Creating Space for Possibility - Lessons from My Space Clearing Journey

Hello, Readers

I once read a book by Jack Canfield where he said one of the first steps to success in business and life was to take care of your physical space. I know this is true. I remember a moment after I divorced and had drastically fewer things than now. I had cleaned my whole apartment, including my desk. The space was pristine, and moments after I finished, I received an email from someone I regarded as famous and ended up getting a $5,000/month engagement, the largest monthly engagement I had ever had at that time. 

I remember sitting in such expansiveness and receiving, and I knew Jack Canfield was right. 

If you have been following along with my emails, you know I am fixing up my house to rent out as I spend time in another location. As I clean and clear my home to make it into a space to share with others, I wonder what’s on deck to come in next. The space clearing I am doing now seems unrelated to business, but I know it is. 

And it hasn’t been easy. 

It’s exhausting, emotional, and feels so good. I make a ton of progress and then come across a card from one of my kids or the bin full of old photos, and the emotions take me in a different direction that requires comfort food, a glass of wine, and a rom-com to soothe my soul. 

Letting go is hard, and making space is exhilarating. Cleaning and sorting through years of belongings requires 100s of decisions, and my being is tired. 

Did I say I was tired? LOL

Because of being focused on this singular task, I have felt uninspired about what to share with you about business, so I decided to share the most profound thing I have learned about deep space cleaning in case it inspires you. 

My sister-in-law taught me this: 

Empty a room as completely as possible, clean it lovingly with natural cleaning products (I used Thieves), and only bring back what is needed, fits the room's goals and the desired aesthetic. 

I learned it is so much easier NOT to bring someone back into the room than to decide to take it out, and when the room is empty, clean, and beautiful, the desire to keep it feeling spacious is so strong it becomes easier to let go. Imagine when you first look at an empty house. All you see is possibility. When it’s full, there is no room for more. 

Here is the story behind this learning experience:

My sister-in-law has been helping me. She starts cleaning by clearing each room of everything except large furniture, including taking everything off the walls. We did this with the living room and dining room with excellent results. I started to see that less is more and that I tend to gather things around me, which makes me feel safe. 

And then, at the end of the day, she took all the food out of the laundry room, which is also a pantry with open shelves, and put it on a table in the backyard. I seriously reacted to the work of moving all the food out onto the table in the backyard. It seemed like so much extra work. And in total surrender and trusting the process, I put on some music and started going through the food.  

Once it was out of the space, it was easier to let go of. As I worked outside, she cleaned the room, and it looked so beautiful and smelled so fresh I didn’t want to bring anything back inside that didn’t match that vibration. 

I had a lot of emotions about the food, much of which was purchased during the pandemic and was expired. Through this experience, I learned that I should only stock up on things with a long shelf life, like dried beans and rice, and if something has a short shelf life, it shouldn’t be on my shelf unless it’s something I regularly consume. 

Business metaphors are swirling in my mind as I write this and think of you. I love the idea of creating things in business that have a long shelf life, discarding outdated offerings, and allowing only that which matches the vibration of your ideal company to remain. 

My house is vibrant and clear, and I have left many empty shelves. I am excited to see what shows up in this clean, clear space.

In Love,

Carol

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