The clearing

Before I can think about creating a personal sanctuary, I need to create stillness. I need what I call The Clearing. The uncluttered floor, the empty desk, the tabletop of nothingness. I need to make room.At work I clear my schedule to make room for something important.When kids come back from school, calendars are cleared to make room for time with them.When I’m overwhelmed, I clear my head with a walk outside, surrounded by the beauty of nature. When I need perspective, I'll find a clearing in the woods where I can see a little further across the forest floor than when I’m surrounded by a thicket of trees.Clearing means to make room -- we need some elbow room to move around. The simplicity of an uncluttered surface opens the way to mental space because it’s less visually noisy.All the things that are sitting in my space talk to me. You know what I mean. They say things like...

• Bills: "You need to pay me."
• Pens: "You need to pick me up and write with me!"
• Computer: "You need to use me...for just about every single thing you can think of--and don't even get me started on all the things you haven't taken the time to learn about me!"

But a clean space? It's like that brand new notebook you brought with you on that first day of school. The one that said only one thing: "Everything is ready, and anything is possible." Well, that sentence is coming at you again, this time via whatever surfaces you want. So clear the way because once again, everything is ready, and anything is possible.With appreciation,Lisa