When I mention clutter, I wonder what goes through your head and what feelings come up for you?
Does even the thought of it turn you off?
For lots of us it does, because we know that clutter is present in our lives, whether it’s physical, mental or even emotional – the good news is, that you are not alone, most of us have some form or other.
I raise this question because I have been having a serious purge and downsizing my living space and it has been really challenging me to look at all my attachments in my life. I realised that saying I can let go of things and doing it are VERY different. I’ve been noticing my attachments and letting things go. This is freeing and empowering once you get past the “gunky” feelings!!
So, what has clutter, got to do with playing a bigger game in your life you might ask? I remind myself that “organisation brings freedom” and I like to add “personal power”. Being organised may be seen as being a bit square, control freakish, insecure, or even obsessive compulsive (when at extremes).
Perhaps you are organised and efficient in a few areas of your life, e.g. you have a tidy office (or desk) while at home you struggle to get the paperwork, or cleaning under control.
Maybe you are impeccably dressed at work, and struggle to get it together at home and socially.
Or, you have mental clutter, emotions are running your life and making your decisions for you. You're driven by them, rather than using them as a guide and making a choice about what is important.
You may store lots of “to do’s”, or emotions in your mind which is cluttering up your thinking, preventing you making solid decisions.
When our minds are clear of clutter, we can really focus, receive opportunities we might miss, if we are so busy or in a mental fog.
Life, becomes more simplified (although the challenges are there) we are able to handle life with more confidence and ease. Being organised helps gain clarity, and ironically creates more security and ease as we can find what we are looking for, creates a joyful space (when keeping only what brings us joy and is useful), have clear thinking space for work and social time with family, relationships and friends, spirituality, health etc. It also provides space for the experiences we want, to come into our life all of which is powerful.
"Nature abhors a vaccum" - so when we move things out of our life, it leaves room to bring in fresh, new experiences, and successes and positive feeling, it's like the natural cycle of the seasons. Hence the saying "out with the old in with the new".
Emotional clutter is often a form of protection. When we have “things” around us it can literally represent a barrier, even a blanket of comfort and security.
Often the things we keep hold of are sentimental from our family, loved ones, past experiences ; a job, relationship, event, or time in our life when we felt more joy, were younger or slimmer, and successful. By keeping these things, they act as reminders of happier times we might not want to let go of (at a sub conscious level) as this may be too painful.
Often we are not even aware that we are avoiding the emotions, we just get stressed at the clutter around us, which feeds into our emotional discomfort. The root emotion can be fear, fear of letting go, fear of being responsible for the “now”, which may mean really accepting where we are e.g. owning our feelings of inadequacy, lack of feeling loved, past failures etc.
Once we “own” up to ourselves, honestly (we may have shame, sadness, hurt, fears, anger, guilt, disappointment) it opens up a place of inner acceptance where we are not blaming (ourselves or others) but taking full responsibility for where we are, and what we really want. It's a chance to look at what hasn't gone well in our lives and where we want to make more helpful choices.
So where do you start to take back your power, that you may have given to your clutter?
In my next post we will look at some of the solutions, I've had to do it this way because this post was becoming so long, there was so much to share with you!
So stay tuned for the Clear the clutter "ideas" I'll be posting next week.
Here is an unusual article I wanted to share with you by David Neagle.
David, is a very successful business coach in the US. He also works with Ali Brown, a business coach too, on various projects (see below) both have 7 figure businesses. Ali is pretty much a self made woman with a background in copy-writing, originally she was known as the Ezine queen, for her effective newsletters - this is how she started out in her business.
In the article below, David discusses our relationship with our beauty, the beauty around us, our perceptions of ourselves and others and how that, can be directly influencing you and therefore your business.
It's interesting to hear, from two very successful business individuals, their thoughts about the impact of a beautiful mind and surroundings have. It may not be such a fluffy subject as some might think, especially when it can directly contribute to your bottom line. If a millionaire is doing it then may be it has merit...?
It's a light read, but it gives some food for thought and a reminder that we can create what we want by our actions, the focus of our thoughts,what we put into our environment and the positive changes that creates.
For a different angle, I am just focusing on our environment, to get you going - David also covers other issues.
So just consider where you work. What is your office like, or if you don't have your own office, what your desk and office space is like. What does it say about you? Is it organised or the opposite, do you feel productive and energized or stressed? Does it help you to be creative or does it trigger a sense of work and challenge?
Below is Ali's business office. Something she says most of her high paying clients (who pay around £100,000 each to work with her) want to take a look. Ali's home is in LA near the beach and where she holds her private consultations.(Can't you just hear the waves on the sea shore?)
Her clients are very curious apparently. So here is a sneak peak for free, to give you an idea of a millionaries home office for insight and inspiration.
Below are some action steps you might want to consider after reading the article below (so maybe skip ahead and come back here):
consider your environment and how you view others. It's easy to create an office to love for example. Even without any budget just rearrange it in a way that really supports you e.g. get closer to the window so you have a good view and great light. Never have your back to the door always be in view of it, put up pictures that you love and inspire you, if you like vision boards then put those up too or even get a vision board on your computer.
Do something small today, perhaps for you it is having some music, fresh flowers. I loved it when I rearranged my office. Get some inspiration from Oprah's office - something to aspire to?
Here are a couple of video's to give you some ideas about getting your space more organised, one for clutter and one to set up a filing system. I've trawled through quite a few video's just to try to pick ones which actually give useful tips and ideas you can apply right now. For those of you who have to file your taxes here is a good link to get those organised too rather than scrambling when it comes to the end of the year!
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I felt lighter and more energised. I was doing something for me, it's a simple step to self loving, and allows us to then give more to others.
You might not think you have time, or maybe the money. It cost me nothing I used what I had, I stopped putting it off and avoided saying - "I'll do that later there are more important things to be doing" - does that sound familiar? Excuses really! Start where you are at, even if you do one change, it will create momentum.
You might also like to schedule some time, just like an appointment with a client. Schedule time with your office or surroundings and see it as an investment not a cost. It's an investment in your mental and physical health. What is that worth to you?.....
Too often we only think of beauty as something superficial: a pleasing appearance, a woman who catches your eye.
But if you've ever gazed at the wizened face of a very old, joyful person and thought that she or he was beautiful, then you have appreciated the true nature of beauty.
Thomas Troward wrote that beauty is the "externalization of harmony," and that harmony occurs when our powers of being ~ our thoughts, beliefs and actions ~ are coordinated within us and with the divine.
In other words, beauty comes from within, and we become more beautiful as we progress along our divine path.
The Relationship Between Love and Beauty Many of us were taught that it's wrong to acknowledge our own beauty or to love ourselves. Those teachings are inaccurate.
If you were created in the image of the divine, how could it be wrong to love yourself?
When you love yourself as an aspect of divine creation, you begin to see the divine in other individuals as well. You begin to see through the eyes of love. Through those eyes of love you recognize beauty ~ your own and others' as well.
Embrace Beauty in Your Life and Business Troward wrote that love and beauty are both key to the soul's life and evolution, and the success that we create while we're here. That means if you embrace love and beauty, you will not only evolve as a human being, but see tangible results.
That's why I urge my clients and students to make their environment as beautiful and opulent as they can.
Buy beautiful furniture and arrange it in pleasing ways. Bring in fresh flowers. Buy a nice desk and put framed paintings or photographs on the walls of your office.
Also, wear the most beautiful clothes that you can afford.
Change your environment to match where you want to go.
Bring the evidence of thriving into your environment, where it will be reflected back to you and you will begin to trust that you can thrive in your business.
A person who really emulates this teaching is my sister multimillionaire entrepreneur, Ali Brown. She is a beautiful woman, who recognizes her own beauty and sees the beauty in other people. She dresses beautifully and always surrounds herself with pleasing things.
When she looks at all that elegance, it makes her happy. As she says, it connects her to the "resonance of waking up every day and feeling in love." And don't you think that impacts her business in positive ways? You bet it does.
Your Emotions Control What You Perceive Whether positive or negative, your emotions control your perception.
When you allow love and beauty to permeate your perception, it is expanded, in harmony with the divine, who is love.
Not only do you see the divine and beauty in other people, but you also see opportunities where someone controlled by negative emotions would be looking for obstacles.
You look for solutions where that person might dwell on problems.
You are more open to embracing something different that could lead to a breakthrough in your business.
Behold Your Own Beauty Next time, I'm going to give you some action steps to help you embrace love and beauty, but until then, in addition to surrounding yourself with beautiful things, I want you to practice seeing yourself as beautiful.
It doesn't matter if you think you carry a few extra pounds or your hair is too thick or too thin. You are beautiful just as you are.
Look in the mirror, past any flaws, and see your divine beauty.
Keep looking until you see it.
Then, start looking for the beauty in other people as well.
Practice seeing through the eyes of beauty.
If you allow beauty and love to transform your perception, it won't be long before they transform the whole of your life ~ and business ~ as well.
A personal request from David:
Did the above article resonate with you? Do you disagree? Do you have an insight to add? Do you have questions about the material?
If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts & questions. Please feel free to comment on the above article on my corresponding blog post here: http://www.davidneagle.com/secret4_love
David Neagle, Master Success Mentor, mentors entrepreneurs to quantum leap their current businesses past the 7-Figure income level in just 12 months. David invites you to download--as his GIFT to you--his legendary "Art of Success" 4-hour audio program. This audio series is a tremendously compelling and comprehensive program that demonstrates--once and for all--that Success has nothing to do with "getting" or "achieving", and everything to do with WHO we must BE to manifest our greatest desires.
