Each week for as long as I’m digging it, I’ll share my responses to the Life Organizer questions – my most recent book. We do this together at the Comfort Cafe every week.
Last week was one of those big inner work weeks.
You know, the kind in which you have one insight after another until you are afraid your head will pop off?
Insights into deep old patterns. Painful but so good.
I’m proud of myself and I’m tired.
This weekend was supposed to be my total alone time retreat weekend and I couldn’t settle down.
I hate when this happens (stamps foot) and I understand that sometimes, the changes in my psyche make me so restless, my only choice is to be restless, to witness that feeling and be gentle with me.
Ah…. acceptance…
I love The Life Organizer questions for this week!
They helped me get a workable, realistic handle on all these insights and epiphanies popping around my heart brain.
Which is exactly what this process is supposed to do – give us a way to use what we learn, what we know.
Yeah for The Life Organizer!
Week 39 Questions
What would help me go with the flow of life this week?
Noticing when I feel overwhelmed.
Then saying to myself,
There is no right or wrong here, there is only the truth that I feel overwhelmed. What would help me right now?
I tend to override my overwhelm and make myself wrong for feeling it. If I was only more focused or disciplined, then I wouldn’t feel this way. Instead, how wonderful would it be to recognize MY truth as in
I feel overloaded, scattered, anxious, overwhelmed. THIS IS HOW I FEEL.
and then make choices from that self-trusting place?
Let me tell you in advance: it will feel wonderful!
How can I nurture my body so that I am taking care of myself in sync with the season?
Summer to Fall and Spring to Summer are both big junctures that, if we can meet them with a tad of awareness, can bring greater health. If we don’t, we tend to get colds or run down.
I’ve started new yoga classes this week because we have a new yoga place by my house, a small miracle!
I’ve also started a sugar-free more alkaline diet. Yeah for greens and squash and quinoa!
What is hanging on the edge of my consciousness that I’m ready to be aware of?
As I check in, I’m aware of the word “Self-mercy” floating around in there.
More self-mercy!
Always a good idea!
What am I willing to celebrate about myself this week? To notice and applaud?
That I have been facing into my inner work and grappling with hard stuff. I am so proud of me!
That I am working on better systems in my business. Thank you Marissa and Deb.
That I am taking care of my body and health.
That I am learning to step out of desperation and overwhelm.
When will I be in nature this week?
My beloved walks in the woods with the doodle dogs!
Being outdoors is the cure for so much that ails us and so easy to put off or overlook.
So this week I will choose to
- Step out of overwhelm
- Practice self-mercy
- Nurture my health with yummy seasonal foods.
What about you?
Ways you can play:
Write down the questions and muse upon them in your journal.
Join the Comfort Cafe and do it in community.
Pick one question and respond in the comments.
Or…?
Love to hear how you claim your life this week.

4 responses so far ↓
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2 Hope Sep 28, 2009
What would help me go with the flow of life this week?
Not just to /notice/ when I feel overwhelmed, but notice the reactions I have to feeling overwhelmed. The reactions come so quicky, it’s easy to feel it’s all one thing – but it’s not. When I feel overwhemled I immediately find fault with myself for not doing enough to keep from having so much hanging over me. If I were good enough, smart enough, focused enough, if I had any worth at all, I wouldn’t feel over whelmed. I feel everyone’s judging me when I feel overwhelmed, because I judge myself so very very harshly. On a deep level I’m convinced that I don’t desevere anything until I’ve done /everything/ No wonderful I feel overwhelmed!
This week I’ll see all those reactions, hold them gently in love and support, feel them all the way through, then let them go. Doing “enough” won’t make me whole and loved. I’m whole just the way I am.
3 Shawna R. B. Atteberry Sep 28, 2009
These are great questions. What would help me go with the flow of life this week? PLAY. Going to the museums last week, it hit me that I am not giving my inner child the space she needs to be safe and play. We had a great time at The Field Museum last week. I need to give her a safe space and let her go. I need to PLAY.
How can I nurture my body so I’m in sync with the season? I need to move. I practiced yoga this morning, and I must move more. I’ve also decided to learn seasonal foods for fall. I do pretty good thru spring and summer and fall off now. I bought butternut squash, white acorn squash, and orange acorn squash. I’m going to learn about fall food and learn to cook it.
What is hanging on the edge of my consciousness that I’m ready to be aware of? I am a good writer, and I can succeed.
What am I ready to celebrate about myself this week? To notice and applaud? Being a good writer and a good preacher. I see things differently, and I’m good at communicating that. My willingness to go out on my own and pursue my lifelong dream of making a living writing.
When will I be in nature this week? I will take at least two walks through Grant Park to the Planetarium and sit on the lake.
4 Nicole Oct 9, 2009
I love this. Yes, picking ONE thing and completing it is such a great way to get out of a rut. It’s so easy to stay in my head and ruminate on what’s not working or to daydream about all the things I COULD do. But just choosing one and doing it can break that cycle quickly. Makes sense. Thanks for the inspiration.