In the following entry contains excerpts from “Harmonious Organizing”, Organize Magazine, K. Cox. March/April 2008
There a lots of ways to say it. but my favorite thesaurus word for Organize is Harmonize.
The thing is, if it were easy to make choices about clutter, it wouldn’t be, um… clutter. The word harmony, for me, goes deeper. When it comes to making organizing decisions, you need “…to get deeper with your choices about what you keep in your home.”.
The following excerpt from an article in Organize Magazine by Kathleen Cox describes Vatsu further explains what I mean. I encourage you to put your belongings to the Vatsu test!
Vatsu is a Hindu tradition of space design to promote harmony with natural forces. According to the principles of Vatsu, your home is your own private universe, therefore nothing in it should be random.
Remember that what appeals to the eye, doesn’t necessarily appeal to the soul. Get deeper with your choices about what you keep in your home. What makes sense for the soul are objects with a specific active utilitarian purpose or items that reveal who you are in a profound way. Everything else is clutter.
While physical clutter can lead to mental and emotional clutter, an uncluttered home encourages peace by honoring our special essence and authentic self. Look around and put your belongings to the vatsu test. Ask yourself:
- What is this item’s use?
- Do I really use it?
- Does it have special meaning?
- How does it fit into my life?
If you draw a blank, it’s clutter, and it’s taking up valuable space.
Snap it up. Pass it on. You won’t miss it because it wasn’t connected to your life in the first place.
(Speaking of harmony, I am busy rehearsing to maintain mine as an Alto in the Chorus of the SF Sinfonietta, conducted by the fabulous and talented Maestro Urs Leonhardt Steiner! If you live or are visiting the San Francisco bay area, come and see us in early June.
at Southern Pacific Brewing Company in SF near Folsom and 19th St.
or
at St. Marks Lutheran Church in SF, O’Farrell and Franklin Streets.