You and Your Environment as Partners

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Kemal Bas

Twenty years ago, clutter in my home and office was still a sizable impediment and irritation for me. Our son, Dave, stilled lived here with us at the time. Whenever Dave would see me trying to clean up, he would quip, "Who's coming to visit?" I'm sad to say that it was often a valid question! Ugh. It pulls my energy down just to think about it.

Fortunately, since then I've learned to work with my environment instead of against it. In this holistic world of ours, our personal environments have an inter-developmental relationship. The task of decluttering our home and office spaces feels very daunting at first. I like to begin with the exposed surfaces that I use the most. This gives me a lift both emotionally and practically.

photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Luis Pedrosa

So, once you've established momentum with this cycle, you climb "mountains"! Be ruthless about things in your environment that you have psychologically outgrown. Donate, recycle, up-cycle, or otherwise dispose of the things in your environment that are not serving your current best interest!

If you have trouble parting with things that you know you need to get out of your environment, here's a tip to try. You'll need a friend or family member to help you, because the trick is to not to touch the items!

Ask the other person to hold up each item so you can decide, hands free, whether you really want to keep the item. Make sure they take all the "no" items with them for proper distribution when they leave. You don't want to take the chance of regressing, which can be very tempting, so ask someone to get it out of your sphere right away!

My Dream House

A mansion with six bedrooms and filled with antiques? No thanks. Actually, I don't have to find my dream house...I just need to finish uncovering it! Michelangelo said that, to make the statue "David," he chipped away all the stone that was not part of "David," and there he was inside! I don't think I could sculpt a statue that way, but I can find my Dream House that way! I'm steadily removing all that does not reflect my husband and I as we are now.

We both run home-based businesses, so right now it's still a bit crowded in our modest home. We also have a little dog, toys and books for our grandson, and several hobbies! All of these are important to us and will definitely stay. But when I finish chipping away everything that is out of place in my Dream House, we'll have plenty of space and great Feng Shui, right here where we've been living for over 30 years!

Best of luck with your masterpiece,

Susan

Click on the comment button below to let us know how it's going. Questions are also welcome!

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

P. S. to those on my snail mail list: I'm discontinuing my paper newsletter, and I'll be communicating mainly on this blog from now on. Many thanks to those of you who, over the years, have told me that it has made a difference for you! May creative4life be useful and inspiring to you as we continue with 2011: The Year of Audacious Self-Care!

***Active Member of the TriCounty Community Network at http://www.tcnetwork.org/.***

And a P.S. for all readers: contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766 if you'd like a tour guide for the adventure of Creative Living!

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Make Your Home Your Sanctuary

"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success -- or are they holding you back?" ~~W. Clement Stone

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Make your home a comforting, supportive place for you, your family, your friends, and your creativity! No matter how modest your home is, with a little imagination you can find places in it to relax, play, and welcome friends.


Create harmony with and for the people you live with. They are part of your environment! Help your kids to feel that it's their sanctuary, too...a haven away from the stresses of school and peer pressure. Help them decorate their rooms in ways that reflect their interests.


Make your home a desirable place for the kids to invite their friends to. Older kids need a safe place for their belongings if there are little ones in the family.


Have spaces that encourage family interaction as well as spaces for quiet times, even if it's just part of a room or even a closet that has been remodeled into a desk, craft area, or home altar.


Declutter and organize your space to make room for new things and experiences to come into your life. Let go of things that no longer reflect your taste or interests. Less is more!


Always keep supplies on hand for creative projects for the kids and the adults. When the muse visits, you'll be ready! Personally, I'm often inspired by the materials themselves, so keeping lots on hand is essential for me.


Do your own decorating or work very closely with whoever is doing it. You want your home to reflect you and to make you happy and relaxed.


Do you feel overwhelmed when you try to study Feng Shui? If so, just follow the suggestions in this post...do what pleases you, don't allow clutter to accumulate, and arrange things in a way that allows a free flow of energy through your home.


Make a gratitude list of the people, pets, and things that make you revel in spending time at home. If you like pets, they are great Feng Shui for you! Our little Silky Terrier, Sunny, keeps our spirits up and the energy moving with her antics. I call her our VP of Feng Shui! :-)


Please comment on what makes you feel good about your home.


Thanks,
Susan


P.S. What? You haven't had your complimentary intro session or tele-session with me yet? Consider this topic....

***Respect 101: Teach Others to Treat You Well***

We'll discuss the questions below as they apply to YOU:

~How do you treat yourself?

~Do you speak up for yourself clearly, directly, and in a timely manner?

~Do you stand your ground when being pressured?

~What vibes are you sending out about how you expect to be treated?

~What limiting beliefs from the past are hindering you in asking for the respect you deserve?

Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up your appointment!

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***Tuesday, November 17, from 11:30 am to noon, I'll be interviewed on Davette Harvey's Blog Talk Radio show!***

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P.P.S. for Locals:

My November Schedule ~~ Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com for more info.

Friday, November 13, from 7 to 9 pm in Douglassville, I'll be facilitating a...

***Craft Workshop for the Holidays or Any Days!***

I'll need your prepayment by Friday, November 6.

The fee of $40 includes instruction, all materials, and use of my tools.
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Thursday Evening, November 19, at the Celestial Bodies event in Pottstown, I'll be assisting at the Reiki workshops.

This event is free, but you must pre-register with Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.

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Tuesday, November 24, at 6:30 pm, I'll have a table at "Santa's Secret Workshop" in Pottstown.

This event is free, but you must pre-register with McCormick Chiropractic at 610-705-0201.

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a human services resource at www.tcnetwork.info.***

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"Why Is She Telling Us This?"

This is my last decluttering update; I have finally reached 100 hours! I started on July 10, 2008, so I don't get any points for speed. I'll take credit for persistence, though!

You may be wondering, "Why is she telling us this?" I had two reasons for tracking my progress on my blog:

• For accountability (A special thanks to my hubby, Stew, and my good friend Mary Beth for heading up the accountability squad!) I also wanted to show you how much accountability helps on a project like this or most any other type. Just be sure your accountability buddies are people who are going to be positive and supportive, especially if the project is a creative one.
• As a demonstration of how you might use a similar method to break down a big project. Through my monthly updates, I've hoped to give you a bird's-eye view of how this can be done, along with the foibles and doubts I had along the way.

What about sustainability?

I spent a little time toward the end of the project setting up a plan for that. I didn't want my organizing efforts to go the way of yo-yo dieting.

I'm a member of www.Coachville.com, and they have a great program called "The 100 Day Challenge." I signed up for the one that started this week to work on maintaining what I did during my own "100 Hour Challenge." The program also gives me a fresh way to approach continuing to improve my home and office environments.

When you're planning a change for yourself, remember to figure in a way to maintain the results you'll attain. We all know how frustrating it is to slip backward. So...go for it, and follow through on the follow-through! :-)

To your success,

Susan

P.S. Contact me for a complimentary exploratory coaching session by phone or in person at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766. I look forward to hearing from you!

P.P.S. Thanks to all who attended my workshop at McCormick Chiropractic in Pottstown, PA, last night. It was fun!

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***