'There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven't yet met.'
--William Butler Yeats

If your three best friends all announced tomorrow that they were moving to different parts of the country, would you still have friends to do things with? This happened to one of my neighbors, and she was devastated. She had not done enough to encourage other friendships, taking for granted that their little group would always be together.

It takes time to build really good friendships. Many of us have core groups of friends...three or four that we can call on any time to share our joys or sorrows, who just 'get' us. Because of this, however, we may get comfortable and not make any effort to expand our friendship circles.

Yet, friendships can change with time. Circumstances that drew you together initially may have changed. Views may be different now. You may have grown apart.

Sometimes it may feel that you've grown, but your friends have not. Maybe you have developed different interests and have projects that are important to you. It can feel like you have sometimes left your friends behind, and it can feel sad. Or worse, perhaps you feel as if you have been left behind. Maybe they all have children or grandchildren and you do not, and you get tired of all the cute kid stories. Either way, change is called for.

We all need to branch out our friendships, even grow new ones. My friend's aunt, who is in her late 60s, joined a group of women who do adventure travel. Because of this, she made several new friends and has many new adventures in her life.

How do you branch out and find new friends? These are real friends I'm talking about, not just the overall Facebook variety? One way is to get out and do things. Volunteer groups, travel groups, exercise groups, or church groups all have the potential of producing new friendships.

Once you have found someone you think you might click with, suggest getting together for lunch or coffee. Then do it. This may be the hardest part, taking that step of getting together. Begin by deciding which days are the easiest and go from there.

Of course, sometimes a friendship that looks promising just never really takes off. Maybe you have less in common than you thought. Sometimes the timing is just wrong. It's nobody's fault, it's just one of those things.

Sometimes circumstances seem to get in the way--a death in the family, a divorce, other major life change, and you may feel you don't have the emotional resources for developing new friendships. On the flip side, very often, tragic circumstances lead to strong friendships.

If something doesn't work the first time, try again. You can't lose, and you will likely be better friends, even if you never become close. Friends enrich our lives. In the words of Thomas Aquinas, 'There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.'

Align Your Life With the Energy of Your Soul

As a loyal Get Organized Now! Reader
You Can Get a Complimentary Pass
to the Upcoming Spiritual Codes Fest

You were born with 'codes' that have influenced your life every day. Let's look at 'mental codes.' Which one of the following seven statements describes you most?

1. I use words and ideas to influence others.

2. I tend to leave it to others to come up with ideas.

3. I prefer traditional or conventional ideas.

4. I am always jumping to the newest thing or idea.

5. I organize and label everything. I like to follow procedures.

6. I can be extraordinarily focused on my own ideas or those of my idol or mentor.

7. I have an abundance of ideas.

You almost certainly found one of these to be spot on. It's part of a Code for what is happening in your life on the 'mental' level. Recognizing it and knowing what to do about it can change your life completely. So the question is...

Which Code is dominant in your life?

When you find your Mental Code, embrace it. Let it be an everyday strength. The same holds true for other levels such as the physical level and emotional level. It will then be easier to let your soul drive your life instead of everything else dragging you around. That's living a life of purpose.

For five days, during the upcoming Spiritual Codes Fest, you will explore these Spiritual Codes and the influence that they have on your life. Your access, as a loyal reader of the Get Organized Now! newsletter, is FREE.

Experience it for yourself beginning on Monday, December 4. Your first session is all ready for you to hear. To get your free pass, visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-sc.html

The secrets of the seven Spiritual Codes:

There are seven Spiritual Codes and each is known by one of the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Each code also has a keyword or theme. The Red Code is will, as in resolution or conviction. The Orange Code is service. The Yellow Code is creativity. The Green Code stands for balance. The Blue Code is knowledge. The Indigo Code is devotion. And for the Violet Code, the main theme is magical order.

Each has a positive and expansive side, and each has a negative and contracting side. During the Spiritual Codes Fest, you will learn the impact they have on your life and how to use them to live your dreams.

You will hear stories to help you understand the impact each Code can have--the positive and the negative--and help you recognize the codes in yourself. Your host Marie Diamond will lead you in simple, yet powerful meditations to activate each code's vibration so that you can live to its potential.

The Spiritual Codes Fest begins Monday, December 4, mark your calendar today. Be ready for an eye-opening experience. Your first session is ready for you to listen to right now. Visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-sc.html

You are getting information that is not readily found in the world, you are getting instruction and mentoring through a true master of the work, and you are getting the support dedicated to helping you maximize your full potential.

P.S. Don't procrastinate. This event begins on Monday, December 4th and if you wait, you'll miss out.

GON Infographic: The evolution of Santa...you'll love this must-see infographic
getorganizednow.com/infographics-santa.html



GON Article: Important TO DO List ingredient...don't forget this how

getorganizednow.com/organizing-article-todo-important.html



GON Monthly Checklist: It's easier to be jolly when you're organized. Start today with our NEW December 2017 Organizing Checklist
getorganizednow.com/organizing-checklist-dec.html





Dirty Little Secret: Here's how I get my Christmas cards addressed in a flash...
getorganizednow.com/dirty-little-secret-christmas-cards.html



Mini Challenges: It's all about getting organized for Christmas this week. Here are your mini challenges.
getorganizednow.com/organizing-challenge-christmas-todos.html



In ADDITION, on our home page, you'll also find lots of NEW and featured STUFF including...

Social Media Spotlight: Is it hard for you to say 'no' to invitations? Here's advice...
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Theme of the Week: Snow. Check out our home page quotes that reflect our theme.
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Cool Facts about Snowflakes: How many sides do they have, and how fast do they fall? Find out on our home page.
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1) Go window shopping. Whether you buy gifts online or at retail stores in person, take some time to simply go window shopping. This allows you to enjoy the day, the beautifully decorated store windows, and the holiday atmosphere, without the need to search for gifts or stand in long lines. I do this with my daughter at least one day every year...we enjoy the festive atmosphere and each other...and always stop for lunch, followed by a Starbucks Frappucino or Latte.

2) Organize your dresser drawers. Empty out any messy drawers, sort through the clothing...getting rid of anything that no longer fits, that you don't like, or that has seen better days. Place your keepers back in, folded neatly. This is also a good opportunity to rearrange your drawers a bit if necessary so that the clothing in each drawer has its own theme: sweaters, socks, T-shirts, etc.

3) Replace your kitchen sponge. There can be more than 360 different types of bacteria lurking on your kitchen sponge. Replace it this week. By the way, if you've been cleaning your sponge instead of replacing it, according to new research addressed in the New York Times, 'Microwaving a sponge, or tossing it in the dishwasher, kills its tiny residents. It may nuke the weak ones, but the strongest, smelliest, and potentially pathogenic bacteria will survive.' My solution, simply replace the sponge every two weeks.

4) Buy/make and wrap at least 3 gifts. If you haven't started Christmas shopping yet, get some done this week. Wrap and attach a gift tag to each, and stow away together in one place until Christmas. If you must store in different areas, make sure you have a notebook or spreadsheet so you can keep track of where each gift is, so you're not scrambling to remember on Christmas Eve.

5) Put up your artificial tree. If you have an artificial Christmas tree, begin putting it up this week. We handle this process a little at a time in my house. Tree gets assembled one day. Lights are added the next (if you have a prelit tree, you can skip this step), ribbon and/or garland is added the next...then the ornaments...and finally the angel or star. This ensures we don't get tired out, and enjoy the tradition.

'Friends are like Christmas lights. Some are broke, others just don't work for you, and there are others that make your day shine bright.'
--Nishan Panwar




I'd love to hear from you.
Comments, suggestions, or just to say hello. Just REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...Being organized creates a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!

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(c) Copyright 2017 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

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