Alchemy is the process of turning lead into gold. Internal alchemy (personal transformation) occurs when we clear our clutter, internal and external, and let go of things that no longer serve us well. This creates balance and space, a place that encourages contentment, which I believe is true success. ~Laurie Buchanan
You know how it is. The demands of life, work, family, and commitments crowd out other things that need to be done but aren’t urgent. Finally, you realize that you just can’t stand it, that you can’t keep putting things off in the “I’ll do it sometime” category. That’s where we often relegate housework and other tedious chores.
Here is the problem. Its environment impacts its tranquility. Your work and living spaces not only reflect your attitude, they influence it. Crowded, dusty, and cluttered spaces create edgy, unsettling feelings.
David understood how essential the environment was. As a shepherd boy, he led his sheep to a lush environment with plenty of food, water, and rest. He kept the herd well supplied and protected. When he wrote Psalm 23, he compared his care for the sheep to God’s care for us. Of his own personal environment, he wrote: “Surely good and mercy follow me. God restores my soul. My cup overflows!”
Do you feel blessed, surrounded by goodness and peace in your own personal environment? Do you feel happy and at peace with your surroundings? Or is there a series of undone things that you keep putting off?
When God created a space for His family, He declared that everything was “very good.” Even today, we refer to beautiful and peaceful places as Eden. God wants his children to live in a beautiful and peaceful environment. Part of that peace and contentment comes from his inner attitudes, but the other part comes from his atmosphere. So how do you create your own piece of Eden?
Look for. First, understand that peace is actually an inside job and that you can have it regardless of what is going on around you. Jesus said: “My peace I give you… do not let your heart be troubled or afraid”. In other words, let go of all the “stuff” that bothers you. Instead, Seek peace and pursue it (Ps. 34:14). Pursuing means chasing after it, going after it as something valuable and necessary.
My husband gets irritated by ‘things’: traffic, people, tools, his computer, the remote control. In a very real sense, he practices being angry and upset. None of those things are purposely trying to annoy him, but he lets them. He forgets to seek peace. However, it is possible to take control of negative emotions and say to yourself, “No, I am looking for peace. I will not allow myself to get angry.”
Here’s a revelation: the devil knows exactly what buttons to push in your life to get to you. He sets you up to get mad! Don’t give it so much power. You are at the center of your personal environment. Focus on God’s blessings and banish all those negative emotions.
Look around. Does what you see hurt? Does it make you smile or feel ’embraced’? Or do all the ‘stuff’ mix together in…disorder and chaos?
My mother collected angels and birds… and dishes, and… When she passed away, I “inherited” her collections. She brought them home, put them on a shelf (well, more than one!) and then had to dust them regularly. They weren’t things that blessed me, they were just my mother’s and I wasn’t sure how to let them go.
Sometimes we create emotional ties to physical things that become substitutes for relationships or spiritual peace. Letting go of my mom’s things didn’t change the relationship or the memories. Ultimately, I gave away most of the collections and was left with only a few key pieces that really touched my heart. Now there is less maintenance, less mess, and the pieces I have have made me smile.
Clutter is an outward sign of internal turmoil (as well as an out-of-control schedule). How much of what you have do you really need? What if you downsize, rearrange, and remove some of the clutter? Think about it. Don’t you feel better after cleaning the house? Doesn’t the fresh smell and visual appearance make you smile?
Be aware. The things you commit to also affect your environment. For example, I am on several committees of different organizations. Each of them involves meetings, documents, to-do lists, and sometimes personality conflicts. It’s easy to let your calendar get so cluttered with other people’s projects that you no longer have “me time”—peace time.
Here’s a hint: If what you’re doing isn’t inspiring anymore, it might be time to get out. There will always be groups and organizations that do good things and need time and money. Maybe you got involved because a friend asked you for help. Maybe what you’re doing is a holdover from long ago. Maybe it’s time to evaluate the blessing vs. stress of that particular engagement. Maybe it’s time to let it go.
Review. Enter your home or office and observe it as if you were a stranger. Pretend you haven’t seen it before. What would you change? Perhaps a fresh coat of paint or a new set of drapes would brighten the room. Rearrange the furniture. Add some ambient lighting. Put a new picture on the wall. Do something that makes your heart say “Wow!” when you enter the space.
Never underestimate the power of the surprise factor. It’s an inner satisfaction that says, “This is beautiful. I’m comfortable here. This is my Eden. I want to spend time in this space.”
My husband and I donate to various charities. One of them is Habitat for Humanity. Because? Because I believe that everyone should have and enjoy their home as much as we enjoy ours. Home is a refuge, a personal Eden, and I know it is a blessing from God. The Bible says that He abundantly gives us all things to enjoy (I Timothy 6:17). I try to maintain an atmosphere of peace and blessing, a place of comfort that I want to come home to, and friends that want to visit.
Look in. Ultimately, your personal environment and your personal peace are an inside job. Your decisions, or lack thereof, moment by moment, create your life and your environment. You can choose to sit on the couch or get up and do the dishes. You can ignore the mess on the dining table or make the decision to clean up the mess, then keep it clean! Take responsibility for the things you do and shouldn’t… or the things you don’t do and should.
I like to play games on my tablet. It is relaxing and drowns out the clamor of worries and responsibilities. Problem? I can spend hours playing solitaire and then realize I really wanted to do laundry and clean the kitchen. My selfish choice now means I’ll have to look at the dirty kitchen when I get up in the morning and have no clean socks! And no one to blame but myself.
Your personal environment and your peace of mind are the direct result of your choices and actions. Watch your attitude and let go of worry and agitation. Look around you and make changes that are consistent with peace and contentment. Eliminate clutter in your environment and on your calendar. Then look around you and declare, as God did, “This is so good!”