I came across this quote:
“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are full of yesterday’s clutter.” – Louise Smith
Although I suspect that the deeper meaning of this quote is about how being stuck in our past can hinder our future, I like the quote for its tangible reference to clutter.
It is interesting to me how many clients, when having achieved a sense of movement forward, will often begin by cleaning their homes of its clutter. They will admit that their houses have been neglected, that they have stopped putting effort into the organization of their everyday environment. Just as their effort to organize their own lives has fallen to the wayside.
Our homes are often a reflection of how we feel inside; as a result, it is often part of our human experience to adjust our environment with life changing events. We can begin to organize and “build the nest” when we are expecting a baby, just like we can re-organize rooms during our empty nest phase. After a separation, we re-do our bedroom as a way to reclaim the space.
When we begin to feel as though we are back on the right track, we want our home to be tidier, neater. By reducing the clutter, we reduce the things that do not matter, focusing instead on meaning, purpose and ultimately a feeling of contentment. Looking about at our neater space, we can feel a certain satisfaction that we feel rooted to the space around us, bringing us comfort and a feeling of faith in ourselves.
There is a deeper meaning to clutter 🙂
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@danielcgold