Lisa J. Shultz > Quotes

“It behooves me to remember as I advance in age that death is an inevitable part of the life cycle rather than a medical failure.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“Clutter may rob us of the life we imagined or prevent us from creating a new vision for our future.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“What would I have wanted to say if I had had the opportunity to see him one more time? I would like to think that I would have kept it simple and said, “I love you,” then just held his hand in silence, letting that thought linger in the space of the time we had left together.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“I believe that no matter what situation in life you find yourself, there is room for you to take control of little things, which ultimately adds up to big things.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“By seizing every opportunity for kindness, forgiveness, healing, and love that crosses my path each day, I hope that my death, although perhaps sad for some, will be gracefully concluded.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“By acknowledging my impermanence, I can consider if there is anything I can do now to help my loved ones who will be left behind cope with losing me and to facilitate healing.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“I felt that days, weeks, months, and years of my life were wasted by the removal of stuff. There were more important things I would rather have been doing. But I continued, and eventually, I felt lighter and freer than I had ever felt in the years of big houses with each room filled to the brim.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“I now urge friends and acquaintances to have conversations with their aging parents and within their families while their parents are still relatively healthy and of sound mind.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“If the push towards life sustaining technology were balanced with options for comfort care in both medical school training and the healthcare culture, more people would have the chance to transition to death with dignity and grace.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“In the process of decluttering things in my life, I was peeling off the layers of my past that no longer mattered to my present life. But as I did that shedding, memories and emotions arose. I sometimes felt sadness as I removed reminders of a failed marriage or the loss of a loved one. I grieved lost dreams and deceased people and pets. If I looked for it, I also experienced gratitude for the good times and the love that once was. Eventually, I felt lighter after I worked my way through a particular emotional zone that exposed remnants of unhealed parts of my life.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“I asked myself, “Who would I be if I weren’t busy? What would be left of my life and me after I removed excess stuff from my home and allowed my day to have unscheduled open spaces?”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“My dad’s life was magnificent, but only if I let myself see and remember more than his years of decline.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“I believe it’s imperative to bring the light of support and knowledge to patients and families when death is approaching.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“I am becoming better at releasing the “what-ifs” that clog my closets.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“If we want more healing and peace in the world, let us each start with our homes, our relationships, our mindsets, and ourselves.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“When I reflect on the stories of death supported by hospice care and contrast it with our story depicting an absence of support, I find myself dealing with envy and anger. I have channeled those emotions into this book with the hope that hearing our story might give someone else a chance to create a better ending to the life of a loved one.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“A paradigm shift of viewing palliative care or hospice as a gift instead of seeing it as giving up has the potential to change the way we experience advanced age.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“We all have a million things vying for our attention. If you tell yourself that you don’t have enough time to clear out your junk, you might be delaying the well-being and relief you could experience by tackling it. If not now, when?”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“Minimizing can be exhilarating. If you continue decluttering, you just might find a zest for life that you didn’t know existed under all that stuff!”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“For me, decluttering and downsizing has caused shifts in my thinking and my habits. I don’t have to declutter; I choose to declutter.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“Without guidance and support for patients and families approaching death, there may be unnecessary conflict, confusion, and trauma that linger long after the passing of a loved one.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“Decluttering and downsizing before I am forced to do so also means my kids will have less work and stress when I reach old age or suffer an infirmity.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“I decided to break the trend of accumulating stuff sooner rather than later. I moved to smaller homes ahead of my need. I downsized before I was forced to do so. I sorted and dispersed my things while I had the energy and the ability to either donate or sell my stuff.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“Instead of thinking I am losing something when I clear clutter, I dwell on what I might gain.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“Losing the buffer zone of my parents meant I was next. I had a chance to craft a lighter finale for my future senior years. I didn’t want the final chapters of my life to be about stuff, and I didn’t want to abandon the responsibility of dealing with it myself.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“My new deliberate and slower pace has created a higher quality in my experiences.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“When I own less, fewer things go wrong and need to be fixed. I have more space: openings in my calendar, room in my home, and calm in my heart.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

“I am certain that I’m not the only one who would like to have a do-over on an interaction with a loved one.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“When I eventually moved to a smaller home, it felt cozy, like having a pair of jeans that fit me just right—no wasted living space and no baggy fabric.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.