Winter Clearings
Go inside to release what is no longer serving you
Flurries are falling outside as I write this. My darling
lab Roxy is nestled on the sofa next to me as I work
on my laptop. A candle is flickering on the coffee
table next a steaming mug of Lady Grey tea (like Earl
Grey, but better. My new fave; try it out, it's made
by Twinings. Look for the blue box). Weather.com
reports it's 29 degrees,
17 with the wind chill. It seems I've got the
perfect excuse for staying in today. How about you?
This season is perfect for doing personal
environmental work. Let's look at the pockets of
stagnant clutter -- the very embodiment of sticky,
stagnant, heavy energy -- and see what inspiration
we can find to release what is no longer serving
us.
Look at your belongings as "charging you rent".
Emotional rent. Psychological rent. And physical rent,
too. After all, it costs a fair bit to house these items -
- mortgage, utilities, insurance -- really!
So, if there is a cost to you to hold on to these
items, what are they providing you in return? Are
they earning their keep?
Or is it just the opposite? Too often, a sense of
obligation or a misplaced sense of stewardship keep
us glued to things that weigh us down.
Holding onto these objects can create a cumulative
effect of a heavy environment, dragging our spirits
down and holding us back from our potential.
Stagnant clutter can exert a powerful pull on our
psyches. Make way for the blessings that can
flow in by using the following technique to chip
away at those "energy-expensive" pockets of blah.
Terrific Tea-Time Technique
When I boil water for my tea, it takes about 3 or 4
minutes, then an additional 4 to 5 minutes to steep
the tea. So every time I make myself a cup of tea, I
go over to my filing cabinet and pull out a few folders
and walk them over to the kitchen counter. While my
tea is steeping, I quickly go through the folders to
see what I can let go of. Now, mind you, I am not
doing any organizing, just culling and editing --
I keep this as a discrete step separate from the
organizing.
I've been doing this for the last couple of weeks and
I am happy to report that I am completely done with
3 entire drawers, with only one left to go! All in 7 to
9-minute increments. "That was Easy!"
This techniques works for lots of projects besides
overstuffed filing cabinets -- like junk drawers, linen
closets, "to-file" piles -- you get the idea. Give it a
go! And let me know how the Tea-Time Technique
works for you!
Report your results to Claire...
