Thanks to Marie Kondo, I’ve Got 12 Weeks of Closet Sobriety !

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Hello Creators of magic and wonder!

I’ve had about 12 weeks of closet sobriety.

I can hardly believe it.

It began in the Fall when we started talking seriously about “right sizing” our home again (with a dream of paying off our mortgage).  From previous experience, I knew that if we did it unconsciously it could result in some unnecessary costs and the OPPOSITE of what we wanted to create.  I was worried because… the last time we moved, I quickly (and unconsciously) tried to “recreate” the old house when we got there– for ex:  spending some extra money on silk curtains which I later took down because ….

…they didn’t fit in with our vision of living more simply.  They didn’t FEEL GOOD.

This time, I wanted to do this move (whenever it happened to work out…) with FULL PRESENCE of mind.

My plan was simple.  I hired Becky Bacon to coach me.   Then, I read and re-read Marie Kondo’s 2 books-  The Magic of Tidying Up and The Illustrated Guide to Tidying up.  I cleaned my closet (which I have done hundreds of times) but this time – my closet stayed SOBER…in other words-  for months after I was able to keep it neat and orderly.

This shocked me.

How did I do it,?

1. First, I became aware of how I wanted my home to feel (which is PEACEFUL AND SACRED, by the way).  I discovered this by asking myself about the most recent impulsive purchases I’d made.

What did I LONG to feel…what did I believe deep down that they’d bring me?

(purchases:  65# stone lamb, incense and lots of fancy TEA:).  Unconsciously I believed these things would bring me SERENITY…peace and sacredness…..but—alas they did not.
(P.S. to me:  the only place that feeling comes from is  w i t h i n.)

2.  Second, with new awareness, I tidied.  The magic of tidying works if you follow her directions to a T.  And if you do-

….you’ll notice you’ve never decluttered quite like this.

Marie Kondo actually turns decluttering into a shamanic experience-  a sacred one.  It’s strange and most definitely MAGIC.

For example…you only do one KIND of ITEM at a time and you must do the decluttering in A CERTAIN ORDER (clothes first, books second…and so on).  She explains her reasoning in the book.

Now I’ve done a TON of decluttering in my days-  I daresay I believed I was an expert…but the clutter kept rebuilding and the closet kept getting messy again.  This method  brought HONOR to my closet-

….it transformed the relationship between me and my things.

I’m still working with it and (three months later..) still excited by it—I think this method is a WINNER for those of us who are Born to FREAK-  empathic sensitive souls with eccentric longing who’re born to bring balance to the world through unique self expression.

The most amazing part of all happens when you are communing with each object as you decide to choose it or release it.  You hold it in your hands and feel with your body whether it SPARKS JOY or not.  If the answer is no- you thank it (“THANK YOU,  STAINED SWEATSHIRT!”) for its service and then carefully set it aside.

The articles that do SPARK JOY you treat with reverence and hang or fold carefully and put them back.  This is the part that makes this method SING.

Above, I removed about 50% of my accessories and the result was this clear vibrant space from which to choose items that make me smile.  Getting dressed is easier.  My mind is clearer –it no longer has to hunt for something that SPARKS JOY because ALL of it does.

Now when I undress–rather than schulmping my clothing unceremoneously on the side of the tub-  I have this strange and awesome pull to treat them with kindness and put them back in their resting places.  Sound odd?  All I can say is try it?:)  It takes time and you are WORTH IT.:)  How we treat our things is a metaphor for how we treat ourselves.

Speaking of putting your home or closet in order-  my dear friend Amanda who is a SIMPLE SHUI expert is featured at my blog today-  she was born to FREAK and followed her own FEEL GOOD to create a beautiful business.  I’m looking forward to working with her whenever we move to our next house:)  Dig in at her gorgeous site to get more ideas for bringing the FEEL GOOD to you home.

Sending BIG love and sparking joy to you and your closets!
Sarah

P.S. You can book an appointment for a shamanic healing, consultation or get started coaching right here.

Also for local Minnesotans…
I’m also teaching an introduction to shamanic journeying in March and an advanced Course that begins tomorrow. I would LOVE to see you there!

P.S.  If you are part of Martha Beck’s Tribe  and will be in Austin TX for the Wayfinder’s event–  come play with me in the morning before the BIG event starts-  we will be diving into shamanic journeying and seeking answers to our deepest questions.  The event I’m hosting in conjunction with Martha’s is HERE.  

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