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First of all, there is no “managing” time.  That’s like trying to hold sand in your hands.  But there is a way to drastically improve your relationship with it.  At least that is how I’ve come to look at it.

Source

You who follow me know that I’ve been obsessing over two books this summer:  The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.  Both of these beauties speak of time in a different light and totally shake our world view on “managing” it.

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” 
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Whoa, right?

And Gay Hendricks explains that “time comes from us.”  That if we look at it like that, it is malleable, and we can relax because everything gets done.

Beats trying to race the clock, right?

“I’m late!  I’m late!”  [Source is obviously Disney.]

I’ve been playing with these concepts a lot!  I’m the sort that wants to get everything done and won’t “waste” even three minutes of time, like say, when a friend arrives late for lunch.  After all, something can “get done” in those three precious minutes, right?

But those books, (along with the work I’m doing in a Course in Miracles right now), have 100% blown my concept of time out of the water.

Please understand, this is not the first time I’ve dabbled with this.  After all, I wrote papers on the 4th dimension in college (which relates to time), one of my favorite gifts I’ve received was a copy of Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman, and for the past few years, I’ve used the mantra, “My timing is perfect and elegant,” with almost miraculous success.  I’ve also prayed about it, literally.  I have asked that my relationship with time be improved, and I have gone from someone who was almost always at least ten minutes late (in my 20s) to someone who can arrive right on the nose almost every time, as if the very traffic lights were on my side.

Because think about it: how much stress do we experience simply from trying to deal with time?!  It’s sheer insanity!

In fact, I chose the first image — the hourglass on a beach — very consciously.  The hourglass notoriously “measures” time, representing that we collectively consider time to “run out.”  But there is an entire beach (world?) of sand around it, just sitting there!    This photo demonstrates the folly that we try to bottle and limit time when really, it’s infinite!

Now I’m learning to be still in those unexpected three-minute (or thirty-minute) moments — to look around, go within, and know that everything is “in perfect and Divine order.” (Thanks to Doreen Virtue, for that affirmation.)

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<<<<And I’m finding this quote here, (which I originally found to be simply humorous), to be shockingly accurate.  In fact, when I start to feel anxiety creep in, I have begun to simply sit down and do my meditations (or use a mantra, or take some breaths), and I will get back on track.  All that “stuff” I needed to hurry to do falls away and does “get done.”  I’m finding more ease in my days, more time for leisure and relaxation, while still taking care of clients and housework and being a mom and exercising and everything!  My finances have actually improved since practicing this technique, because relaxing into time is really the ultimate surrender and act of trust in the Universe to provide what you need, when you need it.

Have I mastered this?  Heck no!  I still occasionally cringe at my pile of to-dos, but now I know how to take it in perspective, rather than push through.  This is a discipline, to be sure, but it is SO worth it, and in fact, makes life much more fun!  There are surprises around every corner if you can surrender to the present moment!

How does this show up in feng shui?  What can you shift in your household or office to reflect this “new” meaning of time?

Stay tuned for Part II, to come soon!  In the meantime, though, learn to meditate.  Here’s a video to inspire you:

P.S.
Just a few more days to sign up for the on-line 9-Week Feng Shui Journey!  Join us for the adventure to change your life!

There are so many ways to facilitate money flow in feng shui.

And there are also so many ways to block it.

My friend and client, Dave Romanelli — yoga & meditation teacher, Momenteer, and author of Happy is the New Healthy — texted me for a session the other day:

our text conversation

The last time we had spoke, we assessed the Money area of his home and his office, which is usually the back left corner of the space.

If you line the brown/black/gray areas to the front door of your floor plan, you will see that the Prosperity/Money area falls in the back left of your space.

Originally, on a prior session, he had a huge metal bookshelf in his office that he did not like.  This was a problem for many reasons.

3. It was big and metal, and the element for the Money area is Wood.  In the destructive cycle, Metal “chops” Wood, so Metal is the least favorable element for that section of the bagua map!

I suggested getting rid of the shelving unit and replacing it with a small table with perhaps a fountain, which would symbolize a flow of money.  Also because Water “nurtures” Wood in the constructive cycle of the elements, a fountain would be nice, and it would add a lovely natural sound to the office.

We had not followed up until he sent me that text.  In our Skype session, he showed me the great little black table he had found and the new fountain he had purchased.  

This:

Source, Amazon

Harmless enough, right?  In fact, it’s quite nice in the photo…

However, in our session, I noticed it was not on.  The fountain that was supposed to promote flow was not flowing!  

“Dave, what’s up with the fountain?  Why isn’t it on?”  

“Oh, it is just so noisy honestly.  I didn’t want it to interrupt our call.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“How often do you have to turn it off and on?”

“Well, I forget to turn it on a lot.  Really I have to unplug it.  Even then, it really doesn’t work that well, to make sure it’s working, I have to…etc. etc.”

So now, readers, you see what is going on here.  He had the best of intentions, but this fountain that he chose was symbolizing his subconscious notions about money:  that it takes a lot of effort to even get a trickle out of it!  

Not all feng shui cures are created equal, indeed!

I’m happy to say that Dave was actually relieved to hear this and he said, “This makes total sense!”   I suggested he get rid of that fountain altogether and use some lucky bamboo (8 stalks) and a red silk cloth (red is a power color) and perhaps a deity of some sort, such as Lakshmi or Ganesha (which coincides with his yogic traditions) or a happy Buddha.  

I must say, I’ve seen this with fountains and water features a lot with clients.  Basically, if maintaining the feature is a huge pain and takes more effort (cleaning, fixing, etc.) than it is worth and causes you more stress than tranquility, then that fountain is NOT the way to go for you.  Think of the symbolism, always!  You would be better off with a picture of money flow or a nice, sturdy plant or any of the suggestions I gave Dave.

So…get flowing!  

If you’d like to take Feng Shui to the next level, (and learn all you can about Money and Feng Shui), considering Katie’s 9-week Feng Shui Journey, a tele-course beginning July 20th, 2015!  

The Gulf of Mexico…calling me

School was out.  The beach was calling — a 4.5 hour drive through Alabama to the panhandle of Florida.

I was SO ready.

So ready, in fact, that I packed the day before and went ahead and put the suitcases in the car so that we could roll out of bed at 7 AM and make it to sand-and-surf by lunch.

We awoke as planned, with that Christmas morning feel.  I was excited to get Outta There to my beloved Gulf.  I scurried to get the final items together.  I happened to glance down at my phone at one point (habit) to see that someone in our neighborhood had posted that his Jeep had been ransacked the night before.

I paid no attention…until I went to my own car.  Did I leave the glove compartment open for some reason?  Why is the center console wide open?

Oh no.  Where is my SUITCASE?

I did what many a Southern lady would do:  I called my Mama.

“I think I’m just in shock!” I told her.  She had complete empathy. After all, summer had just begun, and I had lovingly packed my favorites of the favorites of summer attire (which is my favorite):  the best-looking and most comfortable.  The white linen pants that fit perfectly, the aqua sundress bought in the Bahamas which seemed made for me, the just-enough-baggy shorts that were as comfortable as pajamas without sacrificing style.  And the bathing suits!  All four of them.  Not to mention my best yoga clothes and running shoes.  Ack, the bras and panties alone!  Oh, and sandals.  Good ones.

If you follow me at all, you know that my mantra is DECLUTTER.  Over the years, I have refined and refined, and while I’m not quite a minimalist, I have definitely whittled my belongings — including my clothing (which is no easy task being the daughter of a daughter of a daughter of seamstress/designers) — to that which is only necessary and/or “sparks joy,” a term lifted from Marie Kondo’s teachings.

Take away one suitcase, and you are basically taking away my entire wardrobe, or at least very key pieces of it.

Once past the initial shock, I succumbed to the fact that we were going to be leaving for the beach later than anticipated.  Curious and caring neighbors came out to pat me on the back, as the cops arrived; it turned out that many cars in the neighborhood had been vandalized (but no broken windows that I know of).

Still, I was so ready to get to the beach.  I gave my report and went back inside for a duffel bag, and this time, I took minimalism to heart, grabbing only a few items of clothing and tossing them in.

(And yes, I stopped by a store once at the beach and found one bathing suit that would carry me through.)

At the beach, I admit I missed my clothes.  After all, the second round of packing was not thought out much, and I didn’t even have a cover up with me.

I simply wore what I had, and that was as good as ever, it being a casual trip to the beach anyway.   But still, there were some unsettling moments of, “Oh yeah, I’m going to have to replace my strapless bra now” and “Oh yeah, I wore that easy blue dress a lot; now what?”  “Oh yeah, this dress I brought really needs those shoes to look right.”

Enter:  The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.  It was recommended by a dear client, and you know when you get that little ping  — I knew it was my book for the beach.

The book is a revelation for me on many levels, but for this post, I’ll focus on his descriptions of “form” and “space.”  Tolle explains that, in today’s society and over many centuries, humans have been heavily preoccupied with form — our bodies, our cars, our houses, our level of success based on this and that, our test scores and achievements, our clothes– over “space,” which is our inner essence and life and God itself.

In the shortest of short, he says that a balance between the two is the key to happiness, connection, and yes, joy.

**********************************************

Back home, I alerted my insurance company about the theft, and I’m still waiting to hear.  For fun, I decided to make a game of the loss, and I posted on Facebook that my stolen suitcase is a good excuse for my friends to declutter and to please give me the clothes that they no longer want.

This worked.

I have been relatively unpicky in what I received — if it fit decently — I kept it.

It’s amazing what the Universe brings you if you just open up.  Very little of what was given to me would I actually take off the rack at the store and buy myself, but interestingly, the pieces are working for me in a different way.  Colors that I am not drawn to while shopping are now in my drawers, which feels good for a change!  New shoes that I would have overlooked now sit in my closet, and they are turning out to be my most comfortable and functional yet.  One tank top (that I almost discarded) surprised me by working perfectly as a work-to-yoga piece, saving me an outfit change for the day.

Sure, I will have to reassess in a  few weeks, and I’m sure I’ll need to let go of some of these items.  And of course, yes, I will soon be shopping to replace things like bras and running socks.

In the meantime, I’m wearing the things that in my own closet were second-tier, and they are finding new life, and then enjoying the gifts, and possibly a new means of self-expression?

More significantly though, what I’ve released at a deeper level is that the stolen suitcase is a chance to dis-identity to form at all, at least when it comes to my personal fashion style.  In decluttering, with Kondo’s mantra, “does it spark joy?” when choosing items to stay in one’s home, comes the remembrance that, although these items may bring forth a moment of happiness, they are not the source of the joy.  The source of the joy is pure spirit, within us, and these items are simply (and paradoxically) vague, dreamy reminders of that.

For me, the loss of the suitcase gave way for great joy:  the opportunity for playful shopping experiences in my friend’s closets, the adventure of “what will the Universe provide”?   It opened space for my friends too:  they are now less cluttered, and they got to be the joyous givers of things that no longer served them, in hopes of serving their fellow human: me.

I ask you:  where in your life can you be less attached to form and more open to space?

I recommend the adventure that arises from it.

a few items that I received! (the middle is the work-to-yoga tank)  🙂

You know what I mean.

While I thought I cleaned my child’s room out regularly, feng shui practitioners know that we are all blind to our own “stuff.”  Ava’s room was my blind spot.

Her bedroom.  Please note that I did not straighten up AT ALL for this pic. It’s usually a little bit better.

This little bucket thing only serves the purpose of collecting those tiny. dumb. toys.  Tried to sort.  Not happening.  THIS THING IS TOAST.  She doesn’t even play with the stuff!

Not proud; don’t judge. Bottom — One bin: costumes.  Second bin: costume accessories.  Third bin: Musical instruments. The middle shelf — not functioning at all.  TOAST.

Top of closet.  Clothes are driving me crazy.  Top shelf:  games we play, like, never.

Yeah…so I had let my child’s room go a bit.  And I do this for a living.  This should make you feel GREAT about your own home, okay?

So, I announced over breakfast yesterday that, after school, we were taking every single toy out of her room, and only putting back the ones that made her “feel happy.”  And then we might change her furniture around.

Her response:  “Yay!”

Mine back to that (covering up my slight surprise):  “Yes.  YAY!”

Ava knows the clean-out process fairly well, because I’ve been doing it with her since she had any cognizant understanding as to what was happening.  That was when she was 2 years old.  She is now 5.

Sure enough, at 3:15 PM we began.  By 5:15, the room looked like this:

Ta-dah!!!  2 hours, no lie.

Arranged more neatly.  I wanted to give her access to a variety of things.

She TOTALLY got into it, and wanted to wipe down her kitchen.  It had cat hair on it, so that was good.

Layout of furniture is good, not the best.  A pretty little rug will help, as will some white eyelet curtains. Love girly!  I may replace the Mardi Gras pic but she sure does like it.  🙂  (Who wouldn’t like a pic of a cat and a jester?)

HOW TO DECLUTTER WITH YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE DARLINGS and still love them when you’re done:
1.  Absolutely involve them.  The most amazing thing I learned from teaching preschool is this line:  “You have a choice.”  Your children are little people.  By teaching them how to let go — yet guiding them and still giving them the choice for what stays and goes — is a tremendous thing to teach them!   To get rid of their things without them present is disrespectful.  How would you feel if someone did that to you?!
2.  Take everything out of the room.  When you take it ALL out, they see how much they have, and it makes letting go a ton easier!  They won’t feel like you are taking everything away, because guess what:  there is so much left.   The key to successful decluttering and organizing is to GET RID OF as much stuff as possible.  Period.

My living room.  When Christmas gifts become the anti-Christ, right?

2.  Hold up each item with them and ask, “DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY?”  Not:  “Does this make you happy?”  Not:  “Is this a happy thing?”  Put the “feeling” verb in there.  That is all you have to ask.  If it is a yes, it stays; if it is a no, it goes.  Two piles.   Yesterday, we had a Maybe pile going for the first 10 minutes, but she quickly forgot about it, because the game was in a flow.  (The Maybe pile went btw — it almost always does.)
3.  Don’t get involved.  You may be attached to some things that they are not.  Give yourself permission to keep one or two things that you find sentimental, but no more.
4.  Explain beforehand that these toys are going to someone else who will love and use them. 
It doesn’t hurt that Ava knows that there are some children in the world who have zero toys.   I am sure to bring that up every time we give stuff away.  I hope that it will instill a sort of gratitude in her. Giving is good;  it helps people.  I want her to know this in and out.
5.  Tell them it’s a treasure hunt.  Because it is!  Ava got excited over and over at discovering forgotten toys that indeed, made her feel happy, that she thought she had lost.
6.  Don’t get hung up on things.  Just toss in the Maybe pile.
7.  Little items can be gathered in one out-of-the-way place. 
 This was my solution:

Usually under-the-bed is a feng shui no-no, but because this is the ONLY thing under there, and the child only takes up about 1/20th of the bed, I made an exception.

8.  Organize according to “priority.”  If she or he uses it often, then keep it close.  Hence, the costume box on the floor.  She has about 8 costume changes a day, so it was justified.
9.  If you get overwhelmed, just keep going!  You will get overwhelmed and think, “Can I get this done?”  You will.
10.  Set aside a designated time.  Three hours is the magic number, I’ve found, but your child will last less than that.  Again, I did it yesterday in 2, but we didn’t do the clothes, and there was extra time to put the give-away items in the car and such.
10.  Reward him or her, and celebrate.  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a high five and a popsicle will do!  Let them have the chance to be proud of themselves.

In the end, decluttering with my little girl is a fun bonding experience, for real!  She literally was singing the entire time.  Children know deep down the positive effects of an energy shift, and cleaning out the old is just that!  After all, they are growing and changing at warp speed, and their space should reflect their changes!

Friday, May 1st was Ana Sullivan’s birthday.   But not even the gorgeous weather we’ve been having could brighten up this major birthday bummer…

On that very day, the City of Birmingham gave her a “present” in the form of a notice.    It was a warning that if she didn’t correct a certain something within 14 days, a warrant would be put out for her arrest.

The offense?

Flowers.

These flowers to be exact:

Coreopsis

Ana planted them in her front yard, located in the Avondale neighborhood, along with some cosmos and poppies.

What’s the catch, you may be thinking?  Certainly, there is something else going on, right???

I went to her house to check out the situation and get a closer look.  Surely, someone cannot be arrested for flowers!

Here is what I saw:

Ana’s house with lots of pretty flowers

To be fair, the flowers are in the “right of way” which is technically owned by the city.   I’m still not sure about the damage the flowers are doing to threaten a warrant.

This is the view from the front porch.  Nothing offensive here as far as I can see.

Sure enough, here’s the letter:

I asked her about the jasmine that covers and shades the front porch, thinking that maybe there are some laws about that.  She said, no, that it has been there for years, and that was not what the letter was referring to, (to which I agree).   She also disclosed to me that this time last year, while attending her daughter’s end-of-the-school-year party, she came home to see her yard (oops, sorry, the right of way between the sidewalk and the street) cut — yes, CUT DOWN.  Last year, she was given no notice, no warning, and a neighbor confirmed that indeed it was someone from the City who had done it.

At least this time, the City of Birmingham had the decency to allow her to cut them herself?

Ana is currently in touch with several members of the community to get to the bottom of this.  The woman at the phone number on the citation loosely claimed that it was the “undergrowth” to the coreopsis, not the yellow flowers themselves, but Ana was quick to point out that those too, were flowers (cosmos) that just haven’t bloomed yet.  Plus I’m not sure how this logic plays out in accordance to the 2-to-4-inch rule mentioned in the letter.

It seems that there are a couple of species in her yard that are supposedly federally protected as well…which could make this whole thing even more interesting.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Spread the word!    Change takes all of us!  Ana is also concerned that 14 days is an unreasonable amount of time to figure out what to do and what her rights are.  If you can help, please email her at m.anasullivan@yahoo.com 

Remember…  
A few years ago in Los Angeles, Ron Finley was arrested for “guerrilla gardening” (this time it was food) in those patches between sidewalk and street.  ARRESTED…for gardening. 

But because of the outrage of the community, the pressure caused the city to change these ridiculous laws!  Now you can grow veggies (as well as flowers) in the areas technically owned by the city.  Note that Finley was planting in food deserts; it’s a good thing that men like Finley are working to make our cities healthier and more livable!  

Here’s his Ted Talk if you need some mad inspiration.

With summer around the corner, what better way to spend a lazy day than to read?   Get inspired this summer!   Here’s a list of some of my favorites in no particular order if you need something to oh, you know, change your life in amazing ways…

LIST OF FAVES:

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

The Course in Miracles

Lightworker’s Way by Doreen Virtue
Healing with the Angels by Doreen Virtue

Make Miracles in Forty Days by Melody Beattie

Animal Speak by Ted Andrews
Animal-Wise by Ted Andrews

Animal Talk by Penelope Smith

Ask and It is Given by Abraham-Hicks

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

The Alchemist by Pablo Coehlo

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Grace and Grit by Lanier Isom & Lilly Ledbetter

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Dream Game by Ann Faraday
Dream Tending by Dr. Stephen Aizenstat

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

The Bible

Non-Violent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Think and Grow Rick by Napolean Hill

The Game of Life by Florence Scovel Shinn

The Four Agreements by Don-Miguel Ruiz

Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh

Diet for a New America by John Robbins

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Mists of Avalon by Marion Bradley

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Hobbit by J. R. Tolkien

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono

Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins

Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

The I Ching

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda

Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss

There Is A River: The Story of Edgar Cayce by Thomas Sugre

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston

Feng Shui Chic by Sharon Stasney (and all her books)

Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life by Karen Rausch Carter

The Western Guide to Feng Shui by Terah Kathryn Collins

Sacred Space by Denise Linn

For more feng shui books, see this post!

What are your favorites??!

Coincidentally, it was at an engagement party.  (We were celebrating Angela Karen, Birmingham photographer, the gorgeous blonde in the background, who is getting married in May.)

I wanted to meet Jessica because of her HAIR.  It’s red and pretty.  Again, coincidentally, it turns out that Jessica is a hair stylist and make-up artist and that, according to Angie, she is THE red expert in Birmingham.

She and I became fast friends, and as conversations go, Jessica asked me what I did for a living, and I told her that I was a feng shui consultant.  She lit up, as some people do, and she told me about her beloved home.   She and her fiancé live together in a older, more “charming” house on the edge of Forest Park and Avondale (Forest Park to him, Avondale to her) and she described how she wants everything “perfect” (i.e. the wall art can never get straight enough) and that her husband is a sort of happy-go-lucky free-for-all type who says that it’s all good…it’s wabi-sabi.

“Wabi-sabi?” I asked.  “Is that how he describes your relationship…or the house?”

Jessica smiled largely.  “Well, I meant the house, but I guess it could apply to our relationship too!”

You see, I had no idea what wabi-sabi meant.    It’s Japanese, I knew, but only because it was the name of a sushi restaurant in Venice, CA where I used to reside.

I was intrigued.  “What do you mean?  I mean, what does IT mean?  Wabi-sabi.”  My heart rate was going up.  I could tell we were hitting on something good and juicy and feng shui-y.

She kept smiling (she really has a charming smile) and said, “I don’t know.  Trey says it’s like the ‘perfect imperfection,’ like perfect is imperfect or the imperfections make a place perfect.”

Ah-ha this was it!  After all, I often encounter people who think that their houses have to be PERFECT in order for it to have good feng shui.   And I’m like, “No, no, no.  Then it would NOT be good feng shui.”

Furthermore, people are always saying to me, “YOUR home must be perfect.”

And I’m like, “No it’s not!  It’s really not.  Trust me.”  Then I wink and say, “But of course, it has good feng shui.”

So, on this serendipitous evening, surrounded by bride-to-be’s, I discover this word — a beautiful, melodic, foreign, fun WORD — for this concept of perfection being imperfect and imperfection being perfect.  Oh, how I love a paradox!

WABI- SABI.  There really is no real English translation for it.  There is only description.  I searched online for attempts at definitions.  While Wikipedia was satisfactory, this one was my favorite:

From NobleHarbor:

Poetry, I tell ya.

source

Trust me, I’m still absorbing what the concept of wabi-sabi means, but I can tell you that, as far as feng shui goes, the word has inspired me to reinforce to you that a “perfect,” Pinterest-worthy home may not be good feng shui.   A lived-in, happy, and (gasp) even outdated home, with quirks and imperfections, but a good flow, a humble presence, gracious hosts, and plenty of authenticity, may just be the best feng shui of all.

(This all being said, wabi-sabi is not an excuse for you not getting that annoying leak fixed nor allow the paint to chip all over the home.)

The point is, your home is as unique as you are.  None of us are perfect, and in this society, with its air-brushed bikini bodies and manicured lawns, we can forget that our imperfections — and our homes’ imperfections — are well, what make us perfect.

What does this all have to do with Romance?  Interestingly, when I was 16, I met a girl my age who was raised in Europe, so naturally she had different sensibilities that I did, and she was in love, and I found her strangely wise.  She said to me once, about her boyfriend, “I love him because of his flaws.  It’s his flaws that make him who he is.  And I love him for them.”

And it’s stuck with me ever since.

Congrats to both Angela and Jessica on your upcoming nuptials!  May the spirit of wabi-sabi be with you both!  xooxox

On February 19, 2015, we will move into the Year of the Sheep (otherwise known as the Ram or the Goat.)

We will be moving out of the Year of the Horse.

Horses I am into.  I absolutely love horses.  They may just be my favorite animals.

But Sheep?  I mean, I really don’t think about sheep so much.

What you talkin’ about, Katie?  (Source)

Because I was a bit dissatisfied with what information I found on the Internet regarding the Year of the Sheep, I decided to sit down and see if I could get some of my own guidance, (a.k.a. “automatic writing).

This is what came through:
I wrote, “I ask for information/guidance regarding the energies of the Year of the Sheep that is coming up.”

I got:
Sheep’s energy is one of Giving.  It gives milk and wool and is mild-mannered.  There is an abundance energy regarding Sheep in that it can give and give and not be affected much in that giving.  The milk is easily replaced as is the wool.

Source  “Comfort & nurturing” are marks of the Year of the Sheep

Innocence is the mark of Sheep too.  (Sacrificial lamb.)  Sheep is not necessarily a determined creature but one that is content to follow the herd.

While some people, especially in Western cultures, may see this attribute as a flaw or weakness, in truth, it is simply a willingness to surrender to the flow of the energy currents already present.  Not wanting nor striving to be a “leader” or “unique” can have great benefits.

It has the element of being content with one’s “herd” or tribe and enjoying the comforts of a pastoral life, knowing that there is a shepherd of sorts watching over in protection.  After all, how many tales have a shepherd as an important character?  One who is usually humble and true and free of pretense?

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Sheep does not hide nor does it stand out particularly.  Their role may seem passive in Western eyes, yet Westerners have forgotten the value of going with the flow and allowing.

After all, if a sheep strays from the herd, that is when disruption happens.  If the shepherd is a true one, it is IDEAL to stick with the herd — so before one judges the “herd mentality,” remember that the herd mentality can be healthy if it’s in the highest good of all.

As far as 2015, the Year of the Sheep, goes…. expect abundance — not in the flashy, showy way — but in the creature comforts of home and family life.  If one can unplug from the go-go-go mentality of the Western culture and learn to surrender to a calmer, more meandering path, one will discover the joys of a slower pace and really ENJOY life.

While the Year of the Horse had its ups and downs and excitements, the Year of the Sheep will be a welcome one with its nurturing energies if one can recognize that there is value in living day to day at a slower speed.  Give thanks for the blessings that are here!  Sheep shall give great comfort and joy.  She is The Great Provider and while she does not fan fancy feathers nor strut her stuff, her gifts are 10,000-fold if you could all just settle down and honor her.

Sheep is the 8th animal in the Chinese zodiac.

The numerology adds up to an 8 year (2+0+1+5=8).

8 is the number of prosperity and abundance and flow.

It is tradition in China to prepare for the Chinese New Year by letting go of the old — decluttering and cleaning house!  Please join us for DECLUTTER YOUR WAY TO CLARITY so Sheep can have room and space to provide for you in 2015.  Click here for testimonials and to sign up!  

I’ve been antsy to write this book report since I read Marie Kondo’s book a few weeks ago.  

Turns out you CAN judge a book by the cover.  (Notice the all lower caps.  love.)  This one is precious from the outside all the way through.

First, be warned:  Marie Kondo is Japanese.  She’s tiny and quaint and precious as far as I can tell, having not met her in person (yet).     Her book is about “tidying,” which in plain English translates to “decluttering and organizing” which in most American households translates to “getting rid of your s@#* that has piled up.”

I have not been to Japan (yet), but let’s face it, I think the Japanese have we Americans whooped in the “tidying” department.  You never hear about McMansions over there.  No, instead visions of crisp white mats on floors and neat little chopsticks and perfectly-rolled sushi fill my brain when I think of Japan.

When I think of typical middle-America?  I see SuperSizeMe and strip malls and big cars and traffic, truth be told.

So.  We are whooped.

Top that by the fact that Marie has literally been decluttering (tidying) since she was FIVE, stealing her mother’s housekeeping magazines to learn as much as she could and sneaking into her siblings’ rooms to practice her techniques.

By the end of the book, we also discover that every time she enters her home, she has a ritual where she unpacks her purse and places her wallet and few other items in special “homes.”

I have never, ever known anyone to unpack her purse every day and have special little spots in the house for all the items within.

Here’s the painful part of all of this.

Her method — the KonMari Method — makes 100% total and complete sense from a feng shui point of view.

It’s humbling.

In all my days of preaching about the impact of clutter, this woman puts my American-self to shame.

Rest assured, she and I have very similar styles.

Here is where we agree:
1.  She believes in “discarding” first.  YES!  Get rid of it.  Please.  Just.
2.  She believes that organization containers are bogus and that the house is equipped with proper storage.  YES!  Don’t get sucked into The Container Store thinking that it will cure your organizational woes!  It won’t.
3.  She poo-poos buying in bulk.  YES.
4.  She believes that every item has a life of its own and that it has a profound affect on the owner.  YES!  A million times, yes!
5.  She believes that if it “doesn’t spark joy,” it goes!  YES!!!  And I thank her profusely for this term because I was using the vague: “Does it raise your energy?” for each item, and I know for a fact that this sparking-joy clause is super-charged and powerful beyond belief!
6.  She declutters according to category (clothes, books, etc.) rather than room.  YES YES YES!
7.  Every item needs a home.  YEEEEESSSSSSSSS!

God, I love this woman.

Now, for the American vs. Japanese part:
Here is where I may not agree, as well the main things I learned from her thus far:
1. She believes that every one can organize according to her system, that different personalities and brains can operate under the KonMari Method.  I, for one, love “studying” how different we all are, and I can speak for myself that, being a fast-moving right-brainer, there are some practices she recommends that wouldn’t serve me.  Still.  I may try them…
2.  She likes to fold.  She is teaching me to like folding.  Folding is fun.  Well, it is when you get the results of her technique which have sort of kind of blown my mind.  But yes, folding can be fun.  (Remember that origami comes from Japan, right everyone?  Okay, so it’s ingrained over there.  I’m learning.)

3.  She doesn’t realize that she is practicing feng shui!!!  This tickled me because she has a small and lovely section on feng shui, but she claims not to identify with it, as she’s never studied it.  Sure, she uses a different language than we consultants would use, but I’d say this woman is practically a feng shui master herself — at least when it comes to the items in a household.
4.  She skips over certain very large topics that Americans would need to read about.  For example, garages don’t seem to come up.  At all.  And we all know about stuff and garages.

Still, Marie Kondo is the Saint of Stuff as far as I’m concerned.  Her approach is minimalist to be sure, but in all my years of practicing feng shui, I can attest to minimalism — or close to it — as being the way to go.

Read her book.

Or, do that, and/or take my online Declutter Your Way to Clarity course where you will get an email a day to motivate you.

Bottom line:  Whether you live in Japan or America, clutter affects you.  Your stuff affects you!  And you won’t know how much it affects you until you deal with it.

After all, when you deal with your stuff, you deal with your life.  Period.