It might be difficult to see clutter as a gift, but it really is! Here’s why:
Clutter releases blocked energy, so whenever you need a quick fix or an energy boost, spend some time clearing out a drawer or closet — no more than half an hour — but do it thoroughly. Allocate objects to their proper homes, package up anything being recycled and dispose of anything that is going to the trash. In other words — avoid clearing the drawer and just making separate piles of things you are going to take care of later. Notice how you feel afterwards. I always feel lighter.
On its own without doing anything else, clearing clutter can change your life. For many people it can be as powerful as feng shui. It is a necessary first step in space clearing, and it is contagious — family members often begin addressing their own clultter when one member begins.
Once you’ve begun, clutter clearing is an ongoing process that is more about choices and mindfulness. Many people have a rule: one thing in, one thing out. That’s mindfulness, when you have to figure out what has to go out in order to make room for the new thing. It also encourages you to ask: do I really need this? Do I want it? Because I see recycling as clutter, it also helps me when I am shopping for food. Do I really want an item if it has a lot of extra packaging I will have to store until recycling day? And even though I believe in recycling, I believe even more strongly in reducing my footprint on the earth. Do I want the responsibility of adding to things that need to be recycled?
Clutter has taught me about living more simply. When moving from one coast to another, I pared down to the extreme and had to dispose of a lot of my belongings: some things were sold, others given to friends and a lot went to charity. As our things left and went on their separate journeys I had to acknowledge the true value of all the things we had gathered around us. There are times (nearly 4 years later) that I wonder where something ended up, but I have never regretted the decision to pare down.
Finally clutter has taught me that the true treasures of my life are the ones I carry inside me.
Copyright Deborah Redfern 2007. All rights reserved.
Tags: belongings, Clearing Clutter, Clutter Clearing, Deborah Redfern, Feng Shui, journeys, Space Clearing, true value
Hi Deborah. Two days ago I threw out four boxes of magazines that had piled up on the shelves in our apartment. The lightness I felt afterwards was incredible! And, I could actually feel a difference in my breathing – like a weight had come off my chest. Amazing what even a little clutter clearing can do!
Hi Deb,
Isn’t it amazing? I find magazines really difficult to let go of. Whereas I have no trouble putting a newspaper in the recycling bin, I can’t do it for a magazine. So, congratulations!
Deborah