Q & A: after a recent move, i still have piles of “stuff” – should i do a purge or find it all a home?

Q: “since you made your visit in my apartment, i actually moved apartments – HOORAY! i am finally in a one bedroom, but now it feels like i have less room and still have piles of “stuff.” i don’t know if this means i should do a purge and get rid of stuff, OR if it’s just a matter of finding a home for it all. could you point me in the right direction?”

A: i have two answers for you — sit with them both and see which one resonates most true for you.

one, when we are in a new space, it takes a minute for both energies (yours + the apartment) to develop that “at home” intimacy with each other. instead of trying to speed up the acquaintance process, use this time to notice what works in your space / how you engage in your space / what ‘piles’ feel like they deserve a home in your space. and when the next mercury retro comes around (February 18 – March 9, 2020), release what doesn’t make the cut. 

the other answer – and it runs a completely different direction – is we are attracted to the space we need. we rarely end up in the “wrong space.” so, whatever led you to this apartment could be interpreted as a loving shove from the universe (via your new apartment) to release anything that doesn’t “fit” the new you, new life here. 

my guess is it is probably a little bit of both, so…

one other consideration: when working through it, resist making all the decisions all at once. work in these stages:

• what do you know for sure you don’t need/use/want? this pile goes out the door first. let the refreshed energy careen through your space for a few days (at least) before round two.
• within a couple weeks of your first edit, look at what have you held onto in previous purges that still doesn’t see the light of day. if you haven’t used it despite holding onto it repeatedly AND you don’t really know where to put it, release it. and again, after you purge this pile, allow the energy upgrade to happen in your space before pushing your sleeves up for round three.
• within a couple weeks of that cut, ask yourself the hard Qs: what am i holding onto out of obligation? fear? perceived worth? guilt? once you have those culprits identified, go a little deeper.

what is it you want for yourself this year?

are any of those items worth giving up space for what you do want to attract? 

remember, the metaphors are REAL here, so if you don’t have open space anywhere around you, new energy (opportunities, people, money, love, ways of being, etc.) will hover while looking for space to land in your life – but it might not ever land. if/when things feel so close but out of reach, this is a sign you might need to create some room. 

while clutter gets a bad rap because of the disruption it causes in our lives, it also deserves to be understood and gone through carefully. so, give yourself deadlines and don’t wiggle out of them. complete each phase fully. and give yourself a little time in between each ‘cut’ to fully absorb the energetic improvement of your surroundings. because when your space feels like it can breathe, so will you! and that is exactly where you want to be when you’re trying to make the tough choices at the end! xo