Awakening

Awakening By: Janet L. Hall Waking up to chaos and clutter can instantly drain you of your energy and put your spirit in a foul mood, even causing you to become depressed. As a professional organizer, I'm often asked, * Where do I start? * I always suggest one of two areas, your bedroom or your important home or office files. Many have disagreed, stating that they would prefer to start with a room that others may see when visiting. But I'm here to tell you, don't worry about those areas... yet. My saying is, * you can drop by anytime to visit me but if you want to visit my house to see how clean it is, make an appointment! * (there is a difference between clean, neat, and organized, but that's another article ). Organizing and cleaning those areas will only make your Spirit soar temporarily. Those areas will NOT feed your Spirit in the way it needs to be feed in the morning, BEFORE you get out of bed! (unless you sleep in one of those areas ). So why not start decluttering and * OverHalling * the room in which you awake every morning? Take care of you boudoir first! It's the first room you see in the morning and the last room you see at night. Your bedroom can set the stage for your day and how your Spirit will feel, react, and cope throughout the rest of the day. EDITORS TIP: After reading this article, place it next to your bed with a pencil and before you get out of bed reread and answer the following: Now, look around you. What do you see? Chaos and clutter or calm and organization? What beauty can a new morning bring you? What is your vision of your day? Listen. What do you hear? Bickering, * Can't find....*, or laughter and a birds song? Start this new day by listening to nature outside your window. Sing, whistle, hum, or play music that lifts your spirit and refreshes. (I sing to myself, * You've got to wake up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart...Carole King) What do you smell? Dirty socks, moldy * stuff * or a fresh cut lawn, sun dried sheets, or the fragrance of flowers? Inhale and infuse yourself with power for the day with fresh clean scents around you. A scented candle, fresh flowers on your nightstand, scented soaps, lotions, or oils. What do you feel? Overwhelmed, depressed, drained, or rejuvenated and renewed? Renew and elevate your Spirit by embracing the day upon waking, take a big stretch, read an affirmation, your spiritual book, or a daily inspiration. Pray or meditate. Write down what you would like to see, hear, smell, and feel when you first awake. What do you have to do to feed your senses and your Spirit? When you start clearing the clutter out of your senses, you will begin to become open and aware to receiving those things that can feed your body, soul, and spirit. If you feed your spirit and your mind upon waking, you'll day will run smoother. You'll become more aware of what's going on around you and within you. Alan Cohen, author of A Deep Breath of Life, writes in one of his daily inspirations for heart-centered living: *...Each day is like a life unto itself, and so the first minutes of each day are the formative minutes. We must take special care to sound the keynote that will set the tone for our entire day. How do you begin your day? Do you spend it with God, in peace, in attunement with yourself? Or do you pop out of bed and immediately dive into the busy-ness of the day, postponing your soul's needs in favor of lesser activities? * He goes on to say, * Take at least the first 20 minutes of your day to meditate, pray, read an inspiring book, practice yoga or tai chi, walk in the woods, sing, dance, or engage in any practice that links you to a higher power. Establish your center, and the day that follows will reflect clarity, strength, and love. Any time you spend with Spirit will be returned throughout the day. Even a few seconds of closing your eyes and remembering the presence of love will make a big difference. At the end of your day, be with God before entering sleep. The formative minutes will build the consciousness that makes a productive life. * If you'd like to learn to mediate or need help in this area, John Edward, author of Understanding Your Angels and Meeting Your Guides, has a wonderful audio tape with some amazing exercises. I love the mediating exercise in which Mr. Edwards teaches; how to * breath in Universal positive energy and force out any negative energy you are holding in your body. Giving your body permission to surrender your negative energy. I'd like to give you permission to rid yourself of all the negative clutter and stuff in your bedroom. If something reminds you of how much weight you've gained, get rid of it! If something makes you sad or unhappy, get rid of it! If something brings back bad memories, get rid of it! If something makes you feel dated, get rid of it! If something is broken (you'll never use it again or will cost more to fix then replace), or irreparable, get rid of it! If something from your past would embarrass your loved ones after you gone, get rid of it! If something doesn't mean anything to you any longer, get rid of it! Wall by wall, inch by inch, surface area by surface area, all the clutter and stuff that you've STUFFED into the one place you should be able to go to to relax, reflect, make love, sleep, and meet your Spirit in the morning can be sorted through using my TEASER technique. (For a FREE copy of my TEASER, click: mailto:teaser@sendfree.com?subject=tohaveclutter ) This is an autoresponder; you will receive the TEASER via email within seconds of hitting the send key. Nine Additional Steps to Get Started: 1. Decide how much time you have or are willing to dedicate to creating your own personal paradise. 2. Set a timer for the length of time you have set aside to declutter. 3. Take the phone off the hook. 4. Turn off the computer and TV. 5. Don't answer the door. 6. If you have children, make sure they have an activity to do or have someone watch over or play with them (or maybe they can help ). 7. Stay focused by NOT leaving the room. 8. Do NOT bring anything else into the room you're decluttering that doesn't belong there. 9. Do NOT run out and buy storage items until AFTER you have sorted through your stuff! Remember it's not about being neat; anyone can straighten or tidy up. It's about utilizing your bedroom and space for what it's meant to do - a place to rest the soul and Spirit. For more Organizing Tips and Exercises for your Master Bedroom, click http://www.overhall.com/masterbedroom.htm Look to this day! For it is life, the very life or life. In its brief course Lie all the verities and realities of Your existence: The bliss of growth; The glory of action; The splendor of achievement; For yesterday is but a dream, And tomorrow is only a vision; But today, well lived, makes every Yesterday a dream of happiness, And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day! --Kalidasa (Translated from the Sanskrit) Look for ways the Universe spoils you today and everyday. For additional help: The Organizing and Feng Shui Wizard, Janet L. Hall, FSII has a FREE newsletter, OverHall IT! at http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm and many organizational products for your office, home, and computer at http://www.overhall.com/products.htm Janet is a Professional Organizer, Certified Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your stuff, and your environment. Copyright 20001 by OverHall Consulting P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676 All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy, or distribute so long as article is kept intact, this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached