From attic to bookcase:
a clearing to remember
"[To remember]: At its essence, it means to call back all of our 'members' –– those aspects in ourselves that we've neglected or have scattered or gone missing – and return to the truth of
who we are.” –A Year to Clear
Hi everyone,
My husband and I have spent most of August clearing clutter. It began with the need to prepare the attic (read: empty it completely) for a messy insulation project that will bring our 1875 home into the twenty-first century.
And why stop there? The bookcase that you see in the photo – which takes up an entire wall in our house – wasn't going to clear itself. That took another week.
And what a reveal it has been! From old passports, guidebooks, and notebooks taking me back to audacious romps around the world; to bulging binders of student notes taking me back to inner, metaphysical romps in space clearing.
It takes time to take it all in (as it goes out).
It takes time to process and savor the moments and the milestones; time to consider what stays, what goes, what matters, what doesn't; time to photograph the things you want to remember before they go out the door.
And I'm not even close to being done yet.
It would have been easy just to toss the whole lot and called it a day, but I would have missed so much.
I would have missed the illuminating opportunity to remember my strengths (the things I love in myself) –like my spirit of adventure, my resourcefulness, my eagerness to grow and move outside my comfort zone... much of which lay hidden inside some of these treasures, mementos of my past.
I would have missed out on the opportunity to marvel at how powerful it is to consciously let go. With love.
Now I can say that our bookcase stands clear and spacious. Like a lighthouse, it beams its fresh, sparkly energy throughout the house, guiding us home to ourselves, again and again.
What are you ready to dive into from your past? What would you like to re-member that will bring you back to your spacious present?
My latest blog post, "Taming of the Shelf" might help. I wrote it to deconstruct and process my own journey with the bookcase, and share some of my best tips on sorting and clearing efficiently – be it a bookcase, a shelf, or any small grouping of stuff. You can read it here.
You can also keep scrolling. There are plenty of goodies here to help get you started, or keep you going for years to come.
Happy clearing!
Stephanie
PS, if you want to follow along my clutter clearing adventures in real time, you can find me @spaciousway on Instagram. To view previous postings, click on "Clearing" in the header.
Clearing Online
Join over 225,000 participants!
Check out Stephanie's popular online courses on DailyOM designed to lift, lighten, and enlighten.
|
|
|
|
Your Spacious Self
Clearing made simple that lasts
Want to play a much bigger game with clearing clutter – be it physical, mental, or emotional? This book lays it all out.
|
|
|
|
A Year to Clear
Clearing from the Inside Out
Wonder how taking the smallest steps in clearing can lead to big, lasting changes? This book guides you the whole way, one day at a time.
|
|
|
|
A Year for You
Clearing the Spacious Way
If you could use a week of soulful nourishment, imagine what can happen when you take a whole year! This book gives you 52 weeks to tend, untangle and find your way home to you.
|
|
|
|
Stephanie Bennett Vogt is a leading space clearing expert, teacher, and author of five books and four online courses. She brings forty years of experience to SpaceClear, a practice she founded in 1996 helping homes and people come into balance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
