To Armoire or Not to Armoire?

  • Changing
  • Letting go
  • Releasing

These actions are some of the most difficult steps necessary to transform our lives.  Helping my clients to understand the reasoning behind the whys of their “stuff” is a purpose driven aspect of our work together.  If something is in the way, I encourage my clients ask questions.  Why is it there?  Is it important?  What emotional attachment have you given to this object?  Is this emotional attachment holding you back from your future? We often become immune to our surroundings. Things are familiar, so they are seemingly comfortable. We can go for years carrying things with us. We shift them from place to place without even recognizing that they may have become a burden, a burden that has become an obstacle.

I have had to ask myself the same questions I am asking you to ponder.

I carried an armoire around for 30 years…a big, heavy 4×8 foot armoire.  Perhaps you are wondering, why someone would carry around something so cumbersome for so long.  It is very simple…I attached feelings to a thing.  My behavior towards the armoire was that of obligation.  Oh, it was important.  That is what I told myself.  I got it when I was a kid.  It belonged to me, and so I was responsible for its well-being.   Also, one must throw a bit of guilt into the mix.  It was given to me by my mother, after all.

In truth, it was a big, giant, hollow, wooden structure with a lopsided door, a damaged beveled mirror and a drawer that was difficult to open and shut.  Every single place I lived required careful planning as to the placement of the armoire.  You should have seen the look on the furniture mover’s faces in Japan when they pulled that piece out of the truck and then looked at the size of the door.  I needed this armoire!  After all, where was I going to put my stuff?  I had this armoire, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Did it serve a purpose?  Well, I was determined to find some important use for it.  I allowed it to hold all of the things I did not want to have visible.  You know, those unsightly collections of useless items referred to by home organization experts as CLUTTER.  Somehow, the stuff just seemed to be acceptable and manageable when it was neatly tucked into a beautiful, antique armoire.

Would you like to know the moment that I realized that it was time to let go of my armoire? I had placed it in the area of my home that the Feng Shui bagua refers to as the “Blessings Area.”   At the time, I was studying Feng Shui and considering starting a business.  The weight of starting a business while raising two children seemed to be more than I could do.  I felt like there were too many obstacles in the way.  Where was the space in my life to take this on?  To make this transition required that I create the vision to enable the energetic shift take place within my consciousness. And there it was…the armoire.  It was the obstacle blocking my view, energetically weighing me down.  I could not see over it or around it.  I finally saw it for what it was and it needed to leave my home.

Once the armoire was gone, my living space opened up.  The energy of my home lightened and along with it, my conception of what was possible became clear.  Now, in place of the heavy armoire there is a mobile of glittery butterflies (talk about ability to transform).  There is also a small wooden plaque with the words, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” a flourishing plant, and  a colorful piece of artwork.  These objects reinforce the intention that I have set for the way I am choosing to live.

And guess what!  I don’t miss it.  In fact there is not a single day that goes by where I think to myself, “Wow, if only I had my oversized antique armoire…”  If anything, I occasionally wonder how much of my resources were spent moving the gigantic piece of furniture around.  I could probably own an entire fleet of armoires with the resources spent relocating my  one, “precious” armoire.

Look around and see if there are some objects in your home that are being given priority.  Consider if, in truth, they are just filling a void where there could be opportunity.

Decide…

What’s more important?

To understand the benefits available to you by implementing the design principles of Feng Shui into your home or office, contact me for a complimentary initial consultation by clicking here. You may also email me at meryl@hyderally.com or call 251-463-1862.