Day 66/28 - time to start I think!

I was told during my stay at the "Big Brother House" that I should start writing in a journal about my recovery.  I had to have a bit of a laugh - no one keeps journals anymore, they use the world wide web to share their ups and downs.  I have never considered keeping a blog before, that is, until my cousin Natalie recently started one and I thought "why not?".  So here I am, 28 days after discharge (and 66 days into my recovery), blabbing away my inner most thoughts and feelings for the whole world to read (as if they would be interested anyway?)

I have called this blog what I have because a enormous part of my stay involved the topic of "mindfulness" or as I wrote in my old fashioned, hard copy journal of the time "being aware of where we are, as a person in the world.  Looking at our surroundings with a new set of eyes".  I think it assists in developing an acceptance and understanding of our feelings, sensations and thoughts and helps in developing responses to unpleasant feelings, sensations, thoughts and situations as they occur.

So, something I must learn and conquer.  Practice, practice, practice they say.  And so commences my journey.....towards mindfulness?

 A tidy and calm environment is what I need first, before I even start to think about working on myself.  So my first task is to clean my office.  Well, not exactly clean but tidy up - papers everywhere, folders on the floor, paid (and unpaid) bills lying around, you name it, this room has it.  I am reading a book called "The Happiness Project  (or why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle and generally have more fun)" by an American writer Gretchen Rubin http://www.happiness-project.com/ - a fantastic read by the way, very funny and makes lots of sense - and in her January projects, one of the things she focussed on was 'Toss, Restore, Organize'.

"Household disorder was a constant drain on my energy...I wasn't alone in my fight against clutter.  In a sign that people are finding their posessions truly unmanageable, the number of storage units nationwide practically doubled in one decade.  I was also weighed down by the invisible, but even more enervating, psychic clutter of loose ends.  I had a long list of neglected tasks that made me feel weary and guilty whenever I thought of them.  I needed to clear away the detritus in my mind."

Well, well, well.  There is me in a few lines.  I need to sort out my "space" before I sort out my "head space".  But how boring and uninspiring that all sounds.  So, being a multi-tasker from way back, and a way of keeping me in the office and away from the beautiful sunny day outside, I have started this blog....(stay tuned)