A recent client had a bowl filled with stuff on a counter in her living room. It had been a while since she took a look in the bowl. We went through each item in the bowl. She didn't care for any of them. She let go of everything in the bowl.
Then I asked her about the bowl. She said liked the bowl. It made her happy.
I asked my client how she would feel about leaving the bowl empty. I suggested this because she had a habit of putting things in the bowl and then forgetting about them. I said she wasn't alone. It's common for people to have bowls or baskets that they end up filling with stuff and then ignoring. The containers become trash cans that never get emptied.
I said if the bowl was left empty, she could enjoy the bowl as it is. It would become a piece of art that uplifted her.
I told my client that the empty bowl would also be a nice reminder of the joy of open space. She could tell herself the bowl was holding space.
She liked that idea and left the bowl empty.
I spoke with my client later in the week.
She said, "I love to contemplate the bowl." She also said that the held space inspired her to clutter bust all the flat surfaces in her living room. They were now empty like the bowl. She said it was very relaxing.