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The Organized Life archives
JUNE 2007
Volume 4, Issue #6
BOOKS TO INSPIRE, SUPPORT & REFRESH YOU
Dear Subscriber,
I am a reader. It's hard to match the pleasure of getting absorbed in a book that also has the potential to change my life, as so many books have done.
The books that inspire, support and refresh me comprise a left-brain, right-brain assortment that’s typical of my long and winding path. Perhaps you’ll find something here that touches your life as deeply as it has mine.
Feng Shui
There are innumerable Feng Shui books out there, but only a few have a permanent home on my shelves. My goal was to find an approach that delivers tangible results, and these books have it.
Feng Shui Made Easy by William Spear
The first Feng Shui book I ever bought, back in 1996, changed my life. Here I discovered what a profound impact Feng Shui can have, especially the unifying force of the bagua.
The Western Guide to Feng Shui by Terah Kathryn Collins
Practical tips and great success stories, plus an introduction to using the Five Elements to create balance. Terah is a great teacher; last fall I took her intensive Essential Feng Shui™ practitioner training class; another life-changing event for me.
Creating Sacred Space With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston
A complete approach to Feng Shui: space clearing, blessings and even electromagnetic fields are all examined as opportunities to enhance our lives. Karen Kingston has lived much of her life in Bali, where Feng Shui is a way of life. It permeates every word of this book.
How Design Affects Us
A well-designed home or office provides more than shelter: at its best it will inspire you to live your best life. These books have raised my awareness in untold ways; read them and your eyes will be opened, too.
The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton
Starting from the idea that where we are influences who we can be, this book proposes that it’s architecture’s role to remind us of our full potential. Filled with photos and witty examples, it will motivate you demand great design whenever and wherever you can.
House As a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home by Clare Cooper Marcus
A book about the emotional connections we have to our homes, past and present; it illustrates how our psyches may be as affected by our physical environments as they are by the people in our lives.
The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty by Robyn Griggs Lawrence
Wabi-sabi appreciates the beauty in the weathered, the lived-in, the comfortable: it will make you relax with the idea that new is not necessarily better. The beautiful photos and layout make this a nice book just to have around.
Getting Organized
Only a few organizing books deliver the goods over the long haul, because being organized is as much a state of mind as anything: can you put your hands on what you need, when you need it? Are you spending your time as productively as you’d like? Is your clutter making you feel stuck? These books will help you identify and conquer your “organizing hotspots”.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
I love this book not so much because of the systems he recommends, but because he believes, as I do, that our productivity is directly related to our ability to relax.
Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston
This book differs from Creating Sacred Space, mentioned above, by taking a deeper look at clutter: where it comes from, how to eliminate it, and what the rewards are for doing so. Read it and be inspired.
Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
My own approach to organizing is articulated here: your system must emerge from within you and reflect who you are and how you live, or it just won’t stick.
Self-Awareness & Personal Growth
In the background of all this “doing”, there is “being”, the yin to the yang. These are some of the most powerful books out there for learning how to find your center, the rooted place from which all your strength comes.
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
I never would have considered myself a creative person, or discovered my space-enhancing gifts, without this guide to show me the way. More than eleven years later it’s still a best-seller – and I still follow the practices I first discovered here.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Published in 1990, this classic has so much to offer that it rewards multiple readings. But even if you only master the very first habit – “begin with the end in mind” – you will have taken a huge step towards creating the future you want for yourself.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Discover – and overcome -- the fears that might be holding you back.
Please let me know if you have any favorite books you’d like to recommend. I’ll be adding books to my web site whenever I come across one that resonates.
Until next month, Happy Organizing!
Sincerely,
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
ORGANIZING DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH
We recently cut down on a ton of technological clutter at our house by doing a few simple things. We bought a laptop computer and an all-in-one printer-scanner-copier-fax machine with wireless capability so that all our equipment could run wirelessly. And we wired our hall closet with cable and an electrical outlet and put the modem and wireless transmitter in there -- out of sight but still easily accessible.
We now have fewer cables and wires, fewer visible blinking lights, and easier access to the modem when we need it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.
ABOUT Ann Bingley Gallops
Ann is a Feng Shui consultant and Decluttering Consultant in New York City, specializing in improving the energy flow and organization of homes and businesses. She is 2007-2008 President of the New York chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO-NY).
GETTING IN TOUCH
Call or write to schedule a Feng Shui or Decluttering consultation for your home or office in the New York City area.
And please drop me a line with comments, questions, or suggestions for future newsletters.
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
646-382-3878
ann@theorganizedlife.net
www.theorganizedlife.net
Copyright 2007, Ann Bingley Gallops
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