Do you ever get stuck? I’m guessing that you said, “yes” to that question. We get stuck for so many reasons such as we aren’t sure what to do next, or that next step seems too big, or we lack the confidence to experiment, or a million and one other reasons why we are treading water, but moving nowhere.

I’ve been holding on to a wonderful list of life lessons, written by author Regina Brett on the night before her 45th birthday. When she turned 50, she expanded the list. Every so often I read it over and by the end, I always feel inspired, grounded and energized. As I read her list again recently, I noticed the connection between her sage wisdom and how much of it related to becoming unstuck.

If you’re grappling with how to clarify your next step, dive into Regina Brett’s wonderful life lessons. Number two seemed particularly apt . . .

“When in doubt, just take the next small step.”

Regina Brett's 50 Life Lessons

1. “Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry. God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

We get stuck. We experience doubt. We have challenges with figuring out what to do next. Which of these ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation and share one of your life lessons with us!

Erratic temperatures and a changing landscape accompany the fall season. One day it’s warm. The next it’s blustery. One day the trees are covered with intensely colored leaves. The next they’re bare. Change and variety are abundant. The swirling leaves accentuate the feelings within. With all the tumult, how do we engage in mindfulness?

Do transitions and uncertainty have you feeling unsettled? For me, the churning I see outside mirrors what I’m experiencing inside. During these times, being mindful and open helps me feel centered and grateful. If you're feeling stressed by the season and upcoming holidays keep reading. You'll discover ways to shift your focus to help you feel more energized, mindful, and grateful. 

1. Connect

The season of gatherings and parties is here. I’m looking forward to going to and hosting many events from birthdays to Thanksgiving to dinner parties and more. I enjoy hosting as much as being a guest. I’m grateful for the face-to-face time celebrating and hanging out with family and friends. My heart feels full and grateful being around those that I love.

2. Dance

There’s nothing quite like dancing to any type of music (live or recorded) that makes me feel alive. The other night my husband and I went to a dance party, where a favorite band, Zydegroove, was playing. Not only did we enjoy hours of dancing, but we also got to hear great music and see wonderful friends. Surprisingly it was my face that hurt (not my legs) from all the hours of smiling. Dancing was joy and smile inducing.

3. Look

Whether it’s the red and orange leaves, the morning light streaming in through the windows, or my blue violet office area, I’m drawn to color in its variety of hues. My eyes are delighted, and my heart beats more quickly when I stop to soak in the visual beauty that abounds.

4. Touch

While I’m not thrilled about wearing extra layers or bundling up, I am enjoying the textures of the wonderfully cozy blankets, velveteen gloves, and super soft sweaters that get layered on these days to keep me warm. I literally enjoy feeling my way through the season.

5. Write

For the writers among us, I know you appreciate the value of the blank page. This fresh canvas gives us a place to sort, share, challenge, and question. In times of pain, happiness and everything in between, we have the written word as our source of solace. As a journal writer, turned author and blogger, I'm grateful for this form of expression to share and connect both with myself and with all of you.

6. Learn

Education comes in many forms such as life lessons, conversations, or more traditional learning. Recently, I took a few social media courses. I attended Melanie Duncan’s Pinterest online webinar with a self-study component, and Lisa Kaslyn’s Content Marketing in person course at a local venue, Watercooler. Both were affirming (of what I already knew) and valuable (what I want to learn.) I appreciated these opportunities to expand my thinking and feel invigorated.

7. Explore

Whether I’m reading a new book, like Alina Tugend’s Better By Mistake, checking out a blog post such as Karla Jennings' “10 Adorable Characteristics Happy People Have”, or gathering with colleagues, considering other ideas and perspectives develops new connections in my brain. This past weekend, I spent several hours with veteran NAPO professional organizer colleagues. We discussed ethical, organizing, and business challenges and successes. We told stories and supported each other over the sudden loss of one of our industry leaders and mentors, Angela Wallace, who will be deeply missed. Especially important in times of loss and sadness, idea exploring and sharing creates those ah-ha moments and life affirming sparks.

Being human means living in a state of flux. We can let this unnerve us, or instead, we can embrace our moments with energy, openness, and gratitude. How do you engage in mindfulness? Come join the conversation.

What becomes possible with a fresh start? I asked some of my wonderful colleagues (Peggy Pardo, Janet Barclay, Ellen Delap, Leslie Josel, Christy Lingo, Helena Alkhas, and Yota Schneider) to ponder this question and share their perspectives with us. Their insightful responses are filled with hope, possibilities, and understanding. My deepest gratitude goes to each of them for taking the time to reflect, and give us their positive, energizing words of wisdom. 

What becomes possible with a fresh start? . . .

Try Again

“With a fresh start you have endless possibilities. You have the opportunity to change direction, reinvent yourself, begin something new, undo a wrong, work smarter, and most importantly, the chance to try again.” 

Leslie Josel, Professional Organizer

Create Life You Want

“Everything is possible with a fresh start! A fresh start offers the opportunity for a new awareness and a clearer vision. Use the lessons you've learned from the past to help you create the life you want.”

Peggy Pardo, Interior Decorator, Professional Organizer, & Author

Clear Path for Success

“With a fresh start, you begin with optimism and release negativity. Fresh starts clear the path for success in any and every way.  It is giving yourself permission to begin again.”

Ellen Delap, Professional Organizer

Bring What’s Important

“A fresh start is an opportunity to eliminate the clutter. Whether you’re moving to a new home or simply breaking out a blank calendar for the New Year, you can choose to only bring over those things that are still important to you.”

Janet Barclay, Virtual Assistant, Web Designer, & Blogger

Apply Collective Life Wisdom

“Our daily fresh start provides a chance to learn a new skill, have a new experience, and apply our previously acquired skills and experiences to any challenges we are currently facing. Relish this chance to apply your collective life wisdom on a daily basis and perhaps even have a second (or third) chance to tackle life's challenges with new knowledge and perspective.”

Christy Lingo, Professional Organizer

Embrace New Experiences

“Fresh starts liberate us from limitations. They energize us to embrace new experiences and to have new perspectives in every situation. They serve as moments of transitions, rites of passages in our lives when we say to ourselves: this is THE moment I decide to...”

Helena Alkhas, Professional Organizer & Virtual Assistant

Take Risks Only Dreamed Of

“Just reading the words ‘fresh start’ makes me feel giddy. Standing on the edge of something brand new, a myriad feelings that range from excitement and nervousness to shyness and uncontrollable enthusiasm, may flood our being. We can rewrite our story and be the person we always wanted to be and see where this takes us. We can explore and try new things; take risks we've only dreamed of. Why not, after all? That's what new beginnings are all about. Stepping over the threshold of a newly opened door into the unknown and carrying the value of lessons learned, but leaving all that burdened us behind. I guess, what becomes possible with a fresh start is the chance to ‘shed our old skin’ and get one more chance at growing into our potential.”

Yota Schneider, Life Transitions Coach

Which ideas resonate with you? As this New Year is upon us, what are you thinking about? Come join the conversation and share your thoughts about fresh starts.

Many years ago I was at home when from the other room I heard a loud crash and a distressed sounding, “Oh no!” Our younger daughter came to me crying and blurted out, “I didn’t mean to…I broke your coffee pot.” I calmly asked, “You did?” Then to her surprise I hugged her, smiled and said, “Thank you.” She stopped crying as I explained that everything including coffee pots had a life and its time had come. I went on to explain that I'd been ready for quite a while to say good-bye to that particular appliance and now she gave me a good reason to do so. I was grateful.

I often think about that story. To this day, Cassie is still surprised by my reaction. When we’re ready to let go, we can do so almost effortlessly. We might even feel giddy. We are open to the next phase and new possibilities. That’s not the case, however, when we’re not ready.

Fast forward to now, fall 2010. I recently had another coffee maker mishap. This time it was completely my doing. I’m still not sure exactly how I managed this, but as I was putting the pot back on its burner, I knocked the glass into the edge of our kitchen counter and the pot broke.

As I cleaned up the pieces of glass, I remembered what I had said to Cassie, “Everything has a life.” Its time had come. A few days passed and I went shopping for a replacement. The new models were big and chunky looking with more features than I needed. I was frustrated and angry that I couldn’t find a simple, sleek automatic coffee maker. Even though it was just a coffee maker, I was mourning the loss of the one I had. Some of you are surely thinking, “Linda, get a grip! It’s only a coffee maker!” It’s replaceable. It’s not human. It’s just an object.

Why couldn’t things just remain as they were? I suppose that’s how it goes. Sometimes we’re poised and ready to let go, move on and embrace change and possibilities. At other points, we aren’t and need time to transition to the new.

While my husband is not a coffee drinker, he was sympathetic to my problem. After my unsuccessful shopping excursion, he volunteered to search the internet for a solution I’d like. He ordered one and it should arrive any day now. Interestingly enough, as I wait for the delivery, my thoughts have shifted away from loss and are focused now with positive anticipation. I’m looking forward to once again smelling the fabulous aroma of coffee brewing, experiencing that luxurious first sip of morning joe and sharing a full pot of java, food and good conversation with my family and friends.

What wonderful possibilities wait for you as you prepare to let go?