'What is success? It is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace' - Paulo Coelho
Jane Fuller
I've thought for many years that a high quality life is so much more to do with what you remove than what you add. This thinking is also very much in keeping with the philosophy of Arianna's Third Metric where less is more.
I've been a fan of de-cluttering for most of my adult life - as I believe the less clutter you have in your life the clearer and more centred you can become. This applies to all areas of life too including relationships and offices! I think one of the reasons I liked to move house was that it allowed me to do a major de-clutter which then enables new energy to come into my life - I just understood this naturally but I do think that an unrelenting pace of life can separate you from your voice of inner wisdom and we can forget what we naturally know and value.
The world is in chaos and so is society so the more clutter free and peaceful and tranquil your home the better and more supported you'll feel - your home can become your sanctuary. Recently I've had major re-decoration works at my house - great summer to do it - and in so doing I've also applied some feng-shui ideas and thoughts. I believe that buildings only exist because of humans, so they should be nurturing, emotional places and the ancient Oriental philosophy of feng shui helps us to understand that our homes are a direct extension of ourselves. By applying some of these elements we really can affect our health, wealth, happiness and inner peace. It's not difficult to do and most of the feng shui principles are just common sense.
By looking at your house as a whole system and understanding that one neglected area will sooner or later spread the negative energy throughout the whole house and vice versa you can counteract any problems! I love lots of natural light and air flowing through the house - so I have large skylights and windows and mirrors strategically placed to bring lots of positive chi (energy) into the house. I love candles, essential oils and crystals as they are energy purifiers and bring calm, harmony and balance into my home. Clearing clutter and buying less makes you become conscious of the foot print you are leaving on the earth. I care for my home the way I care for myself - so I don't have anything that isn't good to look at or broken and cracked! I also love orchids and fresh flowers as I believe bringing nature into your home is good for the energy and makes us feel whole. Colour and the front door and entrance are all important areas to think about too. These are just my basic rules I apply and I find they work for me and believe I have a happy house!
Travel light I say - you'll be happier and stress free! Have a great rest of summer - see you in September!
'Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open' - John Barrymore