This week here in the United States has been tumultuous. The massive hurricane in Texas and now the largest Hurricane ever in history headed straight for Florida and in particular to Miami, a place I hold dear to my heart.
My mother lived in the beautiful Aventura, Miami for over 20 years up until last year when she decided to move to New Jersey to be close to her children and grandchildren.
This was a bitter sweet move for me.
While I longed to have my mom close by to be able to see her on a whim, visiting her in Miami was a deeply healing ritual that healed my soul every time I went. I will never be able to put into words the relief I felt when arriving there, my mom picking us up in her convertible, and driving us back to her gorgeous development.
Her high rise apartment had views that were stunning of South Beach plus she was surrounded by water. I would sit on her balcony, feel the breeze and be in absolute heaven. Talk about engaging the parasympathetic nervous system! The healing I felt there was not just because my nervous system relaxed, and nature set in, but my mother always took special care of me there. It was a magical place.
The year before she moved here, I actually considered moving there.
After another glorious visit, I thought about how short life really is, and how I wanted to spend my time in the sun, with palm trees, and beauty in an international city that offered all the glam of NY with all the beauty and luxury of a resort. I wanted a change.
But I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t follow my instincts or my hearts deepest desires at the time and that hurt.
My partner has a farm in NJ that he would never leave, and I would never consider breaking up our family. So I stayed…here in NJ…and a little piece of me mourned for the life I dreamed of and the place I would no longer be able to call a second home.
I think one of the most important things we can do for ourselves when we cannot FOLLOW our heart’s desires is to acknowledge those desires and find ways to honor them.
Let’s face it, we might not be able to follow every single desire we have, but we can not IGNORE them either if we want to keep our heart energy healthy and flowing. Ignoring our needs, dreams and desires can lead to SVT.
So, here’s how I handled it…
- I counted my blessings
- I clutter cleared
When I thought about the dream of moving, I started to think about what I would actually take with me. When I imagined myself in a light filled apartment in sunny Florida, I imagined a spacious clutter free environment that was healing and bright, just like my moms apartment. In taking my own advice that I often give my clients, I asked myself, “How can I make my current home feel more like the one I dreamed of.” What did I LOVE about Florida that I could bring into my own environment right now? If I couldn’t move to Florida, how could I make my home FEEL more like how I FELT when I was there…
The answer was to clear out “stuff”, and lots of it….
Clearing clutter is something I do when I need new energy and I definitely needed some new energy to help me process the loss of my little dream. Clearing out old “stuff” helps you CLEAR energy, and clearing energy is a foundational layer in healing and receiving.
Further, since the hurricanes are the news of the moment, I realize that our “stuff” can be the cause of tremendous distress in our lives. Our stuff can make us feel cluttered, exhausted, fearful and overwhelmed. When we loose our stuff we feel devastated. To see peoples houses under water, loosing their belonging is so upsetting. Lost stuff, too much stuff…no matter how you think of it, OUR STUFF, is holding massive energy in our lives.
In honor of all the loss I witness this week, loss of homes, loss of stuff due to natural disasters, and my own loss of my dream, I choose to try to FREE up some space for the new to enter.
Plus, clearing out some of our stuff and passing it on to those who need it feels good. It will free ourselves up for the healing space that comes with open-ness, light ness and clear space, just like how I felt when I went to Florida. No doubt clutter has been a source of distress in my life. Clearing it out, and creating a home that I love helps you to live a piece of the life that you dream about. Especially if you feel like you are compromising right now for reasons such as family or career.
- How can you make your own home feel like your dream home?
- How can you detach from your stuff, especially if it is the cause of distress?
- How can you create space for your energy to feel as clear and healed as possible?
- Is there anyone who needs your stuff way more than you do?
- How can you find a family that needs things so you can feel connected and inspired to give things away to them?
- What would you do with clear, clean open space?
So I’ve shelved the Florida dream for a while and put it on the bucket list instead of the short list. Keep dreaming! Maybe I’ll see you there!
Love Laura, Your SVT Coach
If you like articles about clutter clearing, here is one on clearing clutter and the sleep benefits!
Recent Comments