Thought by thought . . .

This is the first in a series of exploring our word for the month, qualities that when fully actualized allow us to live serenely and feel whole.

Serenity…for a long long while I yearned to change my name to this….Serenity Lynne…Hmm …and I still may..but I resonate with this word so deeply much for this reason:

Serenity — to me – is the feminine version of peace….the what I connect deeply with and what I seek to live and to think 24/7, 60/60 (minutes/hr), every. single. second.

Hmmmm. Nice soothing aspiration yes?

Yet….gently she admits…I’m good if I stay there coupla hours a day…..It’s the goal surely to feel and exude inner and outward serenity. It typifies how I seek to emulate spirituality in my daily journey.

So for this post, I’m gonna offer one tool (and 3 more throughout January) that enables me to evolve the being and the doing and the living of serenity in an ooberly simple way.

Ready:

Create a serene environment in my home dwelling space.

Breathe.

I’m not talking hire the best fung shui designer in your town or redecorate starting yesterday.

I’m speaking gently…I’m speaking practically.

To evolve a serene environment in which you dwell, be honest with your heart about every single object that surrounds you, that you’ve held onto, or really are not very conscious of anymore, it’s just there.

Now this may take some real thoroughly focused thought.

And that’s okay.

Choose one corner of one room of your dwelling space.

Review each object in that space.

And ask this simple question: “Does this thing comfort me?”

If it does, by all means, keep it.

If it does not, by all means, give it wings.

Much exists within the blogosphere about the different energies objects manifest…but I don’t resonate so much with that thought. No object I know of has an intelligence in and of itself.

But here’s the thing: everything we think, we experience, directly or indirectly.

So if you’re staring at an heirloom gifted to you by a relative from whom you experienced a lot of harsh hurtful criticisms that object doesn’t comfort you. It reminds you of the criticisms and harsh tones of that relative.

Give it wings.

If you’re staring at several gowns you obtained at various stages throughout your career you wore to black tie events or very dressy social type galas and yet haven’t worn them in the past year and further if each dress reminds you of every milisecond of that event and it’s not a happy memory, give it wings.

If you’re staring at a trunk filled with dollies and stuffed animals from your childhood that you promised your mother you would save to share with your daughters one day and the last you checked there weren’t any little girls crawling or toddling around your apartment, give the dollies and the trunk wings.

You get my point.

Lemme continue a bit: comfort is a feeling of safety. Comfort is a feeling of love. Comfort is a feeling of protection, warmth, light, glow. Surrounded in comfort externally, we can feel comfort within a wee tad easier and quicker than if we’re surrounded by objects that indirectly stab our heart from the memory or remind us of an unpleasant character, behavior, whatever.

Many will shun this.

I hear you.

“By golly woman you are so weak. Get over the dern feelings about the object. So and so gave these to you out of love and more they’re worth thousands of dollars are heirlooms and you’d be foolish to part with them.”

Trust me ya’ll?

Give that stuff, all of that stuff that you’re holding onto for obligation or someday or whatever moment– give it all wings.

Our homes are not storage warehouses for holding onto every last item ever given to us. Nor are our dwelling spaces museums to show a collection of love objects of a life.

Yet, if being surrounded by the bounty comforts you, no need whatsoever to change a thing.

We women get a bit too loo loo about the value of objects.

There’s no greater value than our thought about the object.

If our thought about the object is stale, hurtful, condescending or whatever dark feeling, I don’t care if the thing is worth $1 million dollars, it’s not comforting us.

I could stretch this hugely much and say the same holds true for the space we dwell in, the city we dwell in and the car we drive and lifestyle we are choosing to live.

I’m speaking from years of experience.

I’ve overhauled everything down to my lingerie drawer and have had zero regrets. Zero.

Some years it’s been a light giving wings type of year, other years it involved selling the contents of a 2 bedroom condo and moving across country.

But I’m speaking about serenity and she evolves herself in baby steps…one thought and moment at a time.

So take that one little corner of one section of your studio apartment or home or estate and ask yourself with each object: Does this comfort me?

It’s an infant size ask…yet what you choose to do with the response will have a magnanimous effect on your life and your ability to feel more serene in your home, the most important space you dwell in.

Here to help, hold your hand through the process, or congratulate you once you’ve given some items wings.

But do gift yourself this way….

New beginnings, new moments invite us to shed that which isn’t supporting our now.

Thoughts that are not fully comforting do not support our now.

Objects that trigger thoughts that are not comforting need wings….

Give them wings.

(And ps, wings doesn’t have to mean take multiple loads to Goodwill though that is a beautiful thing to do and the way I choose to give my objects wings, either Goodwill or the local Women’s Shelters. Some of you will wanna ebay stuff. Great. Just realize that the length of time you hold onto the object you may still be holding onto the uncomfortable feeling. And the goal is serenity. )

Eager to hear what works for you….