We are at home more than ever. Our home space has always had an impact on us. Well, double that now! Triple it! 1000x it!
Never underestimate how a little bit of effort can make a tremendous difference in your outlook.
My partner, Glenn, moved into my home in February 2019. He has his whole life with him, in boxes. It’s been a constant effort to pare down what we have, treasure, and need in this house.
Just last month, my son’s lovely girlfriend moved in with us. After the stress I experienced with the man I loved moving in, I was really concerned with how I was going to react. I visualized it going well, and being happy. I saw the opportunity to get to know her better, and to see my son more. He’s a musician and his hours are opposite mine.
I kept a positive outlook, and that no matter what, it would work out. I had to work at that. I’m not naturally an optimistic person. I find actually following the steps folks wiser and more experienced than I, can really work. Just do it. (Sound familiar?)
And it HAS worked out! Not exactly the way I thought and in some ways VERY different.
Actually better, because it is taking in the needs of the young people. And I am grateful I can see that.
I think that’s part of it too.
At first, the day she moved in, all her boxes and 11 instruments in cases were in my space, my meditation/workout/fireplace room….everywhere.
They are both creative, artists and musicians, talk about passion and purpose! But all that stuff kicked off a response in me pushing me into overwhelm and I can become a cranky ass witch.
That’s not who I want to be.
Being totally honest, I knew that Glenn, Jules and Ari had already downsized a great deal, and while so had I, there was more I could do.
What do I REALLY love? What do I need? What can I let go of?
Sure things have memories, but they aren’t people. And are they good memories? So recently I have sold antiques, chairs, a steamer trunk I loved but simply have no space for, and a futon couch, plus other nic nacs.
I put stuff out on the curb for free take away. I’m going to let go of even more collectibles very soon. (watch the B5Events store!) And I am getting excited about the space it’s opening up. It’s lightening my load.
I’m happy to see folks take away things they were excited about for so cheap.
Now, I keep looking for more things I can let go of!
And so is my family. My purge has inspired them even though I didn’t ask it of them.
Slowly things are getting put away and the house is happier. I can feel it.
I also suddenly realized what I could do with a room in my house I never knew what to do with. I’m SUPER excited about that. It’s never had a chance to live up to its potential.
I am going to film it and share it on Patreon so maybe it can inspire others.
WELL! Let’s make your space gorgeous!
What can you let go of? What do you really love and what do you need? What’s left?
Can you part with it?
Here’s an article on letting it go: https://www.questretreats.com/make-room-for-what-you-want/
I sold stuff on Facebook Market. I had never done it before but it was very easy. The key is taking really good photos, fully share any faults of the item, and write some great copy about the piece you are selling. Why do you like it, what has it meant to you etc. Take measurements and put them in the description.
BOOM!
I priced things fair and on the cheap side to move it out.
I put crap at the curb I knew no one would pay for. Candle holders, frames, books, nic nacs. Toss the magazine collections! Or donate to a hair salon.
Let go of supplies you haven’t used in the past 2 years.
Donate, donate, donate.
Do you know about Give Back Boxes? http://givebackbox.com/
There are ways to donate even in the time of Covid.
Let go of the clothes that are out of style, wrong sized, damaged and admit it, you aren’t going to fix it.
There are a ton of articles on decluttering.
But here’s the fun part.
Before your meditation, ( you ARE meditating, right?) reflect in your journal on how you’d like your home to improve. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just get a vision going of what makes you feel great.
Pay attention to what catches your eye in a positive way during the day. An image online or in a magazine, a description in a book. Write it down!
Get creative. What wall can you paint a beautiful color? Just a wall.
Can you change what’s on the floor?
My kitchen floor was down to the sub floor in about %50 of it, so many linoleum tiles had come up. It was horrible looking, dusty and dirty and just made me depressed thinking about what a loser I was every time I looked at it. I had no money to fix it. Then my pal said, how about pulling up the rest of the tiles and marine painting the floor? Just for now? WHOO! I saw the potential in that and just as I was about to start the project, some money came through and I was able to lay a new floor.
It was as if once I opened my mind to possibilities, the money came through for the best solution. That keeps happening. If I let go of my fixed mindset, magic flows.
That’s the fun part!
What fixed thought can you let go of? How can you be willing just to imaging something new and different? Letting new ideas in?
Can you clean, or get in someone to clean for a day? I have to do it myself. But I have ‘Housekeeper’ on my vision wall!
Just freshening things up helps enormously. Get rid of old worn covers, pillows and even towels that can be pet towels now.
Open up to what you CAN do. Don’t think about what you really can’t. You have to have that old, stained couch for now, oh but you could get a cover! You can use a table cloth or sheet you already have! You can’t replace the floor but you could paint it!
Lighting is SO important. Maybe there’s a better lamp in another room you can move?
Change things around and see what you like. You can always move things back, and meanwhile clean up under the couch!
EXTRA CREDIT:
Think about the holidays coming and what you’d like to see a bit different when it comes to December. Put it on the calendar!
Pick a day of the week, and get rid of something each week, on that day. BONUS is you gather things all week to donate on that day.
Pick a day, put it on the calendar, that you will clean and fix up a corner of your space, so you have it all done by the holidays!
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