Yesterday I was a guest on a TV show called Chicagoing with Bill Campbell. I talked about my book and the process of Clutter Busting. Bill mentioned that people are scared about the state of the economy and asked what people can do to feel better about their lives. I said one of the good things about fear is that it makes you alert. Your awareness is sharper and you're more aware of your immediate environment. That makes this is a good time to take an honest look at what you surround yourself with. It's valuable to see what is a necessary part of your life and what isn't. The reason being that what is unessential clouds and obscures your awareness. It dulls you and diminishes your abilities. That's why the economy is the way it is right now. As a nation we have been holding onto things that have lost their importance and it's made us stagnant.
This is the time to toss the things that no longer have a place in our lives. In the past we accumulated things with the idea that they would improve our life. But often these were things that other people sold us on. I see this all the time in my job. People own things that looked good on TV, or sounded really nice when described to them by a salesperson, or seemed valuable when they saw that someone else had them.
When we let go of the things that are no longer serving us we bring a new stability into our lives. One that isn't based on trying to control our environment. It's a sense of person strength that comes from living with greater clarity and peace of mind. I see my clients living with sensitivity. This is a self-reliance that is more valuable than anything you can own. When more people are living this way then the country grows stronger and the economy flourishes.
The best place is to start where you are. I was working with a client in her home office. Her books and papers had taken over the space. There was no place to sit at her desk. It was perilous to move around her office because of all the books, offices supplies, and other various items that littered the floor. She was in a nervous state. She had an inner turbulence that didn't allow her to stop and take care of this herself. So I started asking her questions. I asked about each item. I helped her get her focus back so she could honestly look at something and go, "Yes, I need that in my business", or "I'm going to take care of that right now", or "no, I don't need that anymore" and toss it in the trash bag.
She got back on track. As the items were tossed, put away, or taken care of she got her sense of self back. She was mighty again. It didn't take very long. The great thing was she didn't have to suffer in her living space anymore. Her work space became her delight. She was stable in her space.