Time To Go Shopping?

How many different shoes do you wear? 

(Just an FYI that is is not my shoe collection!  Maybe one day I will have this much variety, but for this point in my life it is boot, tennis shoe or slip-on.)

I can tell you that if I had as many actual shoes as I had shoes to fill in my life I would be sporting a Beyonce size closet.  For me there is the spouse, the parent, the driver, the school volunteer, the church volunteer, the club volunteer, the friend, the sister, the daughter, the neighbor, the organizer and the homemaker shoes and within each of those there are different models and styles and more I am forgetting right now I am sure.  But, my point is that at some point we have to go through our proverbial closet and see what needs to be retired and then we can see what is new out there to gain fun and excitement to your collection again. 

So... first, sit down and think of all the responsibilities you have.  Now, some are inherent and you can’t run away from (no matter how much we want to in some moments!), but some you can cut loose if they are causing you strife and anxiety in your life and you have long forgotten why you signed up for them in the beginning.  You are not doing the organization or others any favors doing a job you don’t have a drive for any longer.  Somebody else can step up and do the job that has a spark for it and can deliver to it what it deserves and needs.  Start to think of all those things that take you away from the direction you want things to be going.  I am not saying up and quit, unless you are in dyer need, but, let the position run its course and don’t renew.

We all have gifts and talents of some kind.  (Yes YOU do…don’t argue!)  So, isn’t the world a better place when we align those gifts with tasks that compliment them?  Aren’t you in better spirits when you are contributing your talents to a cause that you are encouraged by?  This then reflects in the family life as well, because happy people are contagious.  It’s true. 

Sometimes you can give the worn out shoes to a friend who fits them better and can even spruce them up.  But, sometimes, you just have to take them to goodwill and wash your hands of them.  You can hope that someone is going to come in, see those shoes and fall in love with them with great enthusiasm. 

After you have purged the closet you can be content with your current collection, or, if you are feeling up to it, you can go shopping!  Look around in all the new places that you haven’t peeked in before and see if something catches your eye.  There are so many things you could do with yourself.  Take a new kind of class and learn something, start a new hobby, join another organization that you feel passionate about or get more involved in one of your current positions.  SO many possibilities, but only so much “you” that you can give.  Make the most of that precious thing called time and make it count.

Every once in a while, we just need to open the closet and see what is there.  You would be amazed how amazing it is to get rid of the old and shabby and find something new!