Monday, March 22, 2010

Brother Can You Spare A Fig Leaf and other things Bob Newhart Never Said

Simplify. In the timeless words of Henry Thoreau, "Simplify! Simplify!" He died in 1862, so I have to wonder what exactly was over complicating his life really, but still an almost daily mantra of mine. I can feel the clutter building again. Time for a good spring clean. Desk clutter, closet clutter, side table clutter, life clutter, mind clutter. Needs. To. Go. Plus cleaning things might help keep me warm as I, eh hem, patiently wait for spring to spring. Although I might just leave the closets and get outta Dodge. Fly south. Follow the sun.
And...
Breathe. I do not know who first said it. Eve probably. You know, "It's ok Honey, everything will be fine. Just breathe, and here, put this on." Or it might have been Pink Floyd. Either way, good advice. Take a step back, get some perspective. Inhale. Exhale.
And...
Laugh. Or at least smile. It is hard to keep up frustration, resentment or worry when we are smiling. Be honest. How many moms have been right in the middle of a temper tantrum (and by this I mean Their own) when the phone rings. We take a deep breath, pick it up and with faker than fake smile deliver a very pleasant, "Hello." Within minutes we are calm and happy again, the friend on the other end none the wiser. The children who were not smart enough to run and hide during the brief reprieve stand stunned and gawking, open-mouthed and wondering where the heck Mr. Hyde went. As the great philosopher Bob Newhart once said, "Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on."
There you have it. Three little words that I am focusing on today.
What are your three? Share...
Quote of the Day: "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
--Mark Twain author and really smart guy who makes me laugh

10 comments:

  1. Those are 3 good ones! I think I need to just take that advice and not try to come up with 3 of my own. I too feel the need to de-clutter. Maybe we should have a garage sale! :)

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  2. Hey Naturegirl, thank you for visiting my blog, because that allowed me to find your blog, and I think I'm in love! Good stuff here, good writing, love the sense of humor. Thanks for sharing your talent!

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  3. Great post! And funny. My favorite part was what Eve said to Adam.:-) I am not good at all at simplifying, and I don't want to be but I have been working on eliminating clutter. Now I will just have to also remember to breathe (my husband reminds me to do that all the time) and to laugh more. Thanks for the reminders.

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  4. Hi, there!! Your blog is cute. Found you on Wanna Be Balanced Mom.:)

    Les

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  5. So happy you stopped by my Blog LESLIE!! I love it when I meet another Leslie. {there don't seem to be many of us out there!!}

    BTW...I am LDS, too!:)

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  6. Great advice. Simplify!! I have got to try that sometime!

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  7. I adore this post! Right on. Plus some Mark Twain love.

    Love,
    your newest fan.

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  8. LOL... that was great!

    Ummm I'm focusing on.

    Eat.

    VEG

    and SLEEP. :)

    love our blog.

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  9. Whenever I see the name "Bob Newhart" I think of my mom. She loved all of his shows.:)

    Great thoughts! And I agree with ya on Eve. "Breathe Adam, breathe."

    Nice......

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  10. Thanks for stopping by Words of Me!! Glad to hear your kids love coloring eggs, too:)

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