Thanksgiving is just around the corner. My husband and I are excited to host our family and bring everyone together. I might even make my new peanut butter brownie recipe. A word of warning: it’s hard not to eat the entire tray because they’re so delicious. So, if you ask me for the recipe and make it, be sure to invite people to share it with.

Gratitude fills my thoughts. At the same time, I’m very aware of how challenging these times are. The constant stream of bad news, division, and suffering is impossible to ignore. Hope, love, and gentleness can feel elusive.

Perhaps it’s the eternal optimist in me, but I can’t help myself. Those small moments or glimmers of connection, comfort, generosity, kindness, and joy are also available. I hold them close. They are as essential to me as breathing oxygen.

Recently, I was reading through my journal from this past year. I found a passage I want to share with you. It reminded me how gratitude and being present have been, and continue to be, guiding forces in my life.

My journal entry:

For now, I am here. Rooted in the past, ready for the future, and grounded in the present.

Consider these questions:

• How has your past influenced you?

• Do you feel ready and excited for your future?

• Are you fully present right now?

• How does gratitude connect to your past, future, and present?

3 Ways to Nurture Gratitude To Help You FLourish

1. Rooted

As I reflect on the past, gratitude fills my being. I think about my family, loved ones cherished and now gone, the boundless love and connection, the feeling of home that traveled with me wherever I went, the deep conversations, traditions, music, laughter, and hugs.

I remember and feel grateful for the time spent visiting relatives, traveling, hosting and attending gatherings, renovating, learning, creating, snuggling, being raised, raising kids, and so much more.

Of course, no life or family is perfect. Still, I am grateful for everything and everyone—the beautiful moments and the challenges.

2. Ready

Are any of us ever truly prepared for the future? On one hand, unexpected surprises can arise that might throw us off course or discourage us. Many of these will be impossible to predict.

At the same time, there will be incredibly joyful experiences, opportunities for growth, and adventures.

To me, future readiness is mainly about having an open and flexible attitude toward what may happen. Being ready also involves a certain level of confidence, positivity, anticipation, and acceptance. While I can’t predict what will happen, I hold hope close.

I recognize that what I do today can positively or negatively affect my future. I’m grateful for the actions I’m willing and able to take to create a better tomorrow.

“I am grateful for this moment. I am here now.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Grounded

The past has already happened, and the future is not yet here. All we truly have is the present. I am thankful every day for the moments I get to live, breathe, see nature’s wonders, create, work, contribute, inspire, love, and be loved.

I am grateful for my senses, which always delight me and bring me back to the present moment. The magic of this season offers a feast of colors, a variety of delightful scents and flavors, cozy fabrics like cashmere and velvet that bring warmth and comfort, and sounds of wind blowing, music playing, animals calling, and leaves dancing.

Being grounded in the present helps me show up each day for my loved ones, friends, clients, community, colleagues, and myself.

I am grateful for this moment. I am here now.

Are You Rooted, Ready, and Grounded?

We’re complex humans with different backgrounds, dreams, and circumstances. Gratitude can color where we’ve been, where we’re headed, and where we are.

During this season of gratitude, what are you focusing on? Which ideas resonate most with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

This is a wonderful time to plan, get unstuck, and prepare for what’s to come. Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disorganized, or unfocused? Would you like to make progress? I’m here to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s talk. I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Getting organized, focused, and progressing is possible, especially with support.

Some of us get pleasantly jazzed up when we are going through change. We feel enervated and excited about what is and will be happening. However, more often, I notice that people (including me and my clients) experience a lot of stress and anxiety with change. Even if we know that we will be just fine on the other side, the not knowing and transition parts can unnerve the calmest of us. Do you remember a change you went through recently? How was the experiencing part for you? Did things go smoothly? Or, did you, at times, feel stressed and out of sorts?

As a professional organizer, the work I do with my clients is all about change. We are changing habits, transforming spaces, and rethinking busy schedules. We are working towards desired changes. It is the work and the “changing” part that can be stressful. 

How does the change-related stress show up? It might look like:

• A short fuse

• An angry burst

• Frustration

• Sadness from loss

• Overwhelm from too many choices

• Exhaustion

• Worry

• Pushback

• Canceled appointments

• Slow-paced organizing sessions

• Indecision

• Crying

• Digging in

The bottom line is that very often, when we are experiencing change, we aren’t at our best. This can be magnified if the change is unexpected or imposed on us. When we choose to change, it can still be stressful, but sometimes that positivity and motivation can help reduce the stress factor.

The situations that seem most stressful for my clients are:

• Moving

• Renovating

• Downsizing

• Losing a loved one

• Going through divorce

• Experiencing a health challenge

How can you alleviate some of the change-related stress? You can do one or more of the following:

• Acknowledge that you’re going through a transition.

• Be extra gentle with yourself.

• Focus on the basics of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and hydration.

• Reach out for professional and personal support.

• Practice saying “no.” 

• Reduce the scope of your commitments.

• Meditate.

• Adjust your expectations.

• Do something fun.

• Do something relaxing.

• Celebrate the small successes.

What else have you experienced or noticed in yourself or others when going through change? What helps you alleviate change-related stress? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to comment and join our conversation.

The newest installment (v16) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring motivation-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are an extraordinary and engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Motivating Choices

Wait, What? by James E. Ryan

Finding the answers we seek are in the quality of the questions we ask. Asking the right questions can motivate us to start or stop doing something, move us forward when we’re stuck, or help us understand something more deeply. One of the books I recently read was Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questionsby James E. Ryan, author and dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ryan says, “Posing irresistible questions…is an art worth cultivating.”  He shares five essential questions like “Wait, what?” which is effective for getting clarification or avoiding quick judgments, and “I wonder…?” which fosters curiosity. Specifically for getting unstuck and motivating movement, Ryan suggests, “Couldn’t we at least…?”  This book is a wonderful resource that will add quality questions to your motivation toolbox.

2. Interesting Perspective – Motivating Action

What do you do when your To Do listoverwhelms you? I came across this pin, which adds some lightness to the serious list-makers among us. To tame those long lists, make a “Today” list. Keep it short … really short as in two to three items. Your list’s brevity will boost your motivation, increase your action, and make you feel good about your accomplishments. I can see your success.

3. Interesting Tech – Motivating Mindfulness

Even the busiest among us can make time for mindfulness moments with the Buddhify app. It provides both solo or guided meditations that help even during the most hectic times. If you need a mindfulness work break, are experiencing difficult emotions, are feeling stressed, or can’t sleep, Buddhify has a unique meditation designed just for you. Your pocket mindfulness coach will motivate you to embrace some much-needed Zen.

4. Interesting Product – Motivating Preparedness

It’s challenging to find the motivation to think or talk about death preparedness. It’s a topic that many of us avoid. We know it will happen, but not yet, not now. So we delay preparing. We delay discussing. We delay until it’s too late and we put that burden on our family. Fortunately, Amy Pickard, CEO of Good To Go created the Departure File, which “eliminates stress, guilt, doubt and provides those you leave behind with the certainty of knowing they are carrying out your wishes.” She was motivated to create this product, along with support to go with it, when her mother died unexpectedly leaving no paperwork and hundreds of details to handle. Maybe the Departure File is just the motivation you need to get your affairs in order for your loved ones.

5. Interesting Thought – Motivating Positivity

Sometimes we need a positive reminder to recognize that we can move forward, we can get unstuck, and we can accomplish the goals we desire. To reignite your motivation, use a positivity mantra like “I can” or something else that feels right for you.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The latest installment (v9) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature has arrived with my newest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme.  You are such a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Positive Change

Happiness researcher and expert on positive communication, Michelle Gielan writes about the science of igniting and sustaining positive change in her book, Broadcasting Happiness. She says, “…by changing the stories we transmit, we can create positive change.” Creating a positive mindset can change your life and those around you. Current research from the neuroscience and positive psychology fields identify that “small shifts in the way we communicate internally and with others can create big ripple effects on business outcomes, including 31 percent higher productivity, 25 percent greater performance ratings, …and 23 percent lower levels of stress.”

2. Interesting Experiment – Mood Change

Have you ever wondered if certain simple daily activities can help to improve your well-being? Dr. Margaret L. Kern from the University of Pennsylvania wondered too. Her ongoing Positive Intervention Study asks, “Can you increase your own well-being through a simple activity?” I recently participated in her study and you can too. I chose two affective or emotional states to focus on- inspiration and self-confidence. After selecting my focus areas, I was asked to create a digital or paper Positivity Portfolio and spend some time every day for two weeks reviewing and savoring the photos, letters, writing, and quotes that I selected. In addition, I answered questions before creating the portfolio and at the end of the two weeks. The daily engagement with my Positivity Portfolio changed my outlook. I felt even more positive and grateful.

3. Interesting Product – Wardrobe Change

Flexibility is an essential ingredient in navigating change. I discovered a new product, which is the essence of that. The metamorphic wardrobe was created by Studiomama to “create more storage, and at the same time having a flexible room divider.” If you need to easily and quickly change a space, this metamorphic wardrobe could be the perfect solution.

4. Interesting Fact – Color Change

According to Poppin, manufacturer of happy, functional organizing products, “Color coding isn’t just efficient; it also lights up the creative side of your brain, making it easier to spark new ideas.” If you’re ready for a change, introduce color into your environment to activate your creativity. Poppin’s gorgeous color-coordinated products are an excellent source of inspiration.

5. Interesting Resource – Clutter Change

Does the clutter in your life effect your daily experience? If clutter and change are on your mind, try out the Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS). This tool was created by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) to help people assess for themselves the personally felt impact that clutter has on their well-being. The scale includes 18 statements to read and respond to. After you complete the form, if you supply your email address, you’ll receive a copy of your responses along with the scale description and scoring information. Before change comes understanding. The CQLS is a great place to begin.

6. Interesting Thought – Expect Change

Wanting change and creating change are two different things. Change is possible when belief is accompanied by action.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your interesting finds? Do any of these resonate with you?  Come join the conversation!