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The Language of Clutter

Michelle Cromer May 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

Cluttered workroom — Photo by Lisa from Pexels

When I walk into a client’s home and I see bursting cupboards, piles of paper stacked around the house, messy desks, wallets that can’t close, and closets jam-packed with old clothes, I know my client feels stuck in many aspects of their lives. Constant untidiness is an obstacle. External clutter tells me that there is internal clutter because our surroundings are actually the projection of our inner world.

Throughout the last 15 years of working with hundreds and hundreds of clients, I have developed something I call, “the language of clutter.” Clutter talks to me depending on where it is, and what it is. However, like any language, we all must translate the meaning according to our personal perspective and our own life.

Below are eight clutter areas I often see:

The over-packed desk – a desk is symbolic of our careers, so the owner is most likely feeling stuck at work. After the desk is organized, the person is able to focus their awareness and receive clarity on future plans.
The disorganized kitchen – the cluttered kitchen speaks of emotional fragility or resentments not overcome. The message is to review emotions surrounding family relationships and to pay attention to what nurtures each member of the family.
Unorganized garage – when there are too many objects in the garage it implies fear of the new. The garage represents stability, security, and safety. After the garage is organized the overall sense of being grounded is felt.
Messy closet – what are you hiding? Know your truth and find the courage and strength to express it.
Clinging to old clothes – clothes represent our identity, and our ability to be seen. Give yourself permission to grow and change.
Books that build up – books can easily pile up. They represent our wisdom, passion, and what we deem to be important. Simply ask yourself what you believe and allow your belief systems to evolve and reflect your current life stage. Repurpose your old books to public libraries, schools, homeless shelters, and neighbors.
Cluttered wallet – if our wallets are unorganized and ignored, this could reflect the relationship we have with our finances. Revisit your finances and take the time to get all your accounts in order.
Unkempt bedroom – our bedroom, no matter where it might be in the house, will always represent our relationships, the intimacy we share with our partners, and the energy surrounding romance. Look at this room in your home and spend time reviewing any emotional clutter surrounding personal relationships.

A cluttered home can negatively influence the perception of our home and ultimately the satisfaction of life. A home isn’t just a place to live it is a broader constellation of experiences, meanings, and situations that shape the creation of our world. Cleaning up clutter can have a positive effect on all aspects of our lives.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

Is Eating Meat Good Feng Shui?

Michelle Cromer April 18, 2022 Leave a Comment

I recently was asked the question, “ Is Eating Meat Good Feng Shui?”

There are many schools of feng shui and there are many ways to interpret feng shui just like yoga. Dating back 2000 years yoga drew on a range of traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism but it wasn’t until medieval times that physical postures were introduced.

Modern-day yoga still has echoes of these religious beliefs like the dance pose for example is a representation of the Hindu God Shiva. Today in the West we put goats on our backs and do yoga and we call it exercise, so we truly have westernized this ancient practice.

Same thing with Feng Shui. It has roots in early Taoism and stems from the Taoist belief in chi or the life force that inhabits everything. When feng shui spread to China and Buddhists began to adopt this practice then they added that a feng shui principle was not to consume meat based on their principle– do no harm. This was grounded on the five Buddhist commitments, which are: abstaining from killing live beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication. Within Buddhist doctrine, they are meant to develop mind and character to make progress on the path to enlightenment.

That was around the barn and through the fence – as we say in Texas – to say that it depends on what feng shui you practice. When feng shui was introduced in the west it was altered eliminating any religious connotation. For example, my sister is a vegan but she is not a Buddhist, she is a Christian but she can’t fathom doing harm to any animals. My friend Alex who films my videos is a vegan and he has brought his awareness into my life, and he practices feng shui. I am not a vegan but if I wear python boots I don’t eat snakes – and I used to and they are delicious. If I wear leather, which I do, I do not eat red meat. So there is a tradeoff that makes me feel like I am balancing my chi.

My grandmother used to bless the energy of the animal she was about to consume and thank it for its life. She did this not only to honor the life of the animal but also to defuse the energy of fear the animal must have felt before he was killed. She used to say you ingest the fear if you don’t bless the spirit. So to answer your question, it just depends.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

You Are What you Think

Michelle Cromer April 4, 2022 Leave a Comment

I have heard the phrase, “you are what you think,” my whole life. My parents would say this to me constantly. At my university, I studied great philosophers and high achievers who have also agreed on this universal truth.

Isn’t the power of the mind a curious thing? It is so powerful yet so difficult to control sometimes. We often find ourselves thinking a certain way, knowing that this thought may be creating trouble for us yet we find it difficult to stop. For example, many people have the experience of getting sick at the same time every year. They may not even be aware that their beliefs impact their experiences, so continue to think they will get sick, and then they do.

We can use our thoughts to communicate to our bodies, yet we often regard the two as separate entities that have little to do with one another. But they are the same.

Here are a few examples of how you can change negative thoughts into positive ones:

Negative: I did nothing today.
Positive: I have a chance to be more productive tomorrow.
Negative: I am so drained.
Positive: I have worked hard and deserve some rest.
Negative: I won’t be able to get through this week.
Positive: I will feel so proud of myself once this week is over.
Negative: I keep failing.
Positive: I am learning new lessons daily and preparing for success.
Negative: I am not good enough.
Positive: I am worthy of endless blessings. Nothing and no one is out of my league.

Pay attention to the tapes running in your mind. Hear yourself. Harness the power of your mind and choose supportive and healing words that foster good health and high spirits.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

Taking a Pause

Michelle Cromer March 28, 2022 Leave a Comment

I recently had major surgery, and I thought during my recovery I would have time to finish my book, as well as think about my next one. My plan was to sit in bed and work while I healed. However, I had a watershed pivotal moment. I decided to do nothing.

Stopping was attractive and scary.

I had stopped when I walked El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, which at first was a goal to be achieved rather than an experience to be enjoyed. As the days passed I got into the rhythm and allowed myself just to be.

Here’s what I have learned: if you don’t stop to think, life will force you to stop and think. The irony is, if you make slowing down the goal it sets you up to fail. There is more to life than getting things done.

Time isn’t a commodity at all and it isn’t scarce: 45 minutes spent with someone you deeply love is not the same as 45 minutes in my killer spin class.

I want to invite you to let go of the idea that time is linear and think of it the same way we experience it, like elastic, variable, and layered. I am not interested in how you can cram more into your life but in how you get more out of it.

A pause is an opening. And it acts as a portal to other options and choices.

How do you pause?

You start with breath, which connects the mind and the body.
Go outside and plant your feet in the grass. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds.
Take a slow walk. Be silent. Don’t think, just look and take in all the beauty that surrounds you.
A weekly pause was built into religious traditions – a day of rest. Determine if taking a day of rest is right for you.
Go somewhere. There is power in the place. I go to Sedona, and my son goes to Burning Man for example.
Use your birthday as a pause. Take a day and do nothing.

This isn’t complicated but it is absorbing. A pause is an opening, which allows, enables, permits, and invites all sorts of possibilities. A pause does not demand, command, or control. It allows something to happen which would otherwise not occur, and you never quite know what that will be.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

4 Ways to Activate the Wealth and Abundance Section of Any Space

Michelle Cromer March 6, 2022 Leave a Comment

If you are needing more abundance in your life I always recommend looking at the far left corner of your home or office. What is there? How is it decorated? What colors are you using? Are the five elements balanced? This particular area loves the water element because it represents power and flow. Two things we need to bring abundance in our lives.

I like the look and feel of this five-element room. Let’s start with the water element, a water feature – the painting of a waterfall. I can’t think of a more powerful image for this area. A waterfall is so forceful and never stops flowing, just as in the case of the money that flows for this family.

As you can see the very corner of this room is activating the wealth and abundance of this family by having a lamp that will “light the way for abundance.” And there is another lamp opposite it, bringing harmony, both bringing in passion and the fire element.

Metal is represented in the color gray of the rug and the couch.
The wooden table and the hardwood floor bring in the wood element.
The flowers on the table, as well as the shape of all the squares in this room, act to ground the space with earth energy.
The room is free of clutter, and is balanced; two blue chairs, two pillows, and two lamps bring in the yin and yang energy.

Finally, no matter what this space may be in your home it must look and feel rich in nature through fabric, color, or structure. Even if this space is your garage you can make sure it is free of clutter and perhaps paint a wall a rich color like deep purple, green or blue. It’s important to spend time in this area visualizing the abundance in your life and standing in gratitude for all the abundance in your life.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color. Visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

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