Now, I realize that I am crazy-lucky when it comes to money and abundance. I really do believe that I was born under a lucky star. But I also know that there certain things I do that significantly enhance my luckiness. These “tricks” work like magic, every time. I’ve seen it happen so consistently that there is no room for doubt. And I want to share these tricks with you. (After all, what better way is there to share abundance, than teaching people how to create it for themselves?)
So, I was taking my usual walk this morning, thinking about which “trick” to share today. I’ve got quite a few up my sleeve; choosing is hard.
To set the mood: it is incredibly stormy here today. I’m talking cold, driving rain, with bitter wind-gusts up to 40mph. Wind advisories, flood advisories, thick branches falling all around. I didn’t let it stop me, and I’m glad. There is a beautiful solitude and a feeling of power and mystery that comes from walking through a storm.
So I’m walking along, storm raging, when out of nowhere, this little old Asian lady totters up to me. She comes closer than is socially normal, peers into my face, and shouts, “Get rid of it!” loud enough to make me jump. (I’m not sure what my face was doing at that point, but I’m sure it was priceless.)
She pauses a bit, as though for dramatic effect, steps back, narrows her eyes, and adds in a normal voice, “How you spell ‘rid’? As in, ‘get rid of it?’” It was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing. I mean, how could such a commonplace question arise from such an odd initial outburst?
I told her how to spell “rid” with as much composure as I could muster, and she thanked me and tottered off. I continued through the storm with her command to “Get rid of it!” still ringing in my ears. And that’s when it hit me: The subject of my post! As soon as I thought of it, a thrill rippled through me. Because “getting rid of it” is one of my absolute, tip-top, all-time-favorite abundance tricks.
Folks, I feel absolutely certain that someone here reading this, right now, needs to act on this message. As in TODAY. I am just positive that this message is intended for one of my readers. Something just doesn’t come through that loud and clear without it being pretty darned meaningful. (If you are getting chills reading this, then that person is assuredly YOU.)
So here’s the message: GET RID OF IT. Yes, I’m talking about clutter clearing. Take advice from the abundant aesthete William Morris, who famously said: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
Get rid of it, get rid of it, get rid of it! Go through your home and choose five things TODAY that you can get rid of. If you can sell the items, sell them. Boom, instant money! How easy was that? Or, if you’d rather, donate the items, allowing yourself to feel the joy of giving.
When you get rid of what is neither useful nor beautiful, you allow more what IS useful and beautiful to come in. You create space in your house for what you want. You don’t have to do it all at once. Just do one drawer if you want. Or just keep picking five random things a day. Just get the process started, that’s all.
It’s just so gorgeously simple and easy! If you want more to come in, then start giving more out. Sell it, give it, toss it, chuck it, fling it, donate it, whatever! Because every thing in your home that is neither useful nor beautiful is keeping out something that is. And you know what is both beautiful and useful? Abundance! If you are not feeling abundant, it might simply be because you’ve got too much stuff.
So do what the strange old lady said, and “GET RID OF IT!” I know you can.
I don’t know why it works, but it does.
Good luck, and have fun!
November 12th, 2009 - 12:46 pm
I’m starting with a shelf in my kitchen.
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November 12th, 2009 - 1:30 pm
Wow! I totally got rid of 2 big garbage bags of stuff from my fridge and pantry this morning!! It felt FABULOUS!! And next I’m tackling closets.
I was just saying that November is good month to get rid of stuff ~ I seem to always do this!
And I agree~ Get rid of it to make room for the new.
And I also agree that to get more $$ in your life, give some away ~ even just a little and especially when you feel you “can’t.” Works every time.
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November 12th, 2009 - 1:39 pm
LOL You are talking to me, sister.
Pat
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November 12th, 2009 - 3:58 pm
I swear we’re sharing a mind these days! Over the weekend, I got rid of a huge bag full of clothes. Just before I took a break to read this post, I was cleaning out my office and getting rid of things.
I love it!
On Sunday, when I filled a huge garbage bag full of clothes then looked back in my closet (which is very full) I consciously thought, “What could feel MORE abundant, than giving away a ton of clothes and still having a full closet of ones I adore?”
Back to my office……
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November 12th, 2009 - 4:12 pm
I just Freecycled a bunch of stuff that was riding around in my car — what a feeling! I also love “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” – that book changed my freaking life!
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November 12th, 2009 - 4:15 pm
Beautiful post. I am very good at getting rid of things (too good in fact!) but I could use some more consciousness around it. Thanks for the giggle and the thoughts!
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November 12th, 2009 - 6:16 pm
Thank you! I definitely needed someone to yell in my face “GET RID OF IT!”
I’ve had too long a pause in decluttering. Start your engines ladies and gentlemen!
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November 12th, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Wow! I was having chills, and wondering if it was only because I just ate some chocolate ice cream, but then I read what you wrote…. OK, time to get to work…
Thank you, oh Abundance teacher, and thank you strange little old lady, and thank you Goddess who appears in many guises.
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November 13th, 2009 - 8:35 am
Ha! That little old lady in a storm is like pure magic out of a play by Shakespeare! And I too have heard the message. Thank you.
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November 13th, 2009 - 10:39 am
Thank you for the push! I’ve been meaning to declutter for so long now and I just haven’t taken action. I think I’ll declutter my kitchen today. Woo hoo!
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November 13th, 2009 - 10:49 am
I glad this resonated with so many of you. I took an hour or so and cleared out a few shelves, and got rid of a bunch of vcr tapes, many still unopened. It was fun! There’s still plenty more to do, and I’m all charged up.
Tanya — Shakespearean is just a perfect description for her. It’s funny, after I wrote about it, I thought “wow, this is too fantastical sounding, no one will believe it!” — then I realized it was SO fantastical, how could I ever have made it up?
The other thought I had, as I went through my cupboards, was what if we all applied the “get rid of it” philosophy to our thoughts and beliefs, too. Can you imagine if we tossed out all thoughts that were neither useful nor beautiful? Take self-criticism, for example. Is that useful? Heck no. Beautiful? Not even close. So boom, out it goes. Next!
What would our lives me like, with only useful and beautiful thoughts?! Fodder for another post one day, methinks…
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November 13th, 2009 - 1:12 pm
i have beeen undecided of to get rid of a certain item, well its actually like a hundred items, i think now i know my answer –get rid of it, thanks ill taclke this job this weekend w/ my hubby and who knows what else ill get rid of, thank u ABM have a great day
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November 13th, 2009 - 4:22 pm
Love it!! Something must be in the air, because I have been feeling this as well. In fact, here’s what I posted as my Facebook status before heading to bed last night: “What are you holding onto that no longer serves you? What are you willing to release today to free up room for more good in your life?”
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November 13th, 2009 - 6:23 pm
It’s so strange, I just had a wonderful epiphany about this subject yesterday in my therapy session! You may have been talking to me!
I just love this post!
I have a lot of clutter to clear out, but I also have a few old emotional patterns that no longer serve me that I am ready to clear out too. I realized I have this tricky pattern that told me that I am a good person if the house is clean and I am doing the cleaning and working really hard at it, and that I am a bad person if I choose to do something else instead and the house isn’t clean. Isn’t that silly? I’m so ready to GET RID OF that! And the clutter too.
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November 13th, 2009 - 7:20 pm
Wow, there really is something in the air! So cool that we’re all getting the same message.
In fact, this whole thread inspired my new post, and my next round of recipients (YOU!).
Mel: Wow, sympatico!
Leah: I love that you’re getting rid of that “must be tidy” pattern. I have half a dozen like that I’d love to weed out.
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November 14th, 2009 - 7:49 am
Leah, that’s a really interesting realization. Earlier this week I was having a similar conversation with a friend about how I always feel so stressed about whether my house is tidy enough or not. Which is what brought on the thoughts of purging — both from my space and from my thoughts!
Yeah, definitely something in the air! Love it!
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