Sometimes life throws you curve balls. . . For example, I spent two wonderful days with my brother, Mark, this past weekend. We planted a garden, enjoyed good food, saw the movie Marmaduke, shopped, took naps. Then Mark wakes up from his nap unable to put weight on his right leg.

Initially we thought he’d slept on it and it had gone to sleep. Or, perhaps he’d just been on it too long. He had a knee replacement over three years ago and the knee is a weak link. Last night I learned that he’d been hospitalized because he has an infection in his knee and will receive IV antibiotics.

What’s the big deal? Infection is always a scary thing. When he had his knee replacement he had multiple infections and the knee had to be replaced three times. It was quite an ordeal for him. And, he is alone in Connecticut. I had to return home to work. Our parents live in Virginia and Michigan and his brother is in Japan. Plus, Mark needs to work every day to be able to keep the apartment he moved into in December.

Yes, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I am Mark’s conservator. That means I am the person responsible for making decisions about his care. And, this is new to me. I’ve never had this kind of responsibility before.

The scared part of me is attempting to run some awful scenarios. “What if the infection is resistant to the antibiotics? What if he has to have surgery again because the joint is infected? What if he can’t keep his apartment?”

Fortunately another part of me keeps telling me to breathe deeply, to picture Mark healing quickly and returning to his apartment and to work. I keep focusing on all the blessings in my life–my loving, supportive husband who offers such wise counsel at times like this, my caring supportive friends who are praying for Mark, the beauty of my blooming butterfly bushes, my comfortable home, my affectionate kitty and pups, my faithful clients who keep me busy doing work I love. By keeping focused on the positive I am able to keep the fears under control, keep my vibration high and hopefully attract the wisdom I need to help Mark instead of those awful scenarios.

It’s really a challenge to stay positive at times like this when the scared little kid in me is trying to run the show. This is when it’s more important than ever for me to do things that ground me, like writing this blog entry, walking my dogs, making the bed, cleaning up after myself so our house stays a comfortable, peaceful haven.

I can’t do anything for Mark other than pray and ask others to pray, keep in touch with him and his doctors and nurses by phone, and picture him recovering quickly. But, I can keep my life in control so I am better able to think and make good decisions on his behalf.

The next time life throws you a curve ball that triggers fear and inertia, remember that keeping your thoughts positive and maintaining your space as a safe, organized haven can help you make it through whatever challenges you are facing.

I was taught that when you speak for an audience you want to leave them wanting more rather than wishing they had gotten a whole lot less! So, I work very hard to never go over the allotted timeframe for a speech. Today I was scheduled to give two speeches, each one hour in length. I was a little concerned that only five minutes had been scheduled between the two speeches, not much time for people to move from one session to the next, get food and get settled. I knew I’d have challenges managing the time. Then when the previous speaker went over almost fifteen minutes I knew I’d have to cut my speech a bit so participants could keep to the schedule.

I could have freaked out, been angry or resentful. But, instead I chose to remember other speakers describing challenges they’d faced when speaking, and I thought to myself, “This is just one of the realities of speaking. Not everyone keeps to the schedule. How can I make the best of this?” Fortunately I’d prepared well and knew where I could trim my speech. So, those speeches were shorter and more rushed than I would have liked. But, I still had fun delivering them. And, participants were engaged and seemed to appreciate the content. It’s amazing how I was able to shift a stressful challenge to a positive victory by changing my focus and my thoughts!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

My computer crashed last week. One day it worked. The next day, after a particularly bad thunder storm, it didn’t. After an initial panic, because it was the computer that my assistant uses to do my bookkeeping and all her work for me, I got into my problem-solving mode. After all, how was panicking going to help me restore computer order to my office? I first noted my blessings.

• My Mac was still working.
• I have a great computer guy, Roy Parker of PCSolutions4U.
• The computer was still under warranty.

Then I began making the necessary calls. First I called my assistant to let her know she wouldn’t be able to work for me the next day. That actually worked out well for both her family and mine because it was the Friday before the 4th of July and we all got to sleep in. She also urged me to check out my homeowner’s insurance to determine if I have coverage for this type of incident. That reminded me that years ago I had signed up for an Equipment Breakdown rider. A light in the end of a dark tunnel!

Next I left a message for my computer guy. When he returned my call within the hour, he informed me that my warranty period ended in April. Rats! But, he would be able to look at the computer the next day to diagnose its problems.  

That done, I began to mess with the mess of wires under my desk in an attempt to figure out what happened–by myself! In the process I got the wires organized and sorted so I know what’s going on down there.

Can you see what an up and down process I had to go through as I worked to solve my computer problem? It was hard to keep my thoughts positive and spirits up throughout the whole ordeal. But, because I was looking for good things to emerge from the experience, I found them.

• I got to sleep late the next day.
• I was reminded I have insurance that can help me defray the cost of replacement or repair.
• I have a willing, wonderful, and trustworthy man to tell me the truth about my computer’s health.
• I have organized wires under my desk!

I’ve learned to look for the good even when it feels like I’ve been pooped on by the Universe! If nothing else, looking for the good kept me from cursing and likely attracted just the help I needed!

My husband convinced me to listen to the CD version of 1776, an historical novel by David McCullough chronicling the Revolutionary War.  I had been reluctant to listen to that book because I had been traumatized by the enormous number of facts I had had to memorize in history classes in high school and college, and I tend to shut down when confronted with lots of names, dates and  facts.  However, I love stories.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is a beautifully written true story constructed from factual information.  

As I listened to the tale of Revolutionary soldiers chasing the better equipped, better trained British soldiers out of Boston in the first major battle of the war, I was particularly impressed by the fact that it wasn’t their skill, their numbers, or their munitions that led them to victory.  They achieved their goal with a good strategy and a common belief in their ability to be successful.  It was a powerful demonstration of the power of positive beliefs.  

Had the Americans lost that first battle at Boston, it’s very possible that the British would have won the war.  We could be citizens of a colony of England!  Fortunately that first victory created a momentum that encouraged Revolutionary soldiers to continue the fight for freedom. 

Just imagine what you could accomplish by silencing fears and believing in your success!