My Intuitive Guide to Clearing the Old & Making Room for Amazing Possibilities!
Take a moment to look around you.
Do your surroundings nourish and uplift you, or do they leave you feeling stressed and weighted down?
One of my great realizations about intuition—and an important point that is under-emphasized by many—is that your outer environment has a dramatic impact on your inner-knowing. Yes, I’m talking about all that stuff that may be scattered around your home, office, and car… the little knick knacks that have piled up, the gadgets you’re keeping in case you need them “someday,” the old clothes that don’t fit quite right, the relics from ghosts of boyfriends past, and so on. All this extra stuff is hurting your intuition, dampening your connection with Spirit, and preventing you from moving forward on your highest path.
OK, take a deep breath. I’m getting the sense you may be feeling a bit frazzled just thinking about getting rid of clutter and organizing, but have no fear, Colette is here! And, I have an intuitive technique for clutter clearing that really works.
A few years ago, I worked with a client who was really depressed and stuck. She didn’t know what to do next and felt like she no longer knew who she was. She called me for guidance on what she could do to move forward. As we started talking, I immediately noticed that she was still attached to her divorce two years earlier. When I mentioned the divorce, she insisted that she was completely over it. Indeed she had consciously moved on. But, I kept feeling that something was keeping her attached to her ex husband. Then when I “saw” her place intuitively, I noticed that many of the objects around her held her ex’s energy. While she’d gotten rid of photos of them together and gifts he gave her, she still used the dishes they got for their wedding and a painting they bought on a trip to Bermuda was still hanging above her couch. She was even still sleeping in the bed they used to share because the mattress still had a few years left of use!
With a little nudging, she agreed to commit to cleaning out everything that made her think of her ex, the divorce, and just left her feeling disempowered. After talking a bit about how turning down her logical voice, which told her it was silly to get rid of a mattress that was still in great condition, I asked her allow her intuition to be her guide as she walked through her home. Within a few weeks, she had a new mattress that was even more comfy than the other, colorful new dishes that she’d always loved, and had donated three trash bags of clothes! When I talked with her a month later, it was like she was a new person! I knew it would work, but was truly shocked at how positive and energetic she was. She also told me she had gotten all sorts of messages from spirit since the big clean out and had even signed up for a few night classes in psychology to explore a new career path that had always interested her, but just seemed like too much of a risk.
Exercise:
It’s time to clear the clutter so you can turn up the volume on your intuition and get on your highest path!
This week, walk through your home, allowing your intuition to guide you on what you need to get rid of. Be aware of whatever you feel, see, smell, hear, or taste.
As you survey each object, ask yourself these questions:
- What is this object saying to me? Note what comes into your consciousness first!
- Do I feel supported, loved, and inspired around this object? Or, drained and stressed?
- Do I really, really need this? Your logical mind may say, “That’s not clutter,” or “I might need this someday.” But, remember to trust your intuition first!
You might even use my truth and a lie exercise, which I talked about in my The Truth Will Set You Free blog. Tell yourself a truth to remind yourself how your intuition feels. Then, tell yourself a lie and note how that feels. The things that nourish you will feel like truth. You should keep those. But, the items that aren’t supporting you are clutter; when you think about what they’re saying to you, you’ll get a similar feeling to telling a lie.
If the idea of focusing on your whole home is overwhelming right now, then just focus on one area such as a particular room or even just a closet.
If you start to get frazzled, think about something new you want to bring into your life.
And, remember to donate! By donating your stuff to others, you nurture your connection with community, which also plays a major role in enhancing your intuition. For a detailed discussion of community and intuition, please check out Remembering the Future.
I’d love to hear about what you let go of and how this exercise has worked for you!
In service and love,
Colette
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Yes I need to declutter. I realise holding onto stuff is holding onto the past and why? Why would you hold onto the past when the present is sooo much more fun and interesting. Holding onto stuff is like having a tight grip on materialism when its the spiritual that is more beneficial for self.
Reminder to self, No. 1 Declutter!!!
Cheers
Arohanui
Tania
When I moved to Arizona 2 1/2 years ago, I released a lot of stuff. I gave the majority of my stuff to family and friends and Goodwill. The only items I replaced were my sofa, a new vase, and a few clothes. I took the bare essentials with me to Arizona. Plus, I’m the type of person who doesn’t like clutter. There are two items that I’d like to add and those are a desk (using my small dinette table) and a book case. I’ll be making another move soon so I’m holding off with these purchases.
I am a neat and pretty organized person so I have always maintained a neat house and I had never really thought I had clutter. That is until one day I just started opening my closets and looking and taking an “inventory”. OMG…I had so much I really didn’t need or use just sitting there. I had rationalized that I may someday need all of this when in reality I hadn’t used a great portion of those things in years. So I started making piles. Some for charity and others for friends and family. I felt so great afterwards and I didn’t really understand why. Then one day I heard Louise Hay say that when you are clearing the clutter, you are also clearing the clutter in your mind. I realized that the actual movement of the energy of those items that had been stagnant for so long had a direct effect of how I felt. I felt lighter and my head was clearer! By moving that stuck energy out of my house, I made room for more “good” energy to come in:) When I think of how happy I made so many people, like family members that loved their “new” clothes and shoes, it was a bonus! Ever since then I have done this consciously when I feel stuck and it always works:) It is like magic:) So make some people happy as you help yourself by shifting your energy in yourself and your world….move your energy…clear out the clutter:)
Dear Colette,
I completely agree with you. About 3 or so years ago, I decided to take a week off from work to clear out clutter in the home we were renting (I have to say, even though I stayed at home doing this, this was the best vacation…..it physically feels so good, like you have just exercised, to get rid of belongings that you no longer really relate too). At the time, I had been thinking how nice it would be for my husband and I to buy our first home to move into with our family. It wasn’t even a year later and we were able to buy our first home that was absolutely beautiful and perfectly suited for us. I feel that this is the reason why we were able to do this. It is imperative to clear out things not only to bring more abundance, but to keep the mind from being cluttered as well!! The only thing I could use help with is convincing my husband to go through his things as well. He does somewhat, but I keep encouraging him.
Thanks Colette for all of your fascinating information!! On your Hay House Radion show I always hear you say, “I love you guys so much!!” The feeling is mutual….we LOVE YOU TOO so very much!!
Melodie
Dear Colette,
I completely agree. About 3 or so years ago, I decided to take a week off from work to clear out clutter in the home that we were renting (this was one of the best vacations or “stay”cations I had, as it feels so physically great, like you have just exercised, to be rid of belongings that you can no longer relate to). At the time, I was thinking how nice it would be for my husband and I and our children to buy our first home. Well, it wasn’t even a year later when we were able to buy our beautiful home that we live in now that suits us perfectly. I feel that it is imperative to clear out things, not only to bring abundance, but to keep the mind from being cluttered as well. The only thing I could use a little help with is how to get my husband to clear out more of his things. I try to encourage him whenever I can.
Thanks so much for all of your fascinating information you share with us. On your Hay House Radio show, I always hear you say “I love you guys so very much!!” The feeling is mutual………we LOVE YOU TOO so very much!!
Melodie
I know exactly what you mean Colette! I have recently gone through a divorce as well and even though my ex and I get along well now (we worked hard at it for our daughter and our own peace of mind, I can still feel the negative energy in my home because he still has a few of his things here due to his living situation. But, his things will be out in the next few months and I am really looking forward to having this weight out of the house. First thing I did was remove all pictures of him that were hanging up, got rid of his clothes that he left behind and then started on my own things. Old stuff that I felt were not who I was anymore or wished to be. It’s a powerful cleansing process, one that does take time though!
I use the 10 minutes or 10 items process…while standing, say in the bathroom rubbing in moisturizer, I open a drawer and toss out 10 things. The blades to a shaver no longer used, out dated makeup or what ever. Just 10 things. Then I close the drawer. result – I just decluttered!
Got 10 minutes? I set the timer and spend that 10 minutes removing items I haven’t used in a year from a cupboard, closet or even my purse. When the timer goes off I have the choice: I am done or I can set it for another 10 minutes…
Keeping it simple allows me not to become overwhelmed by the size of a project and I see immediate results from those powerful “10″
Tip: designate a place in your home for a donation bag or box and when you come across something no longer wanted/ needed drop it in! When it is full take it to charity.
I totally love your write up about Decluttering. Decluttering old items that make you think, ‘oh I feel like that is so worn out, or I don’t really like it, But I will use it keep it and display it because… (any excuse)’ OR ‘this was a gift, and I don’t like it, and its not my taste, but I will keep it and display it, to let them see I love them’. WEll then, put the item in a box, and put it away, they will forget about it, and you can eventually give it away. Tell them you needed a change in your decor, so you put it away for a while. Tell them you love them, or show them they are speical and you like them. (Its telling the people that you care, that makes a person feel worthwhile and special too, maybe even moreso than a gift sometimes.) Write them a letter, or a card letter, and let them know how much of a great friend they are) Before you know it, they won’t mind that you put away their gift. Besides that; People change their decor all the time. People even change their clothes, their jewellery, and even move into different homes. Change happens all the time. So its time for change. And a good one at that. Its ok to change things up. A refreshing new room, without the clutter and thoughts of guilt or tacky or just weird feelings and/or thoughts in it. That sounds much better already!
Whoa, my own closet looks very much like the picture above, and I’ve become bored with my current wardrobe and my tastes are changing. Nothing I put on feels “right” lately. Guess it’s time to clear out that closet and stop holding on to ill-fitting clothes that no longer feel good, and make room for a beatiful new wardrobe to come into my life! Thanks for the boost, Colette!
I’ve been moving toward a career change for several years. This past year has been especially intense as I’ve explored options and taken steps to create movement in my life and my psyche. But despite my best efforts, nothing seemed to be happening. None of the ideas I came up with stuck with me for more than a day. And I was getting frustrated. Having been through many such changes, I knew that I needed to make way for the new by clearing out the old. But FEAR was keeping me from doing it this time–I was holding onto the old with vice grips. Until yesterday.
As always happens, when we resist change, the Universe steps in and pushes us off the cliff. I got a call from one of my few remaining clients letting me know that our association was over. So having been pushed to the edge, I began physically clearing out the old, dusty stuff of my business. And this morning, it hit me. I knew what I wanted to do next. It not only ties together all the things I love to do, but it ‘feels’ right.
This post could not have been more timely for me, and I’m sure it’s touched all of your readers. Thank you, Colette, as always for your diligence, your generosity, and your love of All That Is!
Oh, I LOVE to declutter it feels so refreshing!! Sometimes I think I declutter to much, but we always donate everything and I always feel someone else could probably get some good use out of this or that! We tend to hold on to STUFF way to long!
Quite the timely blog post. It gave me the idea to instead of put the majority of my stuff into storage for a couple of months, to just give it to a local thrift store instead. It was an interesting game of yes/no in my head figuring out which books to keep.
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