One day it was suddenly too much.
My office, that is. I was on deadline with edits, so of course I had to reorganize my office in a major way. (My writer friends will understand that logic.)
The straw that broke the camel’s back was spinning my chair and–once again–bumping the extension on the printer paper tray that keeps papers from flying across the room when I print. That was a little thing that made me think about all the other little things I was putting up with.
Also because of where the printer was, I couldn’t see out the window the way I wanted to, and my office felt like a cave. If the land line rang, it was a pain to reach for it to answer. The trash can was in an awkward place. The desk lamp didn’t put the light where I needed it. I couldn’t reach the tape dispenser or stapler without getting up. A small cabinet was overtaken with outdated stuff I never used, while I had piles of stuff I needed but no place to put them.
So yeah, I spent an afternoon cleaning and rearranging. So far I’m glad I did. Things are more comfortable and efficient, and I can see out the windows, which does wonders for my mental health.
The whole business made me reflect on all the ways we put up with what’s wrong in our lives–whether it’s furniture, clutter, broken kitchen utensils, neglected relationships, mismatched commitments or whatever. You can fill in the blanks with the specifics of your own life.
Once I figured out that the main thing bothering me about my office–for years–was that I had sacrificed the view, I was ready to make the other changes needed in order to get what I wanted most. Light. Sun. Resting my eyes on something other than a computer screen.
Even though something is wrong, we put up with it long enough that it becomes normal. And then it stops feeling wrong. And we bumble along thinking that this is just what life is.
My challenge to you is to ferret out what that one thing is that would bring you satisfaction. Where do you want the sun to shine in your life? Are you willing to make the changes that would clear the way?
