Put Your House in Order

Don’t shut the door on your mess! Create an energetic pathway of environmental support in your home by clearing the clutter and letting go of dated belongings

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I loved reading the stories about a few of your consultations last month and learned so much. Can you share more?

Of course! I too have learned so much from doing consultations over the years and am constantly amazed at the direct correlation the environment has to our lives. The more conscious we are about the links between our own environment and our lives, the more aware we become of how the choices we make in our homes affect our lives and vice versa.

Here are additional consultation stories you may enjoy and learn something from. For confidentiality reasons, I have changed the names of the people and created different situational scenarios. Any similarity to you or someone you know is purely coincidental.

The weight of the past

A friend of mine in the construction business called me one day and asked if I could take a look at a home he was renovating. He said the man who lived there needed some “help” and had agreed to my consultation. I have been to many homes and seen some unusual things inside them, but what was happening in Louis’ home was a first for me.

Already in his 50s, Louis lived alone and had a lot of clutter, which was not unusual. What was unusual was the type of clutter he accumulated. Throughout the house were stacks of newspapers and magazines dating from the 1970s to the present. He had prescription medication bottles with expired dates in the 80s and unopened canned goods more than 20 years old.

Not surprisingly, Louis’ conversations all revolved around the past — when life and health were “good,” before his kids moved away and before he was demoted at work. He had nothing positive to say about the present and would not let go of the fantasy that the past was better. His environment fully reflected that he was unwilling to move forward.

The lesson here is that dated material more strongly ties us to the past. Living in the present means embracing what life has to offer now. So ask yourself: Is it time to let go of expired goods, medications and old magazines?

Private challenges show up at home

Cynthia initially hired me for a consultation because she wanted less worry, better sleep, and more peace, health, harmony and happiness — the usual things. As we walked around her three-bedroom home, where she lived with her husband and daughters, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I asked her if she was looking for anything specific, and she said that her family was dealing with some major challenges that she wanted to keep private. She was hoping that my advice would help her solve some of the issues.

The home had a great feel and was obviously well kept — no excess dust, nothing unkempt, no visible clutter. Cynthia showed me her kitchen, living room, daughter’s bedroom and the master bedroom. She then walked by the third bedroom. When I asked her about it, she said, “Oh, that room just has my daughter’s pets. You can ignore that one.” “Hmmm,” I thought.

When it was time for me to assess the property, I peeked into that room. I actually had to blink my eyes to see if what I thought I saw was actually there. In stark contrast to the rest of the house, the room had sheets of newspaper scattered everywhere and days-old rabbit and guinea pig feces. The pets were given free rein of the room.

The correlation was obvious to me in light of what Cynthia had just shared. My advice was to focus on that room.

Although it may seem easier to keep the door closed and pretend that the mess doesn’t exist, the reality is that it does. Cynthia could create an intent to heal while creating an energetic path toward supporting the private challenges her family was facing by having the room organized, getting proper caging for the pets and cleaning up the existing mess.

The lesson here is though it may not be so obvious or as extreme in your home as it was in Cynthia’s, ask yourself where you have “closed the door,” pretending that a mess does not exist. Is there something you need to address, something you’ve put on the back burner, hoping it will eventually work itself out? If so, schedule a time to physically organize your mess, even if only for an hour.

You will be amazed at how it will help unlock things and usher you forward with solutions and options.

Use your environment for support

You don’t have to know feng shui to make an energetic difference. Whether you feel stuck, overwhelmed, anxious or sad, do something in your home, no matter how small, and it will physically bring order to your space and support change in other areas of your life.

Alice Inoue is a life guide at Alice Inoue Life Guidance LLC, a company committed to assisting people in living empowered lives. Alice shares her wisdom as a professional speaker and personal consultant, and offers a series of instructional DVDs on feng shui, as well as her award-winning books on feng shui, happiness and spiritual life wisdom. Visit www.aliceinspired.com to read her blog, sign up for her newsletters and download useful feng shui tips.

It takes two

If you are feeling a lack of support from key individuals in your life, think “pairs.” Position the items on display in your home in pairs. Bring in two items that match, such as end table lamps or matching candles. Male-female pairs are excellent for relationship, love and support!