How can Your Space Support You?
I watched Carolyn Wonderland (a performance artist) a few weeks ago on a small stage in Wisconsin, positively ooze and gush her beautiful gift out to the world. It sparked something in me. In every moment of our lives, isn’t that what we all want? To be so connected, so plugged in and so in the flow of such marvelous energy?
EVEN IN OUR WORK? EVEN IN THE SMALL MOMENTS OF OUR LIVES? These questions have popped into my head from time to time, I have been inspired by some AMAZING teachers, friends and mentors, even those in my life who some would call enemies (inspiration can come from anywhere. ;)) I do not pretend to know all the answers to these questions, isn’t that what life is for? Sorting it all out? I have pieced together a few ideas and every day I make a choice to go the direction of MORE fun, joy, and connectedness. Here is my list: ~Breathe and Be Present! (For me this includes: meditating {I’m starting tomorrow}, walking and yoga.) ~Get out of your Head and Into Your Body! (my favorites: walking, rollerblading, dancing, singing (in a crowd or in private!)) ~Hang out with People you LOVE! (this may also include passionate people who inspire you, some that challenge you, and maybe it’s just some good old alone time!) ~Get Crafty! (Crocheting, what else is there?) ~AND, (my favorite…) Attend to your Environment! Let’s do a little meditation… Picture yourself in your most joyful and happy state. You’re free! The birds are singing! The flowers are in bloom! Then picture your living space. Do the two feelings match? Is your space resonating with the version of you in the flow? Are you at your happiest and most full of joy in your own home? Did the sun shine? Or did the thunderclouds appear? Wouldn’t it be great to do something about it? Our spaces and our belongings make a HUGE impact on our lives and on our way of showing up in the world:
Any item in your space that does not lift you up or is not absolutely necessary for your existence has GOT TO GO, it messes with the FLOW! Attend to your space, edit your belongings, make things beautiful and watch the magic happen! I would love to hear about what happens for you when you consider a more simple and beautiful space for yourself, please let me know in the comments below! And, as always, I would love to support you if you make the decision to dive in...just contact me… Love, Jane PS: If you want to make sure to continue receiving the blog + newsletter, sign-up here and we will add you to the list!
0 Comments
 I was part of the moving crew to help my daughter move last week...Part way through the unloading, she turned to me and asked, "Do you think we have too much stuff? You'd tell me, right?"
Here's how you know if you have too much stuff:
Here's what to do about it: Plan ahead! Start at least 6 months ahead of your move to downsize your items. For some people it's easiest to work on one room at a time. Other people like to choose a category, like books, and go through the whole house plucking out books that they no longer read or that no longer delight them. Give yourself time to sort through and edit everything before you even think about packing. It's way too much to do all at the same time. Ask yourself the hard questions, and EDIT ruthlessly! "Do I want to carry it?" (Even if you're not actually going to carry the boxes yourself, use that as a measuring tool and figuratively ask, "Do I want to carry this ______ with me into my new life?") "Does it serve the future me?" "Do I get excited at the thought of unpacking it?" "Do I Love it? Need it?" "Will I ever miss it if it's gone, or does it thrill me that someone else will love it?" Give back! Many of us are keeping items for others, and this is often well intentioned, done out of a spirit of helping, love and kindness. What I often see, however, is that these items become a burden. They are items that belong to our children, our parents, or our long-gone relatives. We are the ones that keep this stuff because we have a basement, an attic, a storage locker. I am here to tell you that the time is now! If you are contemplating a move...send out the word to the relatives: YOU HAVE 3 MONTHS, (UNTIL {3 months from date...}) TO CLAIM YOUR ITEMS! AFTER SUCH TIME, THEY WILL BE DONATED AND SENT BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD TO ENCHANT SOMEONE ELSE. I WILL NOT DRAG THEM WITH ME INTO MY NEW LIFE! (or something like that...) Blame me, Blame the blog, Feel the pinch and do it anyway. (If you must, try a nicer approach first...nice does not usually convey a sense of urgency.) A move is such a big transition and if you happen to also be downsizing, this is a crucial step. Now, unpack, enjoy, CELEBRATE! You did all of the hard work, enjoy the beginning of your new life feeling lighter, sparkly, and spacious. If you are NOT moving, apply the above principles to your current location and have the sparkly and spacious feeling right now! If you are headed for a move, let me know how I can support you, I have helped dozens of people get real about what to pack and move. I would love to help you, too! Lots of love, Jane 
Louis XV Candelabra Pair, Treasure or Trouble?
I spent the weekend in Los Angeles with my sister, my long-lost cousin and her family (we hadn’t seen each other since we were kids). The experience gave me an intriguing perspective on the past and my own relationship with it. It was interesting to fill in details of my Grandparents, Parents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins (we all three had different versions of some of the same stories). We patted a few details into place and then focused most of our energy and excitement on what our lives were like right now and how we saw our futures.
It really got me thinking about the idea of saving and preserving the past. (FYI: My cousin DID NOT run to the attic to dig out Grandma’s candlesticks to show us, if she has any THINGS from those days, it did not come up at all.) We were connecting, and enjoying each other and the “stuff” of it was completely irrelevant. I realize everyone has their own relationship to the past involving memories and stories that they deem “good” or “bad”. But what about the THINGS from the past? How does this fit into our lives as we move forward? Do these THINGS also represent our future selves? I am going to go WAY out on a limb and theorize that if we really, really sat with the things that we consider mementos from the past that very few of them would be treasures. And what we treasure are the moments of connection and the moments of love. Try this experiment for yourself: Go find one of these items, oh yes, I know you have them somewhere, a tray from Grandma, an old set of china from your Mother, jewelry passed down from your ancestors. Just pick one thing. Hold it in your hands, close your eyes and breathe. Does this item lift your energy or does it take you down? Do you smile? Does it lift your spirits? Or do you take a dive, feel uncomfortable, burdened, or weighed down in some way? Does your brain start making up stories to trick you into keeping it, such as, “It was a gift...I inherited it... I should keep it…” When our brain starts telling us reasons like these it is a good indication that we are not really happy about hanging on. Listen to your gut and your heart instead. Everything in our possession matters (every lace tablecloth, every relish tray and every single photo.) And everything either lifts our spirits or it doesn’t. If you can’t decide, leave this item out for a week and notice what happens to you every time you pass it. Keeping only the real treasures from the past, the ones that lift our chi and warm our hearts are the ones worth keeping. We do NOT have to keep everything! The practice of editing possessions based on how they make us feel will yield amazing results. Watch for it to affect your health, wealth and relationships! If you’d like some support editing your items so that you can step more lightly and assuredly into your future, I would LOVE to guide you through the process. Looking forward to hearing how this goes for you…leave your comments on the blog (below), that’s where the fun is! Until next week, Love, Jane |
Jane Antonovich
|
RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|