Be kind.

Be kind.To yourself.
To the people you love.
To the people who annoy you.

Grant people safe passage.
Really, you have no idea what's going on
in their heads and hearts.
Or what challenges life is presenting them in this moment.

No, it won't always be easy.
But it will always make a difference....

What would you grab?

There are serious wild fires burning all over the the West.
Dry conditions, challenging terrain, shifting winds, 

and crews stretched thin
mean that people are being evacuated quickly and sometimes with very little time to prepare.

If it were you, your house, your belongings, the evidence of your life-what would you grab?
Once you had gathered family, pets, important papers and your phone and computer, what else?

Obviously, there is no right or wrong answer to this question.

What is important and meaningful is different for everyone of us.
What we cherish, what we couldn't replace, what would we want or need surrounding us to make us feel at home and safe is as individual as we are.

We think this will never happen to us.
And hopefully it never will.
But that doesn't mean it might not be a good exercise
to consider the question....

My thoughts go to the victims of these fires
as well as the dedicated crews and support people 

trying to manage these situations.
It is hard for everyone involved.
May they each have moments of grace.

This does present a great opportunity for me to remind people to spend a few minutes and 

create an Emergency File.
(Paper if that works for you, digital if you're more comfortable with that)
Consider keeping this information either in a fire proof safe in your home, in your bank safe deposit box, or the Cloud.
Have your account numbers, policy numbers, passwords and id information, a list or video of your valuables, 

as well as other important documents
you might need in the event of even a partial loss.
I hope you will never need to access this file.

The Clutter Creep

No, I don't mean some less than desirable person lurking around.
I am referring to the situation where once you have an area organized, somehow little bits of clutter start 

creeping back in.

One way to avoid the creep is before items ever even enter your home.
When you're at the store and considering a purchase,
remember the One in, One out rule
and ask yourself,
"What will this replace?"
"Is this better than the one I already have?"
"Do I have room for this and where will it live?"
"Do I have the time and energy to use and maintain this?"
"Does this reflect the life I really want to be living?"

It isn't necessarily buying things that causes the clutter.
It is when we shop mindlessly or for entertainment or
to impress others that what we purchase ends up being clutter.

Be mindful of the decisions you are making in the store.
Your home doesn't  have room for the Clutter Creep or Justin Case!

Your invisible friend

You know, the guy that's been sharing your 

home and storage spaces.

The guy that whispers what if when you're getting ready to donate something you no longer need, use or value.
The guy that is math challenged and can't ever figure out how much is enough.
Or keeps encouraging you to pile things higher and deeper on the shelves in the garage, the floor of the basement, and the corner of the attic.

You know the the guy I mean, Justin.
Justin Case.

It really is time for you to kick the bum out!
And have him take his unneeded, no longer used, what if stuff with him.

Chances are really really good that all that stuff you've been keeping just in case
you will never need, want or have any use for again.

However, if in a month, or six, you find yourself in need of something you've donated, sold or given away;
you certainly have the brains and ability to get another one.
Or repurpose something you own to do the job,
or borrow the item, buy the item used,
or maybe purchase a new, better version of the one you let go.

You really only have room in your home 

and life for things that are
important and valuable to you.
Don't waste time, space or energy keeping things for Justin Case.
(Trust me, he is taking up valuable space in many people's houses,
he doesn't need room in yours!)