One small way to help engender peace in our world that so desperately needs it right now is by creating a peaceful environment at home. Easier said than done, at least for me, as my recent experience made me realize.
We just did an epic clean-up. After more than three decades of living in a large home, we decided to downsize into a quirky, light-filled home on a tiny beach.
I thought my house was relatively clean and well organized. During our last days of moving I found pockets of significant clutter that were neatly out of sight and mind. I cleaned out closets and drawers of things I had purchased in the past but did not even recognize anymore. My son sent me an amusing article by Carl Richards from the New York Times about subjecting all purchases one brings into the home to a “7-day mental quarantine.” It seems an attractive idea to, as Mr. Richards jokes, “set up a customs screening station in our driveway” for any ‘stuff’ coming into our home.
It is no secret that clutter can be cause stress. I am no clean freak, as the clothes on my bedroom floor will attest, but I believe a relatively organized home can contribute to a state of well-being and inner calm. Let me make a suggestion for supporting your health and wellness. Consider using the long days of summer to organize that ‘junk’ drawer (mine was atrocious), and clean out some closets and cabinets. Donate articles of clothing, art, furniture or kitchen utensils to Goodwill, Housing Works, or another venue where someone might just find some joy in them.
Lastly, I highly recommend Marie Kondo’s blockbuster best-selling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.
Here is to creating a peaceful summer within our homes and hopefully spreading that calm into the world around us.
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