the East areas of the house attract good health and well being.


Setting Intentions. One thing I've noticed for myself and have heard others also mention is that this time is a time to rest and relax. A time out, so to speak when we recharge our batteries and take some much-needed time to get outdoors, take a nap, read a book, catch up with friends, or simply spend time alone being quiet and peaceful. We might meditate or take long walks. Whatever we choose to do this weekend, let's include a little time to set some intentions for the next year. One mantra that has been running through my mind is 'be simple'; another is 'surrender to what is'. Your callings may be much different. Listen to that inner voice, the answer to those prayers of yours, or those desires you've had that you may have put on the shelf over and over. Rather that thinking about what you're going to change, think about what's working that you want to keep doing. Make a list of all that you've accomplished over the last year. Or a list of all that has changed since last new years. Make a list of what you are thankful for. And then consider what you want to release and not carry forward into the new year.

Your home and all the spaces where you spend your time/energy/Chi are sources of energy for your life. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your life, it is essential that you identify what it is that needs changing, and then make some effort to bring about changes in that area in the new year. Not to do so, means you carry that unhappy energy into your new year. Someone once told me when I wasn't feeling good about life to 'act as if'.  To dress up, imagine myself as the happy person I wanted to be, the healthy person, the prosperous person, and then act as if I were.

So much of what happens to us in our lives is in direct proportion to how we're feeling about ourselves, others, situations, or conditions, and and what kind of energy we put into improving and lifting ourselves and others.  Our thoughts and actions are powerful sources of energy, so do a bit of self reflecting and set some intentions for improving. And then act as if it is already true. All actions have their roots in the imagination...thinking something could be or is so. Fill your mind with good positive thoughts of what you see yourself being, doing, having, creating, and achieving.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about celebrating the new year.

That One Good Thing

That One Good Thing

Organizing our lives, often revolves around the hardest times and the times we least know what to do to help ourselves or others. Early on in life, I learned that out of even the worst situation, there was something that could be learned or taken away from it. That one good thing. It probably came to me through my Mother's promptings to look on the bright side of life. It has been my practice to look for whatever that is in dark times as well as the good ones.

That one good thing may be finding something of value out of a wealth of information laying before you. When we open a webiste or read a 'how to' book, what is the one good thing that we remember? Years ago when the idea of decluttering caught up with my constant practice of trying to get life organized, I came upon a website called The Fly Lady. Maybe some of you have heard of her? I hadn't thought about the Fly Lady much for years, until yesterday when confronted with an unexpected need to get people organized to help a friend.

My friends' 17 year old son died on Sunday afternoon. He'd been undergoing chemotherapy for metassticized cancer. Bad enough, he developed a horrendous bacterial infection and within two days, he was dead. His Mother, my dear friend, contacted me and asked me if I'd keep an eye on her ex-husband. She herself has friends and family supporting her; he does not have nearly as much support. Both are different kinds of people with very different needs, so although very sad and wrecked about Alex's death, I knew his Mother would let me know what she needed. Alex's father on the other hand, was all over the place. A very emotional, dramatic guy, he's been devoted to his son, and was not dealing well at all.

Yesterday after yoga, I went to get a coffee before meeting a friend, and I ran into the dad. I held him as he sobbed and talked to me about how he was feeling, and he asked if I could help him move some things Now the dad, my friend, is a big guy who single-handedly lifted and moved my sofa up a steep flight of stairs (and back down again last year). I, on the other hand, am not a big person, and have reached the point where lifting is not okay. What I know about my friend is he needs company, grounding, and concrete ways to channel his grief, at least right now. I asked questions that enabled him to talk about specific needs (wanting to contact Alex's friends, needing to clean up the house that had been left in disrepair and disarray for months if not years. The father's grief is compounded by his lack of basic needs right now, so I knew he needed more than my help.

When I met my other friend, she told me about the people who wanted to help. Most everyone was in the position of not wanting to intrude on the parent's grief, but not wanting to do nothing. No one seemed to know where to begin. I, on the other hand, felt like I had been divinely guided to meet my friend on the pier. I had made certain both people knew I was available, but waited for them to let me know it was okay to act. My good friend's request to support her ex-husband, was my cue.

By the time I got home, I'd made a mental note of the people who I thought would want to help as well as the ones who had already said they would. I started by setting up a group page on FB, and inviting people to join. Then I set up a meal delivery plan, and got a sign up started to deliver meals and companionship daily for at least two weeks.

At each stage, more people added their ingredients to the pot of care. People offered trucks and time to help move items to Goodwill and local thrift shops. Others offered to set up a fundraiser in the community to help both parents with financial needs. And so the ball is rolling, and several of us are monitoring the changing situation to determine what is needed at different stages. One good friend is driving home from California to help clean and cook for a couple of days. I'll join her and do what I can. The most important part is solid, grounded company and a willingness to listen, to the different needs of both parents.

When something so unexpected happens, something as shocking as the loss of a young man who's barely had time to live, we, the community, all have to figure out how to deal with the horror of it. It makes those of us who are parents feel that unspoken dread we all have of wanting to protect our children from anything bad. It hits those without children of their own differently, but we all know what loss and grief feel like, and just how hard it is to know what to do about it.

After the day was done, and I needed to rest and relax a bit, I glanced across the room at the dishes and dish pan in the sink. I remembered The Fly Lady, whose first step toward's an organized life is cleaning the kitchen sink. I reread her instructions, although of course I know how to clean a sink. But I needed reminding of what each step was about. I took everything out of the sink, and filled it with hot water and bleach. I then rinsed the sink out and gave it a through cleaning. I washed and dried all the dishes, and then put everything away, including the dish pan and drainer. I cleaned and shined the sink, and then cleared and cleaned the counters. For the first time in a year, my kitchen looked neat and tidy.It took me a very little time to do this, and made me feel better.

This morning when i woke up, I saw the cleared and cleaned counters and sink, and felt it might be one thing I could do to make life a little easier. A step towards coping with bigger issues. The clean sink at night step is a bit like the Morning Pages of the Artist's Way--something small that make others things easier, lighter, and clearer. That one small thing that I can do, despite the overwhelming sense that there's just too much to tackle to ever get over the mountain. Kind of in line with doing it in littles, a habit or two that help put our lives in order, to let the flow, the Chi move unimpeded, as we live life that can become complex and tragic in a split second.

Out of our grief and sorrow, out of feeling of frustration or helplessness, in spite of our overwhelming sense of pain, we can all do something. One small thing that makes a difference, and it's usually for someone else. It helps us connect, unite, and express some compassion at times when we need that most.

Feng Shui and Inner Change: Your Lucky Day

Resting Place                  Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

Feng Shui is the art of working with your surroundings to influence the flow of Chi/Energy. According to ancient Chinese principles, luck or good fortune play a key role in the movement of life. Our inner lives are just as important as our outer lives and surroundings. The principles of the use of energy is the same.

Tien is the luck from Heaven. A divine gift or grace that you receive whether you are looking for it or not. We humans have no power to influence this kind of luck, other than to remain open to receiving its benefits. If we don't see the good fortune right in front of us, or if we turn away from the answer to our prayers when it arrives, we are being unreceptive to Tien, Heavenly luck.

Ti is the Earth luck, the good fortune that flows in and out of our lives. We can have an influence on Ti, Earth luck by how we use the energy in our surroundings. We can block bad energy and we can attract auspicious energy to us through the way we use our energy and arrange our lives.

Ren is the kind of luck we make for ourselves when we go beyond the boundaries we or others have set for us. Stepping out of our comfort zone, so to speak.

Together the three types of luck or good fortune influence and affect our lives. As I write this column today, The Sun and Jupiter meet in their annual meeting. This meeting, called a conjunction, heightens the energy of both the Sun/our star and Jupiter, the planet of benevolence and good fortune. Today is considered the luckiest day of the year. Since both Jupiter's orbit is distant from the Sun, it moves very slowly. That means that the influence that reaches its peak today continues to have an influence and continues to light up whatever area of our lives it has an impact on. Whatever we focus in on today, will continue to bring us gifts well into the future.

Whatever new path you have recently headed out on is highlighted by this influence. So how do we make the most of such energy? How do we use both Ti and Ren fortune to give ourselves a boost in the areas we hope will be shined upon by good fortune?

When change is imminent, it usually is signaled by a confluence of chaotic, upsetting, and crisis-ridden events. One person I spoke to said every meeting she attended was rife with cranky people and conflict. So much so that she knew it wasn't just what she was feeling. And often we only need to look around us to see how our energy is blocked and tying things up for us.

How do your surroundings reflect your current energy?
Without getting up from where you are, think of all the places in your home or office or studio where there are piles, messes, or clutter. Are there still dishes in the sink, or clothes hanging on door knobs? When was the last time you cleaned out your purse, briefcase, or desktop? Outer reflects inner. Whatever you observe around you, is affected by and affects your inner balance.

What is most important to you at this time?
Whether you are just beginning a project or new path, are in the middle of a journey, or nearing the end of one, there are always new considerations that require balance of your time, energy, and resources. Rather that feeling like you have to act on every impulse, thought, or opportunity, it is crucial to take some time to determine what matters most. To do this, I'd make a short list of the top 4-5 immediate projects I'm working on or issues I'm dealing with. You might start with a longer list, and that's telling, because given the same 24 hours we each have in a day, most of us can only do a few things at a time, well. If we are over-programmed or over-scheduled (or both) this needs to be addressed. It's as important as having your desk facing the door (a Feng Shui suggestion), to have a clear view of what matters most.

Once you've narrowed down your list to 4-5 manageable projects or issues,  prioritize that list. This helps give you a clear picture of how much time and energy each project is taking or should be taking. We often spend too much time on some things and not enough on others. We may discover that what once was important, is no longer. What needs to go, what needs to stay?

Assess how you're using your energy and time. Time, like money and creativity, is energy. When we're working with our creativity (art, writing, music, drama, film, and other creative careers), we need to figure in time, money, energy, and space in order to see how we're using our energy.

For a while now, months if not years, I've been feeling the need to get assistance with my businesses. Running a one-woman show especially when it's more than one show, is not ideal. Besides being exhausting, it's not even efficient or effective. Once I made that need clear to myself and the Universe, the Divine, answers to my prayers began appearing. First were people who helped me with books I was working on. Then as my work increased, the opportunity to hand off a major chunk of my administrative, e-marketing, and organization work appeared.  Rather than greeting this with open arms and a positive 'can do'  feeling, I began finding reasons not to accept the help. As with many of us, most of those concerns revolved around the financial piece.

When I began examining why I was resisting taking this next big and necessary step, it boiled down to fear. Fear I wouldn't be able to afford it. Wrong! Fear is the block that must be removed, as the flow cannot happen when fear blocks the way. We can make all the excuses we need to explain it away, but fear is as bad as situating our homes on a cliff teetering over the ocean. When a big enough wave hits, the cliff is going to slide into the sea, and the house with it. When we get to these times in our lives when we allow fear to stop us in our tracks, the kind of Ti and Ren we need resides in first of all identifying what is holding us back. Second, it requires we take some risks and step out of the comfort zone in order to put ourselves on the path of good fortune.

If we never go in search of good fortune, we are guaranteed to occasionally run into luck anyway. Often though, we will turn our backs and walk away or see it as a stroke of good luck. What we may fail to see is how it is a door into a new way of traveling the path we're on. Any creative art is in some sense, an act of faith. We do what we love because we feel compelled to, and if we are courageous, that art and our life as an artist becomes more and more important.

On any path, be it the writer or artist's path or any other kind of calling or career, we find ourselves at stopping and turning point. We have new opportunities that appear or a path we're on disappears. We are offered a job or our job is eliminated. Both are opportunities, if we see them as such. When we meet with opportunity or challenges, we are arriving at a point where we again meet those two little ends of the spectrum. Like the proverbial angel and devil sitting on our shoulders, the two ends of the spectrum may be win-lose, rise-fall, open-shut, or Yes, yes-hell no. There is much in between the two ends though.

When we reach the stopping or turning points, we get to reassess and decide what we both want and need to do and what is stopping us from doing that. This inner Feng Shui (organizing your inner energy) is crucial as a means to grow, develop, and move more authentically in the direction you want to go. Once we take time to better understand what stops us, we can rearrange our thinking to address the blocks, challenges, and opportunities that lay before us.

On the luckiest day of the year, or any day, focusing our time, energy, attention, intentions, and resources on what is uplifting, the next best step, and energy-producing seems the likely move. Think back to any major choice you've made, and the amount of resistance you put into that before you made the choice. In most cases, when I do this, I realize the amount of resistance was so much greater than any kind of obstacle I met once I chose the path.

On this day, and every day, get out of your own way, and move towards what is enlivening to yourself and others. Do the work you have a passion for and have been trained and gifted with. Move out of your fears, frustration, or anger, and get on over that fence that seems to stand in your way. For on the other side of resistance, is life. Choose life. Always choose life.

Working Well Under Pressure and Outside the Box

Reflections                                                                                 Catherine Meyers

Judging from the last time I wrote this column, I'd say straightening up hasn't been on my agenda. Well at least that's what one might imagine. On the contrary, having just moved in December, my last column in January was just the beginning of a very focused period of organization. Most of that time was spent organizing from the move and working hard to a deadline to finish a book. Both are mostly done now, so I can come out from the haze of post-move and final deadline drama.

Today, when I ought to be getting the house ready for a gathering later on, I instead am out of the house by 7:10, and on my way to yoga and then last minute shopping. This column has popped out as a result of my reflections on how much better I like working under pressure than I do dragging things out over a long period of time. We all have different modes that work best for us. My writing-work mode is to stay focused and stay in. A weekly trip out to get supplies and if I really push myself, time to head to a yoga class or time to meet a friend for a walk, a chat, or a cuppa. My preferred mode is to stick to my routine and avoid too many distractions.

This comes after years of dividing my time, energy, strength, and focus among a number of competing demands and obligations. This morning after yoga, I headed to the store to pick up the few items I need for the Ceviche I'm fixing for tonight, and then I went to my favorite place on the river, Coffee Girl. I allow myself time at Coffee Girl at least once a week, and treasure the time there as if it were a trip to the Left Bank of Paris. Today, I met the owner, Betsy, and talked with her about book event. Then I stood in line to order my cafe au lait, and got myself a few Coffee Girl Stickers...to go with the Coffee Girl mug, my Coffee Girl sweatshirts and t-shirts (I don't even like t-shirts, but theirs are v-necked and soft). Along with my time alone with my coffee, I do a crossword puzzle or two and a Sudoko. This morning, I completed the puzzle in no time at all--a very rewarding feeling, and also did the Sudoko.

Head down in the newspaper Sudoko, I became aware of someone standing right beside me, and I looked up to see my friend, Margaret. She'd walked over to connect with me, and we had a nice catch up talk, before she joined her family for coffee. One thing we share in common is a very introverted personality...one that requires scads of time to regenerate. We also share a common background in teaching, administration, and theology...we even studied at the same seminary though not at the same time. This common bond makes it easy for me to tell her about my dislike of public events, and desire to do some small personal book events instead. Her response, "You don't need to tell me. We introverts need to find other ways of doing things." We looked one another in the eye, and nothing more was needed to understand what that's like.

My many extrovert friends, often wonder whether I'm slipping into a depression or losing touch with reality, but honestly, I feel like this time of my career as a writer is some of the most precious and valuable time I've ever had. My time is my own to organize or squander as I see fit. My writing, which is usually involving more than one project, allows me to take advantage of all kinds of experiences which help feed my mind, my imagination, my soul, and my creative yen. I can do extrovert when the need arises, and can even enjoy it---for a while. Then I need to get to a quiet space, rest up, and refocus on what is waiting to unfold before me.

Today, I thought about this column, and as I write it I find it's not just about organizing but it's about how to zero in on our own modus operandi. What works for me? How has my life changed, and what are the new demands, requirements, or challenges? Another good friend shared with me that she's been under the weather, and is looking for more energy to get back up to par. She's one of the busiest and most outgoing people I know, so it surprised me to hear her say she wasn't up to her usual pace and energy level.  We each have different kinds of metabolism.  And by that I'm not just referring to the physical rhythms and baseline level of health. The metabolism I refer to is our emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual, and baseline needs as a human being.

The system known as bio-feedback so popular in the 70s and 80s, allowed us to get back in touch with our rhythms and patterns of behavior.  When hooked up to the machine or when following the rhythms of our biological patterns, we learned to check in with our natural rhythms. The highs and lows, the ups and downs, and the regularities and inconsistencies that have such an effect on our lives, even when we're not paying attention.

Life, as many of us have lived it, has been determined to a great degree by the demands of the choices we've made regarding family, work, life styles, and our own dreams and desires. We have also been shaped by our limitations. One size does not fit all. Even in the same job or family situation, we recognize that individuals have very different needs and desires. What does this have to do with organizing? It has to do with finding the style of getting things in order that best suits us. And it also requires that we keep in mind that our styles change over time.  What worked when i was working at three separate campuses, and flying up and down the Eastern Seaboard, does not work for my lifestyle as a writer.

Not only different strokes for different folks, but also different ways to cope and adjust depending on what we're doing and what our priorities, needs, and demand are now. Some people stick to the old way of doing something, simply because, get ready, "that's the way I've always done it."  I'm sure you recognize that tendency. Do you recognize it in anything that has become routine and stagnant lately though? Stop for a minute and think of the routines you've established over the last year or so. Think of what your usual way of heading into summer usually looks like, and see if some adjustment isn't needed.

Tonight I'm having a small gathering for a good friend whose last day of work is today. She's done with the organized, structured, institutionalized work that she's been doing for over her adult work life. Now she's getting ready to enter a more creative exploration of what her life is going to turn into now. It's a meaningful transition for her, and I wanted to help her celebrate this threshold time. So my focus today, with the exception of writing this column, is to be about creating some special foods, preparing a comfortable setting, and getting myself and my home ready for greeting friends. Not concerned about who shows up, but more about showing my friend a celebration of moving out of a safe, comfortable, predictable mode into uncharted territory.

What moves me out of the complacent parts of my lifestyle, are those friends and family members who touch my heart and make me feel the need to do more for them. To go outside my own self-containment and open the doors to letting in more energy, joy, and celebration. So the menu that has been brewing in my imagination all week, is set to come together. Shrimp, lime, and onion are marinating. Avocados are waiting to be turned into guacamole and the topping on Ceveche Catrine, and the baguette and tortillas are waiting to become quesadillas and Bruschetta, complete with basel from my garden. And the Prosecco toast complete with lavender and mint, are ready to become toasts to the past, joy in the present, and hopes and dreams for the future.

For years I held a dream group at my home. Monthly we would gather to talk about our dreams. We'd also eat and toast to one another. One member of the group, Tiffany, brought us a gift of beautiful pink etched champagne glasses. They are our dream glasses, and tonight we will use them to toast the future.

In our daily lives, we organize, straighten, and put our lives in order or shape them with the simple things we do. Ever so often, though, it's good to shake things up, pull out the best china and crystal, and pick a bouquet of flowers to brighten up the lives of those who matter in our lives. Today is such a day, and the pleasure of shaking up my routine and getting out of the comfort zone, is worth it. So worth it.  As my friend Sally said this morning as she held her hands up like a box in front of her, "Life is happening outside the box."  And we should have a little bit of that excitement, departure from the routine, and out of the ordinary events to punctuate our lives each day.

Do something out of the ordinary. Change your routine just a bit. Look at the life in front of you from a different vantage point, and shake things up just a bit this weekend. Stop trying so hard at the things that are taking forever. Step away, pick stuff up off the floor, and toss out what is not longer working. Clear some space in your life to live more fully, and stop blocking yourself with busy work that keeps you from enjoying the fresh air, the sudden rain storm, the rainbows, and the gap in the day created when things don't work out. Find pleasure in the moments you find yourself in line or waiting for something. Use the time you have in more creative ways, and touch someone you love with a kiss of time, a prayer sent off in their direction, or a moment of forgiveness for someone who's has trapped your energy.  Release, let go, and celebrate. The time is right.  Get the energy in your life, your routines, and your thinking moving again, in a fresh direction. Shake things up a bit, and enjoy living outside the box.