~by Ruth West
Did you ever think about decluttering as a Spiritual practice? It’s True! When you get blocked by too much “stuff” – there isn’t any more room for those new ideas and wishes.
You can’t even see the path clearly – to create your best life - for all that clutter. What DO you really want? And how will you GET it? Clean up your act – physically, mentally, and emotionally – to free yourself from being stuck in the muck.
The material things all around you are your mirror – they show you - very glaringly - what you have already manifest for yourself. What else can clutter look like besides a piled-up desk, a closet stuffed with clothes you don’t wear, a storage shed you pay for – and can’t even remember what it contains, or unopened junk mail, and unread magazines piled in a corner? Projects and dreams that you have put on the back burner indefinitely. A leaky faucet you have been putting off repairing forever. Toxic people that need to go. Addictive behaviors you can’t seem to kick. Even Victim mentality. All of these - block the flow of energy.
So – what are some suggestions for dealing with all this hodgepodge? You can start with a Declutter Hour once a week – set the timer and pick one room. It is a good idea to start with a bathroom or kitchen where there will be fewer sentimental items to deal with. Trash, donate, or re-purpose what you can in one hour. Do you love this item you just picked up? Do you ever use it? Is it meaningful to your life? Is it our-dated (everything these days has an expiration date.)? Does it still fit you – or make you feel happy? If not – release it (you can even thank it for its service if you wish).
Decluttering is an inside job as well. Are you eating well, getting enough exercise, and sleeping properly? Are you addressing health-care issues? Are you managing stress? Do you try to stay positive? Are you setting aside time for creativity and learning new things? Clear out your internal clutter to make space for generosity, gratitude, and things that light you up.
Make a place in your life for compassion and forgiveness by clearing out old stories that keep you immobilized – cemented in anger and grief.
And don’t forget finances. The practice for this would be to start by setting aside a regular time on your calendar for a date with your own financial expert – you. Dump all the junk mail (even that debris in your in-box). Make up a system that is balanced - for spending, saving, investing, and donating. Pay off that consumer debt. Make a will. Make room for abundance to flow to you.
The space you make by getting rid of whatever no longer serves you - allows for new outcomes. But the trick is – as Nike always recommended – Just DO it. Make decluttering a new Spiritual Practice – on a regular basis (this is key) and watch the energy pour over you – renewing your life.
To that organized (and re-organized) space in your life!
~ Crone