If you think it, they will come

I just had to write that as a title. It's more for my own laugh. Last week I was at my computer with my patio doors (except for the screen) open to let the nice weather in and to be able to hear the birds (yay!)

Well, I mentioned before that a robin hopped around on my patio in the middle of a snow storm. This day a robin was having fun dancing around on my patio again, as well as some other type of bird that I haven't been able to identify yet. I had various birds waltzing around on the patio, and one flew right to the top of the patio door and began to sing. After a while it left that perch for a little bit. I wondered to myself "These birds seem pretty brash. I wonder if I left the screen door open, would they just fly right into my apartment?" Well, only a few moments later that little bird flew at the screen door and perched it's little feet on the screen door! If I had the screen door open, it would have flown right in!

I'm glad they feel comfortable here. I think that same bird is outside right now chirping and flitting around. Maybe he/she is annoyed because I have all my plants outside on the patio right now to get some sun. Maybe these extra plants are cramping this little bird's style. I also wonder if this little bird will be so brash when I am sitting out on that patio! It's fun to have birds so close. Growing up in the country my parents had a bird book and we would look up the different types of birds we saw. I wish I had that book now!

De-cluttering is not always calming

I guess I encourage people to de-clutter. I say this because a friend recently emailed to tell me she had done some de-cluttering. YAY for her! (I recalled my bridal shower where friends reminded me of fun experiences we had shared. I would guess that over half of my friends mentioned something about me helping them de-clutter or because of a conversation they had de-cluttered or gone through their closet.) I love talking with people about this topic. This friend that emailed said that her efforts weren't the calm, feng shiu type of de-cluttering. I emailed back to encourage her to de-clutter when you've got the "bug" or urge to do it, and that in my experience de-cluttering isn't necessarily a calming action. De-cluttering tends to bring up a lot of issues. I can choose to let the item (and it's associated negative energies and/or memories) go, or I choose not to. Some things are harder to make a decision about when it comes to decision time.

Do I use it? No. Do I keep it? Yes. Should I keep it? WRONG question to ask! Should is not a nice word. It implies expectations. It often also shifts the responsibility of keeping the item to an external "other" that we are trying to please. Should I keep it? Should implies that you are trying to seek or are seeking the approval of some outside being (or someone or something other than yourself) to determine if YOU are going to be responsible for keeping that object.

So, there's a lot going on when you are de-cluttering. Issues are brought to the forefront of your mind again (both good and bad), you are faced with making a decision about the item(s) or post-poning the decision again, and then there is always disposal. De-cluttering is not what I would call calming, but I often am energized by de-cluttering. And I LOVE the feeling of a room when a lot of "guck" has been cleared out of it!

So, de -cluttering does not necessarily equal a calm experience, but I find that the end result is a more calm environment and feeling better! Happy de-cluttering!