Thoughts Worth Sharing
THREE STEPS TO LIGHTENING YOUR HOME, YOURSELF AND YOUR WORLD
1 - INNER PEACE AND HAPPINESS BEGIN IN THE HOME.
At the root of this statement is an ancient Talmudic concept called “Shalom Bayit,” which literally means “Home Peace” in Hebrew. Combining this wisdom with my interior design experience, working with families in their homes, I believe that your physical surroundings at home possess the power to set the stage for your life. Your home is where you go to sleep every night, and where you wake up every morning. When looked at it this way, the importance of feeling good in your home really becomes clear.
We are all, by nature, very visual. We’ve all heard of the saying: “Out of sight, out of mind.” The same could be said for the opposite: In sight, in mind. Just the way a simple haircut or a new outfit can help a person take the next steps to improve on the inside, the same goes for a home makeover. We often see things first, and then we can feel them.
So get rid of the clutter and of all the heavy and stressful physical barriers in your home, and replace them with things that make you feel light, happy and productive.
Now that your physical surroundings have been lightened, you have the clarity and freedom to begin to focus on your heart and mind.
2 - LISTENING TO YOUR HEART AND MIND IS LISTENING TO YOUR TRUE SELF.
How do you access your true self? By first getting to know yourself better. The simplest and most enjoyable way to do this is by putting yourself in the position to live in the moment as much as you can.
The ability to live in the moment - focusing only on the present - is important because you need time to relax and to clear your mind from all the responsibility and chatter that you deal with every day. Just like you’ve cleared your home from the clutter, you are clearing your mind from a different form of clutter, known as chatter.
Enjoy and be present in the moment to fully experience what you are doing. For me, taking a dance class is my ultimate way of living in the moment. In a dance class, the music is energizing and the new choreography makes me zone in. All I am focusing on is the beat of the music and the dance steps. If my mind wanders off even slightly to the typical things we think of - like did I reply to that email, or what am I supposed to pick up at the grocery store later - I would not be able to pick up the dance routine and I’d be lost and frustrated. So if you find something that keeps you interested enough to stay present in that activity, you will stay in the moment and fully experience it. To live in the moment means to truly experience the present action you are engaged in without being distracted by other thoughts, worries, past and future events, to do’s, or anything else. Your ultimate living-in-the-moment activity might be tennis, painting, running, playing guitar, listening to music,…you name it! As long as you are focusing only on the present!
Living in the moment gives you a break from thinking of the past or the future. It quiets your mind so that you can really understand how you feel and what you want. In essence, you are getting to know yourself in this present moment.
3 - THE CONFIDENCE IN KNOWING YOURSELF WILL ALLOW YOU TO LOVE AND RESPECT YOURSELF; THUS, LOVE AND RESPECT OTHERS.
There is a power in knowing who you are, how you feel, and what you want. It is only when you love and respect yourself, that you can give love and respect to others.
Back to the concept of “Shalom Bayit” – that inner peace and happiness begin in the home - you must begin with loving and respecting your family - your home unit. Without love, respect, open
communication, and positive relationships in the home, it is unlikely to experience this out in the world.
Imagine if you and everyone in your office or place of work were happy with your home environments. Every one of us would be more apt to love, respect and communicate constructively; thus, experience positive relationships with each other. Self-improvement, love and respect not only help yourself, but help those you interact with.
Simply put, peace in the home is the stepping-stone to peace in the world!
CHEAT SHEET:
1- Eliminate that physical clutter so that you can feel free to begin to listen to your heart and mind.
2 - Listen to your true self by taking opportunities to be in the moment so that you can eliminate your mind chatter and get to know yourself better.
3 - With that power of knowing, comes love and respect for yourself, which leads to love, respect and positive relationships in your home.
“Shalom Bayit” - peace in the home will then swell over to peace in the world.
