I started a major clean-up campaign in my apartment this past year. I realized that I had been living in in my little beach house for 10 yrs but there was about 12 years worth of clutter. And that’s about 14 years more than should be at all.
Clutter is bad. Plain and simple, get rid of clutter and get rid of bad.
My approach was based on the Feng Shui (the Chinese system that studies people’s relationships to the environment in which they live, especially their dwelling or workspace, in order to achieve maximum harmony with the spiritual forces believed to influence all places) Which basically means; get rid of all your crap and you’ll have more room for better things to come into you life. Apparently I had some glaringly hideous imbalances in my living/work space but with some simple and quick readjustments could salvage my situation. A few examples:
- Clear entry ways. I did that… still a few things left behind. It’s a staging area for things that belong to other people. If I leave them in a spot right by the front door it doesn’t get swallowed up in my belongings and has a better chance of making it back to its rightful owner.
- Clean out your closets and drawers. The thing I love about this one is that you actually get to keep a junk drawer (sometimes referred to as misc) I had to get some extra cupboards so I could put things away neatly and organized. My usual method was to “stuff” away.
- Leave the toilet seat down. This stops good luck from flushing away… also, keep the door to the bathroom closed.
So back to the point. For most of my life I have flushed the toilet with the lid up and walked out of the bathroom and left the door open. We do it automatically without even being aware of our actions. It was hard for me to remember to put the lid down each time (something that really does make a huge aesthetic difference too) so I got a nice bright blue sharpie and wrote the word “LID” on the top of the tank near the flush handle. The visual reminder was all that it took to make me change a habit I had had for my entire life.
Then the realization hit me! I can change. If I set my mind to it, I can systematically eradicate all the bad habits and circumstances in my life. I cant tell you how many times I have heard someone say “he’ll never change” or “She’s been like that her entire life, she’s always going to be that way.” It’s not true. If we want too, if we choose and desire it, takes steps to make it so… WE can change. There is hope for mankind. There is hope for me.
Each day I will recognize one thing and take a step towards changing it.
Today I decided to make sure that each and everyday I will take time to do something nice for Piika (my dog), Hollywood (my cat)and myself. It doesn’t have to be anything huge or extravagant. Simple acts of kindness. It will enhance our unity and create a more harmonious environment. Sometimes I get so busy that I don’t even acknowledge my companions (even if they are only pets, they are still my companions) Creating comfort for others brings comfort to oneself. As with all the workings of the universe and the Laws of Attraction, what you give out comes back threefold.
Geez! Is that why I have so much clutter?
alison richards
founder Film Co-Op
