I walked into my daughters room the other week and there were clothes, books and toys scattered everywhere. It’s a common sight for any 8 year old girls bedroom but on this particular day, something was different.

Her room felt different.

What was usually so full of life and buzzing with creativity now felt stagnant, lifeless and loveless.

Fact was, she hadn’t slept in her room for weeks. She hadn’t played in her room for weeks either. Instead she was always in the living room mastering handstands (her new obsession) and choreographing dance routines.

The lack of her presence and love was palpable.

What unfolded next was less about decluttering or cleaning up for the sake of having a tidy room and more about LOVE.

I asked her one very simple question:

“How can you show your room some more love? What would you do?”

She replied,

• put my clothes in the cupboard
• spend more time in here 
• keep my desk clean 
• sleep in my bed more than I sleep in yours 
• open my windows 
• play with my toys 
• eat ice-cream in here (apparently bedrooms LOVE ice-cream!?)

And before you know it, with a little bit of help from me, she started infusing her room with love. By the time she was done it was as if her room came alive. It was once again radiating love and creativity.

There’s an energy at the moment that has many people decluttering their lives.  I’m not immune to this energy. I, too, have been clearing out like a mofo. But this clearing out has been less about decluttering and more about desiring.

I recently did my desires and intentions for 2015. Turns out, it’s the year of LOVE & ABUNDANCE. There are a few areas of my life craving the energy of love and abundance more than ever and my home is one of them.

She is desiring more LOVE. (one of my core values)
She is desiring more ABUNDANCE. (one of my core desire feelings)

She is no longer a space dedicated to deep healing, soul searching and solitude. Instead she is a space dedicated to deep intimacy, sacred union and ecstatic joy. This energetic shift is strong, but her surroundings aren’t yet aligned.

So, before jumping the gun and getting my decluttering on, I stood in every room and asked, “How can this space radiate more LOVE & ABUNDANCE?”

Boom! The answers started flooding in.

Have more dinner parties with loved ones.
Make the living room more intimate and cozy.
Add a plant here.
Put flowers there.
Get a new mattress.
Keep this free of papers.
Get more of these.
Hang more wall art.
Hang those fairy lights there.
Get more cushions.
Change this coffee table.
Keep electronics out of this space.
Get new lingerie.
Add gold here.
Sage more regularly.
Keep the fridge stocked full with organic fresh produce.
Get new dinnerware.
Wash this.
Get rid of this.
Fix this.

…And the answers kept coming. It was like she was happy I asked because she had a lot to say.

So for those who are currently swept away on the decluttering wave (or you’re feeling the pull to start decluttering), be sure you know what energy you want radiating in your home/career/relationships/health etc so your decluttering choices are aligned with this deeper desire. You’ll also have a deeper understanding of why you’re letting go of something.

Ask yourself, how can this space radiate more _____________? Fill in the blank.

Remember, desire before declutter. Always.