Clearing Clutter
by Omi Preheim
Published in Sistah magazine, September 2005
It's almost autumn. Along with the last days of summer, there is a chill in the air. Fall is the ideal time to do maintenance chores around the house, clean up the yard, and have a yard sale to get rid of your excess stuff. So let's consider your clutter - currently epidemic in most American homes and places of work.
You may have already read all the books about reducing clutter in your life and are still wondering what to do. I think you have three choices:
Let-nature-take-it's-course method also known as abdicating decision-making technique #1
Wait-until-you-die-and-let-your-relatives-duke-it-out method also known as abdicating decision-making technique #2
Take-responsibility-for-the-stuff-and-clear-it-yourself method. (1)
That's really only two choices. Refuse to play or step up to the plate and start swinging away.
You may have also read some Feng Shui books, gotten all excited and started placing mirrors around your home. The problem is, if you put a mirror in the abundance corner hoping to increase the flow of money and other blessings of life but your abundance area is clogged and messy, you are much more likely to negatively impact your abundance flow and increase your money problems.
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of creating harmony in living and working environments. Clutter is a feng shui diagnostic. By analyzing clutter in living space it is possible to quickly calculate what is going on in the life of the inhabitants of that space. I have had clients say to me "You mean I've paid for you to feng shui my home and you're telling me I have to clean it!" Yes, I'm afraid so. You can't apply feng shui enhancements on top of dirt and/or clutter without making things worse rather than better.
Clearing clutter is much more than a cleaning job. How often do you get stuck when you decide to attack a chronic mess? It seems your stuff owns you and not the other way around. In the stuck-ness are some valuable lessons. As you work with your clutter on more than just the physical level, you also clear up inside issues that have been stopping you from achieving what you really want. You begin to understand that your messes are afgo's (another “fun” growth opportunity).
Also you may have shame about your cluttered life. If you do, you're not alone. Have you ever heard another acronym, chaos (can't have anyone over syndrome)? Have you wanted to have a feng shui consultation but decided you needed to clean up first?
As a feng shui consultant, I have had the unusual opportunity to visit and observe many homes and places of business. I get to see the bedrooms, closets and private spaces - even junk rooms - spaces people usually keep very private. It is a privilege that I do not take lightly. As a result, I have seen the results of clearing clutter help people change their lives in practical ways.
Years ago, when I started to work on my over-stuffed messy house, I posted the following rules on the refrigerator for my family to observe:
- If you take it out, put it back.
- If you open it, close it.
- If you throw it down, pick it up.
- If you take if off, hang it up.
- If you use it, return it.
- If you unlock it, lock it back up.
- If you make the mess, you clean it up.
- If you turn it on, make sure you turn it off.
It solved a few arguments, and the whole family became more aware of how we used our “stuff.” Primarily, I was able to unload major maid duty.
You've heard it said that nature abhors a vacuum. By clearing away your clutter, you create space for the universe to fill with whatever it is you truly need. When you conquer clutter you will be amazed and delighted with the upsurge of energy you will receive.
(1) Kingston, Karen. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. New York: Broadway Books, 1999.
Omi Preheim