You'll remember from last time, I had just sorted through 21 trunks, eliminating three. Not a lot, but definitely progress. Stagnant energy was being shifted. The large workbench, a worktable, some wall shelving and a large open metal cabinet were subsequently removed and my space and I were beginning to breathe more easily.
However, the large remaining pile of stuff in the middle of the garage was physically and psychologically discouraging. Just looking at it was paralyzing. Our friends came up with ways to keep all of us, and the energy, moving. We lit candles in the garage each day before tackling the project at hand, thus creating a lovely little ritual. The dancing flames helped to clear and cleanse the air and provided the additional "spark" of energy necessary for such a daunting task! This was the first of several meaningful rituals we would incorporate as we set about transforming the space.
I wanted the walls painted before building the storage closet. I suspect some of you may wonder why spend time and money painting the inside of a garage. Well, with Feng Shui, every space matters and every act of home improvement is a declaration that we are honoring that space and ourselves! Our attached garage energetically represents three life areas and portions of three others. The intention was to lift the entire chi of the space! Painting a room a color you love is the quickest and least expensive way to accomplish that. Of course, de-cluttering and moving stagnant energy may have to be accomplished first.
My choice of color for the back wall was 'Haitian Flower,' a beautiful fuchsia, my favorite color. Not only do I love the color, but fuschia serves to energetically represent two of the guas located in the garage: Wealth (purple) and a portion of Fame and Reputation (red). Although the new closet, our freezer and a china cabinet would cover most of that color when the garage was completed, the energy and intentions would be no less powerful.
For the rest of the walls, I chose a gorgeous shade of green called Botanical Green. The color green is the color for Family in the Bagua and represents the wood Element. Green is symbolic for renewal, fresh energy and new beginnings. It is rarely possible to make paint color selections based on every area of the Bagua, nor do you always want or have to; the priority is to choose a color you love. If your master bedroom, for example, happens to be located in the Partnership area of your home (and Partnership is represented by the color pink) you do NOT have to paint the room pink. You may hate the color anyway! Paint that room a color both you and your partner love.
Prior to painting, Tom and I wrote our individual and joint intentions for Knowledge, Family and Abundance on the walls. And because portions of Fame and Reputation, Health and Career also extend into the garage, we wrote our intentions for these life areas as well. What a freeing experience! Who wouldn't love the opportunity to write on the walls - that off-limits activity so desired by most of us when we were children! How fun to have permission to do that as an adult! It is a lovely ritual and a purposeful way to be mindful of the ways our space can support us.
Once the paint was dry, the framework of the closet was built. Before the base of the closet was completed, however, Tom and I placed nine coins in a red envelope in the framework of that portion of the closet that was to occupy the Wealth area of our space. With our friends present to add their supportive energy, we set the intention of having additional blessings of wealth and abundance come into our lives.
The trunks were organized and labeled, the painting was done, intentions were set, and the closet framework was completed. Now it was time to tackle what remained of the mess in the middle of the garage!
Sometimes the last of the de-cluttering can be the most difficult, for now you're down to those things you're still not sure what to do with, where to put them or if you really want to keep them or not! And by now, the initial enthusiasm for the project has usually been pretty much exhausted. On the other hand, if the clearing process is done intentionally, that is, by alternating fun things that are chi lifting, like writing intentions on the walls and painting, with the not so fun things that are chi depleting - cleaning and decluttering - you can keep yourself energized throughout the process.
The final chi-depleting task was at hand - deciding what to do with the remaining stuff. Joyfully, it was easier than anticipated. I highly recommend that once you decide which possessions you are willing to let go of, eliminate them from your space ASAP, giving yourself no time to reconsider! Our friends generously offered to load the items in their large trailer and take them to Goodwill or to recycling the very same day. The immediate effect following their physical removal was absolutely exhilarating!
That done, completion of the new closet commenced in full swing. Shelves make it convenient to store the trunks and other items. There is sufficient room for everything to be easily seen and accessed. After I took this photo, the closet doors were painted and hung.
The one remaining chore was to locate an area for all my gardening items. Voila! Our friends, gifted with the ability to creatively shift spaces and locate just the right places for just the right things, found an unused area in our small furnace room. Adding shelving and hooks provided the perfect space for storing all my essential gardening paraphernalia.
The finishing touch to our new space was to hang artwork. Yes, artwork! We playfully created an element of surprise as well!
Our project was successfully completed! We shifted the energy, created order, set intentions and balanced and honored our space. Our garage is more than just a garage; it is a vital part of the energy of our home. With the magnanimous help and support of our friends, we transformed the garage into an energy boosting space that welcomes us every time we arrive home.
Our garage now feels happy! Its amazing new vitality makes us smile every time we enter. We feel it smiling back!
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Do you have a de-cluttering success story to share? Are you engaged in a struggle with clutter in some area of your home? I'd love to hear from you! Please email me or visit on Facebook with your thoughts!
In the United States, the advent of the garage became both a boon and an eyesore to the traditional look of a home. By 1952, House and Garden magazine observed that the "garage has become the front entrance.'' It's no wonder, with America's worship of new and bigger automobiles, homes reflected this trend. With larger and more prominently placed garage doors, there was no questioning "where the car lives!" The front door, on the other hand, which traditionally was the main entrance meant to show where the "occupants live," became a secondary visual.
