Why do we have to wait until the holidays to be nice to one another? Are we just too busy to help each other out at other times of the year, or is it just not in our vision? When we are too busy we don't see the needs.

We are walking in that fog that we call our lives. Our attention is focused only on what we see within that immediate vicinity. This is when we are having to race to put out fires that are taking over our homes and our schedules. No wonder we can't see the needs of others; those raging infernos are about to devour everything around you.

Several years ago I was just like you! My whole day consisted of going from one fire to the next and sometimes jumping right out of the frying pan into the fire. It is so hard to get out of this chaotic mess. We don't know how to put out all the fires at once. This is what we think we have to do. But it is not what works.

We have been surviving on a steady flow of adrenaline pumping through our bodies. This adrenaline has been our drug of choice. We don't know how to function unless we are racing to put out yet another fire. If somehow we did manage to extinguish all the fires at once, we would not know what to do with ourselves.

This is why I preach taking "baby steps"! One little habit will help you to eliminate a potential fire starter. As you build your simple little habits into a routine, you are going to be so surprised that your stress level has decreased and you don't seem to be in that tizzy all the time anymore. It doesn't happen all at once. Our bodies would rebel if we quit our adrenaline junkie habit cold turkey. Establishing one habit at a time slowly decreases our dependency on that drug of choice.

I never dreamed that I could function without being stressed out. I took great pride in working better under pressure. Boy was I wrong. As I look back now I can see that most of what I did was thrown together and not done with any planning. You could say I was flying by the seat of my pants. I don't have to live this way any longer.

My routines keep me sane. I am not walking in a fog, and I can see clearly what needs to be done. I can also see someone else's needs. It is such a joy to be able to play it forward at a moment's notice. It brings a smile to my face and puts a song of love in my heart for my fellow man.

At this time of year being nice is brought to our attention. We watch the holiday movies on television and hear about random acts of kindness. Last week in Indiana at a Starbucks drive-thru window 140 people paid for the person behind them in line. This went on for three hours. Just yesterday my friend Eric Dodge told me about a song he was working on as a gift for the troops. His lead guitarist, Jim Sevy, wrote a song to lift the spirits of our troops and their families. Eric recorded it and put it as a free download on his Web site: www.EricDodge.com. The song is called "I Pledge." All they wanted to do was brighten the day of one soldier. Today Eric got an e-mail from a soldier thanking him for the song. It made his day.

What have you done today to brighten someone's day? How have you used your talents to bless the world? If you say, "I don't have time!" then look at the fires that you are constantly fighting. These fires are keeping you locked in chaos. Simple routines will open up your schedule for the good things of life!

---

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.