Clutter clearing successes
Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston - Readers' letters
15 years of clutter gone!
I have read both your books and have uncluttered 15 years worth of stuff. I was such a hoarder that I moved twice and took all my clutter with me. ~ Linda, South Africa
I cleared two carloads of rubbish from my attic
I was about to lend my Clear Your Clutter book to a friend (many, many people have read this book) when I thought I'd give it a quick read through first. It prompted an extreme reaction. I shouted out loud, 'Well, that's ridiculous! How can anything unfinished be clutter! Everything's unfinished - my whole life is unfinished!' And the book flew across the room.
Luckily, I am self-aware enough to realise that maybe this was an issue I needed to work with. I made a list of everything that was unfinished and there was an awful lot. As much of it was to do with my personal aspirations I thought that I should take another look in the attic - which I thought had been cleared 2 years ago. Amazingly, I found two carloads of rubbish, which included old school exercise books and almost everything I'd ever written. These things left on Saturday and I have completed space clearing ceremonies today. Since Saturday, yoga and meditation have been easy and this evening I have made real progress with my writing. ~ Julia C.
Five bagfuls to the recycling centre
I had no plan to spend last night and most of today bagging-up magazines and other miscellany but I did. Five bagfuls to the recycling centre today and hardly the surface scratched! Many thanks.~ Peter, England
How much can you do in two weeks?
We had 2 weeks holiday. We did 4 day trips and then we:
- Finished the hall ceiling
- Finished the hall woodwork
- Painted all the window frames
- Got rid of a van-load of rubbish
- Got rid of an old van
- Painted the new van
- Got rid of 2 old doors and bought 2 new doors
- Finished wallpapering
- Bought and fitted a bedroom carpet
We weren't even tired, it all just flowed. The people I work with couldn't believe it. ~ A.S., England
My spirit feels alive again
I went to the library on Tuesday like I usually do to pick up a book. I really started reading a few years ago and I'm pretty picky. For some reason, I bought your book at the library support shelf. It's the best investment I have made in the last 3 years.
I cleaned for the last 4 days and dumped 5 trash bags and about 5 boxes of junk. My wife along with my in-laws watched as I moved from one end of the house to the other organizing and cleaning the clutter. The strength I have gained is incredible!
The last three years have been the hardest of my life. Until I read your book and did what you suggested I was feeling doomed. I now feel my spirit alive again.
Today my home phone rang twice, not from creditors as it has been doing, but from new business prospects. And my son found toys and videos he thought he had lost because I cleaned up his playroom and organized the TV shelf for him.
I have always listened to motivational tapes and held my collection so close to my heart that no one dared touch them. About 10 minutes ago I listed the last one on Amazon. What a feeling. Believe it or not, many held their value so long that I broke even. Some I placed on CD and ended up keeping 5 real favorites that I will transfer to MP3 later on.
I really really want to thank you for writing your books and your work. My wife is amazed at what I have been doing because she always called me a pack rat. We both cleaned out the closet, organized, donated and gave away things this weekend. Soon after, I had 5 orders come in for my DVDs and a $250 donation. True story! I really don’t know what the fear or block was. Your book unlocked me! Thank you again. ~ Angelo L.
What happened when I started clutter clearing
Thanks a million for your clutter clearing book! Here's what happened:
- Monday evening I started reading your book - and kept reading til I was almost halfway through.
- Tuesday I went ninja :) on my home and decided to just give away everything that was blocking it.
- Wednesday 3/4 of the rubbish was gone. Somehow everything - including myself was slowing down. I was exhausted. I went on reading your book.
- Thursday I broke down, having a terrifying headache in the evening, and - what amazed me most having diarrhoea (not that elegant but hey). I have been constipated virtually most of my life...and I NEVER experienced a thing like this - needless to say I felt terrible, but terribly happy as well. It's like breathing different air.
- Now it's Friday and I still have a light headache, but the clutter is gone. Save for a vacuum cleaner and a paella-pot which I am confident will disappear as well.
My son likes your book too :) He's 7 months old and I found him chewing on it :)
Now it's time to clean. Thanks for lighting up our lives! ~ Alma, Germany
Clutter clearing stagnant stuff
I just wanted to thank you for such a useful and readable book! I had been doing some self-searching and improvement and had begun tackling my clutter, when a friend who lives in another part of the US spontaneously decided to send me a copy of your book. It arrived just in time to keep my momentum going, and to affirm that I had the right idea!
I began my clearing with my overgrown and wild gardens, then hauled some old and no longer loved or needed furniture out of the house. That led to a few carloads of clothes and odds and ends going to Goodwill, and I've STILL got plenty left to do! It feels SO GOOD each time an area is lightened and another load of "stagnant stuff" leaves the house!
I have asthma, and I'm finding I can breathe more easily and deeply, already, particularly in areas where the clearing out is nearly completed. I've always believed that we attract what we need into our lives, but your book showing up with such timing was certainly an affirmation of that theory! I am going out to get your other book, and seeing what more I can learn. I took a class in Feng Shui, last year, and while the teacher was very knowledgeable in the subject, she only mentioned that one's house "needs to be clean and tidy", and went on from there. At that time, I was mired in the lack of energy and "where to begin" miasma you so aptly describe in the book, and I tried a few of the principles without really clearing things out. I just cleaned up around the clutter, which isn't the same thing at all!
Anyway, thank you for your spare and clean little book which is helping me build a spare and clean little life!!! ~ Barbara, USA
Everything works better without clutter
My sister gave me your audiobook, clear your clutter with feng shui, a little over a year ago. you might think I was a bit crazy, but I listened to it at least 20 times. I am sure I bored everyone I know with how much I talked about you and the book.
I got off to a slow start with actually doing the work. I seemed to need to hear the message quite a few times, but I decided to be okay with that. Then my daughter came home from college and we went berserk. I kept an itemized list for the tax accountant and we donated $25,000.00 worth of extra stuff, which has been hanging around here for over 10 years, to the goodwill. With every load, I felt better and better. I know if I got back at it, there would be much more that could go.
My son came home from college at Christmas and he got into the swing of it too. So there are about 5 car loads needing to go.
My husband is the worst pack rat - but even he is beginning to get the message and has recently thrown away his beloved moldy old slippers.
But here is the kicker... I teach yoga in a small community, and have only been holding 2 classes per week, and moaning about how there isn't much business. Since ridding myself of all that junk, I have had endless new ideas about how I could create classes in this community. I am now holding 12 classes per week and my income is over 5 times as much as it was 4 months ago.
My husband and I are realizing that with all the junk gone, we could easily move to a smaller house, have more money freed up and much more free time, not spending time and money all on house and garden maintenance. I can't believe how much my life is changing.
The other thing I have noticed is that I have so much more energy, and I seem to have an endless capacity for creative ideas. Also a free and open feeling in my heart. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful, inspiring book. ~ J.P, USA
I have filled my station wagon nine times
I read your book, Clear You Clutter with Feng Shui, about 18 months ago. Since reading the book I have filled my station wagon up nine times with stuff to donate to charity. To this day, the book is still affecting me. I always felt drained when I came home. Friends never visited other than to pick me up at the door. With info I gained in the book I started to tackle small areas at a time.
The most inspiring section was the part on chatty cabinets. I realized I had a chatty house and hated a lot of big furniture items, as well as sheets, towels, dishes, lamps as they were given to me in less than prosperous times or they were gifts I felt guilty about throwing them out, or reminded me of past boyfriends - looking at all this stuff just made me angry. As I slowly started to remove all this stuff, I was able to replace them with items I had in storage that reminded me of good times from all my travels around the world. Now I have friends over several times a week and my place is a lot more comfortable.
If I want to buy souvenirs when I travel, I now try to make them be useful things, like tea towels with the castles I've seen so they are integrated into my life every day.One thing that stays with me from the book is that certain things you bring into your life have a time and place - some items just need to be removed after they have reached their usefulness. You give thanks that they came into your life when they did, but now they need to get passed on to someone else. ~ T.S
Five trash bags and counting
Your book comes also to Greenland, the biggest island of hole world. It is so fantastic written, that I already has thrown 5 big trass bags away, and that I still didn't biggin the kitchen and my living room. I thougt my home was perfect, but I find out, that I've got lot of clutter. First I get sich when I read your book, becouse I realised how much trass I've been collecting, inclute my son. But since I've get more and more energy and we are still go in on right way.
I'm sorry my English is little diffecult, but I'm sure you'll anderstand. Thank you so much, and God bless you. ~ Kristine, Greenland
Gleeful clutter clearing
For years I have fought my tendency to accumulate clutter with only limited success (I am one of those who once moved house with 23 empty jam jars - and who paid a removal firm to pack them!). I was given your two books by a friend at Christmas and with their inspiration I am finally kicking the habit!
Having gleefully sorted through a few drawers and my clothes cupboard, I decided to move on to the consideration of the location of my clutter in relation to the bagua. The bagua area of Fortunate Blessings had an accumulation of clutter and was the only area of the house which did not yet have properly arranged pictures or ornaments - just an old clock that did not work! It will come as no surprise to you to learn that the only area of concern in my life is money.
Inspired to try the system out, I cleared the clutter, fixed the clock, and then started to decorate the area. I found a picture of rice fields and luxuriant vegetation, hung it in place and walked across the room to judge the effect. As I turned around, it was like receiving a blow to my solar plexus - I felt a real jolt of energy. That evening my husband commented that he had not seen our two elderly cats cavorting around like that for years as they raced through the house. All night I felt as though we were sleeping beside a powerfully rushing stream - and the children felt it too, being unusually restless. In order to stem the flow, as it were, the next morning I positioned an ornament and a pot plant on the sideboard.
Amused at the effect of my little bit of directed clutter clearing, I examined the clutter in every room in turn and was astonished to discover that in every room, including the bathroom, my office at work, and the barn where we keep the pony, my favorite spot for clutter was .... Fortunate Blessings. To top it all the only place in the garden for the dustbin is, you've guessed it, Fortunate blessings!
I have systematically cleared every room and am working on the garden, and so far I can report the following results:
- I have been wanting a new piece of sports equipment but holding back because of the cost. One morning I was inspired to call a supplier to ask for a quote. That afternoon they called back and said they could supply me with what I wanted at a considerably reduced price because the previous day they had decided to make precisely that item for an exhibition.
- I took my daughter to buy some new shoes. The very pair we wanted, in the right colour and size, had just been marked down from 31 pounds to 10 pounds!
- On my way to do an errand for my mother in law I walk past a rail of children's clothes on sale and find an item in my daughter's size. A little further on I come across two matching items, also on sale. At the checkout they further reduce the items so that the total comes to less than 7 pounds.
- A contract that my husband has been working on was renewed without any of the hitherto customary administrative difficulties.
Coincidence or what? Perhaps another name for "fortunate blessings" is "good luck"! ~ S.B., UK
Your book has helped me so much
I live in Thailand. I bought your book (1998 edition, Thai translation) twice. The first time I bought it, I read it more than 3 times and I gave it to my friend. Then I thought about it so much that I bought it again and read it more than 5 times. After this, I was able to clear the clutter in my room, my condo, my house, my car and everywhere else. I felt exhausted but happy that I could make everything clean and clear and live with less things. I gave anything I hadn't used for a long time to other people. It felt very pleasing and after that, I felt relaxed and got new things instead. I would like to thank you very much. Your book has helped me make a new and better environment for me and my family. ~ Siriluck
49 projects at the rate of one per week
Your little book jerked me into action more than eight months ago and I am still at it. I put 49 items/projects on my list; small and big, costing from nothing to take care of to several thousand (new kitchen counters, for example). I put all those tasks on paper. I know that some will take a good deal more time to accomplish. I also realize that this is an ongoing activity.
At the beginning of this year, I promised myself to take care of one item per week. I pretty much stuck with it through the end of June, but now I am getting to the more laborious, or costly items which, by nature, will take more than a week to accomplish. I am OK with that; I just keep pecking away at it. The benefits of open space with the right things in it are manifold. - Emmy, USA
I found your book in my clutter!
Once I made the committed decision to clear, I mentioned it to my sister on the phone and she told me that I needed to purchase the book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. Oh no, I don't need that, I've got a book about that somewhere that my friend loaned me, so I'll be fine. Well, as I cleaned up my clutter, the piles decreased and guess what I discovered? Yes, it was the book - your book - but I hadn't remembered what my friend had given me. I should have started sooner! Thanks for writing such an important book. ~ A.N., USA
