Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Just get rid of it!


I’ve been dealing with the clutter in my life. It is amazing how much clutter we have. It is incredible what we collect over the years. Ticket stubs, birthday cards, clothes we think we will use again, dishes we can’t seem to throw out, books that collect dust in bookcases, and then fill boxes because there are no more bookcases. My garage is so full I can only put one car in it. It’s a two car garage. It amazes me that the stuff in my garage seems more important to protect than that expensive vehicle that sits in the driveway.

Then there’s the attic. I don’t even know what’s up there. And of course, the basement. Yes there’s stuff down there too. And finally, there’s the junk room. How many of you have a junk room?

I’ve been reading about Feng Shui. Feng Shui is all about creating a living space that allows positive energy to flow freely. Practitioners of Fung Shui believe that what you see on the outside, in your homes and in your offices is in fact a reflection of what is on the inside. And if you want to blame all this stuff that clogs up your home on other people, remember that you attract those people into in your life so take responsibility. It’s yours.

Donald Trump believes so strongly with Feng Shui that he used it for his living quarters and offices when he started back after losing his first billion dollars. And of course we know the result of this.

Even if you don’t believe in Feng Shui, clutter has a huge impact on your life. It drains your energy. Effects your ability to be organized and more efficient. And I have to believe if you take a % of your house that is devoted to things that you don’t use anymore, you probably would be pretty surprised just how much space it takes.

I met a wonderful woman recently who told me she sold everything she owned, bought a small home and now is mortgage free, debt free and feels like a huge weight has been taken off her shoulders. The freedom she feels from shedding all these things has transformed her. She can now do whatever she wants, when she wants how she wants and no matter what difficulties come her way, she can easily handle them. Doesn’t that sound liberating.

Her goal now is to enjoy life and bring on new experiences. It is nothing to do with collecting stuff, getting a bigger car, and so on. She is free. She is happy. She is open to whatever opportunity presents itself and she can easily accomplish it.
And just think about your stuff for a minute and how useful it would be if you gave it to other people to use...or donated all your old books to a library, or gave your old magazines to a long term care home.
Let’s get unstuck.

Life is a wave of transformations. It’s about clearing out so we can have room for more. More growth, more experiences, more abundance and more happiness.
It’s about taking risks and letting go what we think is our security and understanding that happiness comes from freeing ourselves of the things that block our energy, about holding onto too much of the stuff that represents our past, our not-so-good memories. That’s not to say we shouldn’t have some memories, but maybe we hold onto too much.

Free yourself. Find the energy. It’s in us but for some it is buried beneath stuff, both physical and emotional stuff. Do the physical and you will be surprised the amount of emotional bloodletting that happens.
Begin today and free yourself from physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter.

On a different note, there are many sources that promote formulas. Formulas for success. Formulas for wealth. Formulas for happiness. The list goes on. Here are three gents from Australia with a humorous formula for creating a hit song. Enjoy.

Have a great uncluttered day.
Ken

5 comments:

time worn interiors said...

I am feeling the need to free myself of several belongings lately! All my friends keep warning against it but I just keep on purging! I love it! I don't have tons of clutter, just an over decorated house! My plan is to free myself of most of my belongings and start to think about spending a couple of months in Florida during the winter! Just knowing my house has fewer belongings will help me enjoy my time away! I think! Who knows maybe that sounds dumb!
Theresa
aka:tot

Anonymous said...

Ken, what a wonderful blog! I will definitely be sharing it with my blogging friends and I will be back.

Clutter....I periodically de-clutter and it is an amazingly freeing experience. Less dust, less mental clutter, less to think about in terms of where to put it, how to store it, use it, etc. And, my children won't have the worry and heartache of having to get rid of all of it after we're gone. That's a pain I don't want to leave to them when the hurt is already too much.

Thank you for your wisdom....
Diane

Suzanne said...

Ken, I'm in the midst of decluttering right now and appreciate your pep talk. Someone who has inspired me for a long time is Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. I have watched him make so many changes in his life through simple steps. Even though I see the power of it, I still hang on to old stuff, old projects, old energy... but each time I declutter I let go of more. I appreciate your message so much -- I feel encouraged to let go of stuff and listen inside to how I want my life to be. A friend sent a link to your blog today and I appreciated your posts on gifts and the power of one. Very lovely. Thank you for sharing your heart and spirit.

DeeDee said...

I so needed this today... and I so need to so this to my home... and in some small ways I have been.. this encourages me to keep on this path... thansk so much

http://deedeescraftspot.blogspot.com

fairyrocks said...

Lovely to meet a thinker that can express so well with words.
I just have to comment on this one...Yes, admittedly I have too much stuff and am freeing myself of it.(If I have it and am not using it, I pass it on)
On the other hand the scrapbooker/storyteller/hoarder is saying...."send your ticket stubs and paper ephemera to me"....LOL
and I am sure there is something in your attic I would love to have

All kidding aside, I am enjoying your posts .

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