freedom from what wears out our hearts

I've been studying feng shui this year and I love how physical and practical this ancient wisdom tradition is and how it works with the energy of both the seen and unseen.

And so I've been thinking about the act of making more space—literally and energetically. And I came back to this list I wrote years ago about the act of clearing things out. 

What clearing out gives us

a blank page
freedom from what wears out our hearts
a clean fridge
the bare and sometimes lonely
space to make
appreciation for strong packaging tape
the essentials
surprises
a lifted veil, a clearing of the smoke
truth telling
wide vistas
silence
an openness to change
a floor to sweep

I think the item on this list that most resonates with me right now is "freedom from what wears out our hearts." It might sound kind of hyperbolic to think that clutter can wear out our hearts, but clutter (and each person gets to define this for themselves) often represents deferred decisions or fuzziness about our own desires/longings, and in that way, I think it absolutely can wear out our hearts to bump up against everything we're deferring each time we see that room or that stack...or each time we engage in that mental "clutter" (those cul-de-sacs of old/false thoughts). 

Today I tried clearing something out and I started small—with one small but very full drawer in the kitchen—and while I did it, I named my intention: to let go of deferred decisions and fuzziness, to feel what it feels like to be clear. 

And I liked it! It felt like a real act of kindness toward myself and that little drawer. So I guess I'd add "an act of kindness" to my list now. 

What do you think? What would you add to the list? I'd love to hear. 

With care,
Brianna

p.s. I had a poem recently published in Wayfarer Magazine. It's about feeling like a swan out of water and being afraid of letting down my guard and then finally deciding to take risks again.  You can read it here.

top photo by @patrick