Roadtrips and Relationships: Construction Ahead

Roadtrips & Relationships: Is Your Physical Space Blocking Your Inner Peace?

Ever notice how a messy car can put you in a bad mood? On this revealing Living Lucky® Podcast episode, Jason and Jana Banana uncover the surprising connection between your physical environment and your emotional well-being. What began as a simple car cleaning before a road trip became a decade-long lesson in communication, relationship harmony, and the hidden impact of clutter.

Discover how a "puzzle piece disaster" on a road trip finally forced a conversation about unspoken preferences, highlighting how small irritations, if unaddressed, can create relationship strain and affect your inner world. You'll learn how different "perception styles"—Jana's detail-oriented approach versus Jason's destination focus—can lead to friction, and why understanding these differences is crucial for personal growth and a thriving partnership.

This episode offers powerful self-help insights into how clearing physical space mirrors creating emotional space in your soul. When you tackle the clutter in your car, garage, or home, you're not just organizing objects—you're transforming your mindset, reducing stress, and cultivating a more positive thinking environment. This simple act can even become an act of love, deepening connection and understanding within your relationships.

Ready to clear the "construction ahead" in your life? Tune in now. Break free from limiting beliefs about organization and discover how creating external order can bring profound internal peace. Start your journey to a more harmonious life and Live Lucky® by making conscious choices about the spaces you inhabit!

• How physical environment affects mood. Improving relationship communication about clutter. The psychology of organization and well-being. How to reduce stress through decluttering. Impact of messy surroundings on mental health. Self-help for a more organized life. Personal development through environmental changes. Creating emotional space by clearing physical space. Why a clean car improves mood. Understanding different organizational styles in relationships. How does my physical environment affect my emotions? Can clutter cause stress in relationships? What is the psychological impact of a messy home? How to communicate organizational needs with a partner? Does declutterin

For mind-blowing inspirational content that we implement ourselves, join us by subscribing and connecting to our private community.

Thanks for joining us.
CONNECT with us in our PRIVATE COMMUNITY

*** The Living Lucky Community is experiencing what it feels like to create a life of inspiration where dreams come true. Check it out HERE *** or at https://www.startlivinglucky.com/sendusyourdreams

!!! SEND US A MESSAGE: Are you ready to unlock your path to a more inspired life where you're Living Lucky®? Email me directly and let's chart your course toward realizing your dreams and creating a life that fills you with daily inspiration.
Email Jason Shelfer HERE

The 4 pillars of Living Lucky
Believe in yourself
Believe in the people around you
Believe in your circumstances and
Believe that God is working through you, for you, and always conspiring in your favor.

*Previously Recorded

Chapters

• 0:00 Creating a Life You Crave

Transcript

Jana Shelfer: 0:00

Are you ready to create a life you crave? Let's spin that doom loop of negativity into an upward success cycle and start Living Lucky®. Good morning. I'm Jana, I'm Jason and we are Living Lucky®. You are too. We're getting our car cleaned. Do you know how this makes me feel?

Jana Shelfer: 0:24

It's all about the details it makes me feel so good to get my car detailed yeah, and to ride in it now, why does such a small thing like when I clean my environment, when I get organized in my environment, it helps me in my brain. You might be the opposite.

Jason Shelfer: 0:46

I overlook it all. So it does feel good, but also I look past it. So when I think about the job at hand, it's almost like when we go down to the dock to go skiing. Like when we go down to the dock to go skiing, I am task oriented, so it's like okay, job right now is skiing, so I go straight to the dock and it's time to ski. You stop along the way and you notice things.

Jana Shelfer: 1:11

I do and it drives you crazy.

Jason Shelfer: 1:13

It does drive me crazy, I can tell.

Jana Shelfer: 1:15

when I'm coming down the sidewalk you're like, oh my God, Jana, Do not stop and pick that weed.

Jason Shelfer: 1:21

She is looking at every blade of grass to make sure they're pointing in the right direction.

Jana Shelfer: 1:28

So that to me. So I get it when we get our car clean, but you're the one that's always like clean as you go. I know, never know Like you're the one that says that.

Jason Shelfer: 1:33

So I understand how good you feel when we get, when you get it, when we're going to make a road trip and the car is dusty, dirty, has receipts in the dash. I Because dusty, dirty, has receipts in the dash I can't handle it. It makes you crazy and we're going to be sitting in that environment for long periods of time. I can imagine that it would send you into like a stir crazy. It does, feel it does. And then also when you go arranging things in my car it drives you crazy.

Jason Shelfer: 1:58

It makes me start going. Okay, where is this going to go? Because right now I know where it is.

Jana Shelfer: 2:04

Okay, going. Okay, where is this going to go? Because right now I know where it is Okay. So this podcast is, I guess, about not negotiating, but how can we meet up? And also how can we work together and collaborate and realize, you know what we're on the same team here. So how can we both feel comfortable and work together? Because it will change the energy of our whole trip.

Jason Shelfer: 2:30

And really it's an easy fix, like it's it's. We figured this out. It's an easy fix, it's it's okay. Well, we know we both do like having a clean car, but it took me.

Jana Shelfer: 2:42

it took me 10 years.

Jason Shelfer: 2:45

Took me 10 years.

Jana Shelfer: 2:45

To finally almost like pop the zit where I actually said something out loud, you know, like for the first 10 years of our marriage. It's not that I couldn't tell you what I was thinking or feeling. I guess I didn't realize, I didn't know that this was bothering me so badly, and so my natural tendency would be to get in the car and start gathering all the receipts that you seem to collect.

Jason Shelfer: 3:12

Well, the other thing is who doesn't like a clean car? Right? So in your mind, mind, you're going well, obviously jason wants his car clean, like obviously he just doesn't have the time, yeah, to straighten this out and to org like to get this more organized.

Jana Shelfer: 3:28

I'm going to help because you're a helper but here's the thing, when it re, when I really noticed this bothers me and I'm going to say something was the trip where we were in Tennessee and I spilled all the puzzle pieces, do you remember? This and like literally, I was doing a puzzle in the car. I know what you're thinking. Why in the heck would you do a puzzle in the car?

Jana Shelfer: 3:51

Well, I was just sorting pieces and I knew that we were going to be in this cabin for a long period of time outside edges and I different colors I put the puzzle box, with it open, on top of the dash and then jason had to right turn, had to maneuver the car because of traffic either slamming on the brakes or turning, and all of a sudden the the puzzle pieces went all over the car, in between the seats, all in the nooks and crannies, including inside my boots.

Jason Shelfer: 4:26

Remember I had my furry boots on and puzzle pieces went on there, in that death zone between the center console and the seats.

Jana Shelfer: 4:31

And then, when we opened the door, puzzle pieces actually started falling out. And we would find puzzle pieces that would fall to the ground on like in an entirely different state, like in missouri. We would stop to go get gas and go to the bathroom and we would come back to the car and I'd be like, oh my god, there's puzzle piece on the ground do you remember that I? Do and for some miraculous reason, we did the entire puzzle and we were missing one piece. It was the mona lisa do you remember this?

Jana Shelfer: 5:06

and I'm like oh my gosh, we're never gonna find that piece, because it was just a simple black piece, like a simple dark piece in there anywhere along our trip and my dad came out to our car and he said well, let me help you look.

Jana Shelfer: 5:19

And he got down on his hands and knees and in the backseat he was looking under the car and you could tell he was just dismayed about the mess that our car, to the point where I mean he I know he blamed it on the dog, because now I don't have- dogs.

Jason Shelfer: 5:40

My car doesn't look like this, so he equated it. Yes, it must be that if we ever ride with him.

Jana Shelfer: 5:46

He's like don't take the, don't bring the dog I don't want. And I I tried to rationalize it by saying dad, we live on a lake and there's always sand on my wheels and that's why our car is like this yeah, so he tried to pick.

Jason Shelfer: 5:59

What's the difference that I can see? So it must be the dog getting in and out of the car yeah, because our car was, because otherwise, I raised a decent human filthy. She married a wonderful husband. They can't have this big of a mess and I would submit that our car is not a pigsty. I've seen pigsty cars.

Jana Shelfer: 6:18

But compared to my parents' car, compared to your dad's car, that literally looks like it came off the car lot, the lot every single week. Okay, so in that moment I felt shame and embarrassment, and not that I was trying to rationalize for my husband, but that's how it came across. Do you know what I'm saying?

Jason Shelfer: 6:39

Oh, I know, I was there.

Jana Shelfer: 6:41

And since then I've realized you know what it bothers me too. It bothers me when our car is not pristine.

Jason Shelfer: 6:51

Yes, and you tolerated.

Jana Shelfer: 6:53

And I tolerated it. And it wasn't until that moment that I realized yeah, this, this absolutely bothers me as well. And it wasn't because of my dad's reaction. It was that I realized it in myself.

Jason Shelfer: 7:05

Well, you recognize the feeling and you got curious about it. Okay, why is this coming up? And then, why is it continuous? And then, how does how might this be affecting the energy throughout the trip? So, and then, why is it continuous? And then, how does how might this be affecting the energy throughout the trip? So, and then what so?

Jana Shelfer: 7:17

then I started saying things and just so anyone listening knows, when you do start saying things that you maybe haven't said in 10 years, that you've been in a relationship, and all of a sudden you start saying you know, it really bothers me how disorganized our car is, that really really bothers me. It bothers me when we stop on a road trip to you know, walk the dog and we can't find the leash, when I know that I specifically try to organize things. Do you know what I'm saying? Yes, and so once I started saying that, then the next step was there was a little bit of friction between you and I and our communication.

Jason Shelfer: 8:04

Right, because in my mind it's like okay, she just said I'm not organized.

Jana Shelfer: 8:10

Right, yeah Now. Who doesn't feel this? So who?

Jason Shelfer: 8:13

doesn't hear this when their spouse says it bothers me when we're not organized, right, yeah. Now who doesn't feel this? So who doesn't hear this when their spouse says it bothers me when we're not organized? Because they're saying I'm not, you're not organized, that's what you hear, everybody knows this, everybody feels this. So I hear you're not organized and it's your fault, right, and it's not true.

Jana Shelfer: 8:31

That's not what you were saying that's not what I said, right. All you were saying is how can we be more organized on this trip?

Jason Shelfer: 8:38

we gotta ask a better question right and that, and that's where we lend lent ourselves to getting curious and finding a solution and literally it came down to all right. Well, let's pack, pack in these little ways that make things easy, and also, let's just get the car detailed before we go on trips, because it makes the trip amazing.

Jana Shelfer: 9:02

It does, it really does.

Jason Shelfer: 9:03

It's like saying I just got a new car for this trip.

Jana Shelfer: 9:06

The only person it doesn't make amazing is for Tater, because-. She slides all over the seats, the armored, seats are a little slick and she's like whoa, what happened here?

Jason Shelfer: 9:15

And we got curious about that too. And now she has a little car seat pillow that she sits on.

Jana Shelfer: 9:20

We put a little pillow.

Jason Shelfer: 9:21

So she has some traction.

Jana Shelfer: 9:24

The thing is sometimes our environment.

Jason Shelfer: 9:27

It matters.

Jana Shelfer: 9:29

It affects us emotionally, it affects our thoughts.

Jason Shelfer: 9:33

Which in turn affects us emotionally. It affects our thoughts, which in turn affects us physically, and it also affects the energy that we bring.

Jana Shelfer: 9:40

And when you're in a car with another person, the energy that you bring is it's not only contagious, it's amplified, it's exasperated.

Jason Shelfer: 9:51

Yes, it is amplified, Like you recognize. That is where you're going to find the true, the trueness of what's happening in the world around you on a daily basis, because it's amplified in in that trip. So you were all on a trip of life, in this journey of life, and we are affecting other people with our energy and in a closed, confined space for a period of time, like a road trip. Your energy is going to matter, so why not find and make the space conducive to the best energy possible?

Jana Shelfer: 10:29

yeah, it just is amazing how that one little thing can almost change the person that I am yeah, and also oftentimes the problem isn't the problem.

Jason Shelfer: 10:42

So get curious and just figure out what it is. And it's the same with our garage.

Jana Shelfer: 10:47

It is the exact same way with our garage. I talked about this many, many times, but for some reason our garage. It doesn't matter how many times I clean it, how many times I organize it.

Jason Shelfer: 11:00

We're going to fill it back up.

Jana Shelfer: 11:01

And every time I say, can we go organize the garage? There is a little bit of I feel it, I feel whatever's coming off of you and it's not a good feeling, right.

Jason Shelfer: 11:14

Because it feels like it's something that's never going to end, so why perpetuate it? Feeling right because it feels like it's something that's never going to end, so why perpetuate? It's almost like giving the garage a haircut when we're the ones growing the garage's hair okay, so how, how, when we come home, how can we put our things?

Jana Shelfer: 11:32

I know in where they're supposed to go immediately, so that the garage doesn't get all cluttered, because for me it become.

Jason Shelfer: 11:39

It literally becomes a obstacle course physical obstacle yeah, I, I honestly I think it's just about um, creating space, and we need to sit down one day and say, okay, what is, what is it that we need to move out, and then allow space to be the priority instead of something.

Jana Shelfer: 12:02

Instead of filling it immediately.

Jason Shelfer: 12:04

Yeah.

Jana Shelfer: 12:05

You know, that's really great, because I do feel. When you allow space for your physical stuff, you're doing the same thing in your soul. You're allowing space for feelings, thoughts, and when you address them face on, it feels like they start to move. Yeah, are you with me there? One hundred percent.

Jason Shelfer: 12:29

Yeah, I think that's crucial. In fact, if you're listening right now, rewind that and listen to that again.

Jana Shelfer: 12:35

Okay, on that note we're going gonna go clean the car.

Jason Shelfer: 12:39

That's what we're gonna do we're gonna have it detailed and we're gonna pack and I'm even taking it to the dealership today just to get all the the juices in it.

Jana Shelfer: 12:47

I'm so proud of you. I'm just so proud because it feels like.

Jason Shelfer: 12:54

It feels like that is and this is not it feels like you're doing that as an act of love. I will say that we're even 1,500 miles before it needs to go to the dealership, but we're doing it. It feels like you are going above and beyond, and I appreciate that. Well, I love you and I love our car and I love our life and I love our trips and we're going to have a great trip.

Jana Shelfer: 13:13

That's right. Okay, just wanted to bring this to someone's awareness because, you never know, your physical space affects you on the inside. Have a great day. Thank you for joining us Keep Living Lucky®. Bye-bye. If the idea of Living Lucky® appeals to you, visit us at www. LivingLucky. com.