It’s sometimes hard to appreciate our great outdoor environment when our home environment feels overwhelmed by clutter. Clutter clouds our vision of who we most want to be, and what contributions we most want to make in the world.
If we’re feeling overwhelmed by our clutter, how do we reclaim a home for ourselves? One way is to carve out a dream nook– A spot we love where we place only objects of beauty. We honor this space by keeping it clutter-free (even if the rest of the house is a work in progress). We come here to spend time in relaxation, renewal, and inspiration. We can be so focused on what’s missing and what’s not working, that we fail to hear the voice inside that’s claimed what it loves and is happy and free. Here’s how we honor that voice in our homes:
1. Observe your space: It’s hard to create something new until you’re willing to be with what is. Look around your home as if it’s new territory. How does the space make you feel? Are you drawn energetically to some spots over others? Where do you feel uplifted? Where might the clutter feel oppressive. Keep a journal for a week noting your observations. Be careful to stay in curiosity, not judgment!
2. Choose your dream nook: This is a spot in your home you choose to make your space to dream. This is the spot you can return to where you feel safe, nurtured and energized. It can be a chair by a sunny window, a desk in the living room, a futon in a guest room — a place you can return to to relax, let go, and tap into inspiration. My dream nook is a comfortable chair in my bedroom facing a window with a view of trees.
3. Design your dream nook: This spot should aesthetically reflect only what you love. It should be clutter-free. It may contain a few sacred images and items. The images and objects should uplift you. They may connect you to your “soul homes” — a spot in nature, loved ones — anything that connects to and feeds your spirit. I have two pictures on the wall of a retreat I’ve spent time in and I have a dish of pine cones and sea glass I’ve collected from my “soul homes” of Cape Cod and the Berkshires.
