The process of clearing clutter is all about letting go. Not just letting go of your belongings — that is only the end result. The most important thing is learning to let go of the fear that keeps you holding on to them after it is time to move them on their way.

I live half of each year in Bali, Indonesia, & half of each year in the West. I have been doing this for the last eight years, ever since I decided to do it. Sometimes people tell me they wish their lives could be like mine. They imagine that I have pots of money & can do whatever I want, but the truth is I started with nothing except an insatiable desire to live in Bali for six months of each year. When they look honestly at their own lives & see what prevents them from doing something they say they really want to do, a lot of it is attachment to possessions. They have set their lives up so that they are not free to do what they really yearn to do.

Just passing through

Life is constant change. So when something comes into your life enjoy it, use it well, & when it is time, let it go. It is that simple. Just because you own something, it doesn’t mean that you have to keep it forever. You are just a temporary custodian of many things as they pass through your life. You can’t, after all, take the contents of your kitchen cupboards with you when you die, & nor would you want to!

Everything material is merely energy in transition. You may think you own a house or have money in the bank, but the fact is you don’t even own the body you stand up in. It is on loan from the planet &, after you are done with it, it will be automatically recycled & reappear in a different form without you. You are spirit — glorious, eternal, indestructible spirit — but your human circumstance is what can best be described as a transient, “rent-a-body” situation.

Your body is the temporary temple of your soul. What you keep around you in the extended temple of your home needs to change with you as you change & grow, so that it reflects who you are. Particularly if you are engaged in any kind of self-improvement work, you will need to update your environment regularly. So get into the habit of leaving a trail of discarded clutter in your wake, & start to think of it as a sign of your progression!

Let go of fear

People hold on to their clutter because they are afraid to let it go — afraid of the emotions they may experience in the process of sorting through the stuff, afraid they will make a mistake & later regret getting rid of something, afraid they will leave themselves vulnerable, exposed or at risk in some way. Clutter clearing can bring up a lot of “stuff” to be faced & dealt with, & intuitively everybody knows it.

However, the rewards for clutter clearing are well worth it. Love & fear cannot exist in the same space, so everything you are holding on to through fear is blocking you from having more love in your life; clearing it allows more love to start pouring in. Fear stops you from being who you truly are & doing what you came here to do; clutter clearing brings you greater clarity about your life purpose. Fear suppresses your vital life force energy; releasing clutter helps reconnect you to your own natural vitality. Letting go of clutter leaves you free to be you, which is the greatest gift you can ever give yourself.

Armed to the teeth with cleaning products (!!!),

P.S. If you liked the cherry blossom image at the top of this post, here’s a wallpaper-sized version!