A Home for the Soul
How would you like to play a little game with me? Walk outside your
home, condo or apartment and take a stroll around the block. Now enter
through the front door as if you have never been in this home before.
What are some of the things you know instantly about the occupants of
this house? My home reveals, for example, that I have pets. You simply
can\’t miss my Golden Retriever\’s toys scattered about the floor…or my
cranky cockatiel\’s seeds sprayed everywhere.
If you think about it, every time you go to see a movie or watch a play
or turn on the TV, you know a great deal about the characters before
anyone says a word just by looking at their environments. You may want
to work with a decorator or even a talented family member to help you
make a specific visual statement in your home. I would urge you to take
this work one step further: be sure your home is organized, including
all of the hidden areas. I can\’t tell you how many homes I see with
perfect ‘public rooms\’ and a war zone in the every closet and cupboard.
You want every square inch of your home to work in concert with your
stated goals for your life. Someone once said that we are not physical
beings having spiritual experiences but rather spiritual beings having
a physical experience. I believe we each come here with unique talents.
Just as the world is waiting for your gifts, your soul is waiting for
you to create an environment that literally nurtures your best efforts
rather than one that sabotages you at every turn. Try this visual on
for size.
Imagine a large orchestra. The conductor brings the musicians to
attention. Suddenly he realizes that one of the violinists is missing.
The orchestra can continue and the audience will be pleased. But the
music cannot live up to its full potential because someone has not
shown up. It is just so with you: the world will not be the same
without your unique and special contribution.
If you like this concept but feel overwhelmed at the prospect of doing
the work involved to get organized here are two invaluable tools to
help jump-start the process.
The first tool is Journaling: most people are not organized for the
simple reason no one ever taught them how to be. Getting organized is a
skill just like learning a sport, a musical instrument or a new
language. You need to learn the basics and practice.
Sometimes, however, there are other reasons. Very often we have been
organized and don\’t consciously realize that an event derailed our
daily routine. Perhaps you brought home a new baby and have felt
overwhelmed? Perhaps you were forced to move to a new city or take on a
job you don\’t really like? Or maybe you are still mourning the loss of
a loved one?
Taking some time to write about our current experience in a journal can
help us see the connections in our lives. We live in a cause and effect
universe. If you don\’t like what you see, you are at liberty to unearth
the cause and set something new in motion that will result in an
experience that is more pleasurable.
The second powerful tip is creating new Habits: It\’s amazing how
powerful setting new habits in place can be. I recommend doing 3 at a
time. Here are my favorites from which you can pick and choose. Please
feel free to add your own.
1. Make your bed every morning
2. Wash your dishes after each use.
3. Never let clean dishes languish on the drain board. Put them away.
4. Take the garbage out every day.
5. Put your keys in a designated spot the minute you enter your home!
The keys to being successful with these or any new organizing habits
are two fold: choose repeatable actions, not tasks and do them for 21
consecutive days. If you miss a day, start over! These actions will
build your self-esteem. They will cause a positive shift in your
environment. And most of all, they will have a positive influence on
all those with whom you share your environment without your having to
deliver the ‘Let\’s all get organized\’ ultimatum.
My best friend has a wonderful button collection. The one that says:
“Reality! What a Concept” has long been my favorite. Hearing about ‘zen
organizing\’ will hopefully stir within you the desire to create a home
that is not only a haven from the world but also a place where you are
free to express and nurture who you are at your core. Achieving these
results is possible with a little know how and some elbow grease.
Whatever has been in place until now is but the prologue. There\’s no
time like the present to begin this wonderful journey.
