Do You Have ‘Just-in-Case Items’ Lurking in Your Home?

Posted by Tisha Morris on September 9, 2010

The following is an excerpt from 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing):

In my clutter clearing workshops, it is the “just in case” items that seem to garnish the most inner confusion and resistance. Why? Because it goes to the root of trust. Trust in the Universe? Trust in God? No. Trust in yourself!

What exactly constitutes a “just in case” item? It is any item that you are keeping just in case of a negative condition occurring that is
within your control. In other words, you are keeping the item because you don’t trust yourself. For example, keeping a snow shovel in Tennessee in case it snows is okay. In Tennessee we get a significant snowfall about once every five years. This is a condition that is beyond your control.

On the other hand, someone who keeps their “fat clothes” in case they gain weight back after a diet is a condition that is within their control. Understandably, someone losing weight doesn’t want to have to repurchase clothes in their old size in case they gain the weight back. But do you really think someone is going to keep the weight off if they already think they won’t? Of course not. If someone really wants to maintain their new weight, then getting rid of the old clothes is the first thing they should do.

In a workshop I held with cancer patients, one woman spoke up and admitted that she was keeping her “skinny” clothes “just in case” her cancer came out of remission. Be conscious of what messages you are sending out to the Universe and therefore telling yourself. Your belief in accomplishing something is the single most important part of implementing and maintaining change. According to Lynne McTaggart in The Intention Experiment, studies using the placebo effect showed that patients with the belief and expectation of a successful operation fared better than those who had actually received the operation.

In another study, scientists discovered the destructive power of having a negative intention. A negative intention is more likely to manifest a negative result than a positive intention has for bringing about a positive result. This is a testament to the importance of what messages we are sending out. Instead of saving money in the event of a negative consequence, invest in yourself and your belief in a positive outcome. It will be the best long-term investment you can make.

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.