I can now clearly see I'm kind of a clutter snob. I have looked down on people that are pack rats and just can't seem to get it together. Their desks look like a toxic waste dump site and it takes them forever to find one thing buried in mess.

On closer inspection, however, I create and live in clutter as well. My desk is not threatening to break under weight of un-dealt with paper, but I have almost 100 E-mails that I need to process. I have a tiny digital recorder so I can record ideas and information at time I think of them. My plan is to listen to them daily and do whatever needs to be done with information. Instead, I've used up almost all of recording time and haven't done much with what I've recorded. Oh my God, I'm suffering from digital clutter! I've updated an age old problem and brought it into 21st century. You, too?

OK, enough complaining -- time for some action. If we feel overwhelmed and depressed a little too often, getting rid of physical clutter may not cut it for us. It may be time for some judicious life pruning. When I get in this mode, anything that doesn't move me toward my most important goals or recharge my physical, emotional or spiritual batteries is outta here!

What a disservice this myth does to women like you and me and two glistening creative souls quoted below--Carla Blazek and Kirsten Oppe.

Here is my claim: you can do what you love, for a living or a part-time living or simply because you love it, and you will still suffer. You can do what you love and you will still hit same rough spots, doubts, and dark nights of soul that you would if you weren't doing what you love, they will just be different ones! I would even go so far as to claim that those of us who are living our dreams are more susceptible to doubt and dark nights because we are more aware and often, by listening and pursuing our passions, we increase our overall evolution--which can certainly increase our dissonance and discomfort! I would also add that if we think we won't have days in which we hate our dream, we are declaring we won't continue to evolve, because life conditions are what helps us change and grow.

Here is a juicy and liberating idea I'm meditating on these days: What if, instead of thinking I'm wrong, off track, or screwing up when I'm uncertain, afraid, lost, don't know what to do next or aren't enjoying some aspect of living my dream, I held interpretation that I am moving to a new level of development, that I am at my learning edge and learning edge is never comfortable. I'm not screwed up, I'm evolving! Just think back to a time before you learned something significant. Were you feeling all light and happy and comfortable? Or edgy, irritable, uncertain, worried, fretful?

What if losing our way is a good sign? (Now, I don't believe it always is and next time I'll share guidelines for discerning when lost is good and when lost is a swim in ole' river Denial or about biological or cognitive disconnects.)

Here's what Carla Blazek, creator of http://www.zenamoon.com, had to say about living her dream and potholes she's fallen into along way:

"I know that I once believed that following my dream meant happily ever after. Years ago, on Oprah, there was a woman who had followed her dream of making elaborate handmade dolls. Sitting in her beautiful antique-filled studio surrounded by mountains of lush gorgeous fabrics, with a look of serenity and bliss on her face, she said she was so in love with her work that 'every day was like Christmas morning.' For years, I carried that metaphor as my idea of what following my dream should feel like [Jennifer's note: notice word should, always a dead giveaway we are pushing ourselves out of our center and toward outside world's dictates]. I believed that if I, too, was skipping along my Divine path of expression and creativity, there would be no hardships, no fear, no struggles. If I was doing it right (whatever that means!), my days would be filled with vivid inspiration, crystal clear decision-making, fantastic feelings 'round clock and a big fat bankbook to boot.

WELL: Now I know this serene dollmaker was either fibbing -- to herself or to Oprah's producers -- or she'd been in business less than a year and was still in honeymoon phase. Falling in love with our work is like falling in love with a person. At first our world revolves around our beloved work. We eat, sleep, and breathe our work; talk about it incessantly. It is answer to our prayers! We feel so alive! How did we ever live without this? Moving through disillusionment has been a natural cycle in my relationship with my company zena moon. Some of my illusions lost so far include: I will always feel passionate about what I do When I follow my intuition, I will not make poor decisions or choices Because I operate in integrity, I do not need practical safeguards (i.e., legal) to protect me My fears will go away My dream(s) will not change Saying yes to business and customers is more important than saying no I have to do everything by myself

I gave birth to zena moon, and she has a life and energy all her own. I've learned it's incredibly important to LISTEN to how I feel in relationship to her. And to listen to what SHE is telling ME!