I rearranged my front room recently.
What a big job. Not only do I have sofas and tables and other antiques, but Phil has his antique radio collection in that room… which leaves little room for room! It was crowded!
So, everything on one side of the room had to be moved out into the entry area so I could vacuum the rug and clean baseboards. Then, since I was moving things around, those things couldn’t be brought back in until I’d cleared the places that they were going into. Which meant shoving stuff here and there until a clean spot could support it’s new inhabitants. My dining room/crystal room also had to have some rearranging and cleaning to support the process.
Every thing except one table fit back in. The room is now nice and open as well as being cleaner than it had been in years!! I like it!
I have no idea what started that whole thing. I just came home from one of our walks and started moving furniture. We often think we need some grand plan to move forward. We set goals for ourselves (which is generally speaking a really good thing!) and laboriously itemize our steps (being clear is also really good!) However, sometimes we spend so much time on planning that we never really ‘get ‘er done’.
My heart wanted open and clear/clean. It happened.
Phil was kind enough to help move the antique organ and the biggest antique radio which were really heavy. I asked for help and he assisted.
Truth is, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted that room to look like. Would that sofa fit over there? Would this table look ok over here? It felt almost overwhelming if I gave too much attention to the details.
I knew what I wanted that room to FEEL like! I had that firmly in my heart and my mind. If a piece of furniture didn’t fit with the flow, it found a home in the crystal room. And who says a wine rack cannot be also used as a side table? I got creative!
Others who have seen the new placement cannot believe how open and clear the room appears. (Success!!! Exactly the feeling I had hoped for!) They wonder where certain pieces of furniture or antique might be and once they see it, it’s like it had always been there. The reaction is ‘of course, it fits perfectly there!’
When the New Year presents itself and you choose to set goals for yourself, please include how the fulfillment makes you feel. It’s the feeling that will guide you into your choices. It’s the feeling that will support you when you feel tired or overwhelmed or you cannot yet see any results.
When I stirred things up I could not even imagine what open and clear might look like. All I could SEE was a jumble. With each next cleaned baseboard and each corner vacuumed in turn, I could IMAGINE open and clear. Things just seemed to fall into place—even places I hadn’t imagined at all! Put the gramophone there? Let’s try it. Looks great! It totally fits there!
This New Year you might want to stir things up a bit. Yes, plan and ask for help. Just remember to lock in the heart’s feeling. Let that guide the way! Trust your heart. It already knows.