How was your week? I hope all is well. I came back from the beach on Sunday and have been in clutter clearing mode ever since. One of the things I love about camping is the simplicity of living. You need very few possessions and the housework is done in two minutes flat. I was very inspired to tidy my house after I read a fabulous book called the “Life Changing Magic of Tidying” while I was away.
It’s a gorgeous little book by a young Japanese woman, Marie Kondo, that’s sold over 3 million copies. (Yes, we will have it in stock soon) I’ll tell you more about it next week once I’ve implemented more of the very inspiring suggestions, but suffice it to say that I’ve already discarded 3 rubbish bags full of clothes and have 3 boxes of books to take to the Op Shop or add to our staff library. We might even have a pre-loved/pre-read book sale next week.
On Monday I sorted all my clothes, including belts, scarves and shoes. I categorised and refolded or rehung every singing item I own. I did it in the space of 3 hours (it seems like 3 is a recurring theme here) and it felt fabulous! My wardrobe now only contains clothes I actually like. And there’s even space between the hangers. Yesterday I tackled my books and piles of papers.
I don’t know about you but I realised that my possessions have a big emotional and energetic impact on me. As I sorted through my clothes I held each article in my hands and asked myself the question that Marie suggests in her book to determine whether to keep or discard an item. It was the easiest, quickest and the most satisfying clean out I’ve ever had.
The question to ask yourself is, “Does this spark joy?” Do I feel good as I look at it, hold it or think about wearing it? Initially I was a bit worried that I’d have nothing left to wear as my reject pile grew larger, but let’s face it most of us have more than enough clothes and we probably only wear 20% of what’s in our wardrobes anyway.
As I looked at each item, using Marie’s criteria, I realised that I had held onto a lot of things out of guilt. I’d hardly worn them because I didn’t actually like them. They didn’t fit quite right or they weren’t my colour or style. I’d bought them because they were cheap or I’d kept them because they were expensive. You know those things that you think you should wear but don’t for some reason? Then there were the things I had worn to death and were well past their prime.
As I tuned into my gut feeling about each piece, I simply discarded the items that didn’t spark joy. I let go of all the things that triggered guilt. I started to feel lighter, clearer and happier. It was so liberating. This morning when I opened my wardrobe it felt amazing. I had such a sense of appreciation and gratitude for my things. It was a pleasure deciding what to wear. I realised that holding onto all the other things had been a daily reminder of a whole lots of negative beliefs about myself; “I’m a cheapskate… I waste money… I make bad decisions,..I ‘should’ wear that… etc, etc.” Perhaps your wardrobe says, “You’re too fat or too old or too boring” or some other put down. Not to mention those messy drawers that say, “You’re so untidy and disorganised. You should be ashamed of this mess.”
Believe it or not I’m now really looking forward to tidying the rest of my worldly possessions. If you follow Astrology you’ll know that we are currently in Mercury Retrograde. Without going into too much detail Mercury Retrograde occurs 4 times a year and for a three week period things seem to go a little backwards, (including Mercury). Old problems come up to be dealt with, communication can break down and technology can go wrong. It’s a time for reflecting, tidying up loose ends, finishing projects and clutter clearing! This current Mercury Retrograde ends on January 26th so you might want to get into action and clean out your wardrobe, cupboards or drawers before then.
Clutter clearing of course doesn’t just apply to possessions. It can include the tasks on your to do list, bad relationships or unwanted thoughts or habits. Clearing these things can make room for lovely, fresh, new energy, people and opportunities to come into your life. This week I suggest you ask yourself the “Does this spark joy?” question in relation to everything in your life, not just what’s in your wardrobe. (You might want to think twice before discarding your hubby or the kids though. LOL)
So this week is a perfect time to observe and potentially clear out what’s not working for you. You can make some space to bring more joy into your life. It’s also great timing for the Workshop I’m running on Wednesday night called “Shine Your Light.” This Workshop about clearing self-doubt and reclaiming your self-esteem so you can live life with confidence. I created this workshop because I know from personal experience what a burden poor self-esteem is.
I was the third girl in a family of four girls so from a very early age I believed there was nothing special about me. Marie Condo actually says in her book that middle children can actually struggle to even know what brings them joy because they spend most of their life fitting in and pleasing everyone else. I was the peace-keeper in my family and worked hard to please not only my parents but both my older sisters because they were the “Cool Kids”. For most middle children what others think of them is vitally important so they are often at risk of losing themselves.
I also know from working with thousands of clients over the past 30 years that when I help people to reclaim their self-esteem and stop worrying what other people think of them, life is so much clearer, lighter and happier. They clear the clutter of all that negative self-talk and anxiety and they discover what brings them joy.
So, if you would like to join me on Wednesday evening to experience some amazing processes and learn some powerful and easy techniques to reclaim your self-esteem then we still have a couple of tickets available. I would love to see you there. The cost is just $40 but it definitely won’t be that cheap the next time I run this workshop. You can CLICK HERE to find out more or book online.
I hope you have a great week,
Warm Regards,
Alison Burton
Health and Happiness Guru
Simply Natural Therapies
41 Tunstall Square
East Doncaster
VIC 3109
03 9842 7033
info@simplynaturaltherapies.com.au
www.simplynaturaltherapies.com.au
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