by CS Team
Start with the willingness to surrender. Take a deep breath and exhale. What are you ready to let go of right now?
The first step in ART was Acceptance. Now you are ready for the Release. When you have accepted where you are in present time, you are free to let go of what is stopping you from moving forward.
It is freeing to release the old, the block, and the struggle. Whereas the acceptance step is like breathing in and receiving air, new life, and oxygen, the release is a long exhale; a way to let go and give back to the Universe what your body no longer needs. It can be that simple. Sometimes life is about surrender. Most of the time, holding on, trying harder, pushing, or struggling are not the answers. How long can you hold your breath before you hurt yourself? In the same way, bodies and creative energies can be damaged after holding on to stuff for too long. Sometimes it is just time to let go.
I say, start with the willingness to surrender. Take a deep breath and exhale. What are you ready to let go of right now?
It is natural after the surrender to be ready for action. I can imagine you worrying and wondering: “But how do I do this? I’ve tried for years and it doesn’t work, I can’t get it right. It’s just too hard.” I realize that you have the desire to let go but you were never taught how. I can desire to play the piano, but without some level of teaching, all I can do is plop out notes, a long way from playing a beautiful melody.
Here are my top three tips for making the release simpler:
1 – You will want to start with a small project or area such as the top of your purse, your dresser, or your junk drawer. Take everything out and sort first, then toss what you don’t need, and them put it back together. If you want help download my eBook, The ART of Letting Go.
2 – You can also try our simple, yet powerful 30 Day Clutter Clear Out – Let go of one thing a day for 30 days. Get our guide and more support on our Clutter Clear Out page. This will start the energy of things leaving your space and you will be amazed how fun it can be.
3 – For the bigger projects, you will want to use the all the Clear & Simple Steps, starting with the Foundation Steps of SEE IT, MAP IT, DO IT© and then the Action Steps of STACKS©.
*Download your handy STEPS Guide by going here.
**This is an excerpt from Marla’s book, The ART of Letting Go. Download it now as a free gift to read all of the wisdom, knowledge and support of releasing all types of stuff.
by CS Team
All change begins with ACCEPTANCE…
The first step in letting go is accepting the story your clutter tells. All clutter tells a story and everyone has clutter in some area of his or her life. Accept that your environment is simply a reflection of your life up until now, a reflection of what’s happened to you and what’s going on inside you. There’s no shame or blame in looking at this picture; that would only keep you in the role of a victim. In order to step into the power of change and growth, you must be willing to open your eyes and see it. There is no healthy payoff in focusing on the clutter itself, on staying locked up in guilt—not for you or for others. However, great power is arises when you accept that you are the creator of your life and of your environment. Your old things, your old patterns, your old relationships reflect who you have been and what you have built or what you have avoided—it is YOUR PAST!
By accepting the full story in front of you, you can step into present time. There is a famous line in the Alcoholics Anonymous book that says “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.” I believe this is true. Acceptance is the beginning of any change. Acceptance brings peace. Acceptance opens the door for support to come in.
Here are some simple exercises to support you in coming to a place of acceptance:
Answer the following questions:
– What am I having a hard time accepting?
– Why am I having a hard time accepting where I am today?
– What am I telling myself about why I am stuck?
– What is the story I want to get out before I can move on?
– Am I willing to accept what is in front of me?
Acknowledge your feelings:
– I accept that I am scared.
– I accept that I feel hopeless.
– I accept that I have created this situation.
– What would acceptance feel like?
Then answer:
– Where can I begin my acceptance?
– If I accept what is in front of me, how will I be set free?
– By accepting my situation, what can I let go of that is dragging me down or holding me back?
– What would acceptance look like?
Another method for getting out and accepting your old story is to tell it out loud. The key is to find a person you trust who is willing to listen with heart and attention. I have found many people hold on to their stuff because they feel they need it in order to share their life story with another human being.
This is an excerpt from Marla’s book The ART of Letting Go, which you can download now as a gift from her.
by CS Team
“An intentionally simple & enjoyable reading experience.”
We all know that our world offers a plethora of ways in which information floods into our awareness. Social media feeds are chock-full of posts, events and offerings. Email inboxes are inundated with subscriptions and solicitations (some signed up for by choice, many by spam). Brains and bodies are overwhelmed with energy that has a “Do this/you need this now!” flavor. Yuck!
A group of beautiful souls are giving us a soothing new way. Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, Brian Gardner of No Sidebar, Tsh Oxenreider of The Art of Simple, and Rebecca Cooper of Simple as That have combined their brilliance and expertise in simplifying life and created the digital publication Simplify Magazine. This mindful offering is solely supported by its readers, which means no icky ads or filler content, just straight forward, valuable wisdom and knowledge.
We have been inspired by the powerful sharing in this online magazine. We hope you find comfort, ease, relief and hope. You can get the Simplify Magazine now and also check out their Facebook Page.
We hope you embrace a simpler life and way of being in this world.
Marla & Kate
by Kate Fehr
We could all use a little big dose of slow and simple.
Recently, I was sitting outside my son’s basketball practice reading and enjoying a new book. I overheard two parents reconnecting after being away for the summer. “How was your summer?” The woman asked politely. “It was great, but went by so fast! How was yours?” The man inquired. “Oh my gosh, so fast. I think it was the fastest summer ever and I was not ready for school to start.” She replied.
I sighed deeply in empathy for I have also experienced just how fast life goes by. On the other hand I also felt grateful for Our Simple Summer that rolled by at a sweet pace; something I know was very intentional on my part.
As I lamented over the “too fast” culture we live in, I continued to notice scenarios before me as parents zipped in and out of the parking lot, some dropping kids off and some picking kids up.
- One mom talked aggressively on her phone as her son climbed in the car and they drove away. Been there.
- A father was urging his son to hurry up and tie his shoes to get into practice. Been there.
- Another woman pulled into a spot, tapped her fingers impatiently while watching the school door. After about 15 seconds she jumped out and ran into the school to retrieve her son. Been there too.
After many layers of simplifying our stuff, our time and our lives, my family’s approach looks very different than what I witnessed. We leave the house with more than enough time to get there. Our phones are put away so that we can be present with each other to talk, sing and laugh all the way. We arrive early giving us a bit more time to connect. As my son hops joyfully out of the car and saunters into the gym, I push the driver’s seat back, kick my feet out the window and dive into a book.
This particular day I was reading a fantastic book called In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed and was on chapter 8, Work: The Benefits of Working Less Hard. Over the last 6 months my soul has been begging me to bring my work life into alignment with our minimalist energy. The combination of this book, a couple of months of summer sweetness and experiencing the fast-paced madness of my fellow humans, has created a great urgency in me to make this happen right away.
Barely making it through the day over-stressed, overly disconnected, under-nourished and under-inspired is certainly NOT the kind of life I want to live. How about you?
With lots of love,
Kate
by Kate Fehr
This summer was one of the greatest testimonies of how living with less gives us the opportunity to LIVE more. Kate Fehr
Nothing calls me back to the most joyous times of being a child like summertime. Vivid memories of waking up without alarm clocks, spending days in the pool with friends, and traveling through the mountain states are always front and center come May. Since I first became a mom, my desire has been to have lots of summer adventures with my son and let work simmer on the back burner. This, of course, is easier said than done.
When our minimalist journey began over 4 years ago, I had no idea just how powerfully it would support my deep desire of keeping our summers about play and connection. During those 2 years, and 25 layers, of releasing of stuff (we moved through lots of emotion too), I had no idea how this would set us free to really experience life!
This summer was one of the greatest testimonies of how owning less and doing less gives us the opportunity to LIVE more.
- We spent four of the last five weekends in a row out of town, with the fifth weekend fully engaged in a 40th birthday celebration and a wedding. We were essentially not home for FIVE weekends in a row.
- We spent 5 days in Idaho to experience the totality of the solar eclipse. My son even missed the first 2 days of school, which he was not excited about at first, but it was one of the more moving experiences of our lives and we are most grateful to have been there.
- While we were away from home, whether traveling or just doing regular old things, we were able to be fully present with the people and activities we were experiencing.
My son and me goofing around in anticipation of the eclipse.
Because we live simply with less stuff and all of our stuff has easily-accessible homes:
- Packing and unpacking is quick and easy. This makes preparing for trips stress-free and getting back into the swing of things a breeze.
- We usually don’t have vacation hangovers from the stress of vacations.
- Upon returning home one weekend much earlier than expected, I wanted more playtime. We got home, unpacked, started laundry, put everything away, and then had plenty of time to go to Snowbird for Oktoberfest and a hike.
There was a time when I spent SO much time, energy and money organizing, and re-organizing closets, drawers and our garage. Once I no longer had as much stuff, I was able to spend time on what matters most to me. None of it is worth all of the beautiful memories I have as a result of letting go.
Minimalism simply is about living with the things you truly use and that truly add value to your life. It’s a very personal experience and journey, one that I invite you to try out for yourself.
All my best,
Kate
by CS Team
Write down the 3 MOST IMPORTANT to do’s of your day and let that be enough.
FREE is the word we hear the most when we ask our clients to share how they feel after getting organized! Getting free of the clutter and chaos allows you to have what you really want.
One of the most challenging areas to clear & organize is our calendar. We tend to pile on way more then we can possibly handle. And technology has only added to the overload. The stress of this eats away at our health and happiness.
At C&S we love making things simpler. So here is our favorite, and our client’s favorite, tip for your time. This is the DO IT© step. (Check out SEE IT© and MAP IT© blogs.)
DO IT© – How can I possibly fit everything into my day, much less make it simple? Try out the power of 3.
Start by taking only 5 minutes at the start and end of each day to ask what are the 3 MOST IMPORTANT TASKS for your personal and work life – the ones that only you can do? Then write them done in a simple notebook, on a yellow pad, in your smart phone notebook or app (try Wunderlist), on a 3×5 card or even a Post-it note. At the end of the day, look back and celebrate getting those 3 things done! Or you will get to notice how you got distracted so you can practice again the next day.
This simple practice will help you discern what really needs your attention each day. Along with the sense of accomplishment for getting done what matters most to YOU!
Using the Clear & SIMPLE System of SEE IT© MAP IT© DO IT©, we can show you how to make time tangible and manageable!
Let us know what your experience is once you try this – Marla, Kate & Team
