A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed on several radio stations in Ireland. Our "FlyLady" way of living was being attacked by one reviewer. She said that when a woman is stuck with the housework she doesn't have time to pursue business or politics. I rebuked her misconception of what we do. I told her we are not Stepford Wives, we were taking care of things so that we could be anything we wanted to be. I also told her I was a wife, mother, grandmother, former elected official, business leader and FLYLADY!

If I had not had my house in order I would have never stepped into a political arena to give a woman's opinion on anything. I would have been trapped and silenced by the CHAOS in my home. That would have been so sad. If I had not had my house in order I would have never been able to jump in and help you.

With the CHAOS turned to peace I was willing and able to step up and do what my community and my internet family needed. My routines were firmly in place and I was FLYing! I had a full-time job being a county commissioner and almost at the same time our FlyLady mentoring system began. Yet our home still looked nice and I felt good about myself and what I was doing.

Have you ever paid attention to the number of women there are in a room of elected officials or who the bosses are? I have studied this and I believe with all my heart that our homes keep us trapped. We don't feel like we have time to do anything other than what we are already doing. So we let the world pass us by while we just try to keep our heads above water. We are so busy putting out fires that we forget about our passions. I am not saying that housework is a woman's job; what I am saying it is the woman who feels bad about the house when it is not done. We can't help that this is how we have been conditioned by society. We are the nurturers and the nesters. We have been told that we can have it all: the home, family, career and a rewarding life! But no one ever gave us an instruction manual. We were just expected to know how to do it all. When we struggle with one part and the guilt begins to take over then we neglect the other areas. We have all said it: "I don't have time!"

"I don't have time" goes even deeper than just getting involved with your community. Those words rob you of time with your family and time taking care of you! Ultimately you are the one who loses. You are so rushed that you don't take care of yourself and eventually get sick because you are not eating right or not taking a few minutes to get a drink of water.

I never dreamed that my passion for helping you would become my calling. My home is my sanctuary; not an albatross around my neck weighing me down in shame. Do you have a passion for something? Have you pushed it to the back burner waiting for the right time to rekindle that passion? Do you even remember what it is? There is never going to be a right time! We have to learn how to balance our lives. We can do this by establishing simple habits and building them into babystep routines to get rid of the CHAOS in our lives. These simple steps will help you to find the time even if it is only 15 minutes a week.