Ever feel like your life is messy? Not a complete mess, but messy. You know, like your yard is a weedy wreck and more creeping charlie than grass? Like you have too much clutter on your countertops, dressers? Like people who are supposed to be getting back to you are not? Like people who you always go out of your way to help are nowhere to be found when you could use a little help with something?

Today the breaking point for me was trying to get my middle school daughter’s schedule to print. After finally getting it printed, it was another issue to try to figure out how to read it and lay it out in a planner to simplify the transition to middle school. Another frustration. And the dog is barking and the hamburger is burning and I’m trying to solve another issue with a neighbor and a family member and…the list goes on. And I’m supposed to feel inspired enough to write or edit or whatever I’m supposed to be doing right now.

I lost it. Over a ridiculous printing malfunction. And I don’t like to ask for help. To look incapable of anything. It’s a serious flaw.

Sterling gave me the best advice to give it a break for a while. Sad, I needed advice from a nine year old. But, he was right. I needed to walk away for five minutes before I went all “Office Space” on my laptop ( although, when he beats up the fax machine with a baseball bat, that’s my favorite scene of the movie!!!)

Anyway, it was a reminder that I need to de-clutter and simplify. My home. My life. My schedule. The running around constantly (I need to get my kids on board with this one). The other alternative is to give it all up. All the material stuff that doesn’t matter. Sell it all and travel lightly around the world. Soooo tempting. I think about this all the time and Freddy and I talk about constant travel when the kids are self-sufficient and out of the house.

UNTIL then, simplify, simplify, simplify. De-cluttering my house and schedule is like cleaning out and de-cluttering my mind and will hopefully leave space for creativity and maybe even a little peace.