Now more than ever, we really need our homes to support us in our respective journeys. I believe that when we feel filled up and our hearts are open, and we have an environment that supports us in feeling that way, then we can actually go out into the world and give our gifts to humanity.

We all need to be fully-resourced in order to truly go out and give of ourselves, to support our families, our employees, coworkers, clients, and communities, and the causes we believe in, the change we want to see in the world.

These days, we are sitting around our houses a lot. And many of us may be thinking about what we might like to have different, maybe even popping onto the internet for some inspiration, starting a Pinterest board, flipping through a catalog that came in the mail.

In this blog post, I am offering you a tool for envisioning the most soulful, connected, personal, restorative space you can create.

This is actually the same tool I use in my life whenever there is tension between me and another person. When there is upset, the thing I know to be true is, we cannot create from the energy that made this mess.

I imagine you know this, too. Especially if you are in a couple or/and have kids. Taking a time-out to calm down usually yields better solutions and a fresher perspective than continuing to argue.

A time-out seems simple. It is, and it’s also masterful. That time-out is actually each of us restoring ourselves to a place of connection to our most resourced, highest self.

Even if you are not the kind of person who journals, makes altars, lights candles, meditates; even if you do not consider yourself spiritual; if you have had the experience of taking that time-out, of sleeping on it, and finding a lighter, more joyful, more inspired self to create a solution from, with more access to your imagination, then you can do this.

If you really know me, you know that I want to help you create an energy-rich environment that feels truly, authentically you (and it can be applied to other family members as well). If you desire your home to be a soulful, connected sanctuary, and you really want it to be a place that inspires joy and supports emotional and spiritual recovery, and you want it to be pleasing to you aesthetically.…

Try this visualization tool:

Find a comfortable spot and settle in. Close your eyes. Take a few breaths. Think about a time or a place, when you felt really filled up and connected. Sit in that feeling of joy, happiness, and ease that this memory brings back for you.

Take note of how safe you feel.

Now, visualize the room in your home that you are wanting to change. See it filled with your own objects and art. Visualize that the space is clean and clutter-free.

Next, ask yourself, what do I want for this room?

And notice what arises.

Do you imagine rearranging it? Are you willing to let go of certain pieces? Are there items in that room that you’ve been telling yourself a story about, justifying why you should hang onto it?

Whatever new ideas come to you in this vision, when you are ready, open your eyes and make some notes. This is you, creating your own vision for the home that will support you in becoming your best self.

Do you share your home with a partner, with family? Have everyone try this exercise. Have them envision the same space, or their own spaces. See what everyone comes up with.

Thought becomes form. If we can dream it, we can create it. But without a clear sense of our own vision, we might find ourselves just grabbing whatever looks good at the retail furniture outlet, or being swayed by the marketing story on page 34 of a print catalog.

Maybe you don’t want to sit and do vision work. If that is the case, try this: Simply notice the energy that you’re in when you are thinking about making a change to your home. Is it the energy of, “I want my home to look good because I care what other people think,” or is it, “I want it to feel good so that I will be able to be more connected to myself”? Which of these thoughts is more inspiring for you? Adjust your inner monologue as needed.

Another way that we can create a more connected environment is to be visioning when we are in an energy-rich state. So, be very mindful about how you are feeling when you are looking for things for your home.

Try this: Meditate (if that is your jam) or go for a walk in nature before getting online to shop for furnishings. Notice if you suddenly find things more easily, or make decisions more effortlessly, when you are resourced by stillness.

If you fill your home with pieces that you collect when you are really connected to yourself, then your environment will be far more soulful, and far more welcoming, and far more you.

An interior designer can help you get you clear on your vision; and with that vision, create a thoughtfully designed home environment that invites you to tap into your higher self.
This is why I am so inspired by what I do. I get to help people create home environments that support them in the most magnificent way possible, so that they may share their gifts with the world.

This article originally appeared in the Piedmont Post.