As always, serendipity is around me: just as I get ready to move abroad, I read a book about minimalism and decluttering.
Please find below my 10 reasons why you should read about minimalism and, should you read French, I recommend the book entitled “L’Art du minimalisme“.
1. The inside of our home is a mirror of the inside of ourselves
This is such a fascinating idea.
I was aware that the food I eat and the way I think had influence over my external circumstances.
Now, everything makes so much more sense. I understand that the place where I live also contributes to how I feel and how my life unfolds.
Taking care of our space is a way to get a healthy body but also a healthy home.
2. Making space to welcome life
Cleaning, tidying and getting rid of old stuff allows a new energy to enter our life.
It seems only logical to clear space in order to welcome new opportunities.
3. Having more
Letting go of materialism and choosing not to buy more possessions as a way of comforting ourselves: this is true wealth.
Our life is bigger and more spacious when it is not cluttered with objects.
4. The luxury of the best
Choosing to consume less and better means deciding to get only the very best.
Only one object but a quality one, which we can keep over a long period of time, can replace so many superfluous and cheap material stuff.
Allowing ourselves to get the very best is a way to prove our intrinsic worth to ourselves.
5. When shall I throw away something?
A good rule of thumb is to donate, sell or throw away any object which has not been used over the last year.
If I spot a dress in my wardrobe which has not been worn for a year, it will go.
6. Objects and people cluttering our life
Minimalism is far more than a neat and tidy home.
Surrounding ourselves by the necessary and getting rid of the superfluous is a good way to have a clearer mind, notably as regard to the people we choose to have around us.
My space as well as my time are very precious. Consequently, I choose not to stay in draining relationships.
7. Minimalism means more space then more time
An uncluttered and tidy home will be so much easier to clean. Housecleaning will be much less time-consuming as a result.
8. Minimalism = less stress
Getting rid of the heavy load of possessions which clutter our home is a way of feeling lighter and reducing stress.
What fascinates me is the link between our material life and our spiritual life. They really go hand in hand and influence each other.
9. Increasing our wealth
Being a victim to the advertisement industry which aims at creating needs makes us poor.
Committing to buying an object only when we really need it increases our wealth.
10. What is the most precious thing on earth?
Health of course! No object can ever replace health. Less stress, more health.
Let’s be brave enough to give minimalism a try. Its amazing results can change our whole life.
Also, the Ho’oponopono technique illustrates the great power of words. See the book Ho’oponopono The Hawaiian Forgiveness Ritual as the Key to Your Life’s Fulfillment:
Lastly, it is my wish that we teach our children to use their mouth wisely and be impeccable with their words, following The Four Agreements:
The emotional healing part interested me the most in this book.
There is a fabulous interview of Doctor Habib Sadeghi by Inspire Nation available here.
Feeling our emotions and self-care
The clarity cleanse is a book which teaches us to contain (be present with) our emotions, instead of suppressing them or being overwhelmed by them. I love the emphasis put on giving meaning to a traumatic experience. By processing what happens into our life, we avoid our body to be damaged by it and start showing it with disease. When Doctor Sadeghi writes that “our biography dictates our biology“, it is yet another reason to practice self-care. Moreover, self-care is generous, I am deeply convinced of this. Dr Sadeghi clearly states that “giving to ourselves first is one of the greatest gifts we could ever give to those we love“.
2. Flowing with change
Dr Sadeghi says that everything is changing, moving, so we are not stuck either. Our circumstances will change. It reminds be of buddhism.
3. Taking responsability for own emotional waste
I can also draw a parallel between The clarity cleanse and The four agreements when Dr Sadeghi explains that it is our responsability to process our emotional waste, instead of burdening other people with it.
I loved the exercise where we are invited to start a dialogue between our judgemental self and our authentic self, by asking open-ended questions about what bothers us in life. It is even advised to alternatively sit on two separate chairs to do this exercise.
4. Can you spot the lesson in this?
As I teach my children, in every bad thing we can find a good thing. In a more elaborate way, The clarity cleanse reads “in every negative experience there is vital information that will serve us by helping us learn and grow“. Understanding what lessons our circumstances teach us is a prerequisite to adopting a positive view about them.
5. Accepting what is
I can also find some similarity between The clarity cleanse and Byron Katie’ books (notably Loving what is) when Dr Sadeghi writes that the important thing is to accept what is. Therefore, may we accept pain as we accept joy, knowing things move and change.
6. Forgiveness starts with ourselves
Dr Sadeghi teaches us to forgive ourselves, for thinking we needed validation of others, for believing we were unworthy of love. This is such a valuable lesson.
7. Body and mind
The whole point of this book is to demonstrate how body and mind are connected. It goes against the French philosopher Descartes, who coined the idea of our mind being totally separated from our body.
8. Clarity is a journey
Seeking clarity is a life’s journey and it is not easy. It reminded of a great Teal Swan video called “Will Healing Ever End? – Teal Swan“. Nevertheless, this ongoing process does not mean in any way we are broken sister.
Clarity raises our oxytocin levels, the love hormone, the more we put effort into it. Persistence, patience and consistency are key words here. It leads to faith, knowing our desires will come to fruition even though we do not know how yet, then the manifestation of our desires.
Clarity also mean doing some spring cleaning into our relationships. I personally experienced the relief letting go of toxic people brings.
9. What is lack of clarity?
Lacking clarity means having preconceived judgements, misinterpretations or limiting beliefs. They make reality cloudy.
At the end of The clarity cleanse, there is a list of definitions. I can relate to the one about emotional posturing. As I explain in my book The knot in the spiral this is exactly what kept me trapped into an abusive relationship for so long. This is the definition: “repressing our emotions by pretending our lives or our situations are different/better than they actually are“.
10. Clarity in our plate
The first detox diet of The clarity cleanse is a mix of sardines, brown rice and apples. I adapted this diet for a 5 day cleanse with apples as monomeals and lemon water. I do not want to go back to eating cooked food, because switching to raw changed my life in so many positive ways. It would feel very bad, because being 100% raw is an achievement for me. I cannot wait for The clarity cleanse to be adapted to us raw foodists. However, I tried to eat only apples, sprouts, seaweed and olive oil for a day and it was a disaster. I am sure it could go very well for you, but personally I am not a big fan of apples and hated it. I had two cups of hemps seeds, maca powder and cacao nibs and it felt like coming alive again. Please keep in mind this is very personal. My goal is to be honest with you on this point. You may love the detox diet and find great results afterwards.
Read more
I love the list of recommended books at the end. Very inspiring.
Letting go as children grow is an invitation to parent our children with integrity. Our actions matter so much more than our words. Also, our children need to feel that they belong. Then discipline comes naturally. Lastly, Deborah Jackson emphasizes the importance of self-care for mothers. I cannot agree more. I love her books so much my friend, my sister. Letting go as children grow has been on my book shelf for over 10 years and I reread it often, as my children grew.
I also love the book Three in a bed so much. It changed the way I took care of my newborn babies and parented my children.
Shadow work does not mean that religion has nothing to do with it. If you belong to a religion sister, know that the priest Jean Monbourquette wrote an excellent book about getting to know and to love our repressed emotions.
My friend, my sister, feel free to share with the community the references of any book you feel is helpful to associate shadow work with other religions, and help other women. Thank you.
