Judith Ashley is
the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors
spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from
relationship to romance.
I’ve
lived in my house for over forty-two years. When I first bought this house, there
were several things I wanted changed.
A
light fixture in the stairwell going up to my room instead of a bare bulb.
Book
cases on either side of the fireplace,
Every
room painted (the previous tenants loved a blue, chocolate brown and yellow palate).
So not me!
A
few walls removed to open up the finished attic that I’d claimed as “my space.”
A
nice deck in the backyard,
A
rose garden in the wide area between sidewalk and street, etc.
I
painted the main rooms before I moved in – a beige color with white trim. The
living and dining rooms as well as my office are now a labor intensive five
coat rose with 3 different colored glazes so depending on the light, the rooms
are different colors.
My
son and I built book cases on either side of the fireplace – obvious work done
by amateurs.
I
took the walls done upstairs. I tried to use some kind of patching stuff to
even things out but…
I
built two 8 X 10 connecting decks in the backyard.
And,
with the help from my dad, I planted that rose garden.
Somewhere
along the way when I had some work done on the house, I had professionals
finish off the upstairs.
I
also ended up having the back decks professionally built (more than once as the
sun is brutal in that part of the yard).
But
this post is about “finished." So what is “finished?”
On March 26, an electrician came and installed the light fixture I’ve been wanting for 42 years! I love it!!!
On March 26, an electrician came and installed the light fixture I’ve been wanting for 42 years! I love it!!!
Last
month I also had a trim put on the bookcases. It hides the raggedly edges that
shouted “we were built by amateurs.”
A
couple years ago, I gave up on wood decks and had a PVC-type decking installed.
To keep it looking good, it only needs a good hosing in the Spring and Fall.
What’s
important to realize is that nothing that’s being done is a Major Project. But as
each of these tasks that finish bigger projects is completed, I feel a lightness, an ease of a long-held tension
I no longer noticed.
I
am proof positive that finishing a started project can be a joyous and
satisfying experience.
However,
there were those 42 years…
While I'd like to think that everyone finishes everything they start, that isn't true. Not everything we start will we finish. After forty-two years of an unfinished project hanging around me, I've learned a few things.
To keep that unfinished project tension from taking root in your body, the key is “to choose.”
To keep that unfinished project tension from taking root in your body, the key is “to choose.”
Choose
to not finish the project.
Choose
to pass it on to someone else.
Choose
to put it aside with a commitment to look at it another time. Perhaps that will be a better time to move forward or maybe not. And choose again.
I
can honestly say “Don’t do as I’ve done” and natter around about wanting or
even needing to get this done. Remember that scene in Star Wars when Yoda
tells Luke Skywalker that there is no try, there is only do? I'm living proof that you'll feel lighter and freer and be more relaxed if you live by that mantra and Do It or at the very least Choose To Not Do It.
In
the meantime, in case you missed the news, I’ve
also ventured into writing non-fiction. My first book, Staying Sane in a Crazy World is available
at your favorite e-retailer. By
following the simple process outlined in this book, if you’ve unfinished projects
that drive you crazy, you can create a plan to change that!
Do
you ever feel as if the world around you is tumbling out of control and
there is nothing you can do to make your world a better place?
there is nothing you can do to make your world a better place?
Do
you ever wish there was?
Staying
Sane in a Crazy World may help guide you toward stopping the tumbling and
choosing how to take effective control of your life.
The
reality is there is no One answer that fits all but we each have Our answer.
In
this short guide, Judith Ashley leads you through a straight-forward process
that allows you to find Your answers. Answers you’ll use to craft a Personal Staying Sane Plan that will
help you regain and keep your balance whenever the world around you is
out-of-whack.
On the fiction front, your complimentary copy of Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl, is waiting for you. To download it, you need only sign up for my mailing list. I will not spam you and, you can always unsubscribe.
As
an indie author, your support in the form of reviews is appreciated. Please
note in your review that you received a free copy of Lily in
exchange for an honest review.
© 2018 Judith Ashley
