Did you know that in order to manifest prosperity in your life, you must create space for it to enter? And to create that space, that means we must release or give up old, unwanted and worn out things, conditions, ideas and relationships.
I'm going to share with you some excerpts from Feel Free to Prosper Lesson Four,
Release is Magnetic. This post is related to the second area of release, which is about cleaning up the clutter in your physical environment. Can you think of a better time to come to terms with your environment than at the beginning of the new year? Why wait for 'spring cleaning'? Why not begin to become a prosperity magnet now?
A few notes to begin...
In my lay opinion (since I'm not a professional organizer but can share my own experience at getting clutter free) - I think the biggest issue with accumulated clutter is the overwhelm at viewing the whole picture.
I found that by just jumping in to start the process by focusing on ONE box or ONE pile, that creates a momentum that tends to pick up as you go along. There is a sense of pleasure in finishing that one pile or box, and then the next pile seems easier and so on.
So my recommendation is to stop looking at the WHOLE thing. Just pick one small section and do it. The process will then take on a life of its own and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I once read a book by author/organizer Stephanie Winston. I recall one item in the book and it influenced me so much that I include her advice in my lesson Release is Magnetic. I am posting below the section of the lesson dealing with clutter in our environment.
Something that may motivate you to get started in your decluttering process is to realize that for every "vacuum" you create, for every unwanted item you discard - you are making room to automatically attract more prosperity into your life. You would not have a healthy body if your bloodstream was congested and didn't flow naturally. Well, you cannot have healthy circulation in your financial life if there is congestion in your environment.
[Lesson Introduction]
Release is Magnetic
(Lesson Four)
What does it mean to release?
The dictionary defines release (from Latin relaxare: to relax):
1. To set free from restraint, confinement or servitude; to let go
2. To relieve from something that confines, burdens, or oppresses
3. To give up in favor of another; relinquish
Synonym: to free
Closely related to release is forgiveness. To forgive:
1. To give up resentment of or claim to requittal for
2. To cease to feel resentment against; to pardon one's enemies
In spiritual terms, there are three areas of release that we will consider in this lesson.
Part I. Release relates to the giving up of negative ideas and emotions that bind us to the very situations we do not want and prevent us from becoming the open channels to the good that we want in our lives. Holding negative thoughts - anger, fear, resentment, hate, ill will, envy, vindictiveness, possessiveness - all burden and confine us and stop the flow of good, and interfere with our mental and physical health.
Part II. Release also relates to, as Catherine Ponder states, "...cleaning up and cleaning out unneeded possessions in your home and business, as well as by cleaning up and cleaning out unneeded relationships in your life - either those relationships that are questionable or those that you have simply outgrown." Yes, cleaning out the clutter also releases us from burden and confinement.
Part III. Holding onto anxious and tense thoughts about the good we want to create or attempting to force an outcome prevents the actual manifestation of that good because it suggests a lack of faith and acceptance and creates a consciousness of "trying". Did you know that to try is actually a negative thought? Trying to do something implies that you may not succeed. Not very faith-filled, is it? So you will learn how to release the results you wish to manifest.
[Excerpt]
Part II Clean Up the Clutter
Create a Vacuum
Nature abhors a vacuum. We have heard that, but what does it mean? It means that it is a law of nature that when a vacuum, or empty space is created, nature rushes in to fill it. So you can create a vacuum in your environment by eliminating clutter and unneeded possessions and in your emotional life by eliminating worn out relationships. In their place, new prosperity and new good will come rushing in, as you will have created spaces and a welcome living environment and emotional environment to receive your good. You release the old to accept the new.
Let's start with your environment and the hot spots. First, the kitchen. What's in your refrigerator that has been forgotten and may now be home to pet microbes? Are the cabinets in order? Bathroom cabinets, linen closets...expired items, old towels, useless toiletries, cosmetics that have been sitting there unused for years. Clothes closets (yikes!) - okay, see my notes below regarding sorting and organizing. Bookcases - time to sell or donate some of those books to a used bookstore? Desks, paperwork, even the computer - delete all the useless data you don't need. Check all drawers in the bedroom and other rooms. Get rid of those forgotten items. The same goes for knickknacks you no longer enjoy. And then there's the garage and the car. Don't you feel lighter already just reading this? Just think how good you'll feel when you do the same thing at your office (you knew that was coming, right?)
Years ago, I read a book on organizing and one paragraph really stuck with me over time. The author recommended clearing out possessions as follows:
Let's use clothing as an example, but you can adjust this to other items as well. Designate three piles. (1) Those items that you have loved and worn for the past year - keep them; (2) Those items that you have not looked at or worn in the past year, are the wrong color or the wrong fit, were a dumb purchase - get rid of them, by selling or donating; (3) Those items that you think you will have need of in the future - here's the surprise - get rid of them. Why? The chances are excellent that you will be making this same decision over those items at a future ritual. In other words, the future won't arrive for these items. You get the idea.
There are exceptions to the above giveaway guidelines: family photos, memoirs, heirlooms (if you love them), beloved books, certain treasures, and I include personally certain items of clothing, can all be kept and treasured. I buy good clothing and there are some pieces that I have not worn for awhile but I won't part with them because they were expensive, I had them altered, and I really do believe there will come a time when I will wear them again. It's possible that they will fall into category (3), but I'm not perfect.
Feng shui is the Chinese practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it as well as the orientation, placement, or arrangement of articles. I understand that another aspect of feng shui is to have in your possession only those belongings that you truly love. What a wonderful guideline to this cleaning out process!
Lesson Four, Release in Magnetic
© Copyright 2003-2007 Marilyn Jenett, Feel Free to Prosper
All rights reserved
As a final note...
I have read about situations where someone would declutter their home and very quickly lose weight - in one case, a woman lost 20 pounds quickly after cleaning out the clutter. It all translates subconsciously into carrying extra "weight"...
~ Marilyn
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