A Modern Woman's Guide to Power
Clean Home
Outer appearance reflects inner states. Rama, Frederick Lenz was fond of referencing Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, where Thoreau shared with the world the idea of simplicity and its effect on inner peace. Thoreau built a very small house in Walden pond with the understanding that a bigger home would require more time, effort, and thinking around its maintenance. By keeping his home small and simple, he was able to instead focus his time and energy on enjoying the home and the beautiful location at which it was built.
We apply a similar concept in American Buddhism to our outer lives, starting with the home. By choosing to simplify and bring order to our physical homes, we can free our minds to meditate without thought and can focus our attention on our careers and other life aspirations. Included below are some tips that you too can apply to experience the benefits of a life of simplicity and order:
Do not bring unnecessary clutter in. One of the easiest ways to simplify your home is to keep it simple to begin with! Before buying or accepting a free item, review it carefully and consciously to determine whether it is truly needed (or loved). Is this item worth spending your free time and $s maintaining it? If not, say No, and move on.
Regularly declutter. Make it a practice to declutter what you already own. Most people declutter during the spring-time (aka “spring cleaning,”) or around major events (e.g. a relocation or breakup), but the best time to declutter is Now. Start today.
Start small. Decluttering an entire home and re-organizing it for simplicity takes time. It’s ok to begin with bite-size pieces (and will be more productive!) than trying to tackle everything at once (which leads most to procrastinate or give up entirely). By taking it a drawer or closet at a time, you will find yourself progressing to a clean, organized, and clutter-free home much more quickly.
Really vet every item. Does looking at or holding a particular item bring you joy? Have you used it in the last 6 months? If you had to relocate to a foreign country, would it be an item you could not live without? Keep the articles of clothing, books, and gifts that bring you the greatest happiness and get rid of (freecycle, donate, or trash) those that do not.
Think beyond the physical clutter. What else in your life have you been procrastinating? Be it changing a lightbulb, returning that online order of shoes that didn’t fit, or paying your bills, make it a point to action out any undone activity that is cluttering your mind. You will feel much more free (and light!) after each completed task
Clean. Clean your home regularly. Create and build on an environment conducive to sleep, meditation, working, and enjoyment by keeping your environment pristine. Every time you clean, tune into the area and how it’s making you feel. Is there any unnecessary items that you don’t look forward to cleaning or wish weren’t there? Use your cleaning sessions as an opportunity to further simplify your home.
The things you love should give you a boost of power or energy each time you look at, clean, and organize them. If something takes away your energy (by causing stress, frustration, or sadness), throw it or give it away. By freeing yourself from it, you will find yourself lighter (physically and mentally!) and more ready to take on the worlds of career, meditation, health, and relationships.