Clear Your Space...Clear Your Mind

Introduction 

     Over the years I have worked with hundreds of clients. Visiting people in the most intimate and revealing of places, their homes, I learned that economics has nothing to do with satisfaction in life.  Everyone is the same.  Wealth or affluence doesn’t alter fulfillment or quench a desire for happiness.  However, altering people’s external settings to satisfy and awaken their inner spirit does affect a kind of change. 

     Since the age of twelve I have wanted to write a book (I am many years past 12 now).  After a lifetime of experience in people’s outer environments and dealing with their stuff, I found the perfect subject to write about;  my passion for “feel good” spaces and how they influence people’s internal landscapes.  Sharing the stories of how these physical transformations have changed my client’s lives has been a life reshaping adventure for me as well.

     In the winter of 2009 an opportunity came my way, it was really more like divine intervention.  It occurred to me that this “long ago” dream would never happen unless I left town and made writing my focus.  When that realization dawned on me I called my childhood friend Sandy and asked if I could stay at her house on Cape Cod to write my book.  Remarkably, she said, “of course.”  It felt right, and justifiably romantic, so I left my family, friends, and work and took off.

     The journey I made to accomplish this goal was as much a part of the book as my career in space planning.  So  “Clear your space…Clear your mind” is two-fold;  an adventure through space, to transform, inspire and soothe, and a reminder to follow one’s dreams.

Prelude 

      I can see my eight year old self.  I had a favorite pastime, one that could occupy me for hours.  I will refer to it as the  “Clean and Decorate Game.”  I would be in a friend’s bedroom and put on my decorator’s hat, then I’d suggest we rearrange a few things or perhaps clean out the closet.  My playmates got used to the idea that my visits meant a relocation of their belongings.  The added benefit was the profound effect it had on their mothers, for they knew if I was hanging out with their daughter, I undoubtedly left her room in better shape.

     Over time it became a joke between us, my friends realized they couldn’t stop the bulldozer of energy that emanated from their dear petite friend.  I took over their space and transformed it, revived it, made it new and compelling.

     This itch to move furniture was so nagging, at times I imagined it as a neurosis.  Later in life, therapist friends were fond of putting labels on what they believed to be my disorder, but intuitively I recognized that the ability to see through “what is” and imagine “what could be” was a blessing, not a curse.  Now I know it is a gift.

     Through the years my family and friends were patient supporters and I suppose in their deepest knowing they understood my passion, and dare I say mission, even before I did.  We are all born with an inner brilliance and if we’re lucky, by the time we reach adulthood we haven’t lost touch with it completely. 

     Any child who comes through the peer group pressure of adolescence and the influences of well-meaning grownups in her life with her artistry intact is fortunate indeed.  I consider myself one of the lucky ones, because my inborn talent was given a platform to expand, and I have turned what I love into my career.

     Now, as a Professional Organizer, I must ask you…have you ever had the experience of walking through your front door and immediately feeling overwhelmed?   Do you sit down at your desk piled high with papers, and suddenly you are depleted, lacking the motivation to accomplish the task?   You are not alone.

     Everything we surround ourselves with has meaning, beckoning us in one direction or another.  There are many paths through life, and addressing your inner landscape is crucial, but understanding the significance of your outer one is an important component affecting your personal well-being.      

     Our spaces are reflections of that inner topography, of who we are, and they can encourage us to become who we want to be.  These accounts of my journeys through space, peppered with my own frustrations and delight, may touch you, inspiring you to create a home you want to come home to.  

...to be continued