Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Confessions of a Stuffaholic with Pj Schott



It is the first Wednesday in June, and that means the glorious Pj Schott is here to deliver a message to the masses. Pj has lived in several U.S. port cities, Europe, Greece, and the Middle East. A marketing professional, mystery writer, and futurist, Pj is known to those with whom she works as a problem-solver, an innovative thinker, a top-notch communicator, a visionary, and the soul of a group. She is the owner of the Boston, Massachusetts based company GENIUS and is the woman behind the new Facebook page and blog, Survival for Blondes, where Pj is entirely surrounded by imagined disasters and learns to rise above.

Let the fabulous Queen of Blonde Survival be heard!




Hi, My Name is Pj … and I’m a Stuffaholic
                                                                   


Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.
– Winnie the Pooh

UNIVERSAL LAW teaches us that nature abhors a vacuum. We decide we want our house to look like Martha Stewart lives there, but as soon as we drop off our bags at the Salvation … voila!! All we did was create another Stuff Magnet.

Ah … the circle of life. Pack-rattery is a human condition (go ahead, count my legs). One minute we’re patting ourselves on our uber‑organized backs, and, the next … we contemplate filling the void with Retail Therapy.

Rivers know this ….

SIMPLE ISN’T EASY. My Stuffaholic condition hits me whenever I travel. I survive quite happily with the contents of my airline-approved carry-on bag. At my hotel, I revel in the joy of unpacking my suitcase with plenty of room to store everything. Visions of Minimalism begin a Danse Macabre in my head. And, once again, I vow to go home and change my errant ways.

KNOW THYSELF is an inscription at The Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece. Self-knowledge improves both our quality of life and our relationships with other people. Rather than history repeating, we make better decisions, and choices with less painful consequences.

Meditating at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, I realized I had hit rock bottom. Broken promises to myself began to haunt me. Then a moment of clarity and I realized I could do this, but not alone. I felt brave enough to take the first step and admit I have a problem.

PROFESSIONAL HELP was needed here. I love my Stuff, but I love having Space much more.  My house should always look nice, just in case the Architectural Digest photographers show up. At home I might lose my newfound resolve, so I immediately phoned one of the tried-and-true organizers I already have on speed-dial. I would remain a Recovering Stuffaholic for the rest of my life.

Getting organized is a lot like losing weight. It’s one thing to rid yourself of the blubber … quite another to maintain one’s blubber-free form. Likewise, what took a lifetime to become entrenched in my psyche would not disappear overnight.

There is no hurry ….

THE PAIN OF WITHDRAWAL – nausea, anxiety, insomnia – is the fear my addict self faces. But treatment involves learning that

·         Success will depend on commitment and support.
·         My organizer is aware of all the tactics that might make me fall off the wagon.
·         During my detox Stuff will be the only thing on my mind.
·         My solution to the discomfort will be more Stuff, which is the last thing I need.
·         I will go extremes for more Stuff but the organizer will know how to get me through it.
·         My organizer will know when I am done with my withdrawal, and when it’s time for the next step of my treatment.
We shall get there some day.




My thanks and love to Pj, and to you, for stopping by Princess With a Pen today!
  XOXO
Jen

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