My feng shui Halloween costume

As a wrap up this month on body clutter, before we move on to spiritual decluttering in November, I'd like to share some reader testimonials and resources as well as some of the highlights of the Hay House Summit interviews I had the opportunity to hear.  They were inspiring, entertaining, and informative teachers with much practical wisdom to share.

From Feng Shui Friday readers.  Thank you for taking the time to share your de-clutter stories, thoughts, and resources with me and letting me pass them on to other readers for inspiration.

Several readers' emails said, "Each week it feels like you're talking just to me".  My response:  Everything is connected. Because we have things in common that are challenging on this journey, I can write about it and know that we are in each other's corners.  I always enjoy hearing from faithful readers and keep you in mind when I'm writing.  Your energy helps keep us all connected and the content relevant to all of us.

One reader moved me to tears this week when she confessed that her body clutter was smoking. "I've 'tried' to quit a zillion times, sometimes successfully for a period of time but eventually falling off the wagon sooner or later and beating myself up over it. ("What's wrong with me??")  Talk about Body De-Clutter...it's about time I free myself from this poisonous junk and stop believing deep inside that I need it!  Well, no more 'trying'.  I'm quitting tomorrow."  

And Jane sent me this inspiring link 105 pounds ago -- Theresa's Success Story Inspiration.  The most valuable piece of her story, for me, was that she started in 2005 at 240 lbs (5'4") and it took her six years to reach her goal.  By 2011 she was at 150 lbs. She lost the final 15 pounds when she met her boyfriend, an avid runner who had lost 100 lbs, and they began participating in local races.  Her advice to me: move forward a day at a time with resolve and intention, slow and steady, and let go of any past failures, patterns, and behaviors that keep me from being who I am and where I'm going.

Archetypes.  On the theme of Halloween, take a look at Carolyn Myss' book Who Are You?  Her in-depth work on archetypes or the patterns that are inherent to us individually is a great place to begin understanding "what spell am I under?"   Once we know our core archetypes (patterns) we can deepen our inquiry and begin to resolve crises.  She also pointed out that with all the attention on the 'mind' at this time, obesity is no surprise as we have begun "sitting in our mind and withdrawing from the physical body".  Something else that spoke to me was her comment that "forgiveness is the ability to give up vengeance and the desire to punish everyone" -- including ourselves.  Also check out her on-line quiz at archetypes.com.

Good or Bad.  Over the years I have worked with therapists, healers, astrologists, and teachers, for whom I have great respect and who have helped me move out of darkness and toward more light.  This week I scheduled an appointment with a gifted therapist, who I trust implicitly, to work on uncovering my inside job.  When I heard her speak recently about the psychology of weight loss, she encouraged letting go of the words 'good' and 'bad' as they related to food.  Green beans are good food and ice cream is bad food, etc.  Similarly, in her interview, Iyanla Vanzant said that she has completely eliminated the words good and bad from her vocabulary, except to describe chocolate cake (because there is really bad chocolate cake and really good chocolate cake).  Her reasoning: as soon as she says something is good or bad she has passed judgment on it and judgment is a slippery slope--part of what she calls the "deceptive intelligence of my ego".   Want to join me in practicing no judgment -- no good or bad -- it just IS.

  I love myself no matter what.

This month let us all hold sacred space for each other as we work together on our journeys to free ourselves from limiting beliefs, head games, and unhealthy patterns.  If we slip, it's not because we're bad.  Practice self-forgiveness.  Consider letting go of 'good' and 'bad' and sit in the peace of 'it just IS'.