Because of sleet and snow overnight, Joplin and the surrounding area had its first snow day of the season. That meant I stayed home, cozy in my “comfy” clothes and warm fuzzy socks.
With blinds on the windows open, I sipped hot Scottish tea and enjoyed watching huge snowflakes float by, spun by blasts of cold air as they drifted toward the ground. So beautiful, nature’s show, especially when I can watch from the comfort of my chair, snuggled beneath a thick blanket. It presented the perfect opportunity to read. I spent time in Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver and The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore. Both books speak deeply to my soul.
And both books inspired me for my afternoon activity, cleaning out my old desk that’s been in my office for years. I am transforming my home office into a writing/reading/meditation room. Stuff has accumulated in there over the years. I am very sensitive to energy and its flow, and yet I’ve let my office get choked with clutter and items I no longer use. There’s even a litter box for the cats in there. What not so subtle message is THAT sending out? I barely even use this space right now. That’s about to change.
As my life is shifting, I desire to create a fresh space that inspires and invigorates me. I started today by clearing the surface and emptying three drawers in my big desk. A trash bag filled as I threw away scraps of paper, broken calculators and useless ink pens. I found 27 keys in a drawer and hundreds of paper clips! I saved files with genealogy papers, drawings from my kids and mementos from a family vacation. I’ll replace the desk with a beautiful writing table that I purchased. The table feels more open and sparks my creativity.
From the desk I’ll move clockwise around the room, sorting items into three piles: DISCARD (junk, broken items, old files, things too worn to benefit another) DONATE (items that no longer inspire me, draw me, or serve me) and KEEP (anything that still inspires me or brings me joy…or that I need for real estate or writing). I’m going to be ruthless here. If I haven’t opened a book in years, it’s getting donated. If I’m not sure what lurks in a drawer, it all gets pulled out and sorted into the above mentioned piles. I know from experience that once my space is decluttered and cleared of old energy, new energy flows through the room, and my creativity flows with it. It is vital to me that my environment supports me and becomes an extension of me. I’m excited to clear away the cobwebs, both literally and energetically, and enjoy the beautiful new space I am creating.
Thomas Moore writes, “Home is an emotional state, a place in the imagination where feelings of security, belonging, placement, family, protection, memory and personal history abide.” This room, and indeed, my whole house, is shifting to reflect my state of being. And by letting go of what I don’t need or use, I’m creating space to welcome in new things, allowing what I do need to arrive. In the last chapter that I read this morning, in Outrageous Openness, Tosha Silver wrote about this very thing…cleaning out the home, cars, even purses and wallets so that spiritual work can deeply penetrate once the clutter is gone. She says, “You don’t have to release anything you use, love or need. Just the rest of it. Your intuition will show you.”
I am letting the Divine and my intuition nudge me and guide me. The last file I pulled out of the bottom drawer of the desk contained stories I had written, back in 1992. Rather than toss them, I read through one, slowly and thoughtfully, with an eye toward criticism. And you know what? It is well written. Very well written. I placed the file into the KEEP box, feeling encouraged. I am returning to an earlier love. It is time. And my space is shifting to support me.
