April 2009
     Sent 4/28/2008

Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter
By Darla Arni

Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter is a free monthly, or whenever Darla can get it out, publication for clients, friends and subscribers who want to be more creative, energetic and productive in their life and work. © 2009 Darla Arni

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In This Issue:
     The Urge to Purge
     Quotes of the Month
     As You Like It"
     Mensa Moment
     Welcome
     Darla Speaks Out!

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The Urge to Purge

It began when I started packing for Easter vacation and realized that a good percentage of the clothes in my daughter’s closet no longer fit her body.  I really didn’t want to get into the whole closet thing; I just wanted to help her pick out vacation outfits and leave the rest up to her.  But there it was in front of me and it needed to be done, which led to my closet, which led to clothes stored in the attic. Whew!  The result was several piles to donate and more piles to send to the consignment store.  It felt good, really good.  This was clean your glasses, come out of the fog, “I can see clearly now,” good!  I was on a roll and I wanted to clear things out; I had the Urge to Purge!

Why not tackle bigger things?  Why not clear out the clutter in our homes AND our minds?  According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, “The amount of information available to people continues to grow at a rapid pace, as do the number of demands on our time.”  The result is we have overloaded our brain to the point of confusion while simultaneously feeling guilty that we can’t keep track of it all.  Guess what? You shouldn’t even try!  Most of what we hold onto is covered with a heavy blanket of ‘shoulds’ left over from childhood, former bosses or past relationships.  You’re a big kid now so take responsibility and clear out all the cluttered thoughts, goals, and priorities that no longer represent who you are today and/or who you want to become.  (This, of course, requires knowing who you are and how you want your life to be, so if you are fuzzy on that, stop reading and give it some thought.)  Just remember letting go or throwing out the old stuff is the first step towards who you want to become.  Give up the unrealistic list of what you’re going to do when you are older, richer, prettier, thinner, better, or who knows what and start doing something in the right direction now!  I have seen more people mess up their life and the lives of others by staying in a job or direction or relationship they knew in their gut wasn’t right.  There will never be a better time and we can only live in the Now.

Start by becoming aware of what you have stored in the catacombs of your mind. Make a habit of setting aside time to empty your mind.  I always recommend the beginning or end of the day but truthfully, for me, I often end up doing this at 2 a.m. because my brain is so full of thoughts, worries, to do lists and random ideas that I can’t sleep.  Pick a time that works for you and let thoughts flow out onto paper or into your computer until the junk is out and you are free.  Take note of what you write and you will notice recurring themes or concerns that you need to deal with so you can be free of them and move on.  This simple process can result in life changing decisions, facing fears you didn’t realize you had and the most creative solutions and innovative breakthroughs.

While you’re working on your mind why not:  

• clean out that overflowing junk drawer in the kitchen
• empty the messy garage so you can actually put a car in it
• go through the house and throw out all the pens that don’t work
• take half of the plastic sacks you’ve saved to recycling
• attack the attic, basement or storage unit full of all the extra ‘stuff’
• feeling really brave? then organize your plastic kitchen containers.

It all works together: clutter without causes clutter within. Now get to work!

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QUOTES OF THE MONTH

“He who wants to change the world should already begin by cleaning the dishes.”

                                                                       ~Paul Carvel

“No person who can read is ever successful at cleaning out an attic”

                                                                         ~Ann Landers

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AS YOU LIKE IT

My 6” x 6” BE STILL canvases can now be personalized with your choice of background words for only $5 more! For example, you can request specific quotes, scripture, or phrases and I will use them to create a unique motivational BE STILL canvas just for you. Take advantage of this and think ahead for graduations, Father’s Day, birthdays, etc. Email or call me direct to order and be sure to mention you saw this offer in my newsletter. See an example of the 6 x 6 canvas and more at http://www.darlaarni.com/products.htm.

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MENSA MOMENT

If Albert’s peacock jumps over the fence onto Edward’s property and lays an egg there, whose egg is it?

E-mail your answer to Darla. The first 15 correct answers will be entered in our prize drawing. Good luck!

Last Month’s Answer:

The answer to the last Mensa Moment was 7 & 5. Congratulations to Lee Clark for being our winner. Please email me your address so I can get your prize right out to you!

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WELCOME to all my new subscribers from the Louisiana Credit Union League, Mississippi Credit Union Association, Kansas Credit Union Association and the Tennessee Education Association!  I hope you enjoy this issue and please contact me if you have any questions or need assistance.

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DARLA SPEAKS OUT

The blog: http://www.darlaarni.com.blogspot.com/

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Darla Arni is a Professional Speaker, Artist and Author of:
30 Ways to Share Creative Energy at Home and the Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter.
Co-Author: Life Compass for Women
Co-Author: 66 Secrets to Less Stress

Sharing Creative Energy
e-mail Darla
660.529.2969 voice
660.815.7262 cell

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