December 2013 - How clutter is stealing your joy

“It is not the daily increase but the daily decrease; hack away the unessential” — Bruce Lee

ISSN 2277 – 5153 VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 ` 100

How clutter is stealing your joy [and what you can do about it] p22

Editor’s insights

More or less?

Manoj Khatri manoj.khatri@completewellbeing.com

facebook.com/infinitemanoj twitter.com/ManojKhatri

Clutter can, and frequently does, affect all aspects of your life. It drains your energies and makes your environment vulnerable to small and big hazards 02 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

T

he newspaper shelf is flooded, the centre table has dozens of unopened envelopes, the drawers are in utter chaos, the cabinets are a mess and the closet is overflowing with surplus clothes. There’s stuff all around the house. And then you wonder why you can never find your keys, blaming some

guy called Murphy!

To the layperson, clutter seems a harmless, if inconvenient, phenomenon. But make no mistake. Clutter can, and frequently does, affect all aspects of your life.

It drains your energies and makes your environment vulnerable to small and big hazards. Perhaps the worst consequence of physical clutter in your surroundings, research points out, is that it diminishes your ability to think and act clearly, leading to poor performance and increased stress.

There’s more. Peter Walsh, author of Does This Clu er Make My Bu Look Fat?, actually found an association between excess weight and the amount of clutter in your kitchen, your pantry, and your home. Who could’ve imagined that clearing out your closets and cabinets could be the best exercise for getting rid of that extra flab, which by the way, is akin to clutter in your body.

OK, you are convinced of the hidden dangers of clutter. Now what? Go to the cover story on pg 22 right away and let Andrew Mellen tell you the rest. An organisational expert and best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life!, Andrew has used his years of experience to explain the value of living a de-cluttered life and offers easy and fun ways to getting and staying organised.

First he tells you why identifying your core values is fundamental to successfully de-cluttering. Later, he shares The Organisational Triangle®—an easy to understand and easier to implement method of clearing the mess and bringing back order into your life.

I particularly like his ideas on how to stay motivated through the process of decluttering, especially when you are aiming to reverse years of accumulated mess.

His approach to deciding the value of a possession strikes a chord too. There’s a lot more well-meaning advice in there, which I’ll let you discover.

But once you’ll finish reading the cover story, you’ll appreciate, as I do now, the real meaning of the old adage “less is more”.

Don’t forget to write to me about your experiences—it’s a pleasure to know that we made a difference.

Complete Wellbeing

www.completewellbeing.com Vol VIII Issue 02 DEC 2013

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER | Manoj Khatri EDITORIAL ADVISOR | Dr Grazilia Khatri ASST. EDITOR | Charishma Thankappan ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR | Amit Amdekar SR GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Mukesh Patel EDITORIAL OFFICE 502, A wing, Sagar Tech Plaza, Saki Naka Junction, Andheri-Kurla Road, Mumbai 400072.

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ONLINE BUSINESS | Rahul Baji ADVERTISING SALES | M Shankar E-mail: adsales@completewellbeing.com

ACCOUNTS | Geetha Karkera

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS TRENDING THIS MONTH >>

De-clutter your life

By Andrew Mellen

BULK SUBSCRIPTIONS Call: 022-6742 0900 E-mail: copysales@completewellbeing.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Call: 022-6742 0900 E-mail: subscriptions@completewellbeing.com PRINTED AT | Rajhans Enterprises PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY | Manoj Khatri, on behalf of Complete Wellbeing Publishing Pvt Ltd., at Rajhans Enterprises, No. 134, 4th Main Road, Industrial Town, Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560044, and published from Complete Wellbeing Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 502, A wing, Sagar Tech Plaza, Saki Naka Junction, Andheri-Kurla Road, Mumbai 400072.

Tel/Fax: 022-6742 0900 Editor: Manoj Khatri © Complete Wellbeing Publishing Pvt Ltd., All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or in whole, in print, electronic or any other form, is strictly prohibited.

DISCLAIMER | Complete Wellbeing is dedicated to providing useful, well-researched information on holistic health/wellbeing, but its contents are not intended to provide medical advice/diagnosis for individual problems or circumstances, or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers are advised to always consult their physician/healthcare professional/therapist, prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment, or practice, or with any questions they may have regarding a medical/health condition.

The views expressed by writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor, publisher, or Complete Wellbeing.

Using masculine pronouns ‘he’, ‘him’ or ‘his’ for subjects of unknown gender is considered prejudicial. We respect both genders and hence use feminine and masculine pronouns interchangeably.

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22 In the spotlight

32 Dancer, choreographer

Terence Lewis open his heart

By Manoj Khatri

RESOLVE >>

INDULGE >>

76 Why ‘my way or the highway’

42 Festive flavour of chocolate

Career & workplace won’t work

By Sara Canaday

Health & vitality

92 Sinusitis—clearing the block

By Ravikiran Vernekar

Complete Wellbeing

Food & nutrition

By Sanjeev Kapoor

Leisure

52 Celebrate this New Year with a difference

By CompWell

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 03

EXPLORE >> Travel

56 The exotica called Belfast

By Raul Dias

Self-help 90

TRANSFORM >> Consciousness

84 Embrace learning, reject

68 Finding the perfection in

64

imperfection

By Wayne Allen

Perspective

86 Contemporising spirituality

By Himanshu Rai

knowledge

UNWIND >> Sleep

62 Sleeping tips for the middle-aged

By Osho

90 Detachment—your path to spirituality

By Dada Vaswani

By Carol Wyer

MANAGE >> Parenting

Leisure

64 Learn to relax yourself instantly

By Nicole Paulie

70 Simplifying single fatherhood

By Avidan Milevsky

DISCOVER >> Food & nutrition

40 How to grow your own food

By Charmaine D’Souza

Self-help

66 Wear your style: even if it’s loud

By Ginger Burr

Leisure

78 Fashioning the language of the earth

By Nausheen Bari

46

DECIDE >> Exercise

36 The when, how and how much of cardio

By Akshay Chopra

Self-help

74 You will receive, but first ask

By Fay Hart

94 Say thanks, no matter the situation

By Corinne Rodrigues

UNLEARN >> Health & vitality

46 Don’t follow food trends blindly

By Puja Madan

REGULARS >> 08 12 14 16 49 50 52 82 96 98

CW Talkback Write Notes Events Happy happenings Month Freshener Look who’s talking

New

CW Select Confession booth

New

New kits on the block Reflections

New

94 04 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

Complete Wellbeing

An innovative solution for sanitation

R

W

e have all faced crime in our localities in some way or the other. But how many of them get resolved?

How many are even reported?

Three graduates of the Delhi College of Engineering have taken up the initiative to make their society crime-free. For this, they set up a web application Zerocrime.org that maps out criminal activity in your area. It enables people to not just keep a watch on crimes happening in their areas, but also keep a tab on the responsiveness of authorities in dealing with them.

Users can register themselves and report incidents of crime in their areas. An area with many reports gets tagged in the map, which alerts fellow citizens and travellers. Users are also encouraged to file their cases in the police.

Mukesh Gupta, Swapnil Jain and Gautam Garg, the brains behind the enterprise, are keen to reach out and provide their services to NGOs and government agencies. Currently the organisation is selffunded, with plans of growing through crowd-funding.

Complete Wellbeing

Photo courtesy: Banka BioLoo

How about a website to free the society of crime?

emember the national shame India recently faced—with the Indian railways being called the world’s largest open toilet? Yes, it is a profoundly embarrassing situation for not just us as a country, but also the millions of Indians who live without closed toilets.

It was for this purpose—of providing a respectable way of relief for the most basic human need—that Namita Banka set off on her mission.

As a result, Banka BioLoo was created.

Brainchild of Namita, Banka BioLoo is a human waste management company that provides sustainable solutions for sanitation. It also treats waste water for use in rural and urban areas. The company sets up bio-digester toilets in places where it is difficult to build regular toilets.

The bio-digester has an exit for the passage of water and biogas, which can be used for various purposes such as cooking and heating, while the pathogen-free water can be safely used for irrigation. Is it any surprise that the largest customer of Banka BioLoo is the Indian Railways?

This is the first time that this technology has been made available commercially—it was first used for the military in remote areas such as Siachen. The company is installing them in difficult terrains such as urban slums, hilly areas, rural areas, construction sites, public places, and any such areas where it is difficult to build the conventional forms of sanitation.

The rise of women farmers

A

nisa Begum is the face of the emancipation of women in rural Bangadesh. Rallying groups of home-makers, Begum is creating awareness on farming methods so women don’t have to depend on men for a source of income. The 47-year-old mother of two has received hands-on training from the local agricultural office, and is busy imparting it to other women. A staunch believer in self-empowerment of women, Begum and a group of nine other women farmers recently visited Vietnam—a country known for its effective farming methods.

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 05

Unlearn

health & vitality

The worst

decision I ever made Let your food preferences be guided by your body’s intelligence, not by guilt, fear or social trends

By Puja Madan

IN THE SUMMER of 2013, the Internet went abuzz with a website called ExVegans.com [currently disabled] that released a ‘Vegan Sellout List’. It’s mission? To publicly name and shame ex-vegans and share their photographs and other personal information with the world.

This site reminded me of my experience with veganism five years ago.

A er being diagnosed with massive uterine fibroids, I went on an exploration of alternative medicine, which included ayurveda, iridology, reiki, acupuncture, reflexology and many more. Each modality helped me understand the many aspects of holistic health. Then I met a homoeopath in Auroville who also happened to be an ardent vegan.

Homoeopathy was a system of medicine I was eager to explore, so I immediately booked a session. However, our session ended up being a spiel about animal cruelty and the need for me to turn vegan. Already an animal-lover and a vegetarian, I felt awfully guilty a er this discussion and decided to turn vegan immediately.

It was the worst decision I ever made.

My condition worsened as I immediately lost lots of weight and began experiencing exhaustion and adrenal fatigue. Additionally, I was consuming large amounts of soy products—the main alternative to dairy for all vegans—which is a huge hormone disruptor, if consumed in excess. I learnt much later that soy milk, blocks of tofu, tofu noodles and other processed soy products should be completely avoided by women with fibroids.

06 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

What’s right for you may be wrong for another Since then I’ve coached and conducted workshops for hundreds of women and have arrived at one resounding conclusion: we are all different. The concept that guides my work is called bio-individuality. Bio-individuality is based on the fact that when it comes to food, there is no one-size-fits-all.

We are all unique and have highly individualised nutritional requirements.

Here are just some things to consider before deciding on the right diet for a person: >> Anatomy >> Metabolism >> Body composition >> Cellular structure >> Ancestry >> Age >> Gender >> Occupation >> Lifestyle I have clients whose meal plans include white bread, bone marrow and cheese, and others who thrive on raw vegan fare. But this isn’t something I decide for them: we arrive at these conclusions upon carefully and patiently observing the body’s health and energy a er consuming different kinds of food as well as understanding their very Complete Wellbeing

Complete Wellbeing

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 07

unique body/mind/lifestyle composition.

It’s true: One person’s food can be another person’s poison.

Puja Madan is a holistic health coach, trained from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York. She has been practising and teaching meditation for over seven years.

She is also a Reiki master and an avid Yogi. She believes all inner growth starts with a love affair with oneself. She can be contacted at www. innerscientist.com

Being tolerant of other’s food choices does not make me an animal hater Let me be clear here that when I propagate bio-individuality, I’m not standing for animal cruelty. I donate to animal shelters, participate in events that raise awareness about factory farming and personally believe that most people on this planet are likely consuming more protein than is needed by their body [especially in America]. But I don’t believe in using guilt, fear or any other scare tactic in changing people’s eating habits. This is akin to religious fundamentalism, whose followers—blindly married to their beliefs—are willing to commit any or all crimes to further their propaganda.

So how do we decide what’s the best food plan for us?

It helps to work with a health coach or nutrition expert who is willing and open to working with your individual nutrition needs. Here are some of my tips: Trust your body’s intelligence We try and override our body’s intelligence by intellectually deciding what to eat. Instead, we need to get be er at simply listening to and observing our body’s signals.

Energy and mood are great markers for whether a certain diet is working or not. Our bones, skin, hair, nails and whites of eyes will indicate the health of our internal organs. Try eliminating certain foods from your diet for a few weeks to see how you feel without them.

Harmonise with the seasons Spring and summer are seasons when the body naturally detoxifies. It’s the perfect time to embark on a vegan, vegetarian or raw food diet. Nature provides us an abundant bounty of foods that are light, upli ing and cleansing during this time. Similarly, during autumn and winter, our body starts to prepare for the colder months and craves fa y, creamy, heavier foods. This is a good time to eat a high-protein, high-fat diet as these foods are more readily available then.

Always know the source For most of our se led history, human beings have raised and consumed animals. Our ancestry plays a big role in

08 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

deciding whether or not a vegan or vegetarian diet is appropriate.

There is, however, a stark difference between ancestral and modern-day consumption—and that difference is reverence. Traditional cultures [such as that of the Native Americans] held special rituals during October’s harvest season, thanking their brothers from the animal kingdom that would be hunted down in the months to come. In India, the sacred cow was raised on the farm, fertilising our crops, sharing our labour, providing milk for the family. We have lost this connection with our animal brethren and that is the worrisome part about animal consumption. We don’t know and we don’t care: an a itude that is turning out to be dangerous for our bodies as well as our environment. Pasture-raised animals that are treated humanely will nourish us very differently than commercially-raised animals that have been abused and fed antibiotics and GMO feed.

Like all relationships, our bond with our body becomes deeply rewarding and nourishing when we learn to truly listen: with an open and curious mind and without judgement or pre-conceived notions. When we make space for that communion, we can experience what John Muir explains eloquently: “The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.”

Complete Wellbeing

MONTH FRESHENER Infuse life into your days 1

World Aids Day Enhance your awareness of the dreaded disease.

MON

MON

TUE

2

10

3

4

Take up a cause this month and dedicate yourself to it.

THU

12

13

FRI

Get crafty! Use your hands to make something creative.

SAT

Indulge in the goodness of fruits—on your skin.

Squeeze out some juice and apply on your face for that natural glow.

7

No time for hobbies is a common complaint. Make time for one today!

THE

FRI

5

6

17

Surprise a friend with a handwritten letter.

TUE

WED

TUE

9

SAT

14

Today, don’t just walk past someone in need; stop and lend a helping hand.

WED

25

Merry Christmas!

Bake a plum cake for your neighbourhood street-children.

WED

18

THU

Christmas is a week away—start playing Secret Santa among your friends, family or colleagues.

FRI

Get a grip on the junk food. Resolve to have a completely healthy meal at least once today.

19

20

Who said honeymoon happens just once!

Take advantage of the vacation season and plan your special honeymoon... again.

SAT

28

SUN

29

SUN

22

It’s a Sunday alright, but why not wake up early to breathe in the fresh morning air.

MON

TUE

24

MON

30

TUE

23

31

Remember how your mother knit sweaters for you in childhood?

Time to reciprocate the love. Buy her some new woollens.

It’s winter! Cuddle up and enjoy a hot cuppa to double the warmth you share with your spouse.

MY NOTE

Be pumped up at work today—end the year on a high note. www.completewellbeing.com

SUN

December 2013

Manage parenting

10 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

Complete Wellbeing

Avidan Milevsky is a professor, psychotherapist, author, media expert, and lecturer. He is author of Sibling Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence and blogs for Huff Post and Psychology Today. His website is www.avidanmilevsky.com

Being a single dad is not just about having fun but also about listening to your kids and giving them their space

By Avidan Milevsky

Singled out?

DURING A RECENT PARENTING lecture I gave to a group of young parents, I noticed a member of the audience was visibly distressed—distressed by scientific findings on the difficulties faced by single parents raising their children. Parenting is a hard and challenging task in all circumstances; trying to do it alone makes the task that much more difficult.

A er the presentation, I was approached by this disheartened individual, Kevin, who told me that he was recently divorced and was trying to do the best job he could at being a single father. He wanted to know if I had some advice for him about how to parent more effectively.

First the bad news: Single parenthood is a challenge—particularly for fathers Unfortunately, the father’s role in raising his children has been neglected until recently. Based on theories which emphasised the irreplaceable role of mothers for life-long development of their child, the majority of clinical research and social service work has focussed on the relationships between mothers and their kids.

In fact, in one of the most important child development theories, called the a achment theory, the role of the father was described as being a source of support to the mother, as she worked on developing an a achment to the child. Basically, our job as fathers had always been viewed as: making sure that the mothers have everything they need to take care of the children—that’s it. This view unfortunately has not completely disappeared from today’s world. It makes me cringe that when the mother is away and the father is taking care of Complete Wellbeing

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 11

their children, it is referred to as ‘babysi ing’—it’s not babysi ing, it’s fathering. You wouldn’t call a mother taking care of her children as babysi ing, would you?

Let’s get back to Kevin, the disheartened father in my audience. My advice to him involved the following:

Be a Father Yes, it is important for single fathers to continue being what they are: fathers. Be the active, playful, and lively person you are with your children. One single father I worked with used to make a deal with his children that once a week a er homework, dinner, and clean-up was done, they would move aside the furniture in the living room and have family soccer night. This was the highlight of the week for the children. These games were eventually moved to the play room once a picture frame came crashing down a er an impressive kick by his six-year-old daughter. Another single father in my neighbourhood bought a tent and used it for indoor camping with his children. His kids would put on pyjamas and they would all go into the tent, eat marshmallows, tell stories until late, and then sleep in the tent.

Be a Parent However, being that you are also the parent, it is important that you not forget the parenting basics.

Sometimes it is easy to just go with the fun father things and forget to do the basic things our children need from us as a parent.

Over 40 years of research on parenting points to three ingredients of healthy parenting: 1. Having demands 2. Being responsive 3. Providing autonomy Having Demands The world is a chaotic place and the only way children can learn to manage this chaos is when they are provided some semblance of order in their home. Placing demands regarding behaviour, manners, and scheduling helps create order in the lives of children. Having rules at home is not being an ‘evil’ parent; it is helping provide some order in the lives of children.

Being Responsive Demands need to be met with being unreservedly responsive to your children. Your children need to know that they can come to you with whatever

12 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

issue they have and that you will be there for them unconditionally. When your child comes to you with a question or request, put the phone down, stop texting, move away from your laptop. Your children need you and you should show them that you are there for them—always.

Providing Autonomy The final piece of the puzzle is autonomy. This involves allowing your children to make their own decisions, think independently, and act according to their thinking. The opposite of this would be being psychologically controlling of your children.

For example, psychologically-controlling parents insist that their children never do things that would make them worry. Imagine how difficult it would be for children to actually have the freedom they need to enjoy the playground if what drives every one of their moves while playing is that ‘my parents should not be worried’. No more tree climbing, running too fast, or football games—to name a few.

Children need to feel that they can be children and make good decisions about their life independently without constantly thinking about their worrisome parents. Controlling parents also express to their children that they know what their children think and feel. This type of parental control is a mental intrusion that serves to only manipulate children psychologically. It prevents children from voicing their own thoughts and feelings, inhibiting their ability of self-expression, autonomy, and empowerment.

Studies have clearly found that minimising psychological control together with having demands and being responsive provides the healthiest home environment for children. Children raised in homes where these three criteria are met, emerge from childhood be er off, academically and psychologically, in comparison to children raised in other types of homes.

Our friend Kevin started following this trio of parenting basics and is seemingly doing a lot be er now. Kevin wrote in a later email, “Balancing fatherhood and parenthood is not always easy but [these basics are] making a big difference in my kids’ lives. I am having lots more fun with my kids—and even the picture frames are intact!”

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Ah! That feeling of being divinely rejuvenated aÄžer a thoroughly exhausting trek

Meet yourself

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Decide

self-help

An act of courage Break free from the idea that seeking help makes you appear weak

By Fay Hart

WE ALL NEED HELP from time to time. It’s preĴy certain that, just as we did in the early stages of life, we will need some assistance during the other stages too. So why not use your life to practise receiving, to learn the art of asking for and accepting help?

Asking for help is an act of courage We’re all afraid to reach out and ask for help because of a reason. We share with each other an unconscious thought—if everyone else appears to be doing okay, I should also appear okay and be able to manage without asking 14 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

for help. A cry for help is considered sinister and something to be avoided. To appear weak frightens us. When we can bring those or similar thoughts up into our consciousness and recognise them, we can begin to let them go. Then we are able to be honest with each other and create mutually helpful relationships quite naturally.

Have you ever cried in public?

Canadian poet, Shane Koyczan wrote, ‘Openly crying is like taking a vacation from the ‘everything’s okay’ mentality that the world wants Complete Wellbeing

everyone to adopt.’ It’s high time we all take a permanent vacation from that fake worldview and become more authentic with each other.

Asking for help isn’t necessarily as straightforward as we believe it to be. Among my friends, the general consensus about what holds them back from asking for help was ‘not wanting to be a burden’ or ‘appear weak’.

So, when finally there comes a point that one does ask for help, those beliefs are triggered, strengthening a particular pa ern. We might spend our life making great efforts to be sure we never need ask for help, which can result in catastrophe if we let the pressure of trying to be that person get to us, and have it all go unchecked. Or we might find ourselves asking for the same help over and over. Each time we find help, there’s temporary relief but in a ma er of time the same problem plagues us again. Old, conditioned reasoning kicks in, making us believe we must be stupid or lazy because we can’t manage on our own. These sorts of thoughts connect us to a universal victim/tyrant energy, a potent and pervasive pa ern that runs our lives.

Crowdfunding and my fear of public humiliation As I write this I’m in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign to publish my book the Steps, a new paradigm in healing for our time.

Crowdfunding is essentially a large number of people contributing small amounts of money in return for ‘perks’ and the opportunity to participate in the manifestation of an idea. When crowdfunding was suggested to me, I dismissed it because, truth be told, I was terrified of the prospect of public humiliation. What if nobody contributed or so few did that I’d look like a fool? What if people ridiculed my project or called me bogus? All those subconscious fears surfaced. Then two women from opposite sides of the world sent me an Internet link to a TED talk by Amanda Palmer, titled The art of asking. I took it as a sign to take on crowdfunding. What I have Complete Wellbeing

found through this experience is that crowdfunding is about much more than financing your project.

It can be the sort of ‘openly crying’ that Koyczan wrote about. It’s like jumping into fire to publicly ask for help in this way. For me, it has brought to the surface every fear of asking. It has allowed me to release unconscious pa erns of thought so that I no longer a ract circumstances into my life that allow me to play the victim. Bruce Lee said that a goal isn’t necessarily something to be achieved, but is somewhere to aim. Instead of scaling back and playing small, I took the courage to set my crowdfunding budget high enough to achieve my vision of the Steps and risk my biggest fear of looking foolish. In the process, I have freed myself from any fear of humiliation.

Fay Hart is a poet and self-awareness coach. She assists clients to make great changes in their lives by doing less. Fay is the author of the Steps, a new paradigm in healing for our times. Check out her website followfay.com

Have the courage to look foolish We don’t all need to launch a crowdfunding campaign to release the unconscious pa erns that hold us back from asking for help. We can just begin noticing. We can become our own calm witness to unconscious beliefs and the pa erns we create that hold us back. A lovely way to practise asking for help is by asking your guides or angels—even if you don’t believe in guides or angels—you can ask and notice what is triggered, what fears come up to be looked at. The more you have the courage to risk looking foolish or weird by asking your guides for help, the more you will be able to ask clearly for what you need in the physical world. Support networks will appear, what you need will turn up. When you discover this for yourself, you release the victim/tyrant energy that enslaves so many.

And as we each free ourselves from these binding energetic pa erns, we create a world where everyone is acknowledged, cared for and freed completely from whatever holds them back from asking for help.

To subscribe to Complete Wellbeing, visit http://store.completewellbeing.com

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 15

Trending this month

Discover the incredible power of

de-cluttering

Get more out of your life by getting and staying organised

16 DECEMBER 2013 VOL VIII ISSUE 02

By Andrew Mellen

Complete Wellbeing

Andrew Mellen is an organisational expert, best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life! and founder of Unstuff U®—the world’s first completely virtual personal organisation training centre. He can be found on the web at www.andrewmellen.com

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.”

—Aristotle

ASK ANYONE IF THEY’D like to be more organised, and almost everyone will answer, “Yes!” The benefits of being organised are many. You can manage your time more efficiently, so that you’ll have more of it to do the things you love. And stress levels are reduced since you won’t be racing around your home anxiously looking for misplaced or lost items.

These benefits and others create If you are willing to relax your grip on the a path towards true liberation. Not objects that surround you and learn to recognise one necessarily free from all material the stories you tell yourself about these objects and objects, although you could certainly their significance in your life, the stuff of your life will find its proper places and everything around pursue that goal. But freedom and you will open up—literally and figuratively. Even happiness don’t require you to give his Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “If you want to up all your worldly possessions— practice meditation, first clean up your room.”

And yet, ge ing and staying organised is o en merely to hold them more loosely. portrayed as the province of uptight, overly fussy and dull people. Naysayers typically reference this quote from Albert Einstein as their defense for clutter and disorganisation: “If a clu ered desk is the sign of a clu ered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?”

But it’s a li le disingenuous to a ribute Einstein’s brilliance solely to his disorganisation or reputation as an absent-minded professor. A er all, we don’t have to choose between being an ascetic, renouncing the material world, a creative genius leaving a trail of debris in her wake or a repressed obsessive a empting to control every aspect of life. We can choose the middle path of balance and integration, where everything we surround ourselves with has a practical function, is beautiful in design or application, and serves our greatest sense of self and wellbeing.

Complete Wellbeing

VOL VIII ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2013 17

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