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Clutter-Clearing and Your
Authentic Self
By: Stephanie Roberts
Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control, the
universe so unresponsive to your needs and desires, that you couldn't
help it: you just had to clean up? By paying attention to these impulses
we recognize the deep connection between our personal environment and
our innermost selves. It's as though by shifting the arrangement of our
belongings we hope to rearrange the molecules of our emotional lives as
well.
Feng shui teaches us that our spaces both reflect and affect our
physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. When our homes become
cluttered and disordered, other aspects of our lives tend to feel
gridlocked as well. It's a chicken-and-egg kind of situation. Not only
does a cluttered home reflect a distracted and cluttered mind, it also
makes it hard to focus and think clearly. It gets easier and easier to
stop making the item-by-item decisions that could put you back in
control of the mess and help you to feel more in control of your life.
Eventually, we give up. The task seems overwhelming, and the clutter is
so pervasive that we can't figure out where to begin. We slog through
our days thinking "someday when I have the time I've got to clean this
up." Clutter clearing becomes an abstract goal that awaits a mythical
future time when our calendars will be free of obligations, we will
awaken one weekend morning well-rested and energized, and mysteriously
through some unseen grace we will have acquired the focused clarity and
enthusiasm that will finally inspire us to dive in and get it done. We
wait for the moment to be right before we begin, so beginning never
happens.
We're approaching the clutter challenge backwards when we think this
way. Regaining a sense of clarity and order is more easily achieved by
putting our space in order than by trying to order and control our
thoughts in a disorganized space.
Clutter saps your energy and erodes your spirit. Clutter makes it
difficult to get things done, enjoy peace and quiet, or spend time the
way you really want to. It adds to your stress, slows you down and
drains your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. Clutter
is disempowering.
In feng shui terms, clutter is both a symptom and a cause of stuck
energy. Opening the dictionary we see that "clutter" derives from the
Old English word "clott", which means: "to cause to become blocked or
obscured." Like a blood clot blocking circulation in our veins, clutter
prevents energy from circulating through our homes and our lives.
As a feng shui consultant, I have worked with many clients who complain
of feeling creatively or professionally blocked, or who bemoan the lack
of a sense of purpose or direction in life. What I usually find in their
homes are lots of things that don't reflect their personality or future
aspirations. These people are surrounded by objects that have been
allowed to wander in unchecked at the door or that linger on the shelf
long after the relevant stage of life is past.
On an energetic level, all this stuff is preventing a clear vision of
self. Anything that is neglected, unwanted, or unappealing to you will
drag your energy down every time you look at it. Even a beautiful object
of great value does nothing for you or your home if you don't like it.
This is why we include "anything that you do not love" in a holistic
definition of clutter.
Everything that surrounds you should be working for you in some way. If
the things in your space are not supporting you and contributing to the
positive quality of your life, it is time to do something about it!
The defeat, fatigue, and depression that you feel when you think about
your clutter will start to evaporate as soon as you put yourself in
action. The hard part is getting started, but once you do the magic will
begin.
Clutter-clearing creates space for us to discover our true path in life
and to define who we want to become. With this new vision we can
consciously choose to surround ourselves with objects and imagery that
reflect and support our authentic concept of self.
© 2003 Stephanie Roberts
[exerpted from "Clutter-Free Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]
Bio:
GOT CLUTTER?!? Clearing out clutter is the most important and
powerful way to dramatically improve the feng shui of your home. Stephanie
Roberts' "CLUTTER-FREE FOREVER!" Home Coaching Program provides all the insight,
motivation, and step-by-step guidance you need in an in-depth ebook and 6 weekly
lessons. Plus, you can join our Affiliate Program and earn a commission on every
referral sale. Find out more at
www.ClutterFreeForever.com.
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