Change Your Life – Clean Your Sock Drawer
Clutter Free & Energized!
If you want to make changes to your life, begin by cleaning your sock drawer. I discovered the power in this simple act from a story I read about a psychologist who received an emergency call from one of her patients late one night. He was clearly panicked – ranting and raving and threatening to kill himself. She let him talk for a while, and then she quietly said, “Here’s what I want you to do right now. Go into your bedroom and clean your sock drawer.” Then she hung up.
An hour later, the patient called back. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said. “At first I though you were crazy to suggest that cleaning my sock drawer would help, but I was desperate to try anything. I have to tell you – it changed my focus and saved my life.”
While I’m not suggesting that suicidal patients will be cured by cleaning their houses, I do believe in the power of feng shui through what’s known as “space clearing.” If you’ve read my previous blog, Spring Cleaning, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of the annual rite of washing walls and rearranging the furniture. While cleaning is important, clearing clutter can be life-altering.
After I left the corporate world at age 39 to explore a new career as a professional artist, I decided to move into a 600-square-foot loft where I would live as well as create. Looking around my apartment, I realized two things: I couldn’t possibly bring everything with me into that tiny space, and I had accumulated a fair amount of “stuff” from my former career that no longer resonated with the new life I was building.
As I was trying to sort things out, I came across a book called “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” by best-selling author and space clearing specialist, Karen Kingston. That’s when I learned how important it would be to properly close the chapter on my previous life. By leaving behind all remnants of my former life that were no longer applicable, I wouldn’t be carrying “old” energies into my new world.
So I started in a corner of my living room and went through every single item I owned. Every knicknack, every article of clothing, every piece of paper. Absolutely everything passed through my hands as I decided what was coming with me and what was to be left behind.
Some things were easy: Shotglass collection from cities around the world? Yard Sale Box. Letters and photos of boyfriends past, as well as my former marriage? Not so easy. Lots of emotional attachment here. I didn’t want to disrespect those memories by simply throwing them away. So I released them in a ceremony where I brought the photos to a mountainside fire pit and, one by one, placed them in the fire and blessed the memories as the smoke rose into the heavens. I felt ten pounds lighter on the way back down that mountain.
The entire process took several months. I couldn’t believe how much I had accumulated. A week into sorting, I caught the flu which stayed with me until I had completely cleared everything. I became moody and would sit among the half-packed boxes, crying for no apparent reason. I was constantly exhausted. According to Kingston, these are quite normal side-effects since I was kicking up 39 years of old energies and making a major life change.
What was empowering for me was learning to release these energies properly, by finding good homes for things that could be passed along, and by disposing of others in a respectful manner. It was grueling, but before long, I was ready to move into my new creative life, clear and healthy.
I do this every year now, and the process is much less traumatic. It makes me think twice about what I buy, and also what I give as gifts. I disposed of all my cheap “home decor” items and have begun filling my living space and my workplace with my own artwork, as well as works of other artists I admire. It didn’t cost me a fortune and there’s a good story behind every one of them that I get to share with guests.
It’s an ongoing process, but the more I surround myself with things that resonate, the more I breathe in a wonderful, vibrant, creative energy that’s fully in tune with my lifestyle, allowing me easier access to the flow of ease and abundance.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sock drawer that’s waiting for me to begin.
About the Author
Serena Kovalosky Has Written 10 Articles For Us!
Serena Kovalosky left an 18-year corporate career in the travel industry in search of a more creative lifestyle. Establishing herself as a successful professional sculptor, Serena now travels with the eye of an artist, exploring artists' studios, eclectic restaurants and cultural gems off the beaten path, chronicling her discoveries and sharing stories of the creative people she meets along the way.
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While much attention is paid to sowing our seeds for the future, far less is given to the necessary clearing of space. As individuals and collectively as a nation, such housekeeping is both critical and cathartic. Thank you for bringing this topic to the surface and for reminding us of its ultimate rewards!
Thanks, Mary. You’re right, space clearing is an important step many people forget, especially when trying to manifest life changes. Karen Kingston’s book is an excellent read on the subject. – SerenaK