Start Anywhere

L.L. here. Just a little busy. Okay, a lot busy. Would drowning be too strong a word?

Still, I totally love Sam's snarky post suggesting we embrace December.

Yup, that's it, me and December are going down. And I'm all right with that.

However, I'm not averse to a little advice on how to breathe underwater. Last night, I found that advice in Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up.

Madson tells a story about Mary, a woman who described her house as "a disaster zone." From the sounds of it, Mary was right. Things were going down at her house, kind of the way I'm going down with December. So Madson volunteered to come to Mary's home. (Um, can I cut the same kind of deal with you, Patricia?)

Anyhow, using the "Start Anywhere" rule, they simply began. Madson's advice: "Just look around and do what seems obvious to you." In about an hour, the house began to exude "an encouraging sense of space."

I was so impressed, I tried Madson's advice. I began with a pile in my room (well, five piles that have been fruitful and multiplied and converged). I used her suggestion, "When you put this book down, follow your first thought and begin the job. Do the very first thing that comes to mind. Continue doing what comes next."

The pile is still there, but it's smaller, neat and peaceful.

Seems to me, this is a principle that could apply to just about anything in life. Don't wait for peace, in order to bring peace. Just step into the mess and start anywhere.

Angels Together photo, and post by L.L. Barkat.