“What would Debbie Do?” my client said as she moved to the light switch and flipped the light on. “That’s what I say to myself when I get stuck. And, Debbie says when you can’t think, add more light. Add more energy to get your brain working!”

It’s always a thrill to be given proof that I’ve made a difference for a client. I stood across the room with a smile on my face, marveling that this client had internalized what I’d said and was using it to move herself forward.

For years I have instinctively begun many a session in some pretty grim environments by flinging open curtains and turning on every light in the room. When I began doing Feng Shui I realized I was doing anything I could to increase the positive energy in the space to a point where I could think. 

The brain has a very difficult time working effectively in spaces that are loaded with clutter, dust and grime. The negative energy of those spaces just shuts the brain down. Long ago I learned that adding light, natural or electric light, lifts the energies in spaces so that the brain can kick in and get the body moving. Granted, it brings to light some pretty challenging environments, but that’s a necessary first step to tackling any organizing challenge. 

The next time you want to back out of a room you intend to organize, use my secret weapon. Open the blinds, turn on the lights, jump start your brain and get moving!

Can’t seem to make yourself do that house project that you know would make such a difference in how you feel in your space?  Are you still avoiding the clutter in the living room instead of tackling it and really enjoying peaceful moments in that space?  One of the best ways to make yourself get those seemingly overwhelming, possibly time-consuming projects done is to create a deadline to get the work done.  

I am not talking about putting a date on your calendar and then ignoring it because you can.  I am talking about scheduling a party in your living room so you will be compelled to tackle the clutter.  Again, I don’t mean picking up the clutter, shoving it into a bag and stuffing it into the attic or closet or “junk room.”  Make a deal with yourself that you WILL use the threat of having your parents or friends see your clutter nightmare as incentive to take action and really address your mess.  Isn’t it a shame that we won’t take those actions just for ourselves.  We are far more likely to do it if someone important to us will see our truth and might judge us harshly.

I learned this approach to getting those big ominous projects done when I realized that my laid-back husband would snap into action with house projects when he knew his parents would be visiting or that my BNI group was coming to our house for a party.  It was amazing what he could get done with the fear of being “seen” or the need to impress as a motivator.  And, I learned to use that technique to our advantage.  When it’s time to get some things done that have been waiting for Bob’s participation, I schedule a party.  It works! 

What can you schedule that will create a motivating deadline for you?

Last summer I remember watching a thunderstorm douse our parched and dying landscape with welcome rain.  It was such a relief to see our yard finally get the nourishment it needed so desperately. The following morning I noticed that not only was the landscape more vibrant and full of life, but so was I.  My own feelings of well being and joy got my attention and I got to thinking about what that rain had done.  

As our yard had dried out from weeks of exposure to a brutal sun, its energy seemed to contract.  It was as if everything was on survival mode and unable to shine.  When the rain came it was a dose of just what our yard needed, life-giving energy that nourished the grass and trees and plants.  With that energy everything, including me, was able to expand and express its true nature.

Then I got to thinking about what happens inside our houses that parallels the lesson of the rain.  Those things in our space that are active, well tended, cleaned, organized, and used have energy like those rain-fed plants, full of positive vibrant energy.  Things that are seldom used, covered with dust or grime, perhaps being abused by the temperature extremes in an attic, and in disarray are like the parched plants.  Their energy is depleted and negative.  The good news is that the energy of many of those neglected things can be reactivated with cleaning, use, and proper placement, just like the landscape can be rejuvinated by a thunderstorm.

Tackle a clutter puddle today and access joy! Just 10 minutes of clearing a day can make a huge difference over time.

Do you have a tough time keeping up with reading all the newsletters and magazines that come to you? I sure do! I have worked hard to control the flow of fascinating reading material into my home, but it keeps coming.

In a recent post, “Honoring the Urge to Purge the Reading Pile”, February 1, 2009,  I wrote about sorting out my reading pile and purging as much of it as I could. I was still left with a stack to read. One good thing had happened as a result of sorting and purging that pile. I had re-exposed myself to the content of those magazines and newsletters and reignited my interest in the content. Then the question was: how am I going to make myself actually ready this good stuff?

I found a way! I was scheduled to take a weekend trip to Connecticut. I love to read to make the time in flight and in airports pass quickly. Instead of taking a novel, which would definitely win out over the pile of newsletters and magazines about health issues and best business practices, I just took my reading pile. I put myself in the position to have to read from my pile because that’s all that was available to read!

And, guess what! I had a great time reading all that interesting information, and plowed through that pile with gusto. I didn’t get it all done, though I worked hard to do that. But, now there are five items in the pile instead of twenty-five!

Have you got a daunting reading pile whose very size intimidates you? Tackle that mountain with a sort and purge. Then put a few of those items in a bag the next time you go to the doctors office, preferably one who keeps you waiting. Read and release! You’ll feel so proud of yourself, and perhaps you’ll find some nuggets of great information in the process. Enjoy!

I love it when my clients share their feng shui victories with me! Recently one of my regular clients told me that she had had a broken ceramic pot hanging out in one corner of her home office awaiting repair. As often happens when things are put aside to be repaired, it went out of her consciousness and had sat there for some time. 

Then one day she was reading a feng shui book and was reminded that broken things hold the energy of being broke. When she checked the location of the pot she noticed that it was being stored in the wealth and prosperity corner of her office. It was also in the wealth and prosperity corner of the house. Thinking back she realized that while that broken pot had been parked in that location there had been an influx of unexpected bills and expenses. Money was flowing out like a dam had broken!

Armed with a new awareness about the energy of the broken pot and its potential effect on her family’s finances, my client moved it and repaired it. After that she noticed that the influx of bills had stopped, and in fact her husband had even received a lucrative business opportunity.

Who says there’s nothing to this feng shui stuff? I’ve heard too many stories just like this one to dismiss the effect of broken things on finances. What do you have that’s broken? Do you know what part of your life its brokenness is affecting? If you want to know more, check out Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. Then get real with yourself! Fix those things that can be repaired easily and pitch those that you know you’ll never repair! Just think of each one of them as one less item on your to do list. Who knows, your broken items could be blocking the flow of all kinds of good opportunities into your life! 

As I was sitting in the Philadelphia airport waiting for a flight to Richmond I reflected on my weekend trip to visit my disabled brother, Mark, in Southbury, CT. Mark lives in a group home with three other disabled men. For years I have worked to help him have good feng shui in his room despite his cognitive limitations and the limitations of the group home situation. Since Mark lives in Connecticut and I live in Virginia, I have seen Mark only one or two times a year for just a day or two at a time and it has taken several trips to create a comfortable living space. Each time I visit I get a little further along. 

As I thought over the changes that have occurred over several years I realized that there has been a definite, logical progression, one that wasn’t thought out ahead of time, and one that I wasn’t even really conscious of. It just emerged as positive changes were made. Here’s what happened:

Trip 1   The big picture was addressed first–the walls and floor covering. I first asked that the nasty, dirty, stained rug be removed. Beneath it were lovely hardwood floors. I asked that the paint color of the walls be changed from a feminine pink with peeling border to a comfortable, restful tan. 

Trip 2    Broken items were addressed. I asked that the broken bed be repaired. My husband and I found a sturdy dresser at a thrift shop to replace the one he had that had broken drawers. Mark’s broken recliner from K-Mart was replaced a large, higher quality model with a warranty. Mark is hard on furniture!

Trip 3   Light was added. The room initially had track lighting and one small lamp, leaving major sections of the room in shadow. I added two new lamps, one with up-lighting to throw more light on the ceiling.

In between the first and second trips Mark’s job coach helped out by getting him a tan area rug, brown comforter and pillow shams and brown striped curtain panels. They really made the room feel comfortable and cozy. And, each trip I’d add a picture or two to his walls. On trip 2 I brought him one of our father’s watercolor paintings to add to his collection of Dad’s art.

As I left Mark this time my head buzzed with plans for the next step.  I plan to enhance an empty corner with a silk tree to bring in the feel of the outdoors and the nurturing color of green into the room. I also plan to pull out the staples that were left in the floor when the rug was removed. They have an annoying negative energy and make the room feel dirty and as though it is under construction.

Yes, creating “good feng shui” does take time. As you can see from my story of Mark’s room, very often there are layers of tasks to be accomplished to take a space from uncomfortable to utterly comfortable. The good thing is that each step lifts the energy of the space to a higher level, encouraging movement forward to the next level. Above all, it’s important to keep moving forward. What’s your next step to “good feng shui”?

This week I had the privilege of speaking individually with twelve elementary school teachers about feng shui and organizing challenges in their classroom. Those teachers had heard me speak earlier in the year and wanted time with me to discuss individual concerns and challenges. It was such an honor to work with each of them to figure out the next steps to take to get to a better place both personally and professionally. Since my time with the teachers was set up as a time for me to offer suggestions and help them problem-solve organizing challenges, I was quite surprised when one teacher just wanted to tell me a story.

She told me that after she heard me speak last fall she had taken my suggestions and had done a major clutter clearing in her house. After that she had a fire in her home. Initially I fearful that she was telling me that clearing the clutter had caused the fire. Moving things can stir up energy, but I’d never heard of it sparking a flame! Much to my relief the point of her story was that the clutter clearing had actually saved her home from complete devastation. Had she still had all the clutter, it would have provided fuel for the fire and there would have been much more damage to her home. 

What an amazing story! I’ve been told by clients and people who have heard me speak that I’ve touched their lives and made a difference. It’s always gratifying to know that. I had even suspected that the changes that have occurred following my visits could be life-changing. This was the first time I realized that the information that I share could save a home or even a life. This story taught me that clutter is not only annoying, but it can be dangerous!

Perhaps if more people realized that clutter can be life-threatening they’d be more motivated to do a little something every day to keep it at bay. What can you do today to keep your house safe from the threat of clutter? 

I’m sometimes amused at the way I go about clearing my own clutter. Today on my way through the family room to go walk the dogs I happened to pause in front of my reading pile. I don’t know how I got there or what drew me to it. There I was. 

When I teach organizing classes I always recommend that reading be kept near the place where you read. Since I try to practice what I preach, I have a pile of newsletters and magazines beside my side of the sofa that keeps growing and growing. Now, you may be picturing a foot high pile, like yours or your mother’s pile. Mine was only about two inches high. I have a pretty low tolerance for static stuff like an unread reading pile.

Anyway, I’m not sure what possessed me, but I found myself saying to myself, “This is ridiculous! You’re not going to read this stuff! Let’s just get rid of it!” Like many of you I couldn’t just pick it up and toss it in the trash. Looking through it activated its energy and my interest in the content. So, instead of just pitching I settled for sorting the pile.

The categories were:

• recycle, 
• thumb through while watching TV, 
• read right away for fun or for pertinent health information,
• take to the car to read during breaks and 
• file.

As you can see, I didn’t really get rid of the pile completely. I just stopped it from annoying me every time I looked at it. Once I sorted it I moved the different piles to their new locations.

• The filing went to my home office. By the way, filing papers are those I might refer to at a later date, but I don’t need to read right now.
• The thumb through and health information to read went on a different table directly in front of me when I sit on the sofa. I’m trying the “in your face” approach with those papers because I really do want to read them. 
• Speaker magazines that will be read in the car (hopefully!) went to the table where I keep my purse. 
• And, the recycle papers were pitched in the handy recycling bag I keep in the dining room. 

Done!

Now the challenge is to make time to read the things I still really want to read. I am more likely to read some of those things now because I broke them out of the unappealing static pile. In that dead pile their energy was silenced by the press of the pile. Now that they’re free and more visible there’s a much better chance I’ll see them and be inspired to pause and read them. If after a month they’re still hanging around, out they go!  

What can you reconfigure so that you’ll be more likely to take an action you want to take? Start with a sort and purge and then a strategic relocation. Finally, give yourself a deadline to take action. The real challenge is to honor the deadline! You can do it! Consider it a gift to yourself! You’re lightening up so you can really fly!