Wednesday, October 12, 2011

A Cluttered Home is a Cluttered Mind


"A house that is cluttered is usually lived in by people whose minds are also cluttered, who need to simplify their lives. This begins with simplifying and clarifying their thinking. Mind and life need to be freed from the 'disorder of the unnecessary.'" 
- Elisabeth Elliot (from her book Discipline: The Glad Surrender)



Ya know that feeling when your in-box is overflowing, your dining room table looks like it is in the middle of hosting a garage sale, you can't find anything to wear in your busting-at-the-seams closet?

Where oh where is my dark orange scarf? The one I am wearing is soooo yesterday!


Yeah...that feeling.

Ya know that feeling when you have cleaned your house? That feeling you get when you have thrown out all the meaningless paper, taken those bags to the Goodwill, given away the stuff that no longer brings you any joy?

The computer looks like it needs an upgrade but this little office looks so nice!


Yeah...that feeling.

So I ask you to pause for a moment and really think about those feelings.

When do you feel tense? When do you feel overwhelmed and anxious?



When do you feel calm? When do you feel a sense of comfort and relaxation?

Candles always make me feel calmer. I rarely do the petals in the bathtub thing but she seems to enjoy it!


It is amazing how your environment affects your emotional well-being. When your home is full of clutter, your head feels cluttered as well. I know mine does. And taking the time clean things up...take down the cobwebs and clear ways the piles...always makes me feel like I have taken a broom to the inside of my brain as well. And while that may sound like a rather uncomfortable image, it really is quite nice!

Or, you could try a new hair do that kinda looks like a broom on your head. Hey, it works for her!


The weight of all the stuff that seems to collect itself in our homes often feels proportional to the extra weight we feel on our shoulders. Of course there is a myriad of other things that weigh us down in life, but when you have a comfortable refuge to come home to, these other things seem a little easier to deal with.

"This is heavy dude!"


And now is that time of year when we start to nest and get ready for the colder months. We tend to spend more time indoors and gathered inside our homes. So why not take some time to make it a wonderfully cozy place for your family to congregate, to enjoy and to snuggle during those chilly days?

Picture you and your family snuggled up in here. Nice, right?


Work together and recycle all of that extra paper lying around. Give everyone a garbage bag or bin and teach your kids about the gift of giving things away to those less fortunate.

Teach your kids about the gift of giving.


Take a look around at the things you own and ask yourself: "Do you love it? Do you use it? Does it bring you joy?" If not, then why are you holding on to it, really?

A cluttered home is a cluttered mind.

So clear out a little breathing space.




And then relax.

Smiles,

Lora

1 comment:

  1. Awesome post. I really enjoy your creative blogs. I feel so uplifted and wonderful after reading this. I'm ready to get life even more organized and uncluttered than it already is!

    Thank you Lora!

    ReplyDelete