83. Calendar Zen and Nest Feathering: Finding Peace in Time and Home

Cinthia Varkevisser: Hi, we're Cinthia Varkevisser And Michelle Walters, co-hosts of Mind Power Meets Mystic. Our weekly show is here to expand your mind to what's possible, to uplift your spirits, to move forward with confidence and joy, and to create a space for your collaboration with the invisible. Welcome to Mind Power Meets Mystic.

Michelle Walters: Hey, everybody, it's Michelle and Cinthia. I am Michelle Walters, and Cinthia Varkevisser is here with me, my podcast style, we are Mind Power Meets Mystic. And today we want to talk to you because it's spring about decluttering. Now, Cinthia and I were chatting a bit before the podcast, we have somewhat different approaches. And I think, ideals when it comes to what we mean by decluttering. And we thought y'all might get something out of thinking about decluttering a little bit more the way Cinthia and I think about it. So Cinthia, when it comes to spring, and it comes to decluttering What is your why?

Cinthia Varkevisser: I love decluttering in the spring, because everything is coming out new, and I like having a fresh start. It's also a really good time. You know, in the Bay Area. It's not like we really have seasonal clothing. But we do have some things. And I get to say goodbye to my heavy jackets and my raincoat maybe, as well as some my dark colors. And then I bring in the things that I dare myself to wear when you're not supposed to quote unquote supposed to. Like today I tried on my white jeans, and I'm very excited to put them on before Memorial weekend.

Michelle Walters: Or even before Easter, as the case may be. Is that what it is? I thought it was? Is an Easter that you're not supposed to wear white before white pants before? Or what about white pants growing up with me? It was always white shoes, no white shoes until Easter. When I was a little girl, we would start wearing our white cardigans on Easter. I don't know, white just came with it. I think it's a Catholic thing.

Cinthia Varkevisser: Yeah, so I'm all about debunking that. So yeah, I put on my white jeans made sure that they fit and put them near the front of my closet. So it's easy, more easily accessible. And I just like it because it's a good time to open up all the windows and turn on some music. You might as well just start decluttering and cleaning. What about you? What's you know, what is what is the spring meeting you and decluttering anything?

Michelle Walters: I think it's more of a symbol for spring. I am not all that much of a Declutter. I am a person who frankly probably lives with more clutter than many people you know, thinking about that your pants have a special place at the front of the closet. My pants are scattered throughout my closet, theoretically they ought to be in a group but today I discovered my favorite jeans were among the vests, which you know, is not where they go but now I know where they are. So they're there they're accounted for. I am not the most organized person when it comes to my clothes, my house, that kind of thing. All that being said, I do think that there's a lot of symbolic meaning in terms of thinking about the spring and really taking this moment to be like all the plants all the flowers that are coming out and really take this moment to to value that to live a little bit more of that in our lives. Right. Well I wonder if you and I also have two different ideas about our homes. And it just occurred to me I know that we talked about other things and what we're going to suppose to talk about but you know me throwing the curveball, so you went out camping and that is a perfect thing to do for spring really check out nature connect and commune where I well I had different reasons I huddled in and did the spring cleaning and and for me to go into my closet I'll use it as an example. I mean I am this kind of weirdo so you open up my wit my closet and it is a reaching closet. It's not a walk in you see on the top row are my my tops and they start from sleeveless to long sleeve and they are by color. So now if they are spaghetti straps are in the very front white to dark and then ones would have patterns is the one with the most prevalent color. So you know the favorite tropic I want when I wear that goes under blue, even though that there's got peaches and other colors in there. And then because the wider straps and then the short sleeves, and then the long sleeves. So and so I, I know, I know, it's it's a little bit, it's a little bit cuckoo bananas. However, when I open up my doors to my closet, I breathe, I breathe a sigh of relief, and I'm happy because I feel like there's a piece of my life that everything is put exactly where it needs to be put. Now, if you take a look at my jewelry, it's all in a bunch of different boxes. And that's the next thing I'm going to head up. But for you, I for you, your your viewing of your home is different, I don't think of my house as a nest. And we are talking about how your house is is a nest. So, you know, when when we talk about that? What does that mean to you? What does your home mean to you?

Michelle Walters: Well, I think I think my homes have meant different things to me at different times in my life. And actually the place I'm in right now, I don't really think of as my long term home. It's just where I am at the moment. And I tend to just kind of live in it kind of by the moment. So you, you know, might find my purple blouse next to a green pair of pants. Like my my closet is not organized that way. But I guess in another way, maybe I also do it a little bit that way because then I've always been surprised. I'm constantly having little surprises, like the jeans that I hadn't seen for a while that I knew had to be in there. But today I found them. And I do like little surprises. And so maybe that is partly why I don't tend to clean out my purses, and I don't tend to clean out things because then I'm Oh, would you look at that, here's where that thing went. And, you know, it's not very practical. I recently lost a lipstick and then went out and bought the same lipstick again. And then I found the lipstick because you know, I'd left it in the bag somewhere. So it's not always practical. But um, but it does provide me with little surprises. And in terms of nesting, I guess I just kind of like to have a few things near me things that I I like, I don't know, this phase of my life is really a very temporary phase. I don't know how long I'll be in this phase of life. So I'm not investing as much emotionally in the space as I would if I knew I was going to be here for a long time. I think maybe part of nesting is about settling in, right? And knowing that this is where you're going to be for a while. And for me, I'm not quite in that space yet. I'm still kind of exploring and figuring things out. And so I'm not investing as much emotionally in the space. And maybe that's why I don't feel the need to organize it or declutter it as much. It's more about just living in the moment and being okay with things being a little bit chaotic or a little bit disorganized.

Cinthia Varkevisser: Yeah, it's interesting. And you know, it could be different times in our lives. Like, I feel like when I was in my 20s, I was more like you, where I was just kind of like, whatever, it's just stuff. But I feel like as I've gotten older, I've become more attached to my space and more attached to my things. And, you know, I've lived in the same house now for 15 years. So I think there's also that sense of like, I've really made this place my own. And so I want it to feel comfortable and welcoming and organized in a way that makes sense to me. And, you know, and it is, it's a very personal thing, like how you organize your space and what feels good to you. And, you know, there's no right or wrong way to do it. It's just what works for you and what feels good to you. So I think that's, that's the key, is just figuring out what works for you and what makes you happy and what makes you feel comfortable in your space.

Michelle Walters: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's part of the beauty of it, right? Is that we all have our own unique ways of being in the world and our own unique ways of organizing our spaces and, you know, finding joy in different things. And so I think that's part of what makes life interesting is, is getting to know different people and how they live and how they organize their lives. And, you know, I think it's, it's great that we have these different perspectives and that we can learn from each other and, you know, take inspiration from each other. And, you know, maybe I'll try organizing my closet by color, you know, maybe I'll give it a try and see how it feels. So I think it's, it's always good to, to try new things and, you know, see what works for you.

Cinthia Varkevisser: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, it's funny, because I think, like, I've learned a lot from you, just in terms of, you know, being okay with things being a little bit chaotic and, you know, not worrying so much about having everything, you know, perfectly organized and perfectly in its place. And, you know, I think there's, there's something to be said for that, too, you know, just being able to go with the flow and, you know, not stress out so much about, you know, having everything be just so, you know, I think there's, there's beauty in imperfection as well. And so I think, you know, it's, it's good to have that balance of, you know, being organized and having things, you know, in their place, but also being okay with, you know, a little bit of chaos and a little bit of messiness. And, you know, I think that's, that's part of life, right? Is, is embracing all of it, the good and the bad and the messy and the chaotic. And, you know, just finding joy in the moment and, and being grateful for what we have.

Michelle Walters: Absolutely. Well said. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. We hope you found this conversation about decluttering and nesting and organizing inspiring. And we'll see you next time on Mind Power Meets Mystic. Take care, everyone.

Cinthia Varkevisser: Bye-bye.