My story starts on the morning of November 11th, 2011. Like so many of us, I woke up and went to a job I did not love. That morning, shortly after 11AM, while assembling the cubicle partitions of a temporary office space, one of the walls was accidentally bumped and came crashing down on top of my head.
I didn’t see it fall, but I still remember the sound it made inside my mouth, like someone creeping up behind me and smashing a paper bag filled with air. The funny thing is – not long after it happened, I’d forgotten the whole thing. In fact, I don’t remember anything else that day except the headache that started rumbling later that evening – and lasted for nearly six months. That morning – in an instant – I ruptured two vertebra in my neck and quickly developed whirling vertigo from the severity of my concussion. …And I began a stormy journey inward.
Broken, depressed, unable to open my eyes or sit up without getting dizzy and nauseous, I lost my job and all sense of direction. For weeks on end, laying in a dark room feeling sorry for myself – I was like a deconstructed caterpillar in a murky cocoon, completely undone, semi-conscious, waiting for a little light.
It occurs to me now that people go entire decades living in this state. I think far too often, we get comfortable in the momentum of our lives – and drudge through our days with a reluctant sense of complacency, too overwhelmed by the weight of the world, too afraid to fly. For most of us, becoming more than who we are feels like a burden, not a path to something better.
When I think back on the aftermath of that time, I now realize how lucky I am. Like divine intervention, some Karmic hand reached down to redirect me towards an altered future – a future filled with intention, fulfillment, and indescribable gratitude for a second chance at a new life.
I think redemption starts with a little clarity about what matters most.
Today, I’m a professional organizer, social entrepreneur, and author of the international bestseller, ClutterFree Revolution: Simplify Your Stuff, Organize Your Life & Save the World. Working with households and businesses across the country and around the world, I help people to simplify so they can focus on what matters most: who we love, what we do, how, and why we live…because everything else is just stuff.
Based just outside of Aspen, Colorado, my professional practice is primarily focused on helping people to figure stuff out. Mostly, I help people to understand that the intentional absence of excess creates the tangible space for abundance. Clearing away the excess whittles life down to its bare essence, revealing purity of heart, integrity of character, and inspiration of purpose. Purge the superfluous distractions and the sediment settles.
What I’ve discovered is that we don’t have to become devout minimalists or own tiny homes to achieve balance; we simply need to become more intentional about what matters most. And that starts at home.
I’ll just end the suspense: There is no such thing as “clutter-free.” Life is messy. It’s supposed to be. But with so much chaos, sorting through it all can feel a bit overwhelming. I think that’s why people struggle with clutter and chronic disorganization.
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But clearing out and getting organized isn’t just about creating beautiful spaces that inspire joy; it’s about using our stuff to constantly re-evaluate and re-prioritize our lives. Peter Walsh said it best. “Clutter is not just the stuff on the floor. It’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.”
Clutter is, in fact, just a metaphor, a barometer for what we value. Our quality of life, love, health, wellness, relationship dynamics, and the complexity of our individual and collective contributions to others — are all measured by how encumbered or liberated we feel by the endless sea of stuff swirling around us – all the time.
When we bring a little awareness to how we manage all that stuff, clarity becomes a matter of course… When we shake off the excess and make room for a little abundance, we soar above the insignificance of all that stuff.
ClutterFree Revolution is not simply another book about how to get organized; it’s a movement of global citizens, consciously committed to connecting the dots between our clutter and the impact those things have on a global scale. Like Jane Goodall, collectively we understand that we “cannot get through a single day without making an impact on the world around us.”
ClutterFree Revolution is not just a method for de-cluttering and getting organized at home; it’s a political uprising, a grassroots crusade for civil liberties, environmental preservation, social justice, and peace. Most of our clutter comes from corrupt corporate industries that put profits ahead of people. If we were simply more mindful about what we really need, what we buy, how those things are made, by whom, and under what conditions – we would become more intentional, not just about what we bring home from the mall – but what reckless and irresponsible industries we directly support (and inadvertently perpetuate) with every purchase.
Together, when we unite around fair trade businesses that demonstrate a stewardship for human life and environmental sustainability, we see the exponential impact of our consumerism to support a better future for all of us, far beyond our own homes. It starts with needing less, supporting second-hand economies, buying quality items made to last, sharing the stuff we no longer need with those struggling to survive the day — and becoming more innovative in how we re-use readily available resources.
I invite you to join me on a journey to simplify your stuff and organize your life. Together, we’re not just tidying up; we’re saving the world. Stick with me. I’ll talk you through it, step-by-step. This FREE Quick Start Guide will get you started.
Won’t you join us? Won’t you help spread the word?