Restage your life.

Today I was having one of those days.   There was too much on my to do list (or want to do list), and there certainly wasn't going to be enough time in the day, which is my new normal.  I ran out the door to take the kids to school, thinking about five million things and not really paying much attention to the morning banter of Brion boys.  I was thinking how I could drop three at school, and one to day care and still make it a little early to my appointment with a seller.  Today was staging day at one of my favorite homes I have ever listed.  It has been on the market a little too long, and needed a fresh look.

The next three hours flew by.  Furniture was rearranged, and rugs removed to reveal more hardwoods, and the heavy old house feeling started to fade.  Soon you began to notice the little things... the stained glass window in the reading nook, the curve of the beamed ceilings, and the glisten of the limestone on the fireplace.  Peeling away layers of unnecessary furniture and bulk revealed the true beauty of this house.  It looks fantastic!

I sit here thinking that I need to do the same thing with my life.  I spend too much time feeling that I am not doing enough (for my kids,  my job, and my partner) and I sometimes forget to just pay attention to what I do have.  For the first time, I realize that life is noisy.  I am going to do my best to shut off the little voice in my head that tends to fill my mind with lots of unnecessary 'stuff'.   Although I am not real sure I want to know what exactly was said in the boy's morning banter, knowing I missed it makes me realize how important that time is to all of us.  So I am going to slow down.  Tonight, I will be present.  I will listen.  All that stuff on the to-do list and those little internal voices will have to fend for themselves.  I am going to restage my life.  As of today, I refuse to miss the beauty of what is around me.