“I bought those curtains for my bedroom, but they don’t fit the windows.” This is the kind of statement I often hear when I explore the contents of a shopping bag in a client’s home. And, I’m thinking, “Then, why is it still here?”

Have you ever purchased something that just didn’t work the way you wanted it to? Or, have you ordered a CD course that you were sure was going to change your life for the better, but discovered that the speaker’s voice was intolerable? We’ve all done something like that from time to time.

Once you realized that what you bought was a mistake, what did you do? Did you return it? Or, did you just leave it in your space, immobilized by the feelings of regret about your choice?

Things you’ve purchased that just didn’t work out for you have “mistake” energy, a particularly toxic type of negative energy comparable to the energy of something that is broken. Every time you come across “the mistake” you remember its history, its flaws and you reconnect with the feelings of regret, disappointment, and perhaps even judgment of yourself for making the mistake. And, it also communicates, “There’s something you need to do to fix this problem.” It irritates you because it’s not right and needs tending.

Imagine this. In your space you have a collection of shopping bags, bags that contain items purchased that you don’t want because they aren’t what you really want or don’t work right in your space. They radiate “mistake” energy. They may be buried under other things like piles of recycling or clothes that need to be donated to a charity. But, they are still there holding the energy of the mistake you made. Because the energy of those items is so negative, it drains your energy even when you are no longer conscious that those items are still there. Because mistake energy is particularly toxic, when you have even small quantities of it in your space you run the risk of absorbing that energy. When you do that you begin to feel like you are a mistake. Mistake energy erodes self-confidence.

So, when you make a purchase that is a mistake, return the item immediately. The sooner the better. Some people seem to need a period of time to beat themselves up for their error. Self-flagellation is never helpful and a total waste of energy. Others struggle to follow through with tasks that need to be done. Not following through on tasks that have a direct effect on your self-esteem is a form of self-abuse. Fix those mistakes quickly and view that action as a matter of life and death for your self-esteem. You are worth the effort!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Feng shui teaches that your outer space is a reflection of your inner self. I was recently reminded of that principle when I read the following passage on a client’s calendar:

“The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconscious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner space. As within, so without: If humans clear inner pollution, then they will also cease to create outer pollution.”      Ekhardt Tolle

If reducing inner pollution was a simple task, we’d all do it. Many are not even conscious of their inner pollution. But, most are conscious of the manifestation of their inner pollution in its expression as outer pollution in their cluttered home and work environments.

One way to clear inner pollution is to clear clutter from your home or office. As you clear clutter, reducing distracting sources of negative energy, you will be able to be more conscious of your inner state of being and make better choices in all areas of your life. Clearing clutter, thereby reducing outer pollution, can reduce inner pollution. And, reducing inner pollution could save our planet! That is a real win/win situation!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Things that irritate us suck a lot of energy from us without our being conscious of the energy leaking away. What do I mean by an irritant? Here are some examples:

• Being greeted by a stack of papers to process when you first walk into your home
• Not having a trashcan in a spot where you regularly need it
• An unsightly tangle of cords
• A cell phone battery that regularly dies despite being recharged every night.

How do I know that irritants are energy suckers? Each time I eliminate one of them I am rewarded with little surge of well-being, optimism and energy. I get energy when I make the irritant go away. I get back the energy it was costing me!

Irritants are also distracting because they are sources of negative energy. Anything that regularly distracts you, whether or not you are conscious of the distraction, keeps you from being as productive as you could be.

So, pay attention for the signs of irritation: grumpiness, a short temper, heavy sighing, rolling your eyes, jaw clenching, groaning. When you identify the source, take action to eliminate it. Then watch your sense of well-being return as you eliminate a source of negative energy, thereby creating positive energy for you!

Please note: people you care about can be irritating, and elimination of them from your life is an option, but probably not your first option! I suggest that whenever possible, tactfully bring the source of irritation out into the open, and together work out how to eliminate those uncomfortable feelings.

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Did you know that even organized people like professional organizers lose things from time to time? It’s most infuriating! 

Just yesterday I needed a small collapsible stool so I could sit beside the man working on my computer. I looked for it in the usual storage places. I looked for it in unusual storage places, as my husband has advised me to do. I even asked my husband if he had seen it, though I knew that was unlikely. No luck! 

By then I was feeling really edgy, baffled and annoyed. Yes, lots of negative energy! I am NOT supposed to lose things. I work so hard not to lose things. And, there just aren’t that many places in my home where stools can be stored! 

Finally, in desperation, because I knew I could not bend over looking at the computer for hours, I grabbed a framed print that was stored in one of the places where I once had stored the stool and removed it from the room. The print had been stored there temporarily until I could take it to my mother. While I was looking for the stool I kept running into it. It was out of place and I felt annoyed by it.  

When I reentered my office after removing the print, without a moment’s hesitation, I looked under a table and found the stool. Now, I had looked under that table at least twice in my search. For whatever reason I hadn’t been able to see the stool. Once the print was out of the office I was able to see more clearly and find the stool . Go figure!

Sometimes the negative energy of just one item in a room can keep you from seeing clearly. I guess the moral of this story is that negative energy can keep us from seeing things that are right in front of us. And, removing sources of negative energy can be an effective strategy for finding lost items.