Shecky’s

I love the feeling that spring is right around the corner. I’m a huge fan of of spring-cleaning, both for our physical environments and for our spirits. It’s a time of renewal, reflection, and releasing blocks that have been holding us back from sharing our gifts. It’s time to open up and let the fresh air in, do some sweeping, and clear out the clutter on all levels.

There’s a quote I love from the late British textile designer William Morris, that says, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” I do my best to live by this because it really says it all.

There was a time in my life when I was caught up in the illusion that the more stuff I had, the happier I would be. More clothes, shoes, magazines, home décor, jewelry and trinkets. When I was feeling bummed out, I would shop, looking for the next thing that would boost my spirits. What I didn’t realize at the time was that although the stuff sometimes brought temporary good feelings, it wasn’t doing anything to sustain my happiness. In fact, my world was becoming more and more cluttered; both physically and spiritually. After the initial high of the new possessions dissolved, I’d be left feeling empty again, and the cycle would continue.

I’ve long since come to know that true, lasting happiness and peace comes from within, and from the way we choose to perceive what is, right now. It comes from perceiving our Self and our world with love, and from living our truth.

So, when it comes to material stuff, it’s about balance. Great clothes, shoes, magazines and other goodies can certainly contribute to joyful feelings (a vintage Rolling Stones tee or a kick-ass pair of heels can always put a smile on my face), but too much is simply too much. It becomes clutter that can overwhelm and drain your energy, not to mention strain your finances. This is when your stuff begins to own you.

The inspiration that comes from spring’s refreshing vibe of renewal is a great catalyst for getting on with some serious clutter busting, inside and out. It’s time to take back your space and show that stuff who’s in charge. I generally use a three-step process that works well, so I’ll share it with you.

STEP 1: Start with going through your place and clearing out the obvious and the ridiculous. Piles of magazines you’ll never read, papers that have no purpose, spoiled stuff in the fridge, anything stained, broken or expired (you might be grossed out when you find stuff in your medicine cabinet that went bad in 2007).

STEP 2: Go deeper. A lot deeper. Let go of what doesn’t speak to you, serve you, or uplift you in some way. Just. Let. Go. When it comes to your closet, be ruthless. If it’s not your color, doesn’t fit like it was made for you or causes you physical pain (like those shoes you got on sale that are a half-size too small), take it to the tailor right away, sell it or donate it to charity. When you think you’re done, wait a day or two and repeat once more.

By the time the first two steps are done, you’ll begin to feel so much lighter that you could literally start dancing. You’ve now created breathing space and eliminated much of what was blocking your flow of creativity and positive energy.

STEP 3: Finally, it’s time to bust out the eco-friendly cleaning supplies (no toxic fumes allowed) and get cracking. Blast some killer music and get into the groove. Now’s the time to catch up on laundry because you’ve finally got room to put it away.

Once I’m done with my three clutter-clearing steps, I usually top it off with a long entry in my journal about anything that begins to flow. It’s amazing what comes to the surface when your home environment is clutter-free and in a place to support your happiness, inner-peace and success. New ideas, motivation and strength will emerge. Sometimes you’ll even find that the junk on the outside was a direct reflection of junk that was going on inside. Zapping the outer clutter is a great jump-start for clearing the inner clutter.

Spring isn’t the only time for intense cleansing, reducing and simplifying. I personally make a ritual out of it every season, and any other time my inner-voice is whispering to me that clutter may be cramping my style. Make this clearing process an ongoing part of your life and it will be part of creating super-positive change. It’s all about less is more and making room for the good stuff (inside and out). Get ready to shake it out.

-Kristi Blicharski from creatingyourbliss.com

Kristi Blicharski is a happiness and success catalyst working to help others create joy and realize a dream life.  She’s a speaker, writer, and empowerment coach offering online courses, live workshops, and more.

You can download her free eBook, Empower Your Day, learn more about her work, and check out her blog at: creatingyourbliss.com.

GIRL TALK TIME: What do you think? How do you spring clean? How do you go about de-cluttering?