Surrender To The Process

by Dorena Kohrs,  Interior Alignment® Practitioner, Soul Coaching® Practitioner, Clutter Clearing Practitioner

You know those infamous childhood stories that get told every time your family gathers. Somewhere in between the second helping of mashed potatoes and the pumpkin pie.

Mine is about clean feet.

My mom loves to tell everyone that I hated my feet being dirty as a kid. I’d love to run around outside barefoot, but after a few minutes, I’d run inside and insist that my mom wash my feet.

In the cosmic picture of childhood idiosyncrasies, this never seemed like a big deal. Until June 28, 2023, when I walked into my kitchen and started screaming for my husband.

Gerry, come quick! I need you!

Our brand-new dishwasher had spilled so much water on the kitchen floor that I needed rainboots!

Two dozen towels later and a mega shot of adrenalin, the floor was dry. Or at least we thought it was. What we didn’t realize was that we had only mopped up 200 gallons of water. There were another 500 gallons making their way underneath the hardwoods, onto the subfloor and down into the crawlspace.

A week later our hardwood floors began bubbling up like Mount Vesuvius.

It was horrifying and nauseating, but with Google reviews and an Excel spreadsheet by our side, my husband and I began the process of mold remediation.

I was convinced that the Virgo part of my personality would have our home restored to pristine condition within three weeks.

That was 3 months ago.

And my refrigerator still sits in my foyer, my kitchen cabinets are scattered throughout our bedrooms and toast for dinner has become a thing. 

For my entire life, I’ve rushed to get out of discomfort at all costs. Whether it was dirty feet or mold remediation, I’ve wanted the discomfort to be in my rear-view mirror. Often at the cost of joy or ignoring my intuition.

But this summer, the endless delays and setbacks would teach me something different.

I don’t need to have a perfectly executed plan. Or have everything neat and tidy at the speed of a short order cook. I simply need to surrender to the process and embrace the lessons that are hurling towards me at warp speed.

There’s something else that I was reminded of this summer.

When things are chaotic and feeling out of control, we can use our environment to call in peace and joy. Yes, even when it’s our environment that’s a hot mess!

There are simple things you can do to shift the energy in your home when life feels like a lot, and you aren’t physically or emotionally able to make big house changes.

Here are my favorites that I’ve leaned on this summer:

1. Buy yourself flowers. There’s nothing that says yes to joy more than a vase of fresh flowers. Grab your favorite and put them in your kitchen, your bedroom, your bathroom, anywhere that feels amazing. I’ve had mine on a card table sitting in my torn apart kitchen reminding me of the beauty that will be restored.
2. Diffuse essential oils. According to the National Institute of Health, scent can change your mood and plays a key role in your health. Pick your favorite scent and let it waft through your spaces. Since I’ve been dealing with mold, I’ve reached for eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon and lavender.
3. Open your windows. As your house opens up and breathes, so do you. Do I need to say more?
4. Light a candle. Throughout time, candles have represented bringing light to the darkness. When your space is calling for peace, there is no greater gesture. For the healthiest choice, be sure to look for candles made of soy or beeswax with a 100% cotton or wood wick.
5. Play your favorite tunes. Music is probably the biggest go-to tool to generate good vibes, but did you know it can shift your home’s energy even if you’re not there? Create a playlist of all your favorites songs and then let the soundwaves tickle every corner of your space.

If you too are feeling like life is a lot, I’d invite you to lean on your space. Pick one of the small changes above, and let it draw you towards peace and joy.  

xo

Dorena

Dorena is a practitioner of Interior Alignment, Soul Coaching and a Certified Clutter Clearing Coach using the Linn Method. She is also a Reiki master and an Archangelic Light master practitioner.

She offers her services in person as well as by video conferencing.

Her super power is identifying what you’re holding onto that is holding you back. It is this intuitive gift that allows her clients to make changes in their environment which is the catalyst for making changes in their life.

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