Morning's Light

30 pounds of magazine clutter, that is!  I had too many magazines in a bin and in magazine holders and it felt like a to-do item to go through all of them for images I wanted to keep.  So I piled the magazines in a big shopping bag, weighed the bag, and then recycled the magazines.  I feel so much lighter now!

I have been receiving FlyLady digest emails since 2000 but never knew how to put into words how flylady's words and ideas have changed my life….but this testimonial that was sent in pretty much says it for me although I'm not married, and the kids who hang out at my house are youth group kids, not my own kids.

Dear FlyLady,

Mind you, there has been a lot of fluttering and flapping over the
years since I've joined, and have had MANY attitude adjustments from
Marla and Kelly, not to mention the help of the Flycrew, but these
are my Top Ten. Amazingly enough, not many have to do with a clean
house, although that's why I initially joined.

These aren't in any particular order. I cherish them all.

10. Eternal youth. My kids' friends hang out here a lot, and I have
time to enjoy them. They see us respect our home, and so they do too,
so there goes the myth of added mess. Added bonus, I actually
look "cool", knowing band names, phrases, etc., and can reassure
other parents that the kids aren't doing/seeing/listening to anything
objectionable.

9. Friends and neighbors drop by often. I know so many people now
that I don't rely on just family if I have a problem, and I have can
focus on their problem without worrying about how the house looks. My
children have a huge sense of community they might not have had
otherwise.

8. Spending time with dear husband every night, talking about things
other than chores, finances, or what's for dinner. We've been
together for over 11 years, and I didn't realize there were still new
things to discover about him.

7. Comfortable nooks and crannies. We live in a 1100 square foot
home. Once we got rid of the clutter, we discovered plenty of room to
read, talk or daydream. There's no cramped feeling here!

6. I've rediscovered myself. From silly things, like knowing my
favorite music in 2004, to serious things, like now knowing I have a
talent for teaching. I can now tell you where I want to be 5, 10, 15,
and 20 years from now.

5. Self assurance. I can honestly say I feel as good about myself at
a size 12 as I did at a size 6. It may not seem like much to some,
but I have an extended family that is extremely weight conscious, and
work with people that run marathons. No worries, I dress myself
beautifully, cheer them on with their successes, and enjoy the taste
of chocolate without guilt. Talk about the best of all worlds!

4. Reputation. It took several times of listening to your CDs. Guess
what I got out of it? Punctuality (I use the Mom's Calendar, but what
matters is I use a calendar), following through on projects, since I
break them down in babysteps, and honesty, since I tell people, "No,
I don't have time." There are no half hearted, half thought out
projects done from my home now.

3. Self sufficient children. Since I don't expect perfection from my
kids, they are more willing to learn life skills. They know more
about laundry, cooking, and keeping house at 14 and 13 than I knew at
29. And they don't look at it as a punishment as I once did. They
know they're worth the effort.

2. Self respect. I no longer allow myself to listen to people who
build themselves up by tearing others down. At first it was directed
at me. When they couldn't find faults, or a reaction, they started on
others. (Some are close family that would do this. I couldn't sever
ties.) When they tried to include me, I would list that person's
virtues. Here's the kicker-they not only backed down, they seek my
approval. ME, one they used to run down. I simply applaud them. I'm
not a saint. I just made a decision long ago that I would give the
encouragement that I desperately needed from FlyLady. Thank you,
Marla.

1. Peace. I find peace in the knowledge that there will be times when
I need to start over, after all these years. That I am a SHE, and
there are lots of us. That clutter will be a constant battle, so I
may as well get used to it. That I will always be a closet
perfectionist, and that's why this took me over an hour to write
this. And that there's peace, because I can always start over. That I
had the courage to throw out thousands of pounds of clutter, and a
few more ounces won't hurt me. And that I've flown before, and will
fly again.

Thank you for giving me ten reasons to Finally Love Myself.

All my love,

a FlyBaby in Dearborn Hts, MI