In the world of Feng Shui, clutter is the source of much of the negative energy that surrounds us. Clutter can range from those stacks of magazines and old books that you’ve read or think you will someday read to dozens of family pictures covering tabletops and collections of valuable “stuff” you accumulated for years. It can also mean holding onto “things” like bags filled with grocery bags or unworn clothes that you couldn’t fit into using a shoe horn or are at least 10 years out of style.
Clutter stashed in the wrong areas of your home can energize more clutter and chaos in your world instead of providing much needed energy focused on health, income, relationships, careers or education. For example, in a child’s room, if there is too much clutter and too many posters on the walls, it will be very difficult for that child to concentrate and study. In the room of an elderly person that is in need of energizing good health, clutter will create stagnant devitalizing energy instead of positive uplifting energy.
Spring cleaning gives us a wonderful opportunity every year to throw out the old and make room for new fresh energy to enter our lives. It also give us the opportunity to evaluate whether we really need all the “things” we’ve accumulated through the years or if it is time to pass them on to someone else who will find new energy in them. Do you really need to keep 20 copies of your grandparents wedding invitations? Do you really need to keep volumes of books that you’ve read over the last 20 years? Are you going to read them again? Or, do you hope that your spouse, who doesn’t like reading the same type books you do, might someday have a change of heart and starting loving your books and read them? All of them?
Perhaps you are a blended family where your belongings are made up of his things” and “her things” and you’ve kept them all. Is your home a touch crowded because you decided to part with nothing and have it all crammed into you current house. Or, your blended family might consist of “your things” and the belongings of an elderly parent that has moved in with you. Now you have your clutter and their clutter all under one roof, yours. Either way, spring cleaning will help you deal with all that “stuff”.
This spring, use the motto “just do it”. Become determined that this spring you will tackle the job of eliminating clutter, collections and stuff in your surroundings. The place to begin is your master bedroom. Tackle your closets. Sort the clothes by:
Does it fit
Is it still in style
Do you love it
Will you ever wear it again
If clothing does not meet any of the above criteria, “get rid of it”. Next, make sure there is nothing under your bed, stacked in the corners or hiding in nooks and crannies. Treat things in your dressers and chest the same way you did you closet. There are a number of area charitable organizations plus your church or synagogue that would love to have clean, good condition clothing and household goods to pass on to the needy. You will find your bedroom is far more spacious and you will rest more comfortably.
The next room to tackle is the kitchen. Follow a similar process by starting in your cupboards, cabinets, on the countertops and the desk if there is one in that area. Sort by:
Do you regularly use it
Is it in good working condition
Do you need it at least occasionally
Will you ever use it again
Is it a duplicate – do you need more than one
As before, keep what you use regularly. Replace things that are broken, chipped or rusty and get rid of the rest. Follow this procedure throughout the entire house and then tackle the garage. If you rent extra storage space, do the same thing there. You might even be able to get rid of the added expense of the storage space if you get rid of enough stuff while spring cleaning.
Uncluttering your world provides you a wonderful burst of new found energy. It also allows new positive energy to enter into your world and linger awhile in all the new found spaces you’ve just created. A word of caution however, the human tendency is to go right out to buy more “new stuff”. Remain firm in your convictions, don’t be tempted and enjoy the new spaciousness of your home and the new positive energy that resides within.
Download “Spring Cleaning energizes your world” in PDF Format.
© Pat Heydlauff, All Rights Reserved
Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her new book, “Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It,” shows how to achieve a better tomorrow. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, call: 561-408-2708.