We broke with tradition by using a picture of a person, rather than a home, as our lead photo. But what image can better capture the dynamic essence of Danielle LaPorte, other than Danielle herself?

This month in our series of interviews with people who exemplify inspired everyday living, we’re excited to speak with business strategist and inspirational speaker, Danielle LaPorte. We first met Danielle, and experienced her many gifts, during her Fire Starter Session (think practical, strategic, and deeply spiritual life and business coaching coming from a clear and inspired source). The session sparked a transformation not only in our work, but our lives. She gave us a divine blueprint that lives on in both our minds and souls.

We can’t wait for (and already pre-ordered) her soon-to-be released book, The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful and Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms.

We are so grateful we have the opportunity to bring you the unique, sexy, laser-sharp, brilliant and divine Danielle as she shares wisdom about her home and life. Enjoy!

What is the meaning of home for you?
Home is temple, center, nest. Really, really, I treat our house like it’s a sacred space. Nothing comes in that doesn’t have meaning. No space-filling, we mostly work to keep space free. Home is like, spa meets studio, meets cuddle zone. Good art, great fabrics, awesome sound system, so you can chill and rock out when the time is right.

Do you have any favorite everyday rituals?
I walk my boy to school and when I get home, I make a green smoothie, read something inspirational or meditate a bit, and then I literally run upstairs to start working — writing, hustling, thinking. There’s usually some Japanese incense somewhere in there and some Florence + The Machine. Or Led Zeppelin.

What inspires you about your home? How does it make you feel?
White glossy walls. Patricia Larsen paintings. Love notes from my kid. A nest under glass that I found on one of the nearby islands. Carnelian stones tucked here and there. Feels calm and fresh.

If you were moving, what three things would you take with you?
I’m not that attached to stuff. If, say, we lost everything in a fire, I think I might manage okay. But three things…Timothy Wilson Hoey Canoe painting, oatmeal linen sheets, MacBook Pro. And…baby’s foot prints.

If your home had a voice what would it say?
Call before you come. When you get here, curl up, rock out, the temple is yours.

Please name one change you have made in your home that has transformed your life in some way.
It was a policy we applied years ago: no TV in the bedroom.

How do you feel about your day-to-day living? If you could change one thing about how spend your time, or bring one new quality into your home and life, what would it be?
Less email. More yoga. Louder dinner parties.

What inspired you to start your business?
It was the next natural evolution. More writing, strategy and business development, gigs. And… when I first started my site, and doing business consults, it was a matter of survival. I just went rogue from my other company and I had to hit the ground running. Survival turned in to the creative freedom I’d been dreaming of. Leap! And…fly.

Danielle LaPorte is the author of the forthcoming book The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms (from Random House/Crown). An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she is the creator of the online program The Spark Kit: A Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs and co-author of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. Over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice on DanielleLaPorte.com, a site that has been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality.”

Photo Credits: Union Photographers, Vancouver

Want to learn more about Danielle? Laura was recently inspired and mesmerized (way past her bedtime) watching a clip of Danielle speak at the World Domination Summit. We highly recommend checking it out!

If you like this blog, you may also enjoy:
Self-acceptance is the Ultimate Simplicity
Dream Home
A Change of Scenery
The Art of Everyday Living
The Simplest Way to Go Green

Sitting down for a meal at the table seems to be less and less common these days. Family members eat at different times, we eat on the go, or meals are served in front of the television. But treating yourself, and/or your family, to a meal at the table is a great way to encourage conversation, relaxation, healthy eating habits, and appreciation of food.

Here are a few tips to creating an enticing dining area:

- Often dining tables become a dumping ground for all our stuff like mail, book bags, purses, keys… or serve multiple purposes like desks or craft tables. Try to keep the dining table clear of clutter, and if it has another use during the day make sure to clear it after you finish the project, work etc… Look for other places to sort mail, or place your stuff.

- Choose comfortable chairs. This is key to keeping everyone at the table. In general, upholstered chairs are more comfortable and will make you feel like sitting even after you are finished eating. Make sure the chairs can easily scoot in and out. You don’t want any obstacles to getting in and out of your seat. Finally, be mindful of tall or large people who may need a certain size chair to feel comfortable. Also consider little children, who may not fit or be comfortable in adult-sized furniture. A great solution for children is the Kinderchair which you can adjust as your child grows.

- Check the views from each chair. Ideally everyone will have a pleasing view. If this is not the case, try to create one with by hanging artwork, closing doors, screening or curtaining off any unpleasant views such as a bathroom (ideally, the bathroom is not located near the dining area—if it is always keep the door closed).

- If your dining room is separate from the kitchen, keep the door to the kitchen closed. The active energy in the kitchen, created by the hustle and bustle of preparing the meal, isn’t conducive to lingering at the dining table—especially if you are reminded of the dishes that will need to be done, etc… If you can’t close off the kitchen at least turn off the kitchen lights while you eat.

- Avoid placing larger or more comfortable chairs at the head of the table. Promote equality in terms of comfort and conversation by making all chairs equal in size.

- Small, intimate tables or oval tables promote better conversation and generate a more even energy flow, which creates greater family harmony.

- Solid wood tables connect us to nature and ground the energy in the room, as opposed to glass or metal tables where the energy moves too quickly for relaxed eating. If you have glass or metal table, consider adding a tablecloth to see if it the changes the energy in the room. Also choose a table where the legs do not get in the way of comfortable seating.

- Create a cozy atmosphere. In large homes, many formal dining rooms are vast spaces with high ceilings—although impressive to look at—they’re not always the most comfortable rooms to spend time in. If you have very high ceilings, try creating a strong horizontal line at a more intimate height by hanging your art and curtains rods at a lower height. This creates the illusion of a lower ceiling. If the room is very large, place a rug under the table that is only slightly larger than the table and chairs to anchor the table in the space.

- Think about your favorite restaurant where you not only love the food, but also the environment—somewhere where you just want to sit for hours. What qualities does it have? What colors? What style? What kind of chairs? Music? Lighting? Try bringing some of those elements into your home.

- While large mirrors in dining rooms can look beautiful, they can make a room feel more active by doubling the motion in the room. Also, it’s not always appetizing to watch yourself eat. To keep everyone relaxed and comfortable place artwork or wall hangings in the dining room instead of mirrors. However, if you use a large mirror to either bring in light, open up a small space or reflect a great outdoor view, you may need to place flowers, pottery, or other objects in front of the mirror to block people seated at the table from seeing themselves.

- Make sure the art in the dining room is art that you love and is suitable to eating—for example no dead animals or gruesome scenes.

- Use color. Color affects our emotions and even evokes a physical response. Orange is a great color in the dining room—it is a social color and is known to stimulate the appetite. By no means does this mean you have to paint the entire room orange—you can use orange accents such as a bowl of oranges flowers or orange placemats. Other warm colors such as beige, terra cotta, and even red in small doses (red is an active color and too much may cause arguments) are great colors to create an intimate space. Another direction would be to use peaceful colors such as blues, greens, creams, or other pastels.

- If you live alone and find yourself eating in front of the TV every night, try setting the table, lighting a candle, and playing some music to entice yourself to eat at the table a few nights a week. Or invite some friends over for a weekly potluck.

- You don’t need a dining room to have a family meal. Kitchens are the hearth of home and are therefore excellent places to gather. Living rooms are also good places to have a meal, just be sure to turn off the television and keep distractions such as phones, radios, and other activities to a minimum.

If you liked this blog, you may also like:

Keeping Your Kids at the Table

Tips for Simple Meal Planning

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for love, you may want to check out our ebook Love at Home: The Single Girl’s Guide to Feng Shui and Life Design and learn how to create a home that will help you find and maintain a loving relationship.

Our Valentine’s Day gift to you is a discounted price of $8.99 on the Love at Home ebook and access to the bonus instructional video “Design Your Bedroom To Enhance Your Love Life.”

You can buy Love at Home: The Single Girl’s Guide to Feng Shui and Life Design (and access to the video) at our special price here.

Throughout the book we will recount stories of women we’ve worked with, as well as a few stories from our own lives. These true stories are powerful examples of the many ways in which changing someone’s relationship with their home can change someone’s relationships with others.

We’ve found that while hearing advice can be helpful, being able to take that advice and physically make a change in your home that will directly impact your life on a daily basis can produce significant, long-lasting results. And it’s fun!

Love at Home will teach you:

• To understand the connection between home and self and use this awareness to improve your life.
• Basic, easy to understand Feng Shui principles that will teach you about the connection between your home and your life.
• How to let go of past relationships and make space for a new relationship by clearing clutter and cleansing the energy in each room.
• How to set up a home and create a life design that puts you in the best possible position to attract the partner of your dreams.
• How to set up a home that encourages and sustains healthy, fulfilling relationships.
• How to discover and shift unhealthy patterns and habits by redesigning your space.
• How to take responsibility for your happiness and live life “in love” with or without a partner.
• How to use a Feng Shui tool called the Bagua Map to locate the area in a home that holds the Love and Marriage energy and how to enhance it to attract a relationship.
• How to boost self-esteem by living with visual affirmations.
• How to manifest dreams by clarifying goals and setting intentions through meditation, visualization, affirmations, visual reminders, and action-steps.
• How to keep a relationship exciting by creating a bedroom for romance.
• How to attract new opportunities by creating a powerful front entrance.
• How to enhance your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing by creating optimal energy flow in your home.
• How to decorate in a way that supports the body, mind and spirit by creating a space that looks good and feels good.

Take a peek at the Table of Contents:

 
*****

Check out the following excerpts from the book:

Purchase Love at Home: The Single Girl’s Guide to Feng Shui and Life Design here. We hope you enjoy!

p.s. Stay in touch – we love to hear your success stories!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we put together some of our favorite blogs and videos that capture the spirit of love. Whether you’re looking for love, would like to bring more love into your current relationship, want to be more loving with yourself, or desire a more loving home, we hope these posts will inspire and put you on the path!

Feng Shui Your Bedroom for Romance on KCAL – Video

How to Change Your Bedroom to Enhance Your Love Life
Enhancing your bedroom (the room we most associate with romance) can have a big impact on your current relationship or it can help you attract a new relationship… read more

A Sensual, Sexy Home
A sensual home is a place where you feel completely comfortable… when you walk in the door you just want to just take a deep breath, kick off your shoes, relax, and slip into something more comfy. It’s still a beautiful, clutter-free, clean environment, but beauty and cleanliness don’t outweigh the importance of making yourself and your guests feel at ease. A sensual home is a place where you can eat chocolate ice cream and drink red wine on a white sofa… read more

Create a Romantic and Restful Bedroom
Ideally the bedroom should serve only two purposes: rest and romance. It is such an important room because it is where you start and finish your day, where your body rests, your mind is restored, and your immune system is replenished each night. The bedroom is also a place for romance. How you decorate the bedroom, the energy of the bedroom, and what you choose to keep in the bedroom, will all have a great impact on the quality of your love life… read more 

Ten Decorating Dos and Don’ts When Looking For Love
Did you know that many men and women unknowingly make choices about how to decorate their homes that contribute to their single status? The objects in our homes are “alive” and “speaking” to us because of our feelings about them or the memories we associate with them. Even the most mundane objects can elicit an emotional response and influence how we feel. When you look at your home from this point of view, you see why it is essential to live with things that support and reflect your goals—including the goal to be in a loving relationship… read more

Feng Shui and The Power of Visual Affirmations
At the heart of Feng Shui is the idea that our homes are connected to all aspects of our wellbeing. What we put in our homes, how we decorate, and what we surround ourselves with affect us on a daily basis and influences all aspects of our lives. If you want to make a positive change in your life, you can begin by making a positive change in your home… read more

Live With What You Love
One of the most effective things you can do to create a home that nourishes and inspires you is to live with things you love… read more

Moving in Together: Sharing a Home and Life
While moving in with a partner is an exciting time, many couples find it is also a big adjustment that requires a lot of understanding, communication and compromise. Blending two personalities into one home can sometimes be a challenge. Many people not only have different taste and lifestyles, but also have different ideas of the meaning of home. During this time of transition you and your partner may need support, and this support can begin with your home… read more

Marrying Two Different Styles Under One Roof
It can be challenging to marry two different decorating styles under one roof when you and your spouse or partner have dissimilar taste. But in our experience, it’s worth the effort to decorate together… read more

Balancing Yin and Yang in Your Home
For us, change always begins at home. After years of working on ourselves and our homes, we have realized how deeply connected we are to our environment… read more

Looking for Love: Life Design Consultation – Video

Wishing You a Happy Valentines Day! xo, Laura and Alison

How are dating and looking for a new home alike? Let me count the ways…

Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone for the first time and they already seem familiar, or you just know you’re going to become close, or perhaps you experience that instant, undeniable chemistry?

For me, looking for a new apartment is a bit like dating… that gut feeling you get when you first meet someone is a lot like the feeling I get when I check out a new apartment… and when it’s right, you just know.

Of course, the right apartment doesn’t come along everyday. At first you may check out a few that look good on paper—right neighborhood, right number of bedrooms—but you see it and it just doesn’t inspire you or perhaps you discover that spacious second bedroom on the listing is actually a dining room. Or maybe you’ve fallen hard for gorgeous hardwood floors or beautiful landscaping, but on second glance you realize good looks just won’t compensate for its location by a noisy highway or with further investigation you realize that gorgeous landscaping is also really high maintenance.

Perhaps you’ve had good friends or real estate agents claim they found the perfect place for you! They’ve seen it and love it and just known you will, too. But often one person’s idea of perfection is not another’s.

You may find yourself spending a lot of time going to open house after open house and hoping that this time, it will be the one. You might even be tempted to settle as you compare your mental list of everything you wanted with what’s actually on the market and start prioritizing what really matters to you… charming features or modern amenities? Great curb appeal or a solid foundation?

In the end, many people will find that when they see their next home, they get that gut feeling right away. You know when you’ve found the right place when the “list” you’ve had of everything you thought you wanted just falls away, the less than perfect features seem manageable or perhaps even charming, and you instantly start imagining your future there.

After looking for over a year and seeing more apartments than I care to count—I just fell in love at first sight. I actually decided I would take my new place while standing in the garage before I had even gone upstairs to see the actual living space. Admittedly, it’s a cool garage/artist’s studio, but I found it funny that after being so picky for such a long time, I knew I was home before I even walked in the front door.

It has many of the features that I wanted, a few features that are missing that I would liked to have had but realized aren’t as important to me as I thought they were, and a few features that I love that I hadn’t even imagined. But in the end, it came down to a simple feeling—a feeling I was home.

Tips When Looking For Your New Home:

1) Don’t discount a place based on pictures alone. So many times places I’ve seen online that don’t look good, turn out to be great—unfortunately the opposite is also true, it’s amazing how good photography can make a room the size of a closet look as big as a football field.

2) Write a list of everything you want and dream of—then let it go. Find some quiet time to daydream about your next home and write down everything you can think of that you’d like to have. We suggest writing in the present tense, like an affirmation. For example, ‘I’m enjoying sitting in my spacious living room with gorgeous views and ocean breezes.’ I wrote a list like this—it’s called creating an ideal scene—and then three days later I found my new home, which had everything I wrote about. Writing your list is a great first step to finding your perfect home so be detailed, but remember not to hold so tightly to your list that you miss something else that could be equally great or even better. For instance, I really wanted two bedrooms, but if I’d only looked at two bedroom apartments, I would have missed the unbelievable loft space I’m now calling home.

3) Identify any deal breakers and stick to them. There are always one or two things that we know don’t make us happy—for example some people can’t stand noise while others can tolerate it. Or one person may need AC, while someone else would give it up if it meant a place by the ocean (if you’re in LA you can appreciate this one as the closer you get to the ocean the less places have central air). If there’s something you know you need, like air conditioning or quiet, stick to your guns and don’t settle. Feeling like I was under time pressure, I once took a place I didn’t love that had one my deal breakers, and the whole time I was there the things that bugged me the first day continued to bug me until the day I moved out—it’s the one apartment I never totally felt at home in. Of course, make sure they truly are deal breakers—again, you don’t want to miss a great place by being too narrow-minded.

4) Communicate with your real estate agent—share your list with him/her—let him know if there are any deal breakers (such as, I have a dog so I need a dog-friendly building) and be clear about where there might be room to compromise (I’d like three bedrooms, but could manage with two if it’s in the neighborhood I love). Your real estate agent can’t read your mind so help him, help you!

5) Get the word out. Let people know you’re looking. You never know when someone’s neighbor or coworker may be moving out of a home that would be perfect for you.

6) Don’t settle. Many times during my search I thought I’d have to settle… the places I liked were out of my price range, or weren’t in the neighborhood I wanted, or the location was perfect, but the place was lacking somehow… I often wondered if perhaps I was just being too picky… but for me, finding the right place was worth the wait. Is my place perfect? Maybe not for everyone—but for me, it’s the perfect match.

If you liked this blog, you may also like:
Designing Your Life
Time to Lighten Up!
The Best Path to a New Home is Embracing Your Current Home

In my new life in the mountains, I find myself spending more time cooking and baking. As a result, two things have happened: first, I am eating in a new way (more on this to come) and second, I feel like I am finally getting into a flow of meal planning, simplifying meal preparation and making tasty, healthy food for my family.

Below are a few things I have learned about how to simplify meals and make dinnertime more enjoyable:

Plan ahead: Planning ahead makes all the difference. I find it helps to have a routine. I like to plan meals for the week on Sundays. By then, I usually know the week’s schedule, so I can choose menus based on who will be home to eat and how much time I will have on a particular night. I then make my shopping list. Recently, I have made Mondays my day to shop and then cook for the days ahead.

Be realistic: Decide how may nights a week you will actually enjoy cooking. I decided four nights were enough for me. On the other nights consider leftovers, “breakfast dinners,” going out, take out, prepared foods from the grocery store, taking turns at friend’s homes, or let your partner cook.

Set aside the time: I find it so much more enjoyable to cook when I’m not in a rush. I really don’t like the stress of having hungry, impatient kids waiting when I haven’t even thought about what to make for dinner. If you have children go backwards from bedtime and figure out what time you need to serve dinner to accommodate the bedtime routine and then plan to start cooking an hour before that. (I only choose recipes that are fairly quick and simple, however between setting the table, getting washed for dinner, and cleaning as I go I find it still takes an hour). Now even my older son knows the schedule—one day when I had not planned ahead he said, “mom it’s already 5:00 and you haven’t even started thinking about dinner!” To which my response was, “you’re right, good thing you can help me!”

Get help: It goes so much faster when everyone chips in—even little things such as setting the table and filling the water glasses make a difference. The other night my son cleared the table and put away the placemats—a task that for some reason my husband and I both avoid even though we like having a clear table ready for the next day. It was one less thing for my husband and I to do before our “free time” together. I also noticed that when they have the job of clearing their own placemats (and dealing with the crumbs) they’re more careful about being neat!

Have a handful of recipes: I am not a creative, natural cook (at least not yet), so I rely entirely on recipes and follow them to the letter. It helps to have around 15 menus or recipes—that is really all you need. My kids look forward to the various menus and about 10 -15 recipes seems to be enough so they are not bored and actually look forward to the repetition. Also, the more you use each recipe the faster and easier it becomes. I suggest keeping your recipes in one place along with menus—sides, soups, etc… so that when you make your shopping list you can refer to it.

Create rituals: We used to have tacos every Friday night. Now on Friday nights we watch videos and order takeout, Saturday night is date night and the kids look forward to pizza and on Sunday nights we go out as a family. The kids love the predictability and look forward to these evenings. It also works with my cooking four nights a week plan. Growing up, my family would eat one night a week in the den in front of the TV so we could watch the Cosby show—it was a treat my sister and I really looked forward to. And the Cosby show has recently made a big comeback in my house, along with the Brady Bunch—but that’s another story.

Batch: It saves time to cook several meals at once. On Mondays I cook a Monday night’s dinner and marinate something for Tuesday. I usually also make a snack such as hummus and a soup that will last a few days. After the effort of cooking and cleaning up—I love knowing that I took care of more than one mealtime. A friend of mine saves time by prepping for dinner after breakfast—this way she has one less clean-up and more time on the other end of the day. I am experimenting with having a cooking afternoon on Mondays (the day I shop) and the day before cleaning day. I find I am not motivated to cook after the house has just been cleaned.

Find a teacher: Taking a cooking class and finding a good food blog made all the difference for me. I was lucky to find both at pamelasalzman.com. What are your favorite food blogs?

Clutter clear your kitchen: As with any task, I will avoid it if I there is something in the way of taking the first step, such as the anxiety that I will not be able to find a blade for the food processor or the frustration of navigating a jam-packed refrigerator.

I have a very small “pantry.” I love these baskets from Williams-Sonoma. While I typically avoid plastic (these baskets are made of polypropylene a “healthier” plastic), I wanted something I could wash and that wouldn’t attract insects or mold— and these do the trick. It helps me group items and find things more easily and keep the space more visually appealing.

Appealing refrigerator: Clutter-clear your refrigerator. I do my best to keep things in the refrigerator in order and clean it out once a week, but I have not figured out how to organize it. I notice that I avoid tasks if I am faced with an unattractive space—I am inspired by beauty. One thing that has made my refrigerator more appealing is an idea I got from Pamela Salzman. She makes herb “bouquets”, by placing herbs in glass jars. Not only are they pretty, but placing herbs in water also makes them last longer. If you have any ideas or resources for an inspiring refrigerator, please share!

Eat less: Consider both quantity and variety. When I make tacos along with guacamole, lettuce and tomato topping, I don’t really need to make an additional vegetable dish- especially if I have had or given my children nutritious snacks earlier in the day. I also notice that the less I put on my children’s plates at a time the more they will eat.

While I wouldn’t recommend this for children, personally I often have one liquid meal a day, usually a whole food smoothie.

Appetizers: I get so frustrated when dinner is not quite ready and the kids just can’t wait and start snacking—I know they will not eat as good a dinner and my efforts are wasted! Now I put a healthy snack on the counter while I cook (such as nuts or vegetables with dip). Even better is when some part of the dinner is ready such as soup or the vegetable.

Slow cooker: I have not tried this yet, but friends swear by it! Sounds appealing and time saving to come home at the end of the day and know dinner is ready. Have you tried it?

One-dish dinners: To me a one-dish incorporates a protein, veggie and carbohydrate. I would love to have more of these recipes—do you have any to share?

Maximize snacks: I try to get greens in earlier in the day– steamed broccoli or a smoothie with kale can be a snack. I find my children sometimes eat better at snack-time, rather than at night when everyone is tired and asked to “sit still” at the dinner table.

Change location: I find my children eat better and sit longer when we eat outdoors or even if I switch it up and serve dinner at the kitchen island versus the dining table. My four year old invented a new game that mommy and daddy love. It’s called “room service.” He sits on his bed and “orders” and we make dinner and serve it on a tray. He will wait patiently and quietly for up to an hour in his room for “room service.” We love this because it gives us uninterrupted, peaceful talking time while we make dinner.

Family style: I find my children are more interested in the food and in trying new things when I serve it family style and they can help themselves. I don’t like having extra dishes to clean, so I often use my glass storage containers (a healthier alternative to plastic) as serving dishes and then any leftovers can go straight to the refrigerator.

Breakfast tip: It helps the morning routine run more smoothly and on time when I lay out placemats, napkins and fill water glasses the night before.

Keeping your kids at the table: Getting young children to sit for mealtimes can be a challenge. We have many tips and suggestions for keeping your kids at the table.

Gratitude: I do my best enjoy the process of preparing meals, as I do believe that food “made with love” is filled with positive energy. Similarly, I often “bless” my food. I believe that setting a simple intention that our food serve us for optimal health will do just that. Giving thanks before meals has become a regular part of our dinner routine.

You may also enjoy:

Keeping Your Kids at the Table

Kitchen Talk

I recently moved into a new apartment–a beautiful loft full of light that I absolutely love! As I was moving in, I realized I had the opportunity to only move in objects that I absolutely love as well.

If you read this blog regularly, you know my sister and I often write about living with what you love and clutter clearing, so this isn’t the first time I’ve had this thought. But this time, I had the unique experience of spending four months prior to my move only living with what I could fit in my car.

Five months ago I gave my landlord notice, packed up my apartment, put the majority of my belongings in storage, hopped in my car and drove 16 hours to a beautiful mountain ski resort where I enjoyed small town living for awhile  (but that’s a different story!). As I was leaving LA and leaving behind the majority of my stuff, I felt lighter and free… like a heavy load had been lifted. It was as though my belongings, my lease, my cable bill, etc… had been a burden keeping me locked down. Living without all of “the stuff,” was a wonderful experience.

When I returned to LA, I rented a temporary, partially furnished apartment while I searched for a new home. And by partially furnished I mean it had the basics: a bed, sofa, small table for two, four plates, four forks, four glasses, one pot, one pan… you get the idea. By the time I found my new place, I had spent about four months pretty much only living with what I had packed in my car while most of my things sat in storage untouched, and as I learned… mostly unnecessary.

I really didn’t miss anything I had stored… a few times I thought “it would be nice to have blah, blah, blah…” but I also realized “it would be nice” is certainly not the same as needing it. So when the movers arrived at my new apartment and container after container was unloaded, all I could think was “what’s in all those all boxes? I already have everything I need!”

So instead of asking the movers to bring everything upstairs to the loft, I asked them to put the majority of boxes, and even furniture, into my garage. Then over the last month, I’ve slowly unpacked the boxes and only brought about 1/3 of what I owned into my actual living space. The rest I’m selling, giving away, or putting into very organized storage units in my garage until I determine if I’m going to need it.

I was also very conscious of only signing up for essential services… water, gas, and electricity. And although last week I did change my mind and get cable, I got the bare minimum in my package.

As a result, I feel lighter and my life feels simplified. Even though my schedule is actually busier and workload heavier than it has been in years, since the foundation from which I operate everyday, my home, is streamlined, clutter-free and full of things I love, I feel organized and inspired. As I sit right now in my living room writing this blog, I look around and feel very grateful for this new space—which has become: 1) a reflection of who I am today rather than a reminder of who I was in the past; 2) a creative outlet and artistic expression; 3) a supportive environment that helps my daily routines flow with ease and grace, and; 4) my home.

Here’s the process I used as I determined what I would bring into my new home:

- As I unpacked boxes, I looked at each object one at a time. I thought about how it made me feel and what thoughts came up. I imagined if the object had a voice—what would it be saying to me? I also considered whether the object triggered any memories. Often we keep things for the sentimental value, but it’s important to check in with the memories and thoughts associated with items to make sure they make you feel good or serve you in some way. I found myself often asking, “this object meant something to me in the past, but does it still have meaning now?” My answers gave me a pretty good idea of how these things were affecting my energy. I let go of anything that I didn’t love or wasn’t serving me anymore.

- I reconsidered what I needed. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking we “need” something when we really just want it, especially when we’re part of a society that celebrates consumption. But if we’re not careful all our stuff can begin to feel a bit overwhelming (we have to pay for our stuff, clean it, store it, repair it, etc…). Our belongings can end up owning us! I know continuing to evaluate what will truly be useful and what will just become more stuff will help me keep my home more simplified and less cluttered.

- A few times I found myself reluctant to let go of some things that I didn’t love and I didn’t really need. When I considered why it was usually because of some subconscious fear. I find that whenever I observe myself thinking, “I am keeping this object because I’m afraid (fill in the blank),” I have what is referred to as fear-based clutter. For example, holding onto a closet of business suits you don’t like because you’re afraid you might lose your new creative job that you love and where you don’t have to wear a suit. The suits become fear-based clutter you don’t need and that keeps you stuck in the past. If every time you look at an object you’re reminded of a fear-based scenario, you’re weighing yourself down with fearful thoughts. Instead, I’ve found it’s better to let the item go with the positive thought that you will be provided for and that all your needs will be met. After all, it doesn’t take a lot of stuff to meet one’s needs.

- Once I decided what to let go of, I then sorted items into the following piles: 1. Donations. Consider Goodwill or a local nonprofit. The Salvation Army may even come to your home for a pick-up. 2. Friends and Family. Maybe you bought something and it never quite fit you, or the color just isn’t right, but it might be perfect for your friend—chances are they will appreciate it. 3. Salable items. Garage sales, consignment shops or E-Bay are a few ways to sell things. If you are never going to use your great grandmother’s china, first offer it to other members of the family and if no one claims it, then by all means sell it. 4. Repairs and cleaning. Commit to repairing and cleaning the items within the week. 5. Trash and recyclables. It is best to schedule a pick-up or plan on getting items to a recycle center or dump right away. Leave the boxes and bags out in the open, so you will be motivated to clear them out faster. 6. Not sure yet. There were a few items I couldn’t decide what to do with, so I placed the few things that I wasn’t sure about into an organized storage unit in my garage. If I don’t use something within the year (I’m giving everything all four seasons), I’m giving it away.

- I admit I did buy a few new things for my place—mostly replacing things that were in poor condition. But as I was shopping, I asked myself if I absolutely loved it. If I felt lukewarm about something, I didn’t buy it. I also waited to buy something until I took at least 24 hours to consider the purchase so I didn’t buy anything on impulse. Finally, since I had just spent a lot of time looking at everything I already owned, I asked myself if something I had could work just as well as what I wanted to buy—more than once the answer was yes.

I’m now living with so much less stuff than I did before—and it feels great.

If you like this blog, you may like:
More Stuff Doesn’t Equal More Happiness
Green from the Inside Out
Self-Acceptance is the Ultimate Simplicity
Common Clutter Clearing Challenges
On Simplicity

Before we start, we want to mention that we realize that we just wrote a blog about self-acceptance and letting go of goals, and now we’re about to explore setting intentions and manifestation. They may seem like contradictory topics, but we believe can coexist quite beautifully… hang in till the end, and you’ll see why!

The Inner-Work

I have found there are three inner keys to manifesting your dreams: clarity of purpose, purity of intention and unwavering faith. In my experience, if a goal is not coming to fruition it’s because one or more of these three keys is lacking.

Clarity of purpose: In order to get what you want you first need to know what it is you want. This sounds obvious, but I notice that when I take a deeper look at my intentions, sometimes I see that I am ambivalent about one of my dreams—even if it is something really positive. One of the best ways to find out how clear you may or may not be and achieve clarity is to write your intentions—a process described in the outer work section below. Bear in mind that clarity is not something that can necessarily be forced. Sometimes we have to wait for clarity. I have wasted a lot of energy trying to define goals when it simply was not the time to move that area of my life forward.

Purity of Intention: Pure intentions are clear, in service, and free of baggage. Often we want something, but our intention is not pure because we are holding onto a limiting belief. The most common limiting belief is that we do not feel we are worthy of or deserving of our dreams and goals. Other examples of limiting beliefs include: the harder we work the more we succeed, being self employed and doing what we love is not the “real world,” we can’t be wealthy and be a good person, or we can’t have a successful career and a happy marriage. There are many, many more! We need to unearth any conscious or unconscious beliefs or patterns that are in conflict with our intentions. Once our intentions are pure we want to keep our attention on our intentions and also maintain a positive feeling state of being, as if our intentions are already reality.

Unwavering faith:  With clarity and purity we may then let go and trust. We must know and feel wholeheartedly that our dreams will be realized. We do not need to keep checking in and wondering how it is going.  Often it takes time and patience. I find that dreams do unfold—just not always in the time frame I imagine—manifesting can take a long time or very short and surprise us.

Part of having unwavering faith is also trusting that everything is unfolding for our happiness and greater good even when we face challenges or our goals are not realized. Sometimes if a dream is not manifesting, or things are not going our way it is because the universe has even greater joys in store for us. Also consider whether we want to manifest our dreams or co- create with life.  What I mean by this is we can only dream from our current circumstances—who we are now. However, when we leave room and stay open, life often creates things we could not possibly dream up- we want to make room for the extraordinary.

If you’re still struggling to have faith in your dreams consider that ideally intentions are at least 50% believable… I want to earn a million dollars by the end of year may seem like a great intention, but if you’re currently making $80,000 a year and don’t have any career changes in mind, you may not find it to be believable.  Others may or may not believe it, but you need to.

The Outer-Work

I also use a process that involves “outer” work.  Each year I create what I call a life vision or life map, based on techniques from the University of Santa Monica, David Allen, Leo Babauta and my own creation. The format for my life vision has changed significantly over the years. My life vision used to be a list of intentions or goals that began with my life purpose and worked its way down to projects and action-steps. This process was very effective and as I mentioned I achieved many goals.

My Life Vision used to be formatted like this:

Life Purpose:
To fully and joyfully be the most of myself and my potential in service to myself and others.
.
Values:
Love
Optimal Health
Peace
Simplicity etc…

Areas of focus and responsibility:
Relationship with Spirit and Self
Optimal Health: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
Wife and Marriage
Mother and Parenting etc…
5- 10 year goals:
Speaking and consulting internationally etc…
1-2 year goals:
Publish a book, move closer to the ocean in my ideal home etc. Projects:
Write a book proposal, find a soul-centered real estate agent etc.

Action Steps:
Ask Mark for a copy of his book proposal, send an email to friends asking if they know of a great realtor and make a list of the qualities of my ideal home etc.
*This or something better for the highest and greatest good of all concerned

Often I would add detailed “ideal scenes” for various goals—a list of successful positive outcomes written in the present tense.

What I have noticed in the past few years is that most of my “goals” are no longer focused on external things that I hope to achieve, but rather an inner state of being. My goals turned into fluid intentions that are centered on my day to day living, quality of being, how I am with myself, my values and habits. I started calling these new intentions “process goals.” To me a traditional goal has an ending—something concrete so you know when you have achieved it, but with process goals the process is the goal realized and the process is continuously taking new shapes. Other names for “process goals” would be themes, habits, qualities, routines, practices, or values.

I find it helpful to set intentions and goals (whether inner or outer) that are based on qualities, purpose and values versus specific outcomes. I focus on how I will feel when I get there versus how it will unfold. While I may fantasize about the process and possible positive outcomes, I always leave room “this or something better for the highest and greatest good of all concerned” knowing that the Universe’s plan may be much greater than what I can imagine from my current space.

You will see below that my life visions are not minimalist—I like to give myself the freedom to put everything out there—and what you see below is just a snippet! You will also see that one way I stay focused on my intentions and keep it fresh is by creating minimalist affirmations.  These affirmations are quick phrases, emotionally charged, “juicy,” personal, charged words, or even the names of certain people that embody the quality I hope to integrate. I find when I feel what it is I desire—as opposed to just “thinking” it- I carry the energy of the intention and then I attract and create easily.

My Life Vision now looks something like this:

Life Purpose:
To be present and experience my oneness
Joyfully express myself and inspire others
Live from a place of overwhelming gratitude

Things to keep in mind/ Themes/ New thought / shift in consciousness:
Celebrate what I already am
Live like I am on vacation
Let go of time pressure- the only time is now
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Process is goal realized
Gratitude
Jeff Foster Living
Transform from the inside out- designing my inner space
Thank you god for everything; I am receptive to the all good
Life is Good
Listen more—say only what is true, kind, and necessary (about myself too!)
Positive attitude –Be Mary Poppins
Sometimes there are no reasons; there is only Love
Self- acceptance is ultimate simplicity
What would love do?
Simplify
Spirit Provides
Make a Choice

Values:
Love
Optimal Health
Peace
Simplicity
Clarity
Creativity
Joy and happiness
Kindness and compassion
Simple abundance
Beauty
Grace
Gratitude
Wisdom

Areas of focus and responsibility:
Relationship with Spirit and Self
Optimal Health- mental, physical, emotional and spiritual- all levels
Wife and Marriage
Mother and Parenting
Family and Friends
Community and world
Abundance and Wealth
Personal Growth and Learning
Joy and Creativity
Home and lifestyle, Simplicity and Inspired Everyday Living

Process Goals/ Inner Goals/ Habits to adopt and integrate into my way of living and being
Daily meditation
Morning Intention
Evening prayer and gratitude
Whole foods diet
Exercise
Daily writing
Cooking and baking
Slowing down
Kind, grateful and positive
Drinking water
Listening more saying less
Maintaining streamlined, simplified, clean, healthy, and organized living.
Conscious communication with my husband- aware that I am teaching my children by example
Bringing more music into my life

I am realizing that the more I surrender to my soul’s path, the more I am present in the moment, and the more I continue to trust and allow life to flow through me— the more I know and trust that things are conspiring in ways I can’t even imagine for my happiness and the happiness of others.

I imagine that someday my Life Vision will look like this:

Let Life Shape Itself.

If you like this blog, you may also like:
Zen Affirmations
Designing Your Life
My Simple Spiritual Practices
Dream Home: Bringing Your Dreams into Your Home

I’ve come to realize that when I am in a place of self-acceptance, I am naturally simplified. For years so many of my actions and choices were motivated by a feeling that I need to be more or do more—that somehow I, or my life, was not enough. On the surface this may seem like a good thing. After all, much of my writing and the personal development movement are about striving to be more of who you are—your “best self.” And while I am still a proponent of evolution of consciousness (which I believe happens despite our efforts and in its own time), I’ve discovered a more compassionate, peaceful and enjoyable way to live is to come from a place that all is well. I am well, my life is well and I do not need to fix, strive, be, or create anything other than who, where, and what I am in this moment.

When we live from a place of self-acceptance and we are at peace with ourselves, we also feel our inner-state and our outer-environment is enough—our lives become very simple, simply. Whether our goals are material or spiritual, we are not striving for “more.” We are content with “enough.” Interestingly, sometimes by accepting and doing nothing (surrendering) and feeling gratitude, “more” occurs without effort.

To truly simplify our homes and lives we can engage in an inner process: self-acceptance. A simple way to live is accepting and experiencing each moment—not trying to do more or change anything, but rather appreciating and being.

Ask yourself, “What can I be that I already am?”

Choose to celebrate what you already are.

Cultivate gratitude for your life as it is.

Show up with no agenda, but rather in service. Allow life to move through you.

Let go and trust that all is unfolding for your happiness. Self- acceptance=letting go. Allow yourself to be surprised by life by not defining and controlling. And yes– as much as I love setting intentions—let go of “intending.” Why limit ourselves to our imagination (i.e. goals, plans, ideas) when Life may have things in mind that we could not have dreamed as our present selves or from our current circumstances? In other words, if we keep on task, always focused on our goals, then we may be limited to manifesting what we can envision now. Instead be open to greater possibilities—to the things we can’t see or imagine because they are so extraordinary they’re beyond our present knowing.

Be in the moment. Use the energy spent bettering, fixing, looking back or scheming forward to live in the moment with love and kindness. Not everything needs to be understood and fixed. We may wholeheartedly accept and enjoy.

Claim happiness now.

You may also enjoy:
The Art of Everyday Living
How I Made Meditation a Habit After Trying for Eighteen Years
My Simple Daily Spiritual Practices

Your home can be the key to successfully manifesting your New Year’s resolutions…

The beginning of the New Year is an excellent time to take inventory of your life. It is an opportunity to reflect on where you have been and get clear about where you want to go. Often we take this time to get in touch with our dreams and set new goals, yet following through with our intentions sometimes proves difficult. This year, turn to your home for the inspiration and support necessary to successfully fulfill your New Year’s resolutions.

Your home may be the vehicle through which you manifest your dreams. Our homes are reflections of who we are and who we are is always changing. Consequently, we need to support our ever-evolving selves by consistently changing our surroundings to mirror our highest idea of ourselves and empower us to actualize our current aspirations.

Out with the old

The adage “out with the old and in with new” applies. Make space for your new dreams by letting go of things that do not support your current goals. Changing on the inside is very difficult if everything we see on the outside is in conflict with our new intentions. For example, if you worked in a candy store, imagine how difficult it would be to give up sweets.

Many of us have had the experience of setting a goal, pursuing the goal for a short time and then losing our desire to continue our pursuit. Perhaps we even went so far as to go to a spa to learn healthy eating habits or to attend a seminar that inspired us to make a career change. Frequently upon returning home from the spa or finishing the seminar we find it hard to continue the healthy eating habits or uphold the new career ideas we so easily embraced while we were away. One reason we find it difficult to maintain or implement a change is because our environments are holding the energy of our previous ideas and patterns. For example, after returning home from the spa, you find your pantry filled with unhealthy food, or perhaps the desk in your home office faces the kitchen, therefore constantly tempting you to snack throughout the day. In this situation, you would want to re-adjust your surroundings to support your new goal by replacing the unhealthy food with fruit or placing a plant on your desk that obstructs your view of the kitchen.

Check to make sure your environment supports your new resolutions. Clear your space of things that do not represent your dreams or empower you to fulfill your goals. Actually walk through your home and look at each object in every room and ask yourself the following questions:

Does this object reflect who I am now in my life?

Does it support my current goals?

Do I need it? (i.e. Is it useful?)

Do I love it?

You should be able to answer yes to at least one of the above questions for every item in your home. If your answer is no to all of the above questions consider selling the object, giving it away, or throwing it away. You may also take this time to do some physical cleaning and make sure all items in your home are in good repair. This process provides an opportunity to leave behind anything that might have been less than excellent in the prior year and start fresh. As you let go, you are paving the way for an abundance of good to come into your life and are that much closer to manifesting your dreams.

In with the new

Now that you have created a fresh space from which to start anew, it is time to fill up your space with all the good you can imagine. It may be beneficial to look at your life as a whole rather than focusing on a single resolution. Begin by writing down all the areas of your life you wish to focus on such as your health, wealth, relationships, family, creativity and career. Take some quiet time to envision a positive scenario for each area and then write down your goals and successful outcomes. You may wish to write your goals in the form of an affirmation. Affirmations are most effective when written in the present tense. To affirm good health you may write, “I am experiencing optimal health” or “I am easily and joyfully exercising three times a week.” This process taps into the idea that our thoughts create our reality. By writing down your intentions you have already brought your thoughts into physical form and are on your way to fully realizing your goals.

The next step is to visually anchor your dreams in your environment. If you wish to have more abundance in your life, fill your home with objects, art and colors that feel abundant to you. If you desire more love in your life add symbols of romance such as red roses or images of happy couples. You may wish to start small by creating a personal space in your home that lifts your energy each time you walk by. You could use the top of a dresser to place a candle, fresh flowers and uplifting pictures or photographs that represent your goals. Next, find a beautiful box and place your written affirmations inside. Each time you walk by this space you are reminded of your goals, and your energy gets a boost by viewing this pleasing scene. Ideally, every part of your home should support you in this way.

Celebrate with gratitude

Act as if all you desire is already yours by celebrating with gratitude. Take pleasure in your new surroundings and the knowledge that your aspirations are manifesting right here and now. Invite friends over, treat yourself to fresh flowers, light candles or listen to music. Thank your home for the support it gives you and enjoy the fulfillment of your dreams.

If you like this blog, you may also like:
Designing Your Life
Live With What You Love
A Guide for Clearing Clutter