Afraid of Running Out

Do you ever find yourself in a quandary over doing the projects on your list, because somewhere in your subconscious, you are afraid of running out of things to do?  I know I get that way.  I look around me, and there is no end of things to do, and yet I panic.  What if I were to run out?  What would I do then?  *breathing in a paper sack* 

The fear can be overwhelming, but so can the ridiculousness of the situation.  This morning I was talking to a gal, who brought up this very point.  She was asking how one is to stay motivated when it seems that the work will never be done and yet you are fearful of running out.  My first suggestion was to make a bucket list.  She started laughing, and said, "I think it would take about a 5 gallon bucket to hold my list!  By the way, where did that term come from?"  I told her that I thought it was a list of things you wanted to do before you died.  She thought about that for a moment, then said, "In that case, I will never run out of things to do."

I felt like her response was key.  So often we are absorbed by what we see, we forget to dream and we forget the dreams we have already had.  We forget that if we fulfil one dream, there will be another one, ready and waiting to take it's place.  If we finish one project, we will find another one to do.  It is like the kitchen floor:  Sweeping the floor today will not make it disappear.  It will still be there tomorrow.  It will need swept again tomorrow, and if your house is anything like mine, it will need scrubbed too.  There will never be an end of things to be done!  (I know, that can be good news or bad news, depending on your mood.) 

I told her that me favorite way to keep moving was to come at the situation form a new direction.  That is the reason for "Today's Inspiration", found at the top of the page.  It is one way to come at things, from a new perspective, and at the end of the day, you will know that you got at least one 'big' thing done.  One thing that will make a difference, even if the kitchen floor does need to be swept again.  again.  again.  again.

Is there an echo in here?

Oh, and she decided that her 'big' thing was to fill up the scrub bucket with water once a day, and use it for whatever.  Be it a shelf in her new home that has not been scrubbed in 40 years or the kitchen floor.  It really didn't matter what.  The point was to do it.  To be able to say that it was done!