simple shui | q & a
i’m feeling stuck. i’ve often struggled with loving my space because I do keep everything, but of course that ends up being overwhelming. there’s no natural light and the walls are flat with no space for shelving. most of my stuff still sits in storage as well. i hold onto old clothes and magazines. there is a lot of dead and empty energy that feels stuck in the apartment. i moved around and threw out 27 things, but it hasn’t felt like any difference has been made. how do you make peace with the space you can afford?
i LOVE this Q so much because no matter the budget, the space, the resources. . .we all relate to feeling stuck. we get out of life what we tolerate, so change begins when we let go of whatever reinforces patterns + feelings that leave us feeling bone deep ambivalence. but change demands high energy, doesn’t it? so, how do you find a spark to start?
i have a few As just for you. . .
1. when we have tennis match in our mind – i work the shui // it hasn’t felt like any difference has been made – improvement moves like molasses. every time our mind switches to “it hasn’t felt like any difference has been made,” we step on the brakes and halt the good things our intentions have slaloming our way. simple isn’t always easy, but the good news is we do get better with practice.
2. “most of my stuff still sits in storage.” clear space in your storage. let go of what you don’t need, use, or LOVE to have literal room to receive the things you crave – more energy; a new space to live in; and a little magic for the unexpected. watch for the ‘what ifs’ – what if i need this? what if i can’t buy this again? these squander our precious energy by keeping us stuck guessing. if it’s not a HELL, YES! when you’re sorting through your storage, it’s a NO.
3. “i hold onto old clothes and magazines.” give yourself a loving shove and get rid of the easy choices first. hold every single piece of clothing + magazine, one by one, and notice how you feel. if you don’t feel anything or you have an immediate negative reaction, let it go. what we allow in our surroundings informs how we feel. start a zero tolerance policy for low vibes, and the universe will respond kindly.
4. “there is a lot of dead and empty energy that feels stuck in the apartment.” unwelcome energy can be held in place by our things, especially when we don’t use // take care of // love them. eliminate dead + empty energy by noticing what’s neglected or unwanted around you. our dwelling influences our consciousness, and this includes every single thing we tolerate around us.
and if you follow nothing else on this list. . .
5. do one nice thing for your apartment every week until the end of the year – you might not LOVE the details of its structure, but there is plenty of opportunity to plant things around you that favor happiness. to make up for the lack of natural light, find artwork or imagery that depicts the sun; use the color white in your decor; hang a mirror on the wall to bounce light around your space. and re-frame the no-shelving quandary as an opportunity to be ruthless about what you keep!
shui won’t work if you don’t. it’s not enough to want change; you have to show up. engage in the process. and trust the work. whenever you notice your mood and energy are low and worry has crept back in, deliberately CHOOSE to think about something that feels good. {this is why having something you LOVE in your space helps BIG!} the more we focus on the downside of our experiences, the more difficult it is for the shui changes to have a positive effect. it’s sort of like putting fresh flowers in a dirty vase – a little effort cleaning the vase makes a mighty difference in how those flowers thrive, right? YOU — your thoughts, your energy, your feelings — are a huge influence in the energy of your space. so, shui now and you’ll be shining later, m’love!
xo
p.s. notice a shift in your momentum after reading this and would like to keep that vibe jibin’? check out my workbooks — each is stacked with plenty of inspo and simple + unexpected ways to show your house some velvety LOVE!
