by CS Team
Your space, your home, your office, your car, your desktop… are simply reflecting who you are and what is going on inside you. So what story would they tell if you were looking in from the outside?
Pause right now and go to your favorite room, or the room you spend the most time in. Take a look around and notice what thoughts arise. What about the sensations that are coming up in your body. Let your senses find a voice and speak to you. Take it in and trust whatever is shared. Who knows, you might even be surprised.
Here are some one-line story headings. What would yours be?
- I like comfy & color
- I’m tired and overwhelmed
- I enjoy beauty and peace
- I have too much stuff
- I am a soft person
- I’m simple – or – I’m complicated
- I like being messy – it’s who I am
- I need lots of color – or – I need neutrals
- My space is full of other people’s stuff
- I am a minimalist
- I absolutely love being organized
- Everything has a home – or – I don’t where to put things
- Everything needs to be out so I can see it.
My environment is an external reflection of my internal reality! Sharon Benedict www.newinkcopy.com
Now go further and ask, does your space support or drain you? There is no right or wrong here; this is about noticing. This is the SEE IT© Step in action (take a look at where you’ve been). Does your space reflect who you are in present time? Or do you now want to make a change? We invite you to share your insight with anyone close to you and ask about them. We would love to hear your stories!
Marla, Kate & Team
NOTE – Visit www.TheHomeEnhancer.com if you want help changing your story. Marion Mandala will transform your space into a place you love to be! She lives in the Portland, OR area but also offers virtual sessions. You can connect with her at 503-953-5976.
SEE IT.© Take a look at where you’ve been – click here for more info
by CS Team
A practice is an ongoing activity that adds meaning or deepening to life. Choose one new practice just for you.
In these fast-paced times, it is easy to forget that I am in charge of my life. I am the one choosing who and what gets my attention. It is not my family, my boss, my country or the world that determines my path. It is up to me. The beginning of the year is a wondrous time to reconnect with my center and create practices that will support me living true to myself. The simpler the practice, the better.
Here are six simple practices to support you reclaiming your space, your day and your precious life.
Reclaim your space
1. Simplify your choices. This year choose just one small, one medium and one large project for each season. For example, your purse (or wallet), the kitchen counter and the bedroom. Rather than carrying the stress of all the clutter—of “too much to do”—all the time. The lists can keep you awake at night and rob you of health and peace of mind. By consciously choosing which projects you will take on, you allow yourself to release all the others. They can wait. Also, each season has its own energy. You can tap into winter and ask what projects would feel good to do now.
2. Honor your bedroom. The bedroom is the most important room in your home. You spend more time there than anywhere else. The purpose of the bedroom is healing, rest and intimacy. Yet, this room often becomes the dumping ground for clutter or distractions. Take time to ask yourself: How do I want my bedroom to look and feel? What colors, textures and furniture do I want? It’s wonderful to wake up surrounded by beauty and end the day nurtured by your sweet space. Then practice keeping this space feeling sweet & sacred.
Reclaim your day
3. Choose the top three each day. The simplest and most powerful way to reclaim your day is to take 5-10 minutes in the morning and ask: What are the three most important things for me to do today? These are the three things that only you can do and that you know in your heart and gut are most important. Write them down on a 3×5 card, your smart phone or a post-it note. A shift happens in the physical plane when you write things down. Then do the three things first. Give them your commitment and attention. Ask the Universe to support you.
4. Open and close your day. Commit this year to consciously taking 30 minutes in the morning and evening to open and close your day. Rather than diving into action the moment you open your eyes or collapsing into bed when you are exhausted, take time to transition your body, heart, brain and spirit. Follow the natural cycle of Earth. The sun slowly rises and then sets. You can create your own rituals. A morning cup of tea and sitting quietly while your body and brain wake up is a heavenly way to begin your day. Soft jammies, a comfy chair and a good book make for a divine ending no matter what age you are. What do you want? Make a list of your possible rituals and try them out.
Reclaim your life
5. Get a buddy. Change and growth are not meant to be done alone. Also it is just more fun with a buddy. Commit to getting together at least once a month for a year to help each other. Choose the project that would mean the most to you and be amazed at how much more you get done as a team.
6. Choose a theme. Stay connected with your self throughout the year with a single word that holds your intention. (Examples: trust, hope, play, action.) Then enjoy noticing how the Universe makes this real for you. We would love to have you share your word with us.
Our invitation is to choose one practice and let it deepen your life this year. Make 2016 the year you get to know yourself better (or again).
Marla, Kate & Team
This article was originally written for and seen in The Catalyst Magazine – get the full article here
by CS Team
Reclaim your space, your day and your life!
Do you have clutter and chaos in your life? Download our TOP TEN Tips for the Year. Marla will be taking a deeper look at them at the home show and will be speaking each day, so mark your calendars and come! If you can’t join us stay tuned throughout the month as we share the tips with you. We want to support you in reclaiming your space, your day and your life.
Extra TIP& GIFT: Have a one-page master map for your year that inspires, empowers and supports you. Here is the form that we use with our clients. It’s our gift to you! If you would like a personal session with Marla to expand on this, click here.
Marla Dee is speaking again at the Salt Lake Home Show.
Friday January 8th @ 4 p.m.
Saturday January 9th @ 11 a.m.
Sunday January 10th @ 12 p.m.
Visit our table next to the Design Stage to enter our drawing and receive special offers!
You can save $2 per person by purchasing tickets online.
Show Information: Friday, Jan. 8th @ 2:00 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 10th @ 6:00 p.m.
South Towne Expo Center
9575 S. State Street
Sandy, Utah 84070
Go here for additional information and directions.
by CS Team
Let the closing of your year be like the setting of the sun!
How will you close your year? Will you stay busy, distracted and unconscious? Or will you choose this precious time to slow down, to reflect, to soften and to heal? Let the closing of your year be like the setting of the sun. It is a time to slowly surrender into the nighttime energy of stillness.
Get our GIFT to you here – the simple guide to close your year
Each day, each year and even a life follow a cycle set by nature. This cycle contains an opening, working and closing. The opening is the natural time to awaken and get present. The working piece is about engaging and movement. Last, the closing time is to slow down and reflect.
Our nature guide for this cycle is the sun, our source. Each day the sun shows the way to align with our natural rhythm by rising, shining and setting. And isn’t it sweetly perfect that our bodies are attuned to follow the sun’s lead?
The rising sun slowly works her way over the horizon, taking her time to lighten the night sky. The invitation to your body is to slowly wake up by opening your eyes, stretching and changing from soft nighttime clothing to daytime.
The shining sun offers warmth and light. She gives you the energy to move into action and creation. This is the time to engage with the changes presented by life.
After a full day the sun sets and surrenders back to the earth and darkness. When the outside world gets dark it is time to stop! You know how your body feels at the end of the day. Just imagine sitting by a fire, in your most comfortable chair, and letting your whole body and being relax. You slowly close your eyes and your mind drifts through the day. You let your body be the setting sun.
To deepen this gift, set aside a day to let yourself wander back through the year and reflect on the following:
- What did I accomplish?
- What were my disappointments?
- How did I heal?
- What did I learn?
- How did I grow?
- Who have I become?
Then take your insights and create a simple theme for the next year. It can be a word, a phrase or a picture that inspires you to create what you long for next.
Such as… I open and close each day with sacred stillness.
We will be here to support and witness you,
Marla, Kate & Team
The article “Life Matters: Closing Your Year with Presence” first appeared in the Catalyst Magazine.
by CS Team
Magic happens when you choose presence over presents!
We want to celebrate this Christmas by sharing our family stories…
Marla’s Story
The older I get (I am now 55) the more I am drawn back to my childhood Christmas. Just imagine 10 kids – the noise, the chaos, the hugs, and yes – the presents! But with ten children, there wasn’t much money, time or energy. So we got creative about sharing experiences rather than stuff.
My daughter Jessica & her sweet kitty Izzy! We are honoring their sacred connection right now as Izzy’s life came to a close on 12/16. We love and miss her.
My parents led the way. My mom kept her eyes and heart open all year long for precious little things to give her children. I was always amazed at the treasures she found. It was her “knowing” of each of us that felt magical. My dad often made gifts for us – like the super cool hobby horse that my son played with and I just passed on to my sweet nephew. My parents showed us how to celebrate simply and deeply. It was all we knew and it felt rich! Here are some fun memories that still live in me today –
- My favorite memory was coloring together. We could do it for hours. My daughter Jessica and I just spent an evening coloring by candle light!
- Then there was singing around the piano and caroling for friends. Music was the glue that kept us connected.
- I will never forget sledding for hours until we were frozen and then warming up with yummy hot chocolate.
- Our favorite part of gifts was getting creative with the wrapping. We would spend hours joyfully with paper, ribbons, bows and other things.
- We turned big refrigerator boxes (that my dad dragged home) to little elf homes that we could sleep in to catch Santa Claus. We always stayed up as late as we could but never caught him.
So this year I feel like I have gone full circle. I care most about getting precious time with my family. This is my first Christmas without my kids in my home. And we lost my daughter’s two kitties last week that she had grown up with. So my heart is heavy and also sweetly full. I am now with my wonderful man, our dog and kitty. My son David, daughter Jessica, daughter-in-law Isabel and family will come visit us on Christmas Day to play games, sing songs, color, and just be together.
We are not doing stuff. We are taking in the very sweetest of all gifts – each other.
Kate’s Story
In Clutter Clear Out Celebration I shared that my little family has spent the last 2+ years clearing our possessions and ultimately becoming minimalists. This way of living with less stuff has given us more time, energy and money to experience day-to-day life in ways we had not even imagined possible.
My 12-year-old son, Trace, is one of the most kind, patient and compassionate people I know. Here he is with his 3-year-old cousin.
This has also shifted the way we approach Christmas. Last year we decided that instead of GETTING we wanted to focus on DOING. We would continue to set aside our monthly “Christmas Savings”, but if something came up that we wanted to experience, like meeting friends at Disneyland or in San Diego; doing extra fun things when loved ones visit; or going out on an extra family date night, we would spend some of our Christmas Savings to do them. Throughout 2015 that is exactly what we have done and it has been awesome!
As we neared this holiday season we talked about taking the “Doing” to a deeper level, “Serving”. This lead my son to serving Thanksgiving Dinner to people in need with the Youth Group he belongs to. During the evening he had a personal and powerful interaction with a woman in which he felt a deep sympathy for her scenario and a strong gratitude for his own. He came home and told me that he was planning on donating half of all of the money he received for his December birthday and Christmas. My heart burst with pride for his kindness and selflessness.
In addition we decided that we would spend half (give or take) of our remaining Christmas Savings on a family struggling to make ends meet. As we purchased things they NEED, like towels, sheets, a first aid kit, we all felt most grateful for all that we have and for all that we can do for others.
Although it is still a daily practice, we are deeply in love with simple living and are ecstatic to see what we get to DO and how we get to SERVE in 2016.
Our wish for you is a simple & sweet holiday!
Marla, Kate & Team
