The Petticoat Project

Ever heard of the Begets? No, no I'm not confusing the begets with the beatitudes for the religious folk out there. The begets are a different genre of what you give is what you shall receive.

Summers for us are crazy. It's not a particular date that kicks off the fun frenzy rather the first burst of warm air that breaks through the cold winter months like a little tenacious chicken breaking through it's egg. But inevitably what happens is our home, our yard, our schedules mimick the tragic remains of a residence taken by spontanseous storm. But unfortunately no storm has passed through and it's far from spontaneous because it happens every year. Summer. Now that summer is coming to an unmistakable close, the storm must be dealt with...and deal with it we will.

This brings me to the Begets. With all the fun we had been gettin', there was few chores being gotten to. Such examples include: Laundry begetting laundry. Dishes begetting dishes. Dust begetting dust. Humungous yard weeds as tall as oak treeks begetting humungous yard weeds as tall as oak trees. But something else was begettin' that wasn't so obvious. Fun was begetting fun. Travel begetting travel. Laziness was begetting laziness. Lack of motivation was begetting lack of motivation. No discipline was begetting no discipline.

Explanation. When you have a clean sink it begets more clean sink (shout out to Flylady.com who taught me all about the shiny sink)! When your bed is fresh and clean it perpetuates and begets fresh and clean. The effort is in place and who wants to mess up a good thing? But when it becomes undone, at least in our home, LOOK OUT because it really becomes undone. Phase two of summer, after what I told my husband that we lived in squalor started to get to me. All that fun created an environment and energy in me that wasn't so fun. During little man's afternoon naps rather than do something productive, including mindfully relaxing, I would mindlessly watch tv show which begat watching even MORE tv shows. My home was a disaster and it was a little overwhelming to know where to start. This started to beget the best of me! Frustration and more clarity focused on my husbands flaws (honey, you don't have any :)..I love you) which begat more frustration and anger toward my husband. Law of attraction maybe, karmic universe at work maybe, maybe it was both and maybe it was none, but the begetting was and has been undeniable.

Think about it. When you serve someone, does it not create something inside you that wants to serve more? Flip that. When you become "I" focused, doesn't that create more thoughts, emotions and energy placed on you? When you get into a groove, doesn't that create move grooving?

Notice what your begetting in your life. What are you doing and who are you being and what is the by-product of that? Think of it along the lines of the gremlin effect. It starts with one and you beget a ton! Do you think negative thoughts which begets more negative thoughts? Do you find yourself spending your time in ways that doesn't inspire, invigorate or renew which begets more of that? Are you more critical of yourself, your spouse or your children which begets more of outward negativity or do you spend time looking for the highlights in your loved ones which begets more highlights?

"This law is basic to our existence. It deals with a like condition begetting a like condition. We know that dogs beget dogs, cats beget cats, apples beget apples, humans beget humans, etc. We can see that. What we don't see so clearly is that our attitudes, feelings, and actions -- by this law -- determine the attitudes, feelings, and actions of others toward us! In other words, what you are "like" is what your life is "like." You beget your life! Therefore, you can tell, by watching what is happening to you in your life, what you are really like. If you don't like what is happening to you, it is a signal to you that you need to make a change. Keep in mind that results don't always manifest immediately in this time based world of ours but they will manifest sooner or later, by law! Like begets like puts us in charge. As we use it for good or for ill each day, we are indeed the pilots, the directors of our lives." - Russell Rowe

Think about your begets. Do you like what you are begetting? What's one thing you could do that would change what you are begetting? Maybe you would like more friends or better friends are you begetting the kind of friends you'd like to have by emulating those vary qualities and traits? Maybe you'd like something different in your spouse, are you betting the kind of spouse you'd like to have by how YOU are? In my case I was temporarily paralyzed by the overwhelming stuff that was before me. I had to break it all down in to bite size pieces and just start somewhere. Anywhere. It was just starting. Like a pizza, I eat it one slice at a time and over a period of time. And so my new begetting begins. Action begetting action. Positivity begetting positivity. And I'm off, it's time to begetting on my way and back to my home to beget some homey, comfortable, atmosphere!