A spiritual problem.  My friend Barbara has been a faithful reader for some time now and often sends me resources she comes across.  Recently she sent me the link to a Denver Post article by Howard Mansfield called "An American Dilemma: Your clutter or your life" (see link in TIPS sidebar). For some time I have wanted to share my declutter journey with you because I truly believe that our collecting and saving and keeping and our difficulty in letting go is a spiritual issue -- an inside job that keeps us attached and connected to our physical stuff.  Mr. Mansfield's article validated this belief when he said, "The decluttering gurus can only provide a material solution to a spiritual problem...this mess is us."  As a decluttering guru, I want to offer more than what he says are "simple steps that morph into hundreds of steps".  That's why I'm sharing my challenges with you in a more personal way and have for years looked beyond the stuff in our basements and bookshelves to our whole selves: mind, heart, body and spirit.  How does letting go of stuff speak to your spirit?

What is spirit?  How would you define your soul or your spirit?  I think of spirit as a soul space -- a place where we listen to and get in touch with our higher self.  Spirit is that realm of higher consciousness, personal purpose, and life's meaning for each of us individually.   It is that place beyond the every-day, beyond the rational, and beyond explanation.  Spirit is a place of faith.  And when there's room to listen to what we were born with -- intuition, inspiration, knowing -- we can be and do so much more.  How can you declutter your spirit to make room for you?

Inspired means in spirit.  Many years ago I attended an author presentation by Julia Cameron for her new book The Artist's Way.  One of the stories she told that has stuck with me since was about a famous screenplay writer.  It seems that whenever he was in the midst of a huge movie project, he would eat at the same restaurant, order the same meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and choose the same clothes like khakis and a flannel shirt every day until the project was finished.  In order to make room for creativity, he found that eliminating as much decision making as possible opened the space for his spirit, for his inspiration, for his gift of writing. Inspiration arrives to assist us in the work we do, in the way we solve problems, and with the words we choose to support a friend in need.  We can be inspired to write music, create art, teach, speak, run a marathon, raise our children, or enjoy nature.  The less cluttered our spirit, the more room for inspiration and the ability to be in touch with who we are and where we're going. Letting go of what we do not love, use or need spiritually -- victimization, limiting beliefs, our 'story', old patterns -- creates space to be in spirit.   

This week define what spirit means to you.  When do you feel inspired?  What stifles your inspiration?  Consider your story and your beliefs about where you've come from.  Is there truth there or stuff you do not love, use or need?  As you let go of physical clutter see how that shows up for you spiritually.