A dear friend asked me what I would write about this month. Since I truly believe a writer is most effective when he shares from his own life experience, this month my organizing skills are focused on coping with the loss of a treasured animal companion. My wonderful golden retriever, who is acknowledged in both of my books, appears at my web site and is mentioned at all of my lectures, passed away on April 19th. Although she was 13 1⁄2 and I certainly realized Kate\’s time was limited, her vet and I believed that Miss Katie would make it to 15. Her presence, however, was requested... Read More

How would you like to play a little game with me? Walk outside your home, condo or apartment and take a stroll around the block. Now enter through the front door as if you have never been in this home before. What are some of the things you know instantly about the occupants of this house? My home reveals, for example, that I have pets. You simply can\’t miss my Golden Retriever\’s toys scattered about the floor…or my cranky cockatiel\’s seeds sprayed everywhere. If you think about it, every time you go to see a movie or watch a play or turn on the TV, you know a great deal... Read More

Recently I conducted a seminar called Creating Sacred Space. I want to share a few tips with you.. You would be surprised how little effort it takes to instantly change the energy of your home. Are you ready? The first thing we want to do is to define ‘Sacred Space.\’ What does it mean to you? When I asked our class participants this question, they told me a Sacred Space is one where you feel safe. It\’s calm and peaceful. There is no clutter, they said, and the space ‘feels\’ different. I like all of those ideas. What would you add? Isn\’t your home meant to be a sanctuary... Read More

Several years ago I was scheduled to teach a class at a spa just outside New York City. A van was to pick me and the other weekend speaker up on a street corner on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. While I was waiting, I noticed a lady getting out of a taxi hauling one of the biggest suitcases I had ever seen. In addition, she had two large weekender bags. She looked at me standing there with one small bag and we burst out laughing. “I guess I brought too much,” she said. It was the start of a great weekend and a long friendship. March is a great time to start planning your summer getaway.... Read More

Have you ever had an idea take hold of you and suddenly you had to follow through on the impulse to take action? Well, that\’s what happened to me last Fall. I want to share some of my journey with you. Let me ask you a few questions before we begin: 1. Do you intend to leave all of your worldly possessions to your children? 2. Are you the child who has been left the possessions of a lifetime by your parents? 3. Perhaps you know someone who hasn\’t changed their décor in 20 years? Is that someone you? If you can relate to any of these scenarios, you are going to understand what... Read More

Now my best friend Susie would tell you, if she were with me today, that New Year\’s Resolutions just don\’t work. She doesn\’t make them. She doesn\’t believe in them. She\’s my personal New Year\’s Scrooge. And, to be fair, she has a point. If your Resolutions never move from a vague intention or an item on a list, they will indeed languish in the land of wishful thinking. There is a way, however to make them reality. And that involves a little ‘zen organizing\’ and some old-fashioned elbow grease. I\’d like to break the process down for you... Read More

The Gift of a Journal If you have never taken the time to journal, I\’d like to introduce you to this practice. For many years I read books that suggested I record my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I was asked to answer a series of questions related to the topic. Do you know what? I never bothered. Why should I do this, I wondered? After all, I reasoned, I knew what the answers would be. Writing would not reveal any secret agenda. It would simply waste my time. How wrong I was! I am going to ask you a series of questions. I invite you to take a few minutes to answer them. I would suggest... Read More

Someone once said that we are not physical beings having spiritual experiences but rather spiritual beings having a physical experience. I believe we each come here with unique talents. Just as the world is waiting for your gifts, your soul is waiting for you to create an environment that literally nurtures your best efforts rather than one that sabotages you at every turn. Imagine a large orchestra. The conductor brings the musicians to attention. Suddenly he realizes that one of the violinists is missing. The orchestra can continue and the audience will be pleased. But the music cannot live up... Read More