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Clutter-Clearing and
Your Authentic Self
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.
[exerpted from "Clutter-Free
Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]
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Author: © COPYRIGHT 2003 STEPHANIE ROBERTS |
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Stephanie Roberts is the author
of "Fast Feng Shui: 9 Simple Principles for Transforming
Your Life by Energizing Your Home", a #1 most popular feng
shui book at Amazon.com. Her new "Clutter-Free Forever!"
e-book and Home Coaching Program are now available at http://www.clutter-free-forever.com
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ARTICLE POSTED
OCTOBER 18, 2006
ARTICLE SOURCE: ArticleCity.com |
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