Create your good fortune by giving

Over the years I have read some really strange fortunes in our fortune cookies. I will never forget the time we were coming back from picking up my husband's car from the repair shop. We had the engine replaced. Our fortune cookie that night said, "You will not have any car trouble for the next 50,000 miles."

It is so much fun to laugh at things like this. There is another fortune cookie that has become my mantra for living. This fortune said, "If you continually give, you will continually have!" Seeing those words on a little slip of paper brought tears to my eyes. This is how I have lived the past few years, and now I had it affirmed.

Giving comes in many forms; giving of your time to help a neighbor, giving money to a good cause, giving advice when asked and giving your clutter to bless others. When we hoard, we are not giving. We are clinging to something because we fear we might need it one day. When we let it go, it will come back and bless us over and over.

It was only when I got rid of my clutter and eliminated the clutter that was in my head that my dreams started to come true. They were not even dreams because there was no way I could have ever dreamed this big! I started by blessing others with our abundance. You know the items that you have of which you have two. Then I began giving of my time to mentor people on the Internet. The first year, 10,000 people joined. Now we have almost 350,000 members in over 70 countries around the world.

I love every minute I spend helping people to find peace in their homes and lives. This past year we started our newspaper columns and have seen peace spread to your homes. I thank you for telling people about FLYing and how it has helped you. "If you continually give, you will continually have" keeps coming back to bless me every day.

Last winter I received a CD in the mail from one of my FLYbabies, Amy Lacey. Her testimonial touched my heart. She had taken FLYing to heart and had put her house in order with two toddlers. With her home shining, she followed her passion for music and had composed the music, written the lyrics and performed the songs 15 minutes at a time. I was so impressed with her music that I picked up the phone and called her. I told her about my dream of a FLY CD to motivate and inspire our members. Before I knew it, she was singing a FLYing song a cappella for me. I asked if she could do others, and she said she had lots of ideas. In a few short weeks, she had demos ready.

I loved all of her songs. One song I thought would be a great song for this sweet young man we had met in a television station greenroom, Eric Dodge. He has a great voice, and his music touched my heart. I think he is a budding country music star. Eric agreed to sing "Why Not Today?" on our FLY CD. He has even traveled with us to perform this and songs from his CD: "Since I Let You Go." I'm proud of Eric and Amy for giving of themselves. Check out: www.EricDodge.com and www.AmyBensonLacey.com.

I get to help others who have helped me. We have all heard this saying, "What goes around comes around."

Reach out and touch someone. Share yourself with the world! I have been blessed by giving. When I continually give I continually have. This will work for you, too!

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For more help getting rid of your CHAOS; check out: www.flylady.net. Also see Cilley's book, "Sink Reflections" and her new book, "Body Clutter." Copyright 2006 Marla Cilley Used by permission in this publication.