Are you weighted down by too much stuff?
Lighten the load this year and get the spring back in your step.
Stuff... we collect it, carry it around, live amongst it, and navigate our lives around it. Over time, the accumulation of “stuff” becomes clutter gathering dust, which then becomes useless junk that no longer serves a purpose. The consequence of being surrounded by clutter results in congested energy, blocked creativity and no room to allow prosperity to flow into our lives. Much like a detoxifying cleanse that is recommended for a healthier body and weight loss, freeing our home of accumulated clutter will result in a healthier and uplifted environment, and ultimately our state of being.
It’s said that a cluttered environment makes for a cluttered mind. The constant distraction and pull of random objects and piles of useless items around us only scatters and erodes our energy. True to the ancient science of Feng Shui, the movement of energy forces have an enormous impact on our psyche and emotional state. Like our diet, our home will ultimately nourish us or drain us.
As we begin a new year, why not enter it with a lighter load and fresh outlook? Perhaps it’s time for you to take stock of your possessions and evaluate if you have use for them anymore. Whether it’s clothes and shoes you no longer wear, old furniture, magazines and CDs, dishes, ornaments and trinkets, or cupboards full of old products, there are plenty of outlets that will gladly take used items, and you can feel good that you’re assisting others in need. You can approach the process with a light heart rather than as a dreaded chore, knowing it will benefit you and others.
When does nostalgia over an item become a weight? As the perception of what’s “junk” is subjective, it will be your personal decision for what no longer serves you. Ask yourself; does this item bring me joy and inspire me, or cause irritation and have uncomfortable memories associated with it? How would it benefit me to let this go? Have I used it in the last 4 months? Could it be of greater value to someone else? You can choose to release it with gratitude, as a completion and energetic cleanse for you, and perhaps the perfect find for another.
Why not start with your purse? Then turn to your home and clear the corners, entrance ways, window sills, closets, kitchen and bedroom drawers, under the sinks, the basement and garage. It’s vital to clear the foundation beyond just the surface, leaving nothing festering behind closed doors.
A helpful strategy is to arm yourself with some empty boxes and garbage bags, with the intention of categorizing your throw-away items for recycling, garbage, gifts to others, and second hand stores. Start with something that won’t overwhelm you and leave you feeling inspired; perhaps that might be de-cluttering your car! After clearing out the junk from your home, you might find yourself enthusiastic to continue revitalizing it by washing the walls – think of washing away years of old energy beyond cleaning off dirt and stains. Even more uplifting is adding fresh paint, new carpeting, flooring, curtains or blinds, new plants and better lighting.
The purging process of de-cluttering your home is a healthy and liberating Feng Shui process, and you will be guaranteed to feel uplifted and more peaceful. Don’t go through 2011 weighted down by unnecessary clutter. Make room for new energy to enter your life!
