Free Your Chi!
Spring is sprung, and the magazine racks are rife with clutter-clearing articles to kick start your spring cleaning and get you organized. You've probably heard or read a version of this phrase as the mantra for clutter-clearing philosophy: "Use it, love it, or get rid of it!"
It's a helpful instruction for sure, but boy, when it comes to getting rid of things that we're not even loving or using, it is amazing how many unconscious feelings or beliefs hold us hostage to our stuff!
Feng Shui is all about energy flow, having that life force or "chi" move and circulate within a space to enliven it. When you move stuff around in, and particularly, out of, a room, it changes the energy just by the creation of new or different spaces. That's the easy part to understand. You are no longer tripping over stuff, or feeling down or ashamed because the place looks messy and you are embarrassed for folks to visit, or you can finally find things easily that always seemed to be missing or hard to get at. Clearing clutter and organizing things has a very practical, tangible aspect of making a space easier to move in, cleaner and more pleasant to look at, and hence less stressful to be in.
But what we do not often realize is how much energy certain objects seem to "hold" within themselves. It's the energy of their history, and of our attachment to them, the stories attached to objects, like where we got something, how much we paid for it or what it is "worth" (for eg. inherited valuables), who gave it to us or on what occasion we got it. These stories seem to have a tangible chord that ties us to the objects. Sentiment, emotion, family history, perceived value, trying not to offend the giver of an item...all these things come into play in keeping us attached to things we no longer (or ever) use, nor love.
And then there are the stories that are even less consciously attached to items. Like the notion that we keep certain things or collect them "because we might need it someday", or "because I want to do those crafts....some day", or "I might never find another one of those," and the years pass, and "some day" never comes. These are thoughts that can keep you feeling a sense of lack, demonstrating a belief that you'll never have enough to replace something if and when you really need it and are ready to use it.
There's a part of us that says that's just being thrifty and responsible, possibly an attitude that was passed down from parents or grandparents who grew up in an era where resources were scarce. It is not to say that now, in what seems a "throw-away" society, it is right to be discarding things willy-nilly; there is a huge societal value in being environmentally responsible and following the "reduce, re-use, re-cycle" philosophy.
I think the reducing part is vital, if you can do it at the outset and not accumulate more in than there is any point in having or really enjoying. As for re-using, if you are NOT using it again yourself, then re-cycle, re-gift, donate or sell. Trash as little as possible. If it is not serving you then you are serving it by having to store and maintain it. And that is a waste of your time, energy and space, and you can feel the drain on you psychically over time, if not physically. Unlike that crazy George Carlin skit you might have heard, I don't believe we build houses just to "store our stuff"!
Some folks feel it's their duty to be stewards for possessions passed down by their ancestors. That's fine if you are into history and really want to honour your lineage or parents that way. But some stuff is downright horrible or useless, or takes up more room than you have, or has some history or symbolism attached that maybe doesn't have a good vibe, or it's simply not to your taste. Just because something is antique, or possibly worth a lot, or was owned or collected by an ancestor, is not really your responsibility if it did not come to you by your own choosing. If you don't use it or love it or otherwise appreciate it, then sell it, give it to someone who would truly value and enjoy it, or donate it to a charity or a museum. That's a more honourable way of dealing with a quality object rather than hiding it away in a box or closet, or feeling resentment every time you have to dust it on a shelf.
And then there is the tricky part of clutter clearing when the item we are thinking of tossing has some connection to our sense of self, our identity. There are the objects that proved our accomplishments way back when, the trophies, the report cards, the childhood drawings even; the achievement certificates and yearbooks and newspaper clippings that suggest "Yes, I was here on the planet and I did something notable!". Then there's the clutter associated with jobs we've had, maybe even old business suits when we're no longer dressing up for business, clothes that don't even fit us anymore, or tools of a trade or hobby long since given up.
In my case, I still have my old barrister's robes for court appearances in my brief former legal career. The robes have been in the closet, even after a couple of household moves, for 20 years now. Well, they were expensive! And are kind of proof that, "yeah, I really did do that work once!" I used to think I'd sell them, but I doubt it now. Time to toss!!
And there is the photo studio gear which I have been trying to sell for two years now. It's not so much that I do not want to part with it, I do know that that part of my work is over, but I also know that a part of my identity, in terms of how others have perceived me at least, is tied up in having been "a photographer" for 14 years or so. I know it will be a bitter-sweet moment when the gear finally sells, finally releasing the "weight" of it tying me to my past and taking up space, bringing in a bit of cash too perhaps, but letting go of a part of how I identified myself for many years.
As well as the issue of "letting go" of a "piece of yourself", there is the notion that holding onto the things that represent that identity can inhibit you from moving forward and stepping into new roles as well. If you have constant reminders of who you think you "used to be" you have a bigger challenge crafting a new vision for yourself to move toward.
There's another interesting aspect about identity and clutter, and that is when something was a gift from someone you care about, friend or family, perhaps even something they made themselves. You hold onto it sometimes not because you particularly like it (unless you do, which is great and then it's not clutter) but perhaps because it represents that person in some way, it reflects their identity, a piece of them, and you might feel it is heartless or a rejection of them personally to let go of the object they gave you.
I can tell you, the "psychic weight" of holding onto things that you are not using, and sometimes think maybe you should be, (like the large and cumbersome weight machine we just sold on Kijiji and hadn't used in almost two years) is draining, and can make you feel "guilty" for not using it. "But it's a great machine, and when we use it, we get results!" Yes, but are we using it? No. Time to toss!!
Case-study: A lady I did a consultation for had trouble sleeping at night for years and years. There were in fact several factors in her bedroom that may have contributed to her sleeplessness. However, one thing in particular (besides the big no-no of taking her work-day planner to bed with her to fill in her busy schedule before lights-out), was that she had jacked-up her bed higher in order to store more stuff underneath it!
Not only did that make her bed-time seem symbolically more "out of reach" or harder to access (having to climb up rather than flop into at the end of the day), but the things stored below her were her exercise clothes...that she had not been using...but was meaning to, and feeling guilty about it. Not only was the idea of "I should be exercising" kind of subliminally implanted there, but the inherent "energy" if you will, of "exercise" clothes is not one of restfulness but of activity. Sure you can have your workout gear stored in the bedroom, maybe in the closet or on a hook by the door, but not right under the bed, especially if you have to adjust your bed to do so! It is a general rule in feng shui to store nothing under your bed so that there is no energy emanating from objects there to disturb your rest.
Another point to make about our clutter is to look at the symbolism in some of the things we keep. If something carries memories of, or associations with, a difficult or unhappy time, incident or relationship in our lives, or is perhaps a picture with unpleasant imagery (no matter how artistic and valuable) when you really consider it, then it can bring our energy down without our conscious awareness. I wrote about the power of photographs, in my last blog on sacred space. So be aware of what your stuff is "saying" to you on a daily basis. Spend some time moving slowly throughout your space and notice: Does something bring your energy up or down? If it is not positive or at least neutral, then perhaps it should be "re-homed" with someone for whom it has no negative associations.
There is so much more to say about clutter and indeed chapters and whole books have been written about it, in particular Denise Linn's "Feng Shui For The Soul" and Karen Kingston's "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui". I am just hoping to pique your awareness of the power that the objects in your home have to either weigh you down or uplift you, whether there are too many of them or not. And of course, the more objects there are, the greater the effect, and the more energy you spend in maintaining, insuring, storing and moving them around.
So choose wisely what you want to live with, keep those that you love or find useful and make you feel good, file or otherwise organize the stuff that you need, and "re-home" the rest if you can.
But take it a small bite at a time. Once you start clutter-clearing and feel the lifting of the weight of your past and your insecurities that may have been holding you down, and start making room for new energy to flow into your life, be aware that changes will occur in you too, and sometimes, when a lot is done too quickly, as Denise Linn says, a "healing crisis" can occur, just like when you do a sudden detox diet or fast and your body starts purging impurities. You may personally feel worse before you feel better if you go at it too hard, especially when items relating to your sense of identity or relationship with others are involved.
So be focused, but gentle, and watch how a seemingly mundane process can create new magic in your life.
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