Sacred Clutter Clearing

Like many of us, I am still in the throes of clearing out, cleaning up, preparing myself and my environment for a new year. While I always take time at years end to tie up loose ends, purge clutter and tune into the new year, this season my process has gone much deeper.

Giving extra attention to my computers, I deleted over 5,000 e mails and documents. A lot of that was content from my year and a half journey to create the website, blog, newsletters and Hawaiian Essence product line. Part of the process was practical, like finding the last version of the brochure and deleting the rest. A big part was energetic.

Sorting through files I reflected on the various stages of the creation process, like the eight weeks it took to settle on the name for my company and the tagline. The concept of “branding” myself was new and scary, and I went back and forth about potential names that carried my message. I asked Nature to guide me and wrote down my six favorite company names on pieces of paper, and did the same with six taglines. I took all the papers outside, turned them upside down on the earth and stood on each one. As I paid attention to how my body felt standing on each one, there were two that felt grounding with lots of support and room to grow. They were Jane Bell Essences… healing in partnership with Nature. Of course!

Each aspect of this project required a deep dive to attune to the essence of what I wanted to communicate and share. The energetic piece came when I “assimilated the essence” of my experience and expression. (I wrote about this in a previous blog, The Beauty and Necessity of Darkness). I asked that my energy field was filled with the essence of all the goodness, beauty, good fortune, merit and blessings that were generated by this project. This acts as a magnet to draw in what is next.

Right before the holidays I was inspired to send out a mailer to 600 past clients, students, customers I had not connected with for awhile. Included was a letter with alchemical blessing on my beautiful new stationery, my stunningly beautiful product brochure, and a handmade paper note with discount card that I embellished with glitter and Love, Create, Joy, Magic stamped all over. Time flew as I got lost in the creative process and in the hours spent assimilating the essence and good fortune of having such extraordinary people in my life. It was a wonderful completion process!

Clearing clutter is a sacred act of faith, trusting that we will always have enough. Holding onto clutter, as we define it for ourselves, reinforces a mistrust in the fundamental generosity of life. As I made space for something new to enter my life by clearing out while assimilating the essence of what I just accomplished, I also reflected on what I REALLY want, vs. what I think I should want… and my primary goal for 2013 is more warm hearted human connectedness. Play, fun, love, companionship, partnership, family. The next step is to be open to receive and look for signs along the way that it is happening.

It’s happening! Recently I became an honorary grandma to my oldest friends’ son and daughter-in-law’s child and got to hold her for the first time this weekend. My cousin sent a box of letters written over many years by my mom to her sister, and from me to my aunt. Reading about my moms day to day experiences, preferences and perspectives on life has been deeply nourishing and healing. She died two years ago and I feel closer than ever to her through her spontaneous missives on life. Reading my frequent letters to my beloved Aunt Olga reminded me of so many fun adventures and parts of my life I have forgotten. On a really deep cellular level I am reclaiming a sense of belonging.

I ended one letter to my aunt with, “We are blessed to have family we love and are loved by.” Amen to that.

May you lavish and be lavished with love,

Jane