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by: Karen Kingston
£5.99 Paperback, 198 pp. Piatkus.
Reviewed by Linda Dangoor-Khalastchi
Clutter! who doesn't know it? And who hasn't dealt with it? Everyone of us, at one point or other, has "filed" or "stored" useful things (you know, the type that might come in handy one day...) in boxes, in drawers, in attics, in spare rooms, in garages etc.... and, once out of sight, promptly forgot about them.
There are people who review their clutter from time-to-time, and others who continue to accumulate it over the months and years.
For those of you who want to make a fresh start, to clear up or organise a room, an office space or a whole house - I highly recommend this user-friendly book by Karen Kingston. From the very beginning the word clutter is defined as "Stuck Energy." The author informs us that the word clutter is derived from the Middle English "clotter" which means to coagulate and "that's as stuck as you can get!" She goes on to say that "clutter accumulates when energy stagnates and, likewise, energy stagnates when clutter accumulates." Now that should inspire a few of us to change our ways!
Not only does Kingston analyse what clutter is, enumerating the different kinds and these range from Paper clutter (magazines, clippings, newspapers, letters...), Electronic clutter (useless information on hard discs...), Miscellaneous clutter (unwanted gifts, things which need fixing..), to Emotional clutter (unresolved situations, grievances, guilt...). Mental clutter (gossiping, judging, worrying), and Body clutter (constipation, colon cleansing...), she tells us How to get rid of it, with the help of Feing Shui when it is relevant, and for those who do not know what Feng Shui is, Karen Kingston explains it briefly and simply in the second part of the book.
The process of clearing clutter which is very satisfying and uplifting is, according to her, all about letting go and "not just about letting go of your belongings.. but of the fear that keeps you holding on to them."
An interesting book which suggests that the accumulation of clutter is an indication that deeper issues have remained unresolved. And of course, the bigger the space, house, flat, office, the more the clutter!
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