My Suitcase was Stolen - What A Declutterer Learned

The Gulf of Mexico...calling me 

School was out.  The beach was calling -- a 4.5 hour drive through Alabama to the panhandle of Florida.

I was SO ready.

So ready, in fact, that I packed the day before and went ahead and put the suitcases in the car so that we could roll out of bed at 7 AM and make it to sand-and-surf by lunch.

We awoke as planned, with that Christmas morning feel.  I was excited to get Outta There to my beloved Gulf.  I scurried to get the final items together.  I happened to glance down at my phone at one point (habit) to see that someone in our neighborhood had posted that his Jeep had been ransacked the night before.

I paid no attention...until I went to my own car.  Did I leave the glove compartment open for some reason?  Why is the center console wide open?

Oh no.  Where is my SUITCASE?

I did what many a Southern lady would do:  I called my Mama.

"I think I'm just in shock!" I told her.  She had complete empathy. After all, summer had just begun, and I had lovingly packed my favorites of the favorites of summer attire (which is my favorite):  the best-looking and most comfortable.  The white linen pants that fit perfectly, the aqua sundress bought in the Bahamas which seemed made for me, the just-enough-baggy shorts that were as comfortable as pajamas without sacrificing style.  And the bathing suits!  All four of them.  Not to mention my best yoga clothes and running shoes.  Ack, the bras and panties alone!  Oh, and sandals.  Good ones.

If you follow me at all, you know that my mantra is DECLUTTER.  Over the years, I have refined and refined, and while I'm not quite a minimalist, I have definitely whittled my belongings -- including my clothing (which is no easy task being the daughter of a daughter of a daughter of seamstress/designers) -- to that which is only necessary and/or "sparks joy," a term lifted from Marie Kondo's teachings.

Take away one suitcase, and you are basically taking away my entire wardrobe, or at least very key pieces of it.

Once past the initial shock, I succumbed to the fact that we were going to be leaving for the beach later than anticipated.  Curious and caring neighbors came out to pat me on the back, as the cops arrived; it turned out that many cars in the neighborhood had been vandalized (but no broken windows that I know of).

Still, I was so ready to get to the beach.  I gave my report and went back inside for a duffel bag, and this time, I took minimalism to heart, grabbing only a few items of clothing and tossing them in.

(And yes, I stopped by a store once at the beach and found one bathing suit that would carry me through.)

At the beach, I admit I missed my clothes.  After all, the second round of packing was not thought out much, and I didn't even have a cover up with me.

I simply wore what I had, and that was as good as ever, it being a casual trip to the beach anyway.   But still, there were some unsettling moments of, "Oh yeah, I'm going to have to replace my strapless bra now" and "Oh yeah, I wore that easy blue dress a lot; now what?"  "Oh yeah, this dress I brought really needs those shoes to look right."

Enter:  The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.  It was recommended by a dear client, and you know when you get that little ping  -- I knew it was my book for the beach.

The book is a revelation for me on many levels, but for this post, I'll focus on his descriptions of "form" and "space."  Tolle explains that, in today's society and over many centuries, humans have been heavily preoccupied with form -- our bodies, our cars, our houses, our level of success based on this and that, our test scores and achievements, our clothes-- over "space," which is our inner essence and life and God itself.

In the shortest of short, he says that a balance between the two is the key to happiness, connection, and yes, joy.

**********************************************

Back home, I alerted my insurance company about the theft, and I'm still waiting to hear.  For fun, I decided to make a game of the loss, and I posted on Facebook that my stolen suitcase is a good excuse for my friends to declutter and to please give me the clothes that they no longer want.

This worked.

I have been relatively unpicky in what I received -- if it fit decently -- I kept it.

It's amazing what the Universe brings you if you just open up.  Very little of what was given to me would I actually take off the rack at the store and buy myself, but interestingly, the pieces are working for me in a different way.  Colors that I am not drawn to while shopping are now in my drawers, which feels good for a change!  New shoes that I would have overlooked now sit in my closet, and they are turning out to be my most comfortable and functional yet.  One tank top (that I almost discarded) surprised me by working perfectly as a work-to-yoga piece, saving me an outfit change for the day.

Sure, I will have to reassess in a  few weeks, and I'm sure I'll need to let go of some of these items.  And of course, yes, I will soon be shopping to replace things like bras and running socks.

In the meantime, I'm wearing the things that in my own closet were second-tier, and they are finding new life, and then enjoying the gifts, and possibly a new means of self-expression?

More significantly though, what I've released at a deeper level is that the stolen suitcase is a chance to dis-identity to form at all, at least when it comes to my personal fashion style.  In decluttering, with Kondo's mantra, "does it spark joy?" when choosing items to stay in one's home, comes the remembrance that, although these items may bring forth a moment of happiness, they are not the source of the joy.  The source of the joy is pure spirit, within us, and these items are simply (and paradoxically) vague, dreamy reminders of that.

For me, the loss of the suitcase gave way for great joy:  the opportunity for playful shopping experiences in my friend's closets, the adventure of "what will the Universe provide"?   It opened space for my friends too:  they are now less cluttered, and they got to be the joyous givers of things that no longer served them, in hopes of serving their fellow human: me.

I ask you:  where in your life can you be less attached to form and more open to space?

I recommend the adventure that arises from it.

a few items that I received! (the middle is the work-to-yoga tank)  :)

The Easiest Organization Method I Know

I am not naturally organized.

And I don't care.

I have other talents.

But I do sometimes envy those OCD folks because, oy, organization is SO SO SO SO SO important to feng shui.

I do my best.  And I must say, I've come a long way since being the messiest roommate in the college suite.

Of course, in my weaker moments, when I have let things go a bit, I cough it up to my creative energy or right-brainedness or whatever mumbo-jumbo…
…and it's true, my strengths are there (even in mumbo-jumbo)…and I'm not going to fight that, because I'm lucky in that regard…but still….

…if you know anything about feng shui, you know that it's a total COP OUT to not get organized, no matter what side of your brain you tend to favor.

Don't COP OUT, People!  I have help for you!!!   And it's easy as 1-2-3.   Literally.  Yay!

My feng shui teacher, Sharon Stasney, (look up her books), taught us this method.   It works for creatives and neat freaks alike.

Here it is.  Dun, dun, duuunnnn….

Sometimes a scary word, huh?  PRIORITIES.    

Not this time.

This time, it's gonna save yo' little fanny!

The PRIORITY SYSTEM:

---Priority 1 items are the things you use almost every day and are placed in the most accessible places.  The most accessible places may be your desktop, your countertop, or next to the sink in your bathroom, or the top of your nightstand.  The ONLY things that should be in this highly accessible places are things you use frequently!!!

(Note:  All these kitchen photos are a Real Simple Real-Life Kitchen Makeover.)

there is still quite a bit out. let's hope these people actually cook and drink coffee.  I bet they do!

see how when you leave only Priority 1 items out, it just looks sooooooo nice and clean and fresh.  rest for your brain!  

i.e. In my own kitchen, on my countertop, I have a toaster and my Vitamix.  I do have a few supplements sitting out as well a jar for the scrub brush.  And my fruit bowl in the corner, for aesthetics and easy-grabbing.  That is all.  I used to have a nice set up cookbooks out, but guess what, I rarely use recipes and when I do, it's usually off the Internet, so I moved them to...

---a Priority 2 area!  i.e. The bookshelf.  I'd still like access to them, but honestly, even as I write this (I don't have many because I pared down greatly over the years), I'm wondering if I should pare down even more!  Anyway,Priority 2 areas are places that are accesssible but not in your immediate experience all the time.  In the kitchen, it's the drawers and cabinets that are easy to get to. In the office, it's the file cabinet that you may need to reach a little further for or just across the room.

Priority 2 in the Kitchen.  You don't need pots and pans on the counter!

I see Priority 1, 2, and 3 here, really.

--The Priority 3 areas are those places where you store items, but, say, you may need the step stool.  It's the bundt cake pan for the cakes you bake three or four times a year, that you put in the overhead cupboard.  It's the part of your basement where you store your summer clothes in the winter.  It's the attic, where you store your Christmas decorations, saving the linen closet for linens, etc.

--I even like to tag on Priority 4 areas for stuff like taxes from the past 7 years or even keepsakes that you aren't going to revisit often.  That's the back of the attic and the back of the basement.  :)

This is IMMENSELY helpful on getting your home in order. 

After all, when this is all done, maintenance will be the key.  And oh, what a key that is!  But don't worry about it now…

JUST GET TO IT!

Creative Storage Idea -- Feng Shui Friday!

Storage can happen in unexpected places.  Especially if you are dealing with city-living when there is not much storage space.

Today's Feng Shui Friday discusses just that.   

A fan who lives in funky cool loft in Montreal asked:  
In a space with little, to NO storage, which part of the bagua is the best place to store stuff?

Here is an example. 
Since I only have a very small closet, I have a pretty awesome collection of vintage trunks, 
I use them to store things I need (and yes, i try not to keep anything I don't use!)
but that I don't need daily.
Is it okay to use these trunks?

(Source)  Here's a fun example that would be GREAT in the Helpful People/Travel section!

All I have to say is:  GENIUS!  Getting creative with you storage issues will make you feel much happier in your space.  In these cases, a pile of suitcases doubles as a table and some secret storage for the things you don't need every day.

Ahh, white...make it your own personal style!  (Source)

Be warned though:  that that is the key -- use this idea ONLY for things you don't need every day!

Remember when organizing and storing, you want to prioritize.  If you drink tea every morning, you aren't going to put your favorite tea cup on a shelf where you have to use a stool to get to it right?  No!  You're going to have it in the front, in the handiest spot ever.

Same notion with ALL of your items.

(The "priority system" was taught to me by my brilliant teacher, Sharon Stasney.  Her book Feng Shui for Work Spaces goes into depth about it and is a great read.)

Mentally label items as Priority 1, Priority 2, or Priority 3 and then place the *1 items in the handiest, easy-to-get-to spots, the *2 items in the next easiest places, and then the *3 items in places such as these trunks, where you may have to remove the decorations on top to get to it.  Ideas might include crafting projects and art supplies that you only use every so often, or perhaps your off-season clothes.  Brilliant, right?

The suitcase storage idea, with its stacks, is definitely a priority 3 area.  Heck, you can even store your tax documents in there!

And to answer her first question...about the bagua -- the answer is not so clear-cut.  You just want to pay attention to WHAT you are storing WHERE.  For example, if your love life bites, and you have a bunch of old photographs from your first marriage stored in the Romance section, guess what!  Not a good idea!  Similarly, if you are feel stuck in your Career and you have a ton of glue stored in your Career section, please move to your art section!  (Kind of kidding on that last one, but you get the idea.)

Got it?  Other than that, whatever makes sense aesthetically and logically should be okay as far as WHERE storage should be in the bagua.  

Another great question from an awesome gal!

Feel free to email me with YOUR feng shui questions and I may just choose it for Friday's discussion.  katierogersfengshui@gmail.com

Cheers!  Enjoy the weekend!

Feng Shui is Not Perfection

My new friend, who had never been to my home, said to me, "Your feng shui stuff is kind of intimidating."

I was like, what?!  How?

"Well, I mean, isn't your home, like, perfect?"

This was a powerful moment for me.  I am so glad he asked me this because I got a peek into the psyche of a feng-shui-newbie, and I was determined to educate.

"Perfect?  Uh, no," I replied.  

The truth is, the apartment I live in is not my dream home.  It doesn't get enough light for my taste, I have to climb up a slight hill to get to it, and it's not in a walking-friendly neighborhood.  (i.e. The grocery store is out of walking distance.)   

And I'm "naturally messy."  I just am.  I'm a creative, right-brainer who tries so damn hard to be superbly organized, and even with all my feng shui training, I always fall a little short.  (Although, I've gotten a lot better, knowing the effect disorganization has on me!  Just sayin'.)

Source

So please -- FENG SHUI IS NOT ABOUT PERFECTION.  

What it is about, is loving where you are.  It's about putting the energy into WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, rather than pining away for what you think you want.   It's about making the best of what you've got, rather than nitpicking away, waiting for the "next thing."  It's about raising the energy in the here-and-now, rather than longing for that maybe-some-day.

It's about gratitude...and showing gratitude -- in your current space.  

After all, how many people do you know that have their "dream home," but they still aren't happy.  We choose the homes we need -- you know, the ones that are going to provide the lessons and wake-up calls that are going to take us further on our path.

So, for me, my apartment serves as a little-yin-haven -- a respite for my extroverted nature in an overly-yang(active) world.  The hill has toned my thighs, and the walking distance thing...well, that's a harder one to cure.  

Here's a story:

When I first moved to Los Angeles at age 25, a feng shui-newbie myself, I moved into a nice, comfortable apartment living with a friend-of-a-friend in the Wilshire District.

The area was great in that it was central, but being a highly sensitive person (HSP) and having moved there from Kauai where nature abounds, I quickly realized that I wouldn't last long in the high-voltage city environment unless I had easy access to nature.  

In other words, the beach was calling.  

Venice Beach by Jeffrey Stanton

But try as I might, I could not find an affordable place that fit my criteria.  I was usually so lucky with that sort of stuff!  But, in this case, I was blocked, frustrated, and feeling like my move to LA may not have been such a good idea after all.

Not willing to give in so easily (I really, really wanted to be a screenwriter), I educated my open-minded roommate on what I knew of feng shui.  If I wasn't going to live at the beach, at least I could make the apartment we shared as high energy as possible.  I suggested we paint like crazy -- the kitchen, the bathroom, the front door, and the bedrooms.  

Source

It took a couple of sleepless nights, but the two of us put on some music, chatted, laughed, and busted it out.  The kitchen went from bland cream to sunny yellow; the bathroom took on a fun turquoise hue; and the front door became -- you guessed it -- the famous red.  

It totally transformed the place.   

We absolutely loved it.

And wallah!  Not even a week later I received an out-of-the-blue email from a friend who said she knew some people who were looking for a roommate in Venice...a five-minute bike ride to the beach.  

I went to check it out, and it was happy-Venice-bungalow-awesome.  The girls and I hit it off, and within two weeks, I was in my new home by the beach!  

So what happened?  It's simple.  I surrendered.  And I took action.  By painting the apartment (a very real feng shui cure), I told the Universe:  Thank you!  I'm going to make the best of what I've got! ...and I'm committed to giving this LA thing a shot.   

And the Universe said Thank You right back.  

So, no, feng shui is not about perfection.  It's not even about obtaining your dream home.

Instead, feng shui is about creating a safe or inspiring or loving space with what you have right now.  It's about loving yourself and your life, as it is, right now!

And watching how the Universe responds, in kind...

So, no, my home is not my dream home, but it is feng shui'd... and it's imperfectly dreamy that way!

Dalai Lama Promotes Feng Shui (in his own words)

Re-organizing my files for the new year, I came across this article I wrote that was published in Sun Valley, Idaho back in 2005.  The Dalai Lama had just visited and spoke there....

"A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The above statement may seem simple at first reading, but upon consideration, it is really quite powerful. I believe that the Dalai Lama is emphasizing the importance of the state of one's living space....a.k.a. feng shui.

Too many people are careless with the space in which they work or dwell. In terms of the Black Sect Tantric Buddism school of feng shui (which is a derivative of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism), when a person is thoughtful (or thoughtless) in regard to his or her living space, it spills out into his or her life.

So why does feng shui have all those strange and curious "cures," you might ask, if all one has to do is create a "loving atmosphere"? The fact is most of us have forgotten what a loving atmosphere is. Sure, we may recognize it when we see it, but making it happen is a different story. This is a result of a mass disease that has taken over our world: that is the disease of not knowing how to love our selves completely. Otherwise, creating our lives according to our deepest desires and most lofty dreams would be a cinch.

I like to tell my clients to imagine reading a short story where the author describes the space. 

This a quick way to notice the "symbolism" that occurs in your own home. After all, the subconscious sees everything. It constantly absorbs messages from our environment and processes these messages. In turn, these messages are sent into our energy fields, creating the very lives we are experiencing. Imagine the difference of a home filled with unwanted gifts, dying plants, and cluttered closets compared to one with healthy flowers, treasured objects, and neatly organized closets with (gasp) extra space! The first home feels slightly neglected, even if the rest of the furnishings were pleasant, while the second space feels freer, lighter, and, cherished. Even the smallest of details have an impact. Our subconscious mind takes images without a filter.

A wonderful start to a loving atmosphere is to first discard or give away any objects that you do not love in your home. Clutter is a sure way to block your highest potential as the subconscious sees it as a symbol of things that we don't love or need in our lives and creates accordingly. It is amazing how letting go of a thing as simple as a candle from an unfaithful ex-lover or a blanket that you have never used because it is too scratchy can lighten your load! The subconscious gets the message that you'd rather have something (or someone) better in your life.

Next, play with ideas, and find out what it is that want to invite into your life. Then consciously bring it into your home symbolically. For example, you've always wanted to travel to Italy.   Then stick a postcard of the the Mediterranean on your refrigerator. Would you like to amp up your love life? Figure out your own personal "romance symbol" and drape it, plant it, or play it on your stereo everyday. The key to creating a great life is to get creative!

With every object in our homes, we are sending a message to ourselves and to the Universe. Wouldn't you want your message to be one of pure and uplifting love so that you could receive that, and only that, back? Use your conscious mind to transform your subconscious mind, and then witness the shifts in your life.