Tune In to Joy

Joy and Organization

I have been captivated by the relationship between Joy and Organization...which of course came through falling in love with a new book (or two).

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Two of my absolutely favorite books are both by Marie Kondo. The first I read was her New York Times Bestseller that came out in 2014, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up; it's spent 42 weeks  on the Publisher's Weekly bestsellers list, and hasn't come off it yet. It's sold over 3 million copies in the US and Japan. Her massive impact is part of the reason she was named as one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People of 2015. But when it comes down to it - why do we need ANOTHER organization book? What is it that could possibly make Marie Kondo's book any different than the other 10 books already on my shelf? Why did it enchant me until I had to take it home with me from Barnes & Noble, and how is it that with my crazy busy life and workable living space that I have been captivated by this idea of truly creating a home environment with this kind of organization?

It's all because of Joy.

Marie Kondo calls her system the "KonMarie Method." It covers the way you reduce the things that no longer belong in your life, and storing and using your things in such a way that you never need to organize your home again. You simply put things away into their homes. 🙂

Tune In To Joy

As soon as you begin clearing out the items that need to go before you can really get organized, the selection criteria for what to keep is whether or not it Sparks Joy. The most precious step in the KonMarie method comes during the reduction phase where you evaluate each item and decide if it sparks joy. It isn't about "discarding" anything. When you ask yourself if that book/table/tie/soup ladle sparks joy, if the answer is NO, you don't discard it. You thank it for the role it played in your life; and then you release it.

Thank it for the role it has played in your life.

And then release it.

By doing this you complete a seamless cycle of tuning in to joy. You can elevate your awareness of the joy an item brings you - and tap in to the joy of having something enter and leave your life, having fulfilled its role.

I challenge you to Stop getting rid of things.

1. Tap into the joy.
2. Decide the joy is for it in the present - and appreciate it.
3. Decide if the joy is in the past - thank it for the joy it gave, and release it.
4. And if it holds no joy, triggers guilt (over not using) or fear (what if I need it for the apocalypse) or shame (over money spent or over not liking something gifted to you) - then:
   1. Thank it for what it taught you about yourself  (I guess I don't like skinny jeans after all).
   2. Thank it for the love it represented as a gift from a loved one.
   3. Thank it for having the potential to aid someone in a crisis, and be thankful that you are not that someone in crisis.
5. And Then Release It.

Stuff and Gratitude

Oddly enough, when you tune into the value and joy of your material things, it sets off an irrepressible chain reaction of gratitude. As shallow as many of us feel when we are so excited about the "stuff" we have, tuning into the JOY that a thing gives you, connects you to it in a way that creates beauty, and honors the relationship we have with the things in our lives. Even though many of us will never make a practice of "thanking our jeans for supporting us all day" before "folding them the way they want to be folded," and tucking them in "to rest" at night; the choice to do so would be neither childlike nor frivolous.

Don't Just Own Your Things

The "things" in our lives support us in what we do, make it possible for us to feel, experience, and create our lives. We already know "we shouldn't let our stuff own us." But more joy can be created if we don't simply own our stuff either. Teaming up with the things in your life, and viewing them as valuable elements that contribute your success changes the dynamic completely.

Travel Light

My journey through Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up was started with the desire to reduce clutter, make it easier to stay organized, and help me feel like I have myself together. I wanted to travel light. (I love the song by Jason Blaine called Travellin' Light...it's a great theme song for embracing the joy of life.) As I got into the KonMarie method, I learned that there's a great deal more to "travelling light" than simply having fewer things. It's about surrounding yourself with the things that truly belong in your life and which support you to being and doing all that you are capable up - and appreciating the massive blessing it is to have each and every item.

Spark Joy

Marie Kondo really dug into this with her followup book Spark Joy, published this year. If you're fascinated by an organization method that can help you have more joy and a beautiful relationship with the things in your life, check it out. Spark Joy will remain on my favorites shelf for years to come...because, it's all about Tuning In to Joy. Whether you check out the KonMarie Method or not, you can choose to recognize and engage in the happiness, gratitude, pleasure, and joy that the things in your life give to you. Stop keeping things because you feel like you have to, and never "get rid of" something ever again. Thank it for the role it has played in your life, and release it.